My $15 TTO WeishiVanderHagen has better blade alignment than my Rockwell 6c (all three plates). 
A rant about uneven blade exposure...
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With the Fatip that I got, loading it in every which way possible wouldn't help because the pins were so utterly useless that they might as well have not been there at all. I mean, I kind of blame myself because I read many posts of people complaining about alignment issues and I still got the razor.
I thought the Parkers and Fatips of the world fall into the cheapest gear territory and that phenomenon applies to them, but apparently it doesn'tSome of my cheapest gear serves me best.
Whatever you say about RazoRock their machining is always spot on, in my experience.
Love, love, love my Van der Weishi. May it live long in my travel kit!
Sometimes there really seems to be no logic to it.
In my own vast pile of cheap shaving implements sit more than a few examples from the likes of Baili, Weishi, Yaqi, etc. Some of which are even less expensive than most Parkers or Fatips. And, most of which provide a good, if not great, shave.
Meanwhile, I have razors that cost several times more than a Baili or Weishi that not only have alignment problems but also sometimes have manufacturing defects or cosmetic issues.
It is in fact a puzzling, and sometimes frustrating, landscape.
The only DE razors I have with noticeably poor blade alignment are a Chinese Futur knock-off (which still gives a great shave) and the dreadful Wilkinson Sword Classic (which has absolutely no redeeming properties). I wonder if there's a common theme there?
I just loaded a Parker (6) blade into my post-war Tech and yes sir, the alignment is perfect.
I do notice the perception (or misperception) of blade alignment depends on how true the viewing angle is as shiny surfaces tend to trick our eyes.
Very true about the shiny surface tricks.
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That is correct. But for me, the telling signs of misalignment are skin feel and audio feedback. For example, on my chin on both sides the hair grows in identical thickness and direction. The skin feel and audio feedback should be identical. Or on the moustache area as well. One side scoops up hair from under my nose easily, the other side does not because it's milder and can't hook the hair.
I have an older V1 fatip which is looser than the V2 from what I read. The alignment pins really are too small in diameter and the blade has a lot of wiggle room to be very far out of alignment. But I solve that by cutting a thin ring of electrical shrink sleeve tubing and push over the alignment posts. The ring is short enough that it sits between the cap and plate without going thru the holes in the plate. The blade goes over it and aligns itself perfectly every time.
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I have both the RazorRock GC 68-P and the GC 84-P. These examples have very tight tolerances. I would venture to say, better than any other razor I've ever owned.
The Game Changer has its alignment pins on the "Baseplate". They are round and a snug-fit for the blade 'window'. Which, in my mind, is a good thing. Both of the GC razors provide a solid lock-up of the blade with no variation. Because of the material the razor is made from, i.e., 316L stainless steel, I expect these razors will remain 'tight' for my lifetime.
As I said, "I don't know" everything there is to know about razors. I do know, brass is a softer material and will wear with time. I know this because my last razor was a Viking "Chieftain" and, after 8 years of use the "Butterfly" mechanism was so badly worn it would nolonger hold the blade in position. A dangerous situation, to say the least.
I don't think I've helped much, if any?
b/r
ON_1
The Game Changer has its alignment pins on the "Baseplate". They are round and a snug-fit for the blade 'window'. Which, in my mind, is a good thing. Both of the GC razors provide a solid lock-up of the blade with no variation. Because of the material the razor is made from, i.e., 316L stainless steel, I expect these razors will remain 'tight' for my lifetime.
As I said, "I don't know" everything there is to know about razors. I do know, brass is a softer material and will wear with time. I know this because my last razor was a Viking "Chieftain" and, after 8 years of use the "Butterfly" mechanism was so badly worn it would nolonger hold the blade in position. A dangerous situation, to say the least.
I don't think I've helped much, if any?
b/r
ON_1
I only own two razors under $100. I have no idea what the statistical average is, but I read a lot of posts here about razors well over $100, that was my reference. I suspect if you're really looking for razors with consistent high quality you're paying over $100, but I'm no expert, I only have two under that and one was used.
This really has very little to do with the cost of the razor. The OP even mentioned his $5 Lord Tech clone razor has perfect alignment. Five dollars.
This is mostly about design and also has something to do with the manufacturing tolerances. As @FarmerTan mentioned, Gillette razors solved this problem (sometime in the 1930s, IIRC). What they did was added pins to precisely locate the blade at the corners. Check out a Gillette New Long Comb or Short Comb, or a Gillette Tech. These are commodity razors that sold for just a few bucks and were manufactured in the millions. Perfect alignment almost every time.
Most three-hole razors have potential alignment issues because the posts need to be slightly undersized to fit all the blades that are out there without binding. That means they rely upon you, the user, to check and adjust alignment when loading a blade. As @Dave himself was saying, loading with the cap upside down takes care of the issue most of the time. The reason is the blade centers itself on the posts as the handle is tightened down. You don't have to go through an elaborate alignment procedure just rely on simple mechanical principles.
Love, love, love my Van der Weishi. May it live long in my travel kit!
It's a very nice razor. Perfect blade alignment every time I drop in a fresh blade. No adjustment necessary while twisting it closed.
I got my start into wet shaving about 7 years ago (then went back to cartridges until recently) with a Parker 96. The Parker is at least 2x more expensive and is an inferior razor many capacities. It had terrible blade alignment and required adjustment every time when loading a blade because there was so much play. It also corroded quite quickly, which forced me to pitch it. That's what drove me back to cartridges at the time.
I don't know the specific size. I have an assortment of sizes that came all precut to about 2" long. If you can interpret these numbers in the photo (I can't). But the wall thickness measures about .2mm with my calipers. I tried a size that slipped over the posts easily and the next smaller size needed to be forced/stretched to get over the posts. That slightly smaller size that needed to stretch works the best as stretching thins the walls slightly and the tubes that didn't need to stretch were tight enough on the blade to make removing the blade a little bit fiddly as it would catch. The smaller size works great and the blade doesn't hang up on it.
My calipers read the bare posts at 4.70mm and the post with the sleeve measures 5.08mm And for comparison my Game Changer posts measure 4.95mm
This is two different pieces of the same size I used - just grabbed two pieces for the picture because they had different segments of the numbers in case any of those markings means anything to you. Or I could just mail you a sleeve.
My calipers read the bare posts at 4.70mm and the post with the sleeve measures 5.08mm And for comparison my Game Changer posts measure 4.95mm
This is two different pieces of the same size I used - just grabbed two pieces for the picture because they had different segments of the numbers in case any of those markings means anything to you. Or I could just mail you a sleeve.
Ingenious!
I've only been around B&B for just over a year. During that period, I've read lots of threads where people complain repeatedly about a few brands with blade registration problems. I don't like hassling with stuff like that. As others have stated, I find it annoying. I don't think it's too much to expect a razor manufacturer to deliver a non-fussy product. It isn't rocket science.
So far, I've just avoided those brands. Others still swear by them and put up with the inconsistencies. Shaving for me is a place of inner tranquility. Hardware complications don't need to be part of that, esp. since they are easily avoided.
So far, I've just avoided those brands. Others still swear by them and put up with the inconsistencies. Shaving for me is a place of inner tranquility. Hardware complications don't need to be part of that, esp. since they are easily avoided.
Fatip seems to be the most polarizing razor. People love it or hate it. I personally hated it. I bought a Grande new. It was the worst razor. Terrible alignment. And the finish was incredibly poor. But lots of people love that razor. So ymmv. Or it’s just that the Fatip QC is so bad that there are really good ones, and really bad ones.
True story! Have one. It’s a fabulous razor. Took a very good OLD Type, and made it even better!
With its two tiny pins, the ATT Windsor aligns very well. It is an unusual but effective design.
I guess I’m one of the lucky ones. My Piccolo has perfect blade alignment. On the other hand, my Yuma has terrible blade alignment but shaves very well.
I’m glad you are enjoying your Lord L5. One of the best shavers in the world and an unbeatable value.
I’m glad you are enjoying your Lord L5. One of the best shavers in the world and an unbeatable value.
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