I started using my tech a few weeks ago myself. I bought mine in a market, and minutes later, found a second. It really does a great job!
Glad to hear things are improving quickly
Glad to hear things are improving quickly
Annie's journal
- Thread starter AnnieV
- Start date
You are convincing me that a Parker TTO is not in my future. Unless I develop a masochistic streak. 
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- #23
You are convincing me that a Parker TTO is not in my future. Unless I develop a masochistic streak.
Keep in mind, I hold my razor very differently than a gent would. The end of the handle sits in my palm, and as far as I can tell the loosening happens when I reach off to the side to rinse the razor (the handle rotates slightly against my palm). It's a quirk of how I handle it rather than a fault of the razor's. Don't write it off on my say-so!
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- #24
This evening's shave: having cleaned up my ugly duckling prewar tech, I decided to do a comparison of both techs tonight.
Props: travel tech (L) and prewar tech (R) with Personna red blade and KMF leg-lathered
Results: I did just one pass on each leg, instead of doing some cleanup like I often do, so I could compare accurately. Both legs are fairly smooth (the blade is definitely a keeper!), but the right is a little closer to BBS. I definitely felt the blade more in the prewar tech, though: it wasn't draggy or scraping, but I was definitely more aware of having a very sharp blade against my skin than I was with the travel tech. Maybe because of that aggressiveness, the prewar tech even did a good job on my underarm without chewing the skin up, something I'd given up hope on long ago.
I haven't gotten a nick or cut in a while now, but I do get "phantom" nicks: the papercut feel of a nick without any blood or visible damage to the skin. Mostly around my left Achilles heel, which is where I most often get cut. Psychosomatic, perhaps?
Props: travel tech (L) and prewar tech (R) with Personna red blade and KMF leg-lathered
Results: I did just one pass on each leg, instead of doing some cleanup like I often do, so I could compare accurately. Both legs are fairly smooth (the blade is definitely a keeper!), but the right is a little closer to BBS. I definitely felt the blade more in the prewar tech, though: it wasn't draggy or scraping, but I was definitely more aware of having a very sharp blade against my skin than I was with the travel tech. Maybe because of that aggressiveness, the prewar tech even did a good job on my underarm without chewing the skin up, something I'd given up hope on long ago.
I haven't gotten a nick or cut in a while now, but I do get "phantom" nicks: the papercut feel of a nick without any blood or visible damage to the skin. Mostly around my left Achilles heel, which is where I most often get cut. Psychosomatic, perhaps?
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- #26
This evening's shave:
Props: prewar tech with Personna red (2nd day), KMF leg-lathered
Results: The last few days have been going so smoothly, I'm kind of waiting for the other foot to drop. Very positive leg results today: the Personna was just as nice as it was yesterday, and a two-day blade is a winner in my book. I'm definitely getting better at leg-lathering, too. I was a water-only gal for years, and I'm amazed at what a difference a cream makes.
My underarms are unhappy after today's shave, but I'm not sure whether that's due to the more aggressive razor or the fact that I normally skip every other day. I use an alum deodorant, and that was a bracing experience tonight. Easy enough to go back to the every other day routine; it's not exactly tank top season.
I've wussed out in terms of lather the past couple days and just used the KMF. Tomorrow I think I'll give the soap thing another go. I've ordered some Proraso blue, and I may end up just not being a soap person, but I want to at least use the soap that I have.
Props: prewar tech with Personna red (2nd day), KMF leg-lathered
Results: The last few days have been going so smoothly, I'm kind of waiting for the other foot to drop. Very positive leg results today: the Personna was just as nice as it was yesterday, and a two-day blade is a winner in my book. I'm definitely getting better at leg-lathering, too. I was a water-only gal for years, and I'm amazed at what a difference a cream makes.
My underarms are unhappy after today's shave, but I'm not sure whether that's due to the more aggressive razor or the fact that I normally skip every other day. I use an alum deodorant, and that was a bracing experience tonight. Easy enough to go back to the every other day routine; it's not exactly tank top season.
I've wussed out in terms of lather the past couple days and just used the KMF. Tomorrow I think I'll give the soap thing another go. I've ordered some Proraso blue, and I may end up just not being a soap person, but I want to at least use the soap that I have.
Tell me more about the Alum deodorant. Thinking of using it. Thanks and enjoy your shaves.
Tank top season lasts only a week in Wisconsin.
Tank top season lasts only a week in Wisconsin.
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- #28
To be honest, I haven't used it long enough to form a real opinion, but so far so good. It's certainly tidier than the standard variety, and there's no nauseating "fresh" or "powder" scent. I got it for about $7.50 at Walgreens and the package claims it will last up to a year, so if it works decently and lasts half as long as it claims I'll consider it an economical buy.
Pssh. Tank top season is March through September, unless you're a southerner. One of my co-workers only abandoned her sandals a week ago.
Pssh. Tank top season is March through September, unless you're a southerner. One of my co-workers only abandoned her sandals a week ago.
Thanks. : )
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- #30
This evening's shave: Yeah, I lied, no soap today. My Proraso came in the mail.
Props: prewar tech with Gillette 7 o'clock green and Proraso blue leg-lathered
Results: Welp, clearly I'm going to need to try the blade and cream separately with known variables (and my travel tech) so I can figure out which of today's two new things is utterly amazing. My money's on the blade: StubbleTrouble mentioned earlier that auditory feedback can be a good thing, and this sucker was loud. I've never *heard* the blade that much before. Disconcerting, but damn fine results. I wasn't as hyper-aware of it as I was of the last one (although that could be me getting used to the razor itself), and one pass gave me much better results than two or three passes of other blades I've tried so far. And no nicks, not even phantom ones.
I liked the Proraso, too. One 1.5" strip took care of an entire leg, and I was probably using more than I needed to. Very different texture than KMF and the soaps I've used; it feels very dense. I'm not crazy about the smell (not bad or strong, just very pervasive), but that's certainly not a deal-breaker. My skin feels good and hydrated, which is a nice bonus.
I'm definitely starting to understand why so many folks here take comfort in the *routine* of shaving. After a week full of nonstop industrial-strength crazy, it was very nice to come home on a Friday evening and treat myself to a warm bath and a quiet (well, besides that blade
) shave.
An aside: one thing I don't get is why so many folks here rotate hardware. I ditched my Parker when I find that the travel tech was superior, and now I'm finding that I like the prewar tech even better. Once I find my perfect blade, I don't see why I would ever want to change things up, save for upgrading to something even better. Switching up software I get: some days I wear perfume, some days not; sometimes my eyeliner is brown, sometimes purple. Functionally there's no difference. But it seems like hardware would be much more concrete: find the best one and stick with it.
Props: prewar tech with Gillette 7 o'clock green and Proraso blue leg-lathered
Results: Welp, clearly I'm going to need to try the blade and cream separately with known variables (and my travel tech) so I can figure out which of today's two new things is utterly amazing. My money's on the blade: StubbleTrouble mentioned earlier that auditory feedback can be a good thing, and this sucker was loud. I've never *heard* the blade that much before. Disconcerting, but damn fine results. I wasn't as hyper-aware of it as I was of the last one (although that could be me getting used to the razor itself), and one pass gave me much better results than two or three passes of other blades I've tried so far. And no nicks, not even phantom ones.
I liked the Proraso, too. One 1.5" strip took care of an entire leg, and I was probably using more than I needed to. Very different texture than KMF and the soaps I've used; it feels very dense. I'm not crazy about the smell (not bad or strong, just very pervasive), but that's certainly not a deal-breaker. My skin feels good and hydrated, which is a nice bonus.
I'm definitely starting to understand why so many folks here take comfort in the *routine* of shaving. After a week full of nonstop industrial-strength crazy, it was very nice to come home on a Friday evening and treat myself to a warm bath and a quiet (well, besides that blade
) shave.An aside: one thing I don't get is why so many folks here rotate hardware. I ditched my Parker when I find that the travel tech was superior, and now I'm finding that I like the prewar tech even better. Once I find my perfect blade, I don't see why I would ever want to change things up, save for upgrading to something even better. Switching up software I get: some days I wear perfume, some days not; sometimes my eyeliner is brown, sometimes purple. Functionally there's no difference. But it seems like hardware would be much more concrete: find the best one and stick with it.
Many of us start with that goal in mind. Some of us get there, sooner or later. But how do you know which one is best until you try every option?
Speaking of options, have you tried the travel tech head with the other tech handle?
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- #32
That's actually why I got it, for the handle. I have tried it with the travel tech head; surprisingly, both handles work equally well for me. Aesthetically I like the heads with their original handles, so that's how they'll stay.
I used to think that I wanted the "perfect razor." I've since expanded it to a small collection - some days I want to play with my GEM Junior SE and experiment with angles while listening to that "spreading butter on toast" sound. Other days I wake up late and want a quick, friendly, and still excellent shave from my British New. And it is also fun to experiment with stuff. I then PIF or give away what I don't care for.
I have also discovered the smoothness of Voskhod/ptfe coated SE blades by experimenting.
Wait till you try Mike's, or worse yet Stirling realizing Rod does custom scents! I currently rotate 3 types of Mike's and 2 Stirlings.
Yes, it's a rabbit hole, but at least it's a fun journey!
I have also discovered the smoothness of Voskhod/ptfe coated SE blades by experimenting.
Wait till you try Mike's, or worse yet Stirling realizing Rod does custom scents! I currently rotate 3 types of Mike's and 2 Stirlings.
Yes, it's a rabbit hole, but at least it's a fun journey!
It is not really about rotating for me. It is more about right tool for right situation. Tech gives a closer shave than my 15C but can not handle a couple of days of growth. My 15C is taking a few days of growth easily. I have ordered a 37C for extra BBS whenever needed.
I'm not collecting and I will sell a couple of razors once I'm allowed to make a thread at BST. Each razor I will keep will be kept for one specific situation. I do not see any need to have more than about 3 razors.
I'm not collecting and I will sell a couple of razors once I'm allowed to make a thread at BST. Each razor I will keep will be kept for one specific situation. I do not see any need to have more than about 3 razors.
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- Thread starter
- #35
That makes good sense to me; I may end up with one razor for my legs and one for my underarms, for similar reasons. But I can't see needing more than those two.
It seems like especially for gents, where the results are right at eye level for everyone to see, best-possible results would be more important than variety.
Teppanyaki: I honestly don't see myself getting crazy into soaps. For bath soaps I've got my Zum bars and my Dr Bronner's, which I'm perfectly content with. For shaving, thus far using soap is frustrating -- why wouldn't I just stick primarily to creams, which work better for me? Maybe when I'm a little more practiced (I'll at least use what I have) and that passaround comes my way, I'll change my tune.
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- #36
This evening's shave:
Props: travel tech with Gillette 7 o'clock green (2nd day) and VDH soap leg-lathered
Results: Oh, I had such high hopes for this blade's second day. After yesterday's excellent results, I figured using it in less optimal conditions (2nd day, milder razor, soap instead of cream) would solidify it as my top contender. While I didn't get any nicks, after two passes my legs still feel like they haven't touched a razor since yesterday. None of that auditory feedback, either. Oddly enough, though, this setup gave me my best underarm shave yet. Go figure that one.
The soap was more of a success. While I'm still getting significantly nicer lather with creams, today's soap lather was definitely adequate. The biggest difference seems to be that I can't do a whole leg at once like I can with the creams.
I'm starting to experience the downside of using a blade sampler (at least, using one so early in the learning process). As I learn what works and what doesn't, I'm finding that there are blades I wish I could revisit. Feather, Bic chrome platinum, Shark super chrome, Astra SP (haven't tried it yet, but I only have one), Gillette silver blue (same as the Astra), and even 7 o'clock green all deserve a second try. Even ones I hated, like Derby and Astra stainless, might fare better now that I've ditched the Parker. If I could start over I'd get a sampler with less variety and more than one of each blade. Lesson learned.
Props: travel tech with Gillette 7 o'clock green (2nd day) and VDH soap leg-lathered
Results: Oh, I had such high hopes for this blade's second day. After yesterday's excellent results, I figured using it in less optimal conditions (2nd day, milder razor, soap instead of cream) would solidify it as my top contender. While I didn't get any nicks, after two passes my legs still feel like they haven't touched a razor since yesterday. None of that auditory feedback, either. Oddly enough, though, this setup gave me my best underarm shave yet. Go figure that one.
The soap was more of a success. While I'm still getting significantly nicer lather with creams, today's soap lather was definitely adequate. The biggest difference seems to be that I can't do a whole leg at once like I can with the creams.
I'm starting to experience the downside of using a blade sampler (at least, using one so early in the learning process). As I learn what works and what doesn't, I'm finding that there are blades I wish I could revisit. Feather, Bic chrome platinum, Shark super chrome, Astra SP (haven't tried it yet, but I only have one), Gillette silver blue (same as the Astra), and even 7 o'clock green all deserve a second try. Even ones I hated, like Derby and Astra stainless, might fare better now that I've ditched the Parker. If I could start over I'd get a sampler with less variety and more than one of each blade. Lesson learned.
- Thread starter
- #37
This evening's shave:
Props: prewar tech with Super-Max platinum blade and Proraso leg-lathered
Results: Well, that was different. I figured I'd break into the "wild card" blades from the sampler, the ones I'd heard nothing about. I certainly can't fault it for sharpness. Another one of those blades where I was hyper-aware of having a sharp blade against my skin. I only needed a second pass in a couple spots, and that was because I was being very ginger. Even being ginger, I got a couple of cuts. (And apparently those "phantom" nicks really are nicks, because I definitely felt that alum.)
I'm honestly not sure where I stand with this one. It's crazy sharp, and I got a good result, but the experience was unpleasant. I'm torn between just ditching it and giving it a second go. Other "wild cards" I have to get through: three or four Lords, Asco, Big Ben, Treet, Trig, Crown, a couple Nacets, another Super-Max, and a Gillette Goal.
Props: prewar tech with Super-Max platinum blade and Proraso leg-lathered
Results: Well, that was different. I figured I'd break into the "wild card" blades from the sampler, the ones I'd heard nothing about. I certainly can't fault it for sharpness. Another one of those blades where I was hyper-aware of having a sharp blade against my skin. I only needed a second pass in a couple spots, and that was because I was being very ginger. Even being ginger, I got a couple of cuts. (And apparently those "phantom" nicks really are nicks, because I definitely felt that alum.)
I'm honestly not sure where I stand with this one. It's crazy sharp, and I got a good result, but the experience was unpleasant. I'm torn between just ditching it and giving it a second go. Other "wild cards" I have to get through: three or four Lords, Asco, Big Ben, Treet, Trig, Crown, a couple Nacets, another Super-Max, and a Gillette Goal.
I had to try several different blades before finding the right combination of sharpness and smoothness for me (Voskhods and Super Iridiums, in that order). If you'd like a pack of Super Iridiums, let me know - I have a bunch of extras now that I'm thinking of switching to Voskhods.
You deserve a bigger badder badger brush for your legs! My wife loves using my 30mm super silvertip as well as the 30mm two band. With such a large area to lather the big brushes do such a wonderful job!
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- #40
That's very kind of you. I've actually already got a few; Super Iridiums are in my top three so far, with Personna reds and Shark super chromes.
The brush I have my eye on actually has a 27mm knot and a nice long handle. It's boar, but with my budget it makes more sense to get a nice boar than a shoddy badger. Right now I'm using the one from the $9 VDH starter kit, so I figure anything is a step up.
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