Am I the only one(that despises)

[Kent Kimmons]

Am I the only one that despises the Gillette Slim Adjustable? I've had one for a few weeks. I've tried my 3 favorite blades in it with the following result.

Settling 4 or below (Wilkinson Sword, Astra SP, Feather) the best I could get was a CCS
Setting 5 (Astra SP and Feather) DFS with blood
Setting 6 (Wilkinson, Astra SP and Feather) BBS with more blood

I can use ANY other razor I own and get either a DFS or BBS shave with maybe 1-2 weepers on a bad day, not so my Slim.

Am I a freak of shaving nature or are there others in this club?

 

[dajmacd]

I feel your pain. My first DE was a Slim. I could get a decent shave out of it maybe one out of four or five tries. Wilkies, Astras, Personnas, settings from 3 to 9, different preps, soaps etc. And even when I got a close shave, it was not comfortable. It was a beautiful sample, but useless in my hands. I wound up trading it for a cased short comb NEW. THAT razor I love. Now my super ugly O-2 short super adjustable? Great shaves no matter what the blade or setting.

 

[Graybeard57]

"Despise?" Strong word for a piece of metal. It's a razor, nothing more.

 

[Kent Kimmons]

"Despise?" Strong word for a piece of metal. It's a razor, nothing more.

Let's see:
Despise --> Deep repugnance
Repugnance --> Intense Disgust
Disgust --> marked aversion aroused by something highly distasteful

So, I have deep intense marked aversion to this razor. It's pretty much shaping up this way.

Yup, that about covers it.

 

[vreddy2000]

I'll ask the obvious question, after you load the blade and close the doors..do you do the extra half turn to lock it? I ask because I did not know to do it the first time and your experience sounds similar to mine that first time.

 

[Kent Kimmons]

I'll ask the obvious question, after you load the blade and close the doors..do you do the extra half turn to lock it? I ask because I did not know to do it the first time and your experience sounds similar to mine that first time.

Looks like the Slim gets another try in the AM!

 

[celestino]

i don't despise it, but i don't get on at all with the vintage Gillette razors. To each their own.
Don't be afraid to let it go and try the modern ones. Good luck.

 

[Jeff_H]

If after you do the extra 1/2 twist to lock the blade, and if you still dislike it, and if it's a Q4 (or Q3) 66' or a Q1 61, PM me so we can talk.

 

[Mark1966]

I'll ask the obvious question, after you load the blade and close the doors..do you do the extra half turn to lock it? I ask because I did not know to do it the first time and your experience sounds similar to mine that first time.

I'll ask another question - is the blade gap consistent or are there any other mechanical issues? Does the adjustment work?

Your results sound unusual for any razor especially an adjustable. I'd look at it closely before writing it off

 

[Dools]

do you do the extra half turn to lock it?

This is new to me.....So, you can't/don't Over Tighten it this way?....It doesn't harm the razor?

I have not had a good shave yet with my slim, but, have not been doing this ^, so, I may have to give it one-more try.

 

[rxonmymind]

That last quarter turn "locks" down the doors thus securing the blade.

 

[Ron Scott]

There is another explanation, one that is rarely talked about on this forum as far as I know.

We typically make the assumption that any shave product is representative of every other such product made. Faith in such consistency may not be warranted, especially for products that are now 50 years old or older.

I think we don't talk about it because it makes our typical threaded conversations more difficult. But I'll say it – maybe you've got a bad one.

 

[Leslie145]

I'll ask the obvious question, after you load the blade and close the doors..do you do the extra half turn to lock it? I ask because I did not know to do it the first time and your experience sounds similar to mine that first time.

I made that mistake once - I generally loosen off the doors after shaving so as not to put undue pressure on the mechanism. It may only effectively lock to top doors, but I do find if you don't do the extra 1/2 turn it affects the performance badly.

 

[Teddyboy]

Despises? Yes, I believe you are the first in my over six years on BB.

 

[mistercitizen]

My preference of Gillette adjustables is:

1. Super Adjustable Short Handle
2. Fatboy
3. Slim
4. Super Adjustable Long Handle

I guess the Slim is not my favorite, but I get decent shaves with it. I always lock the doors down on all of my Gillette adjustables.... never tried a shave without doing that.

Ben

 

[Haggises]

if after trying it out in locked down mode you still despise it...PIF it or BST it. Life too short for hate.

I have a similar problem with a Tech - and no other Gillette- just can't get a good shave out of it. However I am secure enough in my own mind not to blame an inanimate object, and assume that the cause of the bad shaves is me not being able to adjust sufficiently to accommodate the characteristics of the Tech.
I will master it by golly. if I can finally tame an Open Comb Micromatic then a Tech should be easy.

 

[JRL]

Sometimes, my mind plays tricks on me. I remember when I got my first Slim. That razor was about 50 years old when it arrived at my house, looking its age. There was no doubt that it had delivered lots of shaves to one, possibly several prior owners. So, I cleaned it and scrubbed it, and polished it up, until it looked really nice and shiny. Mentally, I somehow imagined that it was a new razor. New to me, yes, but it was an old razor! How many times had it been dropped? What are the chances that those tiny little parts inside were bent or corroded? My eye might notice a major alignment problem, but something too subtle for me to see could still affect the way it shaves. But in my mind, it was new. I assumed it was perfect. When it didn't give great shaves, was that because Slims are no good? Or because there was something wrong with the one that I had? (Hint: bet on the second option. My second and third Slims are outstanding razors.) Don't assume that a problem with the razor in your hand is because the design in faulty.

 

[Kent Kimmons]

Looks like the Slim gets another try in the AM!

Gave it a new try this AM. No significant problems, 2-3 weepers though. It gave me a SAS set on 5. I'll try again set on 6. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Dools]

Kent, glad it is working for you.

I got my Slim, in the wild, over 6 months ago. Have only shaved with it maybe 3 times till today, and, had one of the worst shaves that I have had, with DE, two tries ago......So, I had given up, and, didn't really want to PIF it because I thought it was defective.

Well, now I see that half turn, and how the razor was meant to be turned that way. Had a Great shave this afternoon with it.

Went with 7 for my WTG, then 5 for both XTG, 3 for my ATG on my chin, and 2 for my ATG on my upper lip. I have been Loving mild shavers, and, Now, this can be another mild shaver for me if I keep it.

 

[vreddy2000]

glad its working out...they give an amazing shave.. its considered best practice to loosen the doors before adjusting it to a different setting, you might overclock it if you adjust while its locked.