Pictures first - US pre-war Tech with fat handle, chrome replate from Krona Kruiser -
The first 4 photos are the new Tech, with #4 my attempt to show the blade angle and exposure. #5 is my post-war Tech for comparison. As best I can tell, the pre-war does have slightly more blade exposure.
So . . .
I've had a post-war Tech for some time. I haven't been able to get an efficient, close shave with it. I generally use it for headshaving, where not nicking the top of my head counts for more than a really smooth shave. I've wondered what a more aggressive Tech would be like, so I finally bit the bullet and ordered this one.
First impression - the plating looks even better in person. It's really shiny chrome. It looks like my old Muhle's when they were new or just cleaned up. A bluish-tinted, silvery shine. I generally prefer gold, but this just looks gorgeous to me. There is a small area on the threading of the cap that is unplated, and if you look down the neck of the handle there are some unplated areas on the thread, but neither is visible when the razor is assembled.
I took a shower as prep and shaved. Mike's peppermint rosemary, Semogue SOC boar, and a Voskhod.
I quickly realized that with my current technique (I shave pretty quickly), it isn't as efficient as my open combs. It does have a really nice smooth feel from the safety bar that I don't get with my open combs, and it is quite friendly. 1 nick where I was playing fast and loose with that hollow next to my chin.
Results - I ended up doing 2 passes where I would normally do 1 with a more efficient razor (for an evening touch-up shave). I haven't yet tried it in the morning, where I normally do a 2 pass shave (WTG, XTG/WTG on neck). What surprised me, though, is that after those 2 passes my shave is close. It may actually be the closest shave I've had in the last 8 months which is how long I've been shaving with DE and SE razors.
I am now even more curious how the various Tech permutations compare in terms of efficiency (realizing that all Techs are generally mild/forgiving). My understanding is, in order of most aggressive to least aggressive -
Canadian 1932 Tech (most aggressive)
US pre-war Tech = British Tech = Ranger Tech-New hybrid safety bar
US post-war Tech
I may well have to order a Canadian 1932 and ask Krona to replate it.
Alternately, with practice, I wonder how much better I can get with this razor. I am aware that technique is important to not get nicked with aggressive razors; I am also aware that problems with technique are important to get a close shave with a mild razor.
I think that it's an excellent razor for beginners, as it is quite forgiving and smooth. The fat handle is also nicely grippy, and in my humble opinion is significantly better than either a bar or ball end handle. It can also shave very closely. I think that those same characteristics make it an excellent razor choice for someone more experienced who wants a friendly razor - for travel, for a forgiving razor to try technique changes with, or simply for something different.
This also makes me more eager to try my Fatboy (in the mail) out. I'm hoping that it is as smooth as the Tech. I'm also hoping that I can shave under my nose relatively easily with it.
The really short version - Krona Kruiser's chrome replates look beautiful and are an excellent value. I got an incredibly close shave with my pre-war Tech (with 1 extra pass) on my first try, it feels very smooth, and it's the first safety bar razor that I really like. This will continue to be my standard recommendation as a razor for any beginner, and for anyone.
LEMS - I'm in.
The first 4 photos are the new Tech, with #4 my attempt to show the blade angle and exposure. #5 is my post-war Tech for comparison. As best I can tell, the pre-war does have slightly more blade exposure.
So . . .
I've had a post-war Tech for some time. I haven't been able to get an efficient, close shave with it. I generally use it for headshaving, where not nicking the top of my head counts for more than a really smooth shave. I've wondered what a more aggressive Tech would be like, so I finally bit the bullet and ordered this one.
First impression - the plating looks even better in person. It's really shiny chrome. It looks like my old Muhle's when they were new or just cleaned up. A bluish-tinted, silvery shine. I generally prefer gold, but this just looks gorgeous to me. There is a small area on the threading of the cap that is unplated, and if you look down the neck of the handle there are some unplated areas on the thread, but neither is visible when the razor is assembled.
I took a shower as prep and shaved. Mike's peppermint rosemary, Semogue SOC boar, and a Voskhod.
I quickly realized that with my current technique (I shave pretty quickly), it isn't as efficient as my open combs. It does have a really nice smooth feel from the safety bar that I don't get with my open combs, and it is quite friendly. 1 nick where I was playing fast and loose with that hollow next to my chin.
Results - I ended up doing 2 passes where I would normally do 1 with a more efficient razor (for an evening touch-up shave). I haven't yet tried it in the morning, where I normally do a 2 pass shave (WTG, XTG/WTG on neck). What surprised me, though, is that after those 2 passes my shave is close. It may actually be the closest shave I've had in the last 8 months which is how long I've been shaving with DE and SE razors.
I am now even more curious how the various Tech permutations compare in terms of efficiency (realizing that all Techs are generally mild/forgiving). My understanding is, in order of most aggressive to least aggressive -
Canadian 1932 Tech (most aggressive)
US pre-war Tech = British Tech = Ranger Tech-New hybrid safety bar
US post-war Tech
I may well have to order a Canadian 1932 and ask Krona to replate it.
Alternately, with practice, I wonder how much better I can get with this razor. I am aware that technique is important to not get nicked with aggressive razors; I am also aware that problems with technique are important to get a close shave with a mild razor.
I think that it's an excellent razor for beginners, as it is quite forgiving and smooth. The fat handle is also nicely grippy, and in my humble opinion is significantly better than either a bar or ball end handle. It can also shave very closely. I think that those same characteristics make it an excellent razor choice for someone more experienced who wants a friendly razor - for travel, for a forgiving razor to try technique changes with, or simply for something different.
This also makes me more eager to try my Fatboy (in the mail) out. I'm hoping that it is as smooth as the Tech. I'm also hoping that I can shave under my nose relatively easily with it.
The really short version - Krona Kruiser's chrome replates look beautiful and are an excellent value. I got an incredibly close shave with my pre-war Tech (with 1 extra pass) on my first try, it feels very smooth, and it's the first safety bar razor that I really like. This will continue to be my standard recommendation as a razor for any beginner, and for anyone.
LEMS - I'm in.
