The Brass General is one heavy razor. But nice.
Colonial General SS
- Thread starter Shavemd
- Start date
Wow I had no idea. I was guessing it would be ~ the weight of aluminum. lol now I kinda want one...
The SS General is in stock again as of this morning. I just ordered one.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
At its current price, the SS General is a bargain compared to its competition. It's a fine razor, well made, good looking, and it shaves very well. I used mine for an entire month during my December to Remember Fixed Four, and got to know it very well. The razor gives you a good blend of smoothness and efficiency.
I polished by hand the top surface of the cap of my General which improved it just a tad. I'm not sure right now where I posted exactly how I did the polishing, but it was not hard except for some elbow grease.
Happy shaves,
Jim
I had a great shave with my SS General yesterday with a Proline on shave #13... This razor will be in my den for the duration right next to my '61 White/Black Rhodium FatBoy and my new .95 Ti Timeless. Epic shave everytime with it.
I've read many of your posts about the SS General over the past few months, and they definitely influenced my decision to buy one. I might even try my hand at polishing it some time down the road, at which point I'll go back and refer to your posts on that. So... thanks for all the useful posts!
Mine arrived yesterday, and I had my first shave with it this morning, with a Schick Proline that I'd already used for 10 shaves in my RazoRock Hawk. It was excellent, just as everyone said it would be. Very smooth, and I loved the weight of it compared to my aluminum Hawk. My Hawk also gives very good shaves (which is why I was thinking of trying another SE), but this felt just a bit smoother, while still being just as efficient. Too early to give a final judgement, of course... things often seem nicer when they're still brand new and shiny. But all the signs are very promising indeed.
The web site has prominent disclaimers about finishing flaws, but I pored over my General up close and in bright light, and I couldn't find a single blemish. Maybe I would with a magnifier, but not with my naked eyes. Also, the knurling is extremely pronounced, so the grippiness is excellent, which is important, because this is one heavy razor.
I took a chance on one of these razors. I already have an ATT SE1 and was a bit concerned I was spending money needlessly on another AC style SE razor, given the top quality and performance of the ATT.
Well, I shaved with the General this morning (with a new Proline blade) and I must admit to being very pleasantly surprised. Although it’s only been one shave, I have never experienced a razor that was so gentle on my skin while at the same time so efficient in removing my whiskers. I have used mild razors before ( Tech, 40s Superspeed) with less than stellar results. This razor is in another category of “mild.”
It’s a heavy razor to be sure, and that will take a bit of getting used to, but the knurling is excellent, so it’s easy to wield.
All in all, I started off my day in a very good mood, thanks to the General! Now I’m curious about the titanium version. Ain’t RAD great!
Well, I shaved with the General this morning (with a new Proline blade) and I must admit to being very pleasantly surprised. Although it’s only been one shave, I have never experienced a razor that was so gentle on my skin while at the same time so efficient in removing my whiskers. I have used mild razors before ( Tech, 40s Superspeed) with less than stellar results. This razor is in another category of “mild.”
It’s a heavy razor to be sure, and that will take a bit of getting used to, but the knurling is excellent, so it’s easy to wield.
All in all, I started off my day in a very good mood, thanks to the General! Now I’m curious about the titanium version. Ain’t RAD great!
I found I basically get the best shaves with the SS General when I shave “riding the cap”. Is this true for you guys too?
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
It is for me.
I delved into the SE world about a month ago. First razor was a Blackland Sabre. Next was an Asylum RX and when the General became available again I grabbed one. I had my first shave with it yesterday. Blade was a Feather Pro Guard. 3 pass BBS shave with no concern or weepers or irritation.
A really, really nice razor at 30% of what the Asylum cost me (still trying to get the RX to not draw blood, I will get there.)
I would be more than happy shaving with the General everyday.
The prior poster nailed it; an easy, efficient shave. I wouldn't say mild because in my experience mild means DFS with work to get to BBS and you can feel growth by 2pm that day. Not so with this razor.
A really, really nice razor at 30% of what the Asylum cost me (still trying to get the RX to not draw blood, I will get there.)
I would be more than happy shaving with the General everyday.
The prior poster nailed it; an easy, efficient shave. I wouldn't say mild because in my experience mild means DFS with work to get to BBS and you can feel growth by 2pm that day. Not so with this razor.
Last edited:
Kinda quiet in here lately... I think my SS General is up next in the rotation for tomorrow's shave, anyone else's? I see there are still some available on the Colonial site too. They normally sell out in minutes to a few days!!
They might be producing more of them in intervals now. Also, the price increase may push people to purchase the ATT Calypso or another option instead of the General in SS. I may be trying mine again soon here but we shall see.
I used mine again this morning! I've been alternating it with some Gem razors that I'm trying for the first time. I have nothing bad to say about the gems, but whenever I come back to the General I am impressed anew by its heft and by how well it shaves.
I shaved with my SS General pretty much the whole month, skipping a day or two but only with the General. What an excellent razor it is. With a Kai mild pink blade it’s so smooth and an efficient razor it’s perfection. And if I desire an even closer shave Prolines and Feather pro shave even better, but I prefer the forgiving nature of the Kai Pink. I got mine for 65 dollars shipped on Christmas but even at a hundred it still a great price. Oh and I only used 1 blade and lasted around 20 shaves, 3 passes and each shave was a BBS. Great razor glad I purchased it. I made a post before about a bad experience with the SS General with a Kai mild, how it tugged and pulled, I don’t know what happened to me that day but the shaves only got better from there. I suggest sticking with it for a month, even if you have another razor that provides a better shave. Once you learn it, I think you guys will appreciate how forgiving and efficient it is.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
I used mine a good little bit prior to exclusively shaving with the SS Colonial General during my December to Remember Fixed Four. Using the General and nothing else for a month convinced me the General is a very good razor.
I go back and forth comparing it to the ATT SE1 in terms of efficiency, but I think the General is a bit easier to use, and at least as smooth. I've used only the Proline blade so far. Also, I polished the cap of my General which may have increased the smoothness enough to notice, and certainly made the razor look better.
It may be I like the injectors better, but the General is a really good AC razor. I'm glad I have one.
Happy shaves,
Jim
I’m on vacation this week.
When deciding on what razor to pack I picked the General.
That means my Timeless, Razorocks, Asylum and Blacklands got left behind.
When deciding on what razor to pack I picked the General.
That means my Timeless, Razorocks, Asylum and Blacklands got left behind.
So against the better wishes of my Ti Timeless .95SB, todays shave was with the SS General and even on shave #14 of the Proline blade that has been in it I have to say it felt the same as shave #1... This combo is truly the best SE combo I've ever used to date. Outstanding shave that could've stopped @ 2 passes but it was going so good I did a complete pass for clean up!! I'm sure I won't have to shave for another 2 days now. 
I'm really interested in the General. Can anyone compare it to the GEM 1912 razor or the Supply Provision SE. I can get great shaves with those two razors.
I've never tried a Gem type razor before though I tried the Supply Provision V1 on the pass around they had going here and there couldn't be 2 razors more different from each other. Though I only had it for a week, it was a week too long. I think I only had 1 shave in 4-5 that I didn't have any irritation or weepers from it.
I started with the aluminum version of the General and moved to the stainless version when it became available and sold the aluminum as the stainless was that much better a razor. The SS General with the right blade in it rivals most razors that are in the $200+ range in efficiency and smoothness. At $99 this razor is an absolute steal!! It is only 1 of 3 razors that are in my rotation that also includes a '61 Fatboy and a Titanium Timeless .95SB. I am set for life with the razors I own...
I started with the aluminum version of the General and moved to the stainless version when it became available and sold the aluminum as the stainless was that much better a razor. The SS General with the right blade in it rivals most razors that are in the $200+ range in efficiency and smoothness. At $99 this razor is an absolute steal!! It is only 1 of 3 razors that are in my rotation that also includes a '61 Fatboy and a Titanium Timeless .95SB. I am set for life with the razors I own...
I have the Supply SE V2 and used it with the Personna and Chinese Chick blades with all the plates and I find the SS General with Kai Mild just as smooth but more efficient than plate 3 on the Supply. Then there are the Prolines and the Feather Pro and Super that turn it up a notch. So you could say that its shave can change with the blade.
Similar threads
