Having assembling an admittedly modest selection of pre-1950 safety razors, and using them exclusively, my 3-piece Gillettes have settled out into two distinct camps: one for razors that consistently give me “WOW!!” shaves and put a smile on my face; and the other that are capable of great shaves, but more often lead to frustrating shaves and much cursing.
If I come at the question of why, objectively, say by pretending to be a zoologist and laying all the specimens out on the table, it seems pretty clear what the common variable is. (At least to me; I’d love some feedback).
Razors I am in love with, every time:
-Old Type (either thin or thick cap)
-New SHORT comb
-Post-war (‘46-50) fat handle Tech
Razors that underwhelm me:
-New Deluxe (I don’t have a New Imp.)
-New LONG comb
-Pre/Early-war (‘38-45) fat handle Tech
Both groups have Techs; both groups have NEWs; both groups have an ‘outlier’ (OT vs ND); both groups are a mix of more aggressive to more mild.
But there is ONE common trait, as far as I can see:
All the razors that work magic on my face have the “full blade support” that many on B&B praise. They have a curved base plate that matches the top cap, thus supporting the blade more fully, and closer to the edge.
All the razors that have migrated to the bottom of my list have Gillette’s “fulcrum shoulder”, where the blade is pinched, but with a lot of “overhang”.
If I come at the question of why, objectively, say by pretending to be a zoologist and laying all the specimens out on the table, it seems pretty clear what the common variable is. (At least to me; I’d love some feedback).
Razors I am in love with, every time:
-Old Type (either thin or thick cap)
-New SHORT comb
-Post-war (‘46-50) fat handle Tech
Razors that underwhelm me:
-New Deluxe (I don’t have a New Imp.)
-New LONG comb
-Pre/Early-war (‘38-45) fat handle Tech
Both groups have Techs; both groups have NEWs; both groups have an ‘outlier’ (OT vs ND); both groups are a mix of more aggressive to more mild.
But there is ONE common trait, as far as I can see:
All the razors that work magic on my face have the “full blade support” that many on B&B praise. They have a curved base plate that matches the top cap, thus supporting the blade more fully, and closer to the edge.
All the razors that have migrated to the bottom of my list have Gillette’s “fulcrum shoulder”, where the blade is pinched, but with a lot of “overhang”.
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