A beginners journal from someone who hated shaving
- Thread starter RvL
- Start date
Woo hoo, another journal to follow 
. Welcome aboard!
. Welcome aboard!- Thread starter
- #23
I already use the Laurel on a regular basis. It did take some time to make it work for me. I'll come to that in this post
The Laurel Vest Pocket open comb
Why couldn't I get a decent shave with my newly acquired Laurel razor? What did I do wrong, because it had to be me and not the razor. My last attempt with the Laurel, combined with a new Derby Extra blade was better but still not very comfortable or close as I would like.
So I started reading up on this vintage open comb. The Laurel is relatively unknown, but I found quite some interesting information about the company here on B&B. The Laurel Works company was located in Sheffield, UK and was run by George H. Lawrence. It made all kinds of razors. Many of them take the normal DE blades but they also had a razor, the Laurel Dumbbell, that took a proprietary blade.
My razor is often referred to as a Vest Pocket model. The handle has 2 pieces and the entire razor fits in a small box, complete with mirror which easily fits in a vest pocket. Downside is that the handle is very short. The 34C's handle isn't very big but the Laurel's handle is even shorter!
As for dating the razor: the company was bombed by the Germans on the 13th of December 1940. A direct on one of the shelters and killed George H. Lawrence and some of his employees. So this dates the razor to the 1930's at latest, maybe even earlier.
As interesting and tragic this story is, it didn't help me find my issue. This post did, as it states that the Laurel probably is a variation on the Gillette Old type. That made me wonder if I should use a different angle for an Old type? Yet another post, I can't recall where, gave a big hint: ride the cap...
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Sorry I am late! Welcome to the journals section and thank you for starting one. If you want some real fun, start looking for vintage single edge razors. I won't even mention what, let's see what you find! 
PS: try the Bolzano in the Laurel
PS: try the Bolzano in the Laurel
- Thread starter
- #25
The Quest continues
Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our blade, else perish bravely in the process!
With my technique steadily improving, I got brave enough to use the sharper blades of the pack. I wasn't up for the Feather just yet, afraid of committing accidental harakiri on myself.
Gillette Platinum
The first of the sharper blades I used was the Gillette Platinum. At least according to my Dutch source it scores a 4 out of 5 on sharpness. I chose this blade to start with using a very scientific method: eeny meeny miny moe
My first try was with the Merkur. Lathered up with a nice and slick Proraso Green lather and started shaving. This was a great shave. It was so good I managed to get my first BBS!
After I found the information and hints about the Laurel I of course had to try the Gillette Platinum in the Laurel as well. I kept reminding me to ride the cap during the shave, over and over again. Like a mantra. And guess what: this was a fine shave! Not yet as effective as I would like but much, MUCH more comfortable. Hooray for the Laurel!
The next shave, also with the Laurel, gave the same result. Maybe a bit smoother. I tamed the Laurel!
By then I also bought the Gillette Tech and Rolls Razor. So of course I had to try the Gillette Platinum in the the Tech. It was a fine shave for the first time with this razor. It's a rather mild razor but somehow shaves quite different than the Merkur.
Dating the Tech was a bit of a struggle though. It's made in England and the British Gillettes do not have a date code. Eventually I found the website of Mr. Razor and based on the looks (no logo on the cap), the handle and weight it could be a 1951 Gillette Tech No.9, sold in France.
Feather Hi Stainless
After the Gillette Platinum I felt confident enough to use the Feather, the sharpest tool in the shed. So full of confidence I loaded the Tech with the Feather and started shaving.
It was the closest shave I ever had. But it wasn't very comfortable. I had quite a number of weepers and cuts. I generally didn't like the blade. Sure, it was a near BBS shave but at a price. And boy, did that alum STING! Worst alum sting so far!
The next shave I tried it in the Merkur, but alas, same result: nice a smooth but not very comfortable and with a lot of weepers.
Next up was the Laurel. Guess what? The razor that gave me some of my most uncomfortable shaves now gave me a great shave. Maybe one or two small weepers but BBS and quite comfortable with the Feather. Who would have guessed!
But in general, the Feather isn't my favorite blade yet. I will give it a revisit in a while though.
Personna Platinum Chrome
Next in line, the Personna Platinum Chrome. Made in Germany, no idea if these are referred to as Blue or Red.
What I do know is that this is a great blade. Sharp, smooth and very comfortable, in all my razors! (Near) BBS shaves every single time, 5 shaves long. I could probably have extended the number of shaves but nevertheless I moved to the next blade.
Bolzano SuperInox
@Flanders I did! But not before I tried it in the Tech. For some reason I always try new blades in the Tech first.
That was a bit of a two faced shave to be honest. Very smooth and comfortable WTG and XTG but a bumpy ride ATG. Not comfortable at all!
But in the 34C and Laurel it gave me great shaves. Multiple great shaves actually.
BIC Chrome Platinum
Almost there, so bare with me a little longer...
The latest blade I tried was the BIC Chrome Platinum. Again, first in the Tech. At first I thought it was a great shave. Quite comfortable, the blade was really sharp and I was BBS! But then, I sprung several leaks. Even on my cheeks, and I never cut myself on the cheeks before. And the alum sting, yikes!
The same applies to both the Laurel and the Merkur: BBS but bloody and a bit irritation.
I tried it 4 times. It stayed really sharp and the results stayed similar.
The keen eyes may have noticed I added Taylor of Old Bond Street Royal shaving cream to me soaps and creams. A nice smelling soap and it gives a nice and thick lather. I like it a lot!
Summary so far
So what did I learn so far? Well, the extremely sharp blades don't suit me. At least not yet.
I likes a sharp yet comfortable blade. The Personna Platinum Chrome was by far the best blade I tried so far.
But the journey doesn't end here. I still have a couple of blades to try. Next up will be the Gillette Silver Blue. Probably tomorrow.
Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our blade, else perish bravely in the process!
With my technique steadily improving, I got brave enough to use the sharper blades of the pack. I wasn't up for the Feather just yet, afraid of committing accidental harakiri on myself.
Gillette Platinum
The first of the sharper blades I used was the Gillette Platinum. At least according to my Dutch source it scores a 4 out of 5 on sharpness. I chose this blade to start with using a very scientific method: eeny meeny miny moe
My first try was with the Merkur. Lathered up with a nice and slick Proraso Green lather and started shaving. This was a great shave. It was so good I managed to get my first BBS!
After I found the information and hints about the Laurel I of course had to try the Gillette Platinum in the Laurel as well. I kept reminding me to ride the cap during the shave, over and over again. Like a mantra. And guess what: this was a fine shave! Not yet as effective as I would like but much, MUCH more comfortable. Hooray for the Laurel!
The next shave, also with the Laurel, gave the same result. Maybe a bit smoother. I tamed the Laurel!
By then I also bought the Gillette Tech and Rolls Razor. So of course I had to try the Gillette Platinum in the the Tech. It was a fine shave for the first time with this razor. It's a rather mild razor but somehow shaves quite different than the Merkur.
Dating the Tech was a bit of a struggle though. It's made in England and the British Gillettes do not have a date code. Eventually I found the website of Mr. Razor and based on the looks (no logo on the cap), the handle and weight it could be a 1951 Gillette Tech No.9, sold in France.
Feather Hi Stainless
After the Gillette Platinum I felt confident enough to use the Feather, the sharpest tool in the shed. So full of confidence I loaded the Tech with the Feather and started shaving.
It was the closest shave I ever had. But it wasn't very comfortable. I had quite a number of weepers and cuts. I generally didn't like the blade. Sure, it was a near BBS shave but at a price. And boy, did that alum STING! Worst alum sting so far!
The next shave I tried it in the Merkur, but alas, same result: nice a smooth but not very comfortable and with a lot of weepers.
Next up was the Laurel. Guess what? The razor that gave me some of my most uncomfortable shaves now gave me a great shave. Maybe one or two small weepers but BBS and quite comfortable with the Feather. Who would have guessed!
But in general, the Feather isn't my favorite blade yet. I will give it a revisit in a while though.
Personna Platinum Chrome
Next in line, the Personna Platinum Chrome. Made in Germany, no idea if these are referred to as Blue or Red.
What I do know is that this is a great blade. Sharp, smooth and very comfortable, in all my razors! (Near) BBS shaves every single time, 5 shaves long. I could probably have extended the number of shaves but nevertheless I moved to the next blade.
Bolzano SuperInox
@Flanders I did! But not before I tried it in the Tech. For some reason I always try new blades in the Tech first.
That was a bit of a two faced shave to be honest. Very smooth and comfortable WTG and XTG but a bumpy ride ATG. Not comfortable at all!
But in the 34C and Laurel it gave me great shaves. Multiple great shaves actually.
BIC Chrome Platinum
Almost there, so bare with me a little longer...
The latest blade I tried was the BIC Chrome Platinum. Again, first in the Tech. At first I thought it was a great shave. Quite comfortable, the blade was really sharp and I was BBS! But then, I sprung several leaks. Even on my cheeks, and I never cut myself on the cheeks before. And the alum sting, yikes!
The same applies to both the Laurel and the Merkur: BBS but bloody and a bit irritation.
I tried it 4 times. It stayed really sharp and the results stayed similar.
The keen eyes may have noticed I added Taylor of Old Bond Street Royal shaving cream to me soaps and creams. A nice smelling soap and it gives a nice and thick lather. I like it a lot!
Summary so far
So what did I learn so far? Well, the extremely sharp blades don't suit me. At least not yet.
I likes a sharp yet comfortable blade. The Personna Platinum Chrome was by far the best blade I tried so far.
But the journey doesn't end here. I still have a couple of blades to try. Next up will be the Gillette Silver Blue. Probably tomorrow.
Your experience with the Feather and the BIC CP reminded me of my first encounter with the Fatip Grande OC. I was quite green and I obviously did not know what I was doing. Yep it was a....The Quest continues
Come follow me, dear friends, and we shall find our blade, else perish bravely in the process!
With my technique steadily improving, I got brave enough to use the sharper blades of the pack. I wasn't up for the Feather just yet, afraid of committing accidental harakiri on myself.
Gillette Platinum
The first of the sharper blades I used was the Gillette Platinum. At least according to my Dutch source it scores a 4 out of 5 on sharpness. I chose this blade to start with using a very scientific method: eeny meeny miny moe
My first try was with the Merkur. Lathered up with a nice and slick Proraso Green lather and started shaving. This was a great shave. It was so good I managed to get my first BBS!
After I found the information and hints about the Laurel I of course had to try the Gillette Platinum in the Laurel as well. I kept reminding me to ride the cap during the shave, over and over again. Like a mantra. And guess what: this was a fine shave! Not yet as effective as I would like but much, MUCH more comfortable. Hooray for the Laurel!
The next shave, also with the Laurel, gave the same result. Maybe a bit smoother. I tamed the Laurel!
By then I also bought the Gillette Tech and Rolls Razor. So of course I had to try the Gillette Platinum in the the Tech. It was a fine shave for the first time with this razor. It's a rather mild razor but somehow shaves quite different than the Merkur.
Dating the Tech was a bit of a struggle though. It's made in England and the British Gillettes do not have a date code. Eventually I found the website of Mr. Razor and based on the looks (no logo on the cap), the handle and weight it could be a 1951 Gillette Tech No.9, sold in France.
Feather Hi Stainless
After the Gillette Platinum I felt confident enough to use the Feather, the sharpest tool in the shed. So full of confidence I loaded the Tech with the Feather and started shaving.
It was the closest shave I ever had. But it wasn't very comfortable. I had quite a number of weepers and cuts. I generally didn't like the blade. Sure, it was a near BBS shave but at a price. And boy, did that alum STING! Worst alum sting so far!
The next shave I tried it in the Merkur, but alas, same result: nice a smooth but not very comfortable and with a lot of weepers.
Next up was the Laurel. Guess what? The razor that gave me some of my most uncomfortable shaves now gave me a great shave. Maybe one or two small weepers but BBS and quite comfortable with the Feather. Who would have guessed!
But in general, the Feather isn't my favorite blade yet. I will give it a revisit in a while though.
Personna Platinum Chrome
Next in line, the Personna Platinum Chrome. Made in Germany, no idea if these are referred to as Blue or Red.
What I do know is that this is a great blade. Sharp, smooth and very comfortable, in all my razors! (Near) BBS shaves every single time, 5 shaves long. I could probably have extended the number of shaves but nevertheless I moved to the next blade.
Bolzano SuperInox
@Flanders I did! But not before I tried it in the Tech. For some reason I always try new blades in the Tech first.
That was a bit of a two faced shave to be honest. Very smooth and comfortable WTG and XTG but a bumpy ride ATG. Not comfortable at all!
But in the 34C and Laurel it gave me great shaves. Multiple great shaves actually.
BIC Chrome Platinum
Almost there, so bare with me a little longer...
The latest blade I tried was the BIC Chrome Platinum. Again, first in the Tech. At first I thought it was a great shave. Quite comfortable, the blade was really sharp and I was BBS! But then, I sprung several leaks. Even on my cheeks, and I never cut myself on the cheeks before. And the alum sting, yikes!
The same applies to both the Laurel and the Merkur: BBS but bloody and a bit irritation.
I tried it 4 times. It stayed really sharp and the results stayed similar.
The keen eyes may have noticed I added Taylor of Old Bond Street Royal shaving cream to me soaps and creams. A nice smelling soap and it gives a nice and thick lather. I like it a lot!
Summary so far
So what did I learn so far? Well, the extremely sharp blades don't suit me. At least not yet.
I likes a sharp yet comfortable blade. The Personna Platinum Chrome was by far the best blade I tried so far.
But the journey doesn't end here. I still have a couple of blades to try. Next up will be the Gillette Silver Blue. Probably tomorrow.
type shave, but I learned to handle it and now it is a great razor. I am sure you will learn to handle whatever blade and razor gets thrown at you over time.
- Thread starter
- #28
@Eric_75 thanks! It nice that I can combine to hobbies and even better that you like it!
Yes, that was what it felt like! I want to retry the blades in a while. I can't write them off based on a couple of shavesYour experience with the Feather and the BIC CP reminded me of my first encounter with the Fatip Grande OC. I was quite green and I obviously did not know what I was doing. Yep it was a....
type shave, but I learned to handle it and now it is a great razor. I am sure you will learn to handle whatever blade and razor gets thrown at you over time.
I always thought the tech was known for its good blade rigidity. Am I crazy?Unfortunately, that's been my experience with most blades in the Tech. The ATG is a real balancing act since the blade is not well supported and has more exposure than most realise. I also forgot that I haven't tried an Egyptian Bolzano, sorry about that!
- Thread starter
- #31
It really depends on the blade. Of course, in my case technique can also be part of the cause. But if I look back at the Gillette Platinum and Personna Platinum Chrome, they worked great for me.Unfortunately, that's been my experience with most blades in the Tech. The ATG is a real balancing act since the blade is not well supported and has more exposure than most realise. I also forgot that I haven't tried an Egyptian Bolzano, sorry about that!
I kind of like this search for a good blade. I'm still amazed about how much difference there can be between blades. If you look at it, they all look the same.
Anyway, it changed something I hated and tried to postpone for as long as possible into something fun!
You might be right, but the blade does project quite a ways past its supports and the blade can be felt moving around when shaving ATG. Used reasonably, it's a mild and effective razor, but with more aggressive technique it can be unpredictable. I don't think I am the only one who has experienced this and I just wanted assure @RvL that it's not all his technique.I always thought the tech was known for its good blade rigidity. Am I crazy?
You’re absolutely right about the tech. I’ve posted about that not long ago.
It feels mild but I always have to remind myself of its positive blade exposure. Quite deceptive.
I’ve experienced irritation with my tech in the past.
- Thread starter
- #35
@never-stop-learning
Until now I tried to keep a neutral angle, as I do with the Merkur 34C. I'll try it with a steep angle, thanks for the tip!
Until now I tried to keep a neutral angle, as I do with the Merkur 34C. I'll try it with a steep angle, thanks for the tip!
- Thread starter
- #36
What a great section the Journal section is! There are so many interesting journals to read! I love it! You seem to be a close group of people and it's great to be part of it!
A new day, a new blade
Two days after my last shave with the BIC, it was time for a new shave. This time I chose the Gillette Silver Blue.
A Gillette blade of course asks for the Gillette (Tech) razor. With @never-stop-learning's tip in the back of my head I started shaving. The difference between my normal, neutral angle and the steeper angle is quite big! I could feel but also hear the difference.
I also have to pay attention to the length of my strokes. I tend to do very short, overlapping strokes of maybe a centimeter each. I tried to do longer strokes today with less overlap in an attempt to minimize irritation. It seemed to work, but it's only the first time of course.
Overall it was a very good near BBS shave, even though my skin hasn't fully recovered from my last adventure with BIC. Some spots are a bit sensitive. Maybe a couple of days rest will do my skin good.
Luckily I have no need to shave this weekend (other than that I want to shave). Just an easy weekend at home. Some gardening, walking the dog. I have a brown Labrador, she doesn't care if I shave as long as I have treats. And of course going through the list of chores my wife probably made for me
A new day, a new blade
Two days after my last shave with the BIC, it was time for a new shave. This time I chose the Gillette Silver Blue.
A Gillette blade of course asks for the Gillette (Tech) razor. With @never-stop-learning's tip in the back of my head I started shaving. The difference between my normal, neutral angle and the steeper angle is quite big! I could feel but also hear the difference.
I also have to pay attention to the length of my strokes. I tend to do very short, overlapping strokes of maybe a centimeter each. I tried to do longer strokes today with less overlap in an attempt to minimize irritation. It seemed to work, but it's only the first time of course.
Overall it was a very good near BBS shave, even though my skin hasn't fully recovered from my last adventure with BIC. Some spots are a bit sensitive. Maybe a couple of days rest will do my skin good.
Luckily I have no need to shave this weekend (other than that I want to shave). Just an easy weekend at home. Some gardening, walking the dog. I have a brown Labrador, she doesn't care if I shave as long as I have treats. And of course going through the list of chores my wife probably made for me
Oh yes as you have figured out already we are a bunch of goof balls that like to have fun while we enjoy our little hobby. You are right though. The journaling section is where it is at!What a great section the Journal section is! There are so many interesting journals to read! I love it! You seem to be a close group of people and it's great to be part of it!
A new day, a new blade
Two days after my last shave with the BIC, it was time for a new shave. This time I chose the Gillette Silver Blue.
A Gillette blade of course asks for the Gillette (Tech) razor. With @never-stop-learning's tip in the back of my head I started shaving. The difference between my normal, neutral angle and the steeper angle is quite big! I could feel but also hear the difference.
I also have to pay attention to the length of my strokes. I tend to do very short, overlapping strokes of maybe a centimeter each. I tried to do longer strokes today with less overlap in an attempt to minimize irritation. It seemed to work, but it's only the first time of course.
Overall it was a very good near BBS shave, even though my skin hasn't fully recovered from my last adventure with BIC. Some spots are a bit sensitive. Maybe a couple of days rest will do my skin good.
Luckily I have no need to shave this weekend (other than that I want to shave). Just an easy weekend at home. Some gardening, walking the dog. I have a brown Labrador, she doesn't care if I shave as long as I have treats. And of course going through the list of chores my wife probably made for me
I miss the Danish rød pølser we used to get when we visited Denmark from Sweden when I was a kid. Have not had one in decades and decades.Welcome from Denmark!
It's quite an interesting hobby that quickly gets out of hand
It is good - and still very much available in every super market. Or directly from a "Pølsevogn" or "Grillbar"
