Around The World In 80 Blades - a shaving journal

[thombrogan]

where could I possibly be off to next

Internet says it’s pre-monsoon season in Bangladesh. Samah Razor Blade Industries Limited May have some Sharp choices…

 

[80blades]

Internet says it’s pre-monsoon season in Bangladesh. Samah Razor Blade Industries Limited May have some Sharp choices…

I see what you did there ... I will most certainly get there eventually, but not quite yet! One blade at a time...

 

[80blades]

Blade #15 – Dorco 300 NOS, South Korea​

Razor: Fatip Open Comb Slant (Il Piccolo Storto)
Pre-shave: Hot water, Glyce Ach Brito Lima, PAA Ice Cube
Soap: Mühle Sea Buckthorn
After-shave: Alterra organic balsam
Additional: Proraso Alum block

This is an original (NOS) made-in-South-Korea Dorco 300! I did not get it in a tuck so I don’t know what that would have looked like, but here is the blade and its simple but confidence-inspiring packaging (double wrapped, no wax or glue):

I have in fact spent a little time in South Korea – not a lot, but we visited friends there for a week back in 1996. We barely saw Seoul, because they lived in the ‘second capital’ (or more correctly, emergency-backup capital), Chang Won. It was, I have to admit, kind of a strange place.

However, like Japan this is a country rich in history, tradition, and complexity. The Dorco brand does not have centuries of artisanal knife- and sword-making behind it, but they have been around for a while… According to a B&B company history page (Dorco - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/wiki/Dorco):

“Dorco was founded in 1955 as Dongyang Light Metal Co., renamed Hanil in 1960, and completed a DE razor blade factory in 1961 in Gaebong-dong, Seoul. Initially blades were carbon steel, moving to stainless in 1968. In 1977 they contracted with Wilkinson for twin-blade technology. In 1990 the company became Dorco…”

As far as I can see, current Dorco DE blades are made in Vietnam, and we will be returning to those in a while, but since the company began in South Korea, and I have an original, well, we’re starting here!

I was not expecting an extremely sharp blade, and the Fatip seemed like a good place to start… and indeed, the first thing I noticed was the blade working harder than any I’ve used lately – out of the package this is not as sharp as the Kai after 6 shaves and it’s a long, long way from Feather territory.

However, it got the job done and was pleasantly smooth and comfortable. Second pass similar – and feeling respectably close – the Fatip was probably playing a role here, and seemed a good fit for the blade.

Third pass got me quite close indeed, without feeling tuggy or unpleasant, and despite a couple of weepers, it was a very nice result with no lingering irritation at all. It may not be as immediately, scintillatingly sharp as some other blades, but I have to say it gave me a damn fine shave!

As usual, I’ll give it at least one more shave and probably a couple. And hey, Korea is a pleasant enough place to hang out for a while!

 

[80blades]

Dorco 300 NOS, round 2​

Razors: RazoRock German 37 slant, PAA Double Open Comb
Pre-shave: Hot water, Glyce Ach Brito Lima, PAA Ice Cube
Soap: Mühle Sea Buckthorn
After-shave: Alterra organic balsam
Additional: Proraso Alum block

Time to bring back the tried-and-true RaozoRock/DOC combo and see how the Dorco fares…

What can I say? It was a great shave! Not much to report – comfortable glide, no weepers, close-but-not-quite BBS result, no irritation. I can live with that!

Again, I don’t know that I would seek out more of these blades (especially as they are by definition likely to be thin on the ground), as there’s not much that makes it stand out from the crowd, but it’s a perfectly decent blade and I’ll probably take it for one more spin before it’s time to move along…

​

Dorco 300 NOS, round 3 – A Tale of Two Caesars​

Razors: Roman Empire Shaving Augustus, RES Caesar
Pre-shave: Hot water, Glyce Ach Brito Lima, PAA Ice Cube
Soap: Mühle Sea Buckthorn
After-shave: Alterra organic balsam
Additional: Proraso Alum block

Well I couldn’t have been much more wrong!

I don’t know if there is some kind of mystical connection between the Roman Empire and (I’m guessing here) late-20th-century South Korea, but all I can say is, this was an absolutely perfect shave.

I have definitely come around to the Augustus (Gillette Tech clone) after my lukewarm initial impressions, and with this blade it once again delivered comfort and efficiency in spades. I still don’t love the aluminum handle, but it kind of suits it somehow and I have always kind of steered clear of mixing and matching, I’m not sure why.

In any case, some detailing and buffing on the third pass with the Caesar left me well into BBS territory, with nary a drop of blood nor a trace of discomfort. Zero alum sting, just immediately smooth and satisfying!

Seriously, these two cheap and cheerful razors, with this not-incredibly-sharp – but obviously excellent quality – old Dorco blade (on its third outing!), have given me a shave to compete with any I’ve had, leaving most of them in the dust. Who knew?

I had planned to cut this one short and move on, but now I’m torn – quit while I’m ahead, after such a perfect shave? (Leave them wanting more!) Or stay because, well, we are headed into unknown territory, and it might be a while before I have another as enjoyable?

 

[80blades]

Dorco NOS, round 4​

Razors: King C. Gillette
Pre-shave: Hot water, Glyce Ach Brito Lima, PAA Ice Cube
Soap: Mühle Sea Buckthorn
After-shave: Alterra organic balsam

A quick little wrap-up for this blade… After having given my KCG razor to my son, I found another in a damaged package for €8 in a shop yesterday and couldn’t resist, so I thought I’d break it in right away.

I still don’t love the handle on the KCG – it’s not that it’s slippery, I don’t find it hard to grip, I just find it somehow too chunky, too long… and I feel like the design choices were made on purely aesthetic grounds, not ergonomic. It looks great, but it doesn’t feel great in the hand, at least not to me. I feel like I have more control and precision with a shorter, grippier handle.

But the head is virtually identical to the RES Caesar (they are both R89 / DE89 clones, so that stands to reason) and it’s well-made, the finish is perfect, all the important stuff is in place. I might just try it with a different handle next time out.

Long story short: A basically good shave, I could certainly feel the blade working harder than I find totally enjoyable, but far from horrible. The result was fine in the end, a decent DFS, no weepers or irritation, in fact I completely forgot to use alum and it didn’t seem to matter at all.

So, no complaints… but also nothing special to report and I think it’s time to move on – into truly unknown territory!

 

[80blades]

Blade the sixteenth: Cloud Bruce Lee (China)​

Razors: RazoRock German 37 slant, PAA Double Open Comb
Pre-shave: Hot water, Glyce Ach Brito Lima
Soap: Mühle Sea Buckthorn
After-shave: Alterra organic balsam
Additional: Proraso Alum block

Leaving the Korean peninsula behind, we make our way to China! A place I’ve never been, but would love to see someday (the closest I’ve been, not geographically but culturally, is likely the vivid multicultural city of Penang, Malaysia).

And what better way to start off a virtual trip to China than with one of its cultural icons, Bruce Lee?

Unfortunately I have a single of this blade, not a tuck, and the blade packaging (double-wrapped paper, no wax or glue) does not include a picture of the namesake actor and martial-arts star, but the tuck, which does, looks like this:

I found a rather glowing review of these blades here on B&B, which claims they are “sharper than Feather!” which I was certainly skeptical about... but I was happy to read that someone had a good experience with them!

Since this was my last shave before another trip to Canada (rather suddenly, due to a family situation), I went with a selection of things I won’t have with me on the trip – RazoRock slant and Phoenix DOC razors, Mühle soap and Ach Brito (alone, rather than in combo with the Ice Cube, of which I will take a slice). They all performed wonderfully, as they generally do!

So, on to the blade. It is in fact pretty sharp, but certainly not sharper than, or as sharp as, the Feathers I’ve used. I’m not sure I would even put it on the second tier with Med Preps, Kais, Polsilver SIs and such, but it’s comfortably in the sharper half of the spectrum anyway.

However, despite feeling and hearing it working, it did in fact mow quite efficiently through 2 and a half days’ growth on the first pass, and without any issues despite the moderate aggressiveness of the slant.

The second pass was also fairly comfortable and did me no harm, though it was a bit rougher on the neck than recent shaves (the Dorco was pretty gentle). ATG pass with the DOC left me with a few red spots there, which closed up quickly with alum (no styptic required).

The result was solidly BBS but not without a hint of irritation. I wouldn’t call it the most comfortable shave ever, but it was fine. The blade gets the job done, and I’ll certainly give it a whirl with my travel kit when I arrive in Canada, but I don’t know if it quite lives up to its namesake’s brilliant reputation!

 

[thombrogan]

Safe travels to Canada!

 

[80blades]

Cloud Bruce Lee, round 2​

So, after surviving a trans-Atlantic journey that was rather more exhausting than anticipated (involving missed connections, cancelled flights and an unwelcome and sleepless overnight at Toronto airport)… I’m back with family in Nova Scotia. This is not a pleasure trip so updates may be terse and/or infrequent, and I will likely lump a few shaves together, as is the case today.

The travel shave kit is in effect, and while a bit more limited than the full home setup it’s more than enough to get the job done. I elected to go with the RES Caesar to get a neutral baseline on the blade.

Unfortunately the travel brush I bought recently is a long way from the luxury of the Fendrihan’s brush I’ve been using (which itself is far from expensive, but I find it quite excellent), but still a lot better than the old ones I retired recently.

As for the blade, and the shave overall: in a word (or a couple), it was quite wonderful! Smooth, comfortable and close, not at drop of blood or a hint of irritation…

If I only had these blades and this razor for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t complain. I might, however, try to pick up a better travel brush…

Cloud blades are made in Shanghai, and that’s about all I could find out about them. The company seems to have been founded in 1999, so no long storied history. Just good blades!

​

Cloud Bruce Lee, round 3​

RES Augustus

Once again the Augustus makes me wonder what it was that I didn’t like about it the first few times out. It was a perfect match with this blade, and this was a particularly enjoyable shave! Nothing much to report.

​

Bruce Lee vs Ming Shi (CBL round 4)​

The last razor I brought on this trip is my trusty Ming Shi 2000s adjustable (Merkur Futur copy), and of course I had to test its mettle against the dragon.

I started it full open on setting 6. The first pass was excellent, efficient and smooth. Really only felt the blade working in the toughest areas of my beard.

Second and third passes, with the razor dialled back a bit for safety, led to a bit of irritation and some tiny weepers. Nothing too traumatic but enough that I think I will move along after this, even though the result was satisfying.

Still, Bruce and I had some good shaves together, and I would happily use this blade again!

 

[80blades]

Blade 17: Ming Shi (China)​

A tuck of these blades came packaged with my Ming Shi 2000S razor, and I’ve been curious to try them ever since but, having committed to this crazy journey, had to wait until my (virtual) travels brought me here.

The packaging is excellent, in line with other Chinese-made blades I’ve tried – double wrapped, no wax or glue. Ink printing on the blade, in English on one side and Chinese characters on the other.

Of course I used the 2000S for the first outing… I set it, to be on the safe side, to a moderate 4 to get a feel for the blade. The first pass was really good! Efficient and smooth. Makes some noise while doing its thing, reminiscent of Tiger and other ‘singing’ blades.

I raised the dial to 5 for an XTG second pass, and this too was really enjoyable, no weepers, no complaints. However when I decided to throw caution to the wind and do the last pass on a wide-open 6, it proved a bit too aggressive and I ended up with a couple of tiny weepers. No cuts, and not a lot of irritation or even much alum sting, and the weepers healed up with a bit of styptic, but I will probably not try that particular experiment again.

However, on moderate settings this seems like a very satisfying blade! I’m looking forward to seeing how it gets on with my other, admittedly limited travel options…

​

Ming Shi, Round 2​

RES Caesar

Not much to add to that except to say, I’m quite enjoying this blade and I’m happy to have a few more of them to look forward to at the end of all of this! It’s a nice, smooth, reasonably efficient blade that suits the versatile Caesar well. Not the very closest shave I’ve ever had, but plenty close enough after 3 passes, and immediately comfortable.

What’s not to like?

 

[80blades]

Ming Shi, round 3​

(hey, it rhymes!)

RES Augustus

Well, another perfectly enjoyable shave from this unassuming blade. It might just suit the Augustus better than the Caesar, because this was if anything a bit smoother, more comfortable and I dare say a bit closer than the last shave! A no-trouble BBS is a beautiful thing.

I did however swap out the handles, meaning I used the Augustus head (Tech clone) with the heavier handle from the Caesar, which definitely made the whole thing feel more solid and precise in the hand.

​

Ming Shi, round 4​

Ming Shi 2000S

Why not come back to the namesake razor for the last round with this fine little blade? I haven’t been able to track down much information about the manufacturer – the razors might be made in Guangzhou, but the blades? Chinese manufacturing is a tangled web, with all sorts of brands tacking their names onto identikit products, so I really have no idea where these are made or by which company.

However, the shaves have been good, so I suppose it doesn’t much matter. I started with the Ming Shi on 5, the highest comfortable setting from my first outing with it. I had 3 days’ growth to mow through and it managed quite wonderfully, smooth and clean. Same thing for the second pass, XTG – everything felt like it should.

I switched to the Caesar for the last, ATG pass just because that was where I ran in to trouble the first time out with the Ming Shi, and I think it was a good call because it was just about perfect! In fact I’d have to give the whole shave a perfect score, it was that enjoyable. Once again, not the very closest BBS of my life (though still quite close) but one of the most pleasant overall experiences. No weepers, no alum sting at all. Just a satisfying, comfortable, excellent shave!

As I packed up and patted the blade dry I was trying to decide whether to move on or give it another whirl, but in this case the blade made my decision for me by snapping on one side! Never had that happen before, I don’t know if these blades are thinner than others, but again – the shave was so good that I don’t really mind!

And so, the road leads ever on and on…

 

[80blades]

Blade number 18: Baili Super Blue (China)​

RES Caesar

Baili seems to be a roughly 20-year-old company in Guanzhou, China, specializing entirely on shaving products and actively developing new DE products, which is great when so many factors make the industry feel a bit tenuous sometimes.

They have a wide range of DE razors and at least 4 different blades on offer, which I think it seems fairly likely are actually made in their facility (along with, perhaps, other rebranded ones as well!). It’s hard to tell which model this one is , because it doesn’t look exactly like any of the ones listed on their website, but often there is little if any difference between these things anyway.

It’s double-wrapped with a wax-paper liner, and a couple of inobtrusive wax dots, not sticky enough to bother me. But I haven’t seen wax used in Chinese-made blades up to now, so it was a bit of a surprise. The blade itself has those quirky numbers on the corners, and says ‘Platinum Stainless’ – unlike the picture on the wrapper, which says ‘Super Stainless’.

Starting out with the Caesar since it’s become my baseline, at least while travelling (I’m still in Canada)… and I immediately notice this is less sharp, and noticeably tuggier, than any blade I’ve used recently. It is much less efficient going through two days’ growth than a broken-in Ming Shi was on 3 last time out. It’s simply not as sharp.

The second pass confirmed this, as a) I could feel more stubble left while rinsing after the first pass, and b) it still felt tuggy going across the grain, which I am not used to at all.

A third pass got me acceptably close (DFS, not BBS), and left no weepers, but some alum sting and that ‘scraped’ feeling that often follows a shave with a tuggy blade. Not the end of the world, but not what I’m after.

So overall, Baili hasn’t hit it out of the park with this one, for me at least. I’ll give it a whirl in the Ming Shi on a high setting to see if that suits it better, but otherwise, no reason to hang around.

 

[80blades]

Baili Super Blue, round 2 - Ming Shi 2000S​

This blade did not impress on the first time out, let’s see if it fares any better in the adjustable!

I went for broke on the first pass, set wide open on 6. This was much better than with the Caesar, more efficient though not really smooth. I dialled it back to 5 for the second pass and this felt OK, still a bit tuggy and a long way from truly enjoyable, but acceptable.

I switched to the Augustus for the final pass, partly because it’s a bit better for detailing and partly because I’m pretty sure I’m not interested in taking this blade for a third spin so I want to try the razors I’ve got with it.

I have to say it wasn’t a good fit. I was able to get a bit closer than with the Caesar, but at the expense of some irritation and a couple of weepers. Everything cleaned up OK but I still can’t quite call it a BBS and that ‘scraped’ feeling lingered for a good half hour or so.

Finally, I have to say that this travel brush, while it’s improved slightly by being broken in, still gives new meaning to the word adequate. It’s as unremarkable as this blade.

Moving on already!

 

[80blades]

Blade # 19: Rimei Platinum (China)​

RES hybrid (Augustus head, Caesar handle)

Another Chinese mystery blade! Aside from the fact that they exist, I haven’t been able to find much information at all about these blades, or the company that (possibly?) makes them alongside a couple of razors.

There is a rather hilarious Reddit thread in which someone notes that the blade wrappers are emblazoned with ‘Since 1875’, and given that Gillette’s removable blade and razor system appeared around 1880, therefore Rimei is the “Oldest DE blades maker”… which is obviously rather silly.

Whether some company named Rimei was in existence and making, well, *something* in 1875 is difficult to tell (and as previously noted, at the very least Wilkinson Sword and Kai were definitely around and making blades of many descriptions much longer than that) but there is every reason to doubt that they actually make these blades at all, let alone that they were making them before Gillette had invented the technology. People are funny.

But I digress! Whoever made these blades, they say Rimei Platinum on them, are double-wrapped with no wax or glue, and are apparently bundled with incredibly cheap Tech-clone razors under several brands, so I thought I would start with something similar, my own cheap Tech-clone RES Augustus. However since some reviews say the handle on the Rimei razors is decently heavy (others disagree), I went with the Caesar handle to give it a bit more heft.

Initial impression was favorable – this is a much sharper blade than the Baili, but the first pass seemed reasonably smooth, a bit like the Ming Shi. If I’d quit after the first pass, I would have thought, hey, this is a pretty nice blade!

However, this is neo-quasi-pseudo-science, so I have to subject these blades to something vaguely resembling the same treatment, for the sake of kindasorta-objectivity!

And the blade started to show its weaknesses on the second and third passes. It’s sharp alright, but it’s not subtle, and while I was able to extract a BBS result from it, it came at the cost of a few weepers – some requiring styptic – and some irritation after the fact. It all cleaned up OK in the end, and an hour after the fact felt pretty good, but yeah – not exactly pure pleasure.
As always, every blade deserves a second chance and I’ll try a milder approach next time out. For now, not the worst but definitely not a winner.

​

Round 2:​

Ming Shi 2000S, RES Caesar

Second chances can sometimes change the whole narrative! But in this case, only a little. I set the adjustable to a conservative 2, and it suited the blade somewhat better, giving a somewhat more comfortable but not especially satisfying shave. The third pass with the Caesar was also OK, no major complaints other than a bit of irritation, but that’s about all I can say. A decent DFS result, no blood on the tracks but nothing to write home about. Time to move on!

 

[80blades]

Blade number 20: Yingjili Red​

RES Caesar​

I was beginning to worry there – too many lacklustre shaves in a row and I was afraid I might start to lose enthusiasm and momentum! (And sorry for delays in posting here; I have a number of very good excuses but won't get into them here)

Happily, this last of my initial batch of Chinese blades was a return to Cloud and Ming Shi territory, sharp and efficient but quite smooth and enjoyable!

The blade is, once again, double-wrapped, no wax or glue this time, and closely resembles all the others making one wonder how many of them are independently produced and how many are just rebrands. Yingjili is another mystery company that sells razors and blades but does not have a significant web presence of their own. With a little digging I managed to find this:

“Foshan Ying Jili Sanitary Ware Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise that integrates research, manufacture and after-sales service of bath products. Our production base is located in Sanshui District, Foshan City. It is 30km away from Guangzhou City. Our brands of “Ying Jili” and “Weisideng” have embodied modern human’s concept of elegant and fashion. We adhere to the idea of quality-oriented and each product has been manufactured and tested in scientific and rigid processing.”

In other words: who knows? But once again, in the Caesar it provided me with a solid and quite comfortable 3-pass BBS, so I’m not complaining!

The only blood came from a slight slip of the wrist while distractedly thinking about something else – trust me, I have *a lot* going on in life at this point and sometimes it’s hard to avoid drifting into processing mode – but this was a very minor nick, easily tamed with styptic, and served only to remind me to stay focused while applying sharp objects to my face. Lesson learned, again (hey, it’s been a while!).

​

Round 2​

RES Augustus​

What can I say? I like this blade. I find the Augustus a bit more aggressive than the Caesar but it still felt like a good fit. The first two passes were clean, efficient and problem-free. I did end up with a few spots of blood after the third pass, which took me well into BBS territory, but they cleaned up easily and without leaving any irritation behind.

I will likely give this one more spin with the adjustable, for completeness’ sake and because I’m enjoying it more than the last two. And then, time for a change of scenery!

Round 3​

Ming Shi 2000S​

Decent third shave with this blade, though I do feel like it’s lost a tiny bit of edge already – while I managed a comfortable and enjoyable three-pass shave with no blood or discomfort, it was definitely a DFS result rather than BBS. Still a good shave! Still a good blade! Just not quite as close and clean as it was on the first 2 outings.

I did notice one strange thing, which didn’t n’t noticed with the other razors and haven’t noticed with other blades, is that the blade alignment seemed off, so that one edge was significantly more prominent that the other, which was so mild I sometimes could barely feel working. Due to the loading system it’s tricky to adjust at all, so I just kind of had to roll with it. Will keep an eye on this razor in future to see if it’s an ongoing problem. Or possibly it’s the blade and I just didn’t notice it before.

Anyway, it’s time to set sail for new, and more exotic, shores!

 

[80blades]

Blade #21 – Gillette London Bridge (Philippines)​

RES Caesar​

Ok, this blade is almost certainly made in China, not the Philippines, but it seems to be primarily or exclusively marketed there so that’s what I’m going with (hey, my journal, my rules!).

It also seems to be a relaunch or tribute to the original London Bridge by Wilkinson Sword, already reviewed back at blade number 8… So I’ll have to keep that blade in mind when reviewing this one. It was, as I recall, a rather good blade!

What can I say? This was a straight up 10 out of 10 shave. It’s not the sharpest blade in the world but to me, today, in this razor, it was just a perfect balance of efficiency and comfort. All three passes (starting n three days’ growth) were exactly what they needed to be, the result was a flawless BBS with not a drop of blood and virtually no alum sting. Instantly comfortable, and I literally can’t think of a single thing to fault.

If this is, as I suspect, the ‘default blade’ in the Philippines, they should consider themselves very fortunate! If it’s anywhere near as good in other razors as in this one (and I’ll find out soon with a bigger selection, as I’m on my way home to Berlin as I write) I’ll be seeking these out in future!

​

Interlude: Wilkinson Sword London Bridge redux​

King C Gillette / RazoRock hybrid​

So my hand was kind of forced on this shave because the airline I flew back to Germany with lost my checked baggage, which contained my full travel shaving kit, including the small selection of blades I took on the road. Since this precludes a shave with the Gillette London Bridge until I get my suitcase back (fingers crossed!), I thought the obvious thing to do was a head-to-head comparison with its namesake, the original London Bridge (already reviewed!).

So I figure I’ll crack open a fresh one of those and try it with the closest thing I have to the same razor, which is probably the King C. Gillette (both R89 copies, they should have the same head geometry; the Lord L6 would have been another contender, but decisions must be made!). I’ll also swap in a similar handle: the HD from my RazoRock German 37.

Before I report on the shave, let me reiterate that my main home brush, a synthetic by Fendrihan’s, is VASTLY better than the cheap travel brush I’ve been suffering with; there is simply no comparison. I’ve never used an actually expensive brush (this one was quite reasonable) but I frankly can’t imagine how it could be much improved – it is reassuringly firm but soft as a cloud, and generates a foam with this Muehle soap that has the texture of the world’s most luxurious whipped cream. Just wonderful!

On to the shave: Well, I can only say that in terms of blade feel and overall experience, it’s very similar to the modern LB blade (or perhaps it is similar to this). If there’s a perfect balance between sharpness and smoothness, efficiency and comfort, this has to be close to it, at least for me.

If anything, though, I have to give the slight edge to the newer blade; this gave me just a hint more irritation on the last pass. Whether this is solely attributable to the blade (or its age), or whether the razor played some part, I can’t say for sure. But that was my impression...

 

[thombrogan]

Hoping your luggage gets returned soon.

When I think of the many islands of the Philippines; the eclectic cultural amalgamation; the history; the present tech centers in Makati paving the way for a world-changing future; and the sport of Arnis Lanada, my first thought is: lumpia!

 

[80blades]

London Bridge Head To Head, round two​

Fatip Open Comb Slant​

Part one: WS London Bridge (England)​

... Aaaaand since my bag still had not arrived this morning, it was time for another trip down memory lane, this time with the trusty F.O.C.S.

Looking back at my notes, this was the first pairing for this razor and this blade, and it wasn’t an immediately happy marriage. Fortunately I can now report that getting dialed in on the razor in the meantime has changed the game, and this was a simply wonderful shave.

3 days’ growth is no match for the F.O.C.S. and a good blade, and the first pass took the weeds right down. Smooth sailing through 2 more, right through to a BBS finish. A bit of alum sting, but no irritation after the fact. Boom! The old-timer has come up with a stellar performance!

And now my luggage has finally been delivered, so this head-to-head is officially on!

Part two: Gillette London Bridge (China/Phillippines)​

Another perfect shave!

Well, very nearly perfect, anyway. A few tiny weepers here and there, but nothing that needed styptic, and by the end I had a comfortable BBS. But I’m not sure the newer blade has kept its slight advantage from the first head-to-head; this was once again very very close, but the elder statesman turned in such a glorious shave the other day that while excellent, there was not much for this one to improve upon. I’m calling them even, and we’ll have to go to a third round!

 

[80blades]

London Bridge Head To Head, round three​

RazoRock German 37​

Part one: Gillette London Bridge (China/Phillippines)​

Starting from three days’ growth, the RazoRock showed that it too can be efficient and satisfying with a decent blade.
I also remembered my combination of both the PAA Ice Cube and Ach Brito Lime pre-shave soaps, that gives a nice balance between envigorating menthol and warm citrus, especially when combined with this glorious Muehle Sea Buckthorn soap. Luxury!

The second pass was just as smooth, though it left a few tiny weepers in sensitive areas. Nothing to worry about and the third pass didn’t seem to exacerbate them, so I’m not going to knock off any points; it’s not the gentlest razor.

However I can’t quite call it a BBS result, though certainly a DFS and no irritation, so a solid performance… just not a slam dunk. Ball’s in your court, oldtimer!

Part two: WS London Bridge (England)​

This was one of those slightly distracted shaves where I had too much on my mind and, thinking about something else, found myself jumping straight from WTG to ATG on pass 2. Not a catastrophe, nothing terrible happened, but it obviously slightly mars the otherwise perfect objectivity of my highly scientific blade comparison

Nevertheless, after a bit of course-correction, I ended up with - you guessed it - a very very similar result to the last shave, leaving (once again) very little to make a case for the superiority of either blade on. They’re both quite good, enjoyable, and clearly very similar blades in terms of how they shave and how they last.

So, I think I’ll give them one last round to duke it out and see if either emerges victorious!

 

[80blades]

London Bridge Head To Head, round four​

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Double Open Comb (DOC)​

Part one: WS London Bridge (England)​

I have a tendency to forget what a fabulous little razor this is! (And I do mean ‘little’ – it’s the smallest razor I have, even smaller than my F.O.C.S. with the Piccolo handle, though a tad less svelte). As mentioned once before, it often gets relegated to last-pass buffing and detailing duties, at which it certainly excels, but it’s really a great, mild yet efficient all-rounder.

Anyway. If this turns out to be the last at-bat for the oldtimer in this standoff, it certainly made it count, with a truly wonderful shave: a bloodless BBS that shows that in the right razor (I think the DOC is a better fit than the slant in this case) it’s still got the right stuff, in spades.

OK Gillette, let’s see what you’ve got!

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Part two: Gillette London Bridge (China/Phillippines)​

Well, this is getting predictable. Boring, even! Just another perfect shave, nothing to see here… Move along, people, move along…

Seriously though, I am once again left trying to find anything to complain about, and coming up short.

These are both simply superb blades. I could keep using them and I’m very sure I’d get a few more good shaves, but I feel like identifying a clear winner just isn’t going to happen… I guess it’s time to declare it a draw and move on!

 

[80blades]

Blade #22: Dorco Titan (Vietnam)​

round one: Fatip Storto Piccolo (the F.O.C.S.!)​

I’ve read various opinions on the change from South Korea to Vietnam manufacturing for the Dorco brand in general… as usual, some say the quality was better before, some say it’s better now. I don’t really have enough data to form an opinion (though that rarely stops people on the internet, I know!)… but let’s see what we can find out!

This is a different blade than the Korean-made NOS 300 blade I tried (and enjoyed!) earlier in the journey, so this shouldn’t be seen as a head-to-head. Also, I don’t have another of those blades to put up against this one directly.

This is a nice bit of packaging and branding, I have to say! Single-wrapped in heavy paper, no wax or glue on the blade but it’s held securely and presented nicely!

First pass in the Fatip, on three days’ growth, as usual no problem at all, seems pretty good so far and gets the job done. Smooth enough, not a ton of blade feel.

On the second pass I feel like it’s a bit rougher than the wonderful blades I’ve been using for the last couple of weeks, but certainly not terrible. A few weepers appear but nothing too bad.

Third pass, I’m able to manage a BBS but not without a bit of irritation. Plenty of alum sting and a bit of touch-up with the styptic required, but once rinsed I’m left feeling pretty fresh and clean.

What to say? It’s not quite in the deeply satisfying zone, but it’s more than acceptable. I can work with it. I’ll see how the second round goes, maybe it will be a better fit with a different razor. Maybe I’ll try out the Two Caesars combo that worked so well with the Korean blade!