And all the king’s men (Humpty dumpty)
I have long wanted to compare these razors, but still lacked the quantity and quality. Finally, I managed, as I think, to collect the most "iconic" discussed razors of the past and present. Of those that are currently sold, I considered Vector and General to be the most discussed, and Classic Cobra and Paradigm SE are the most "desirable" of the razors of the past years. I included Enoch Occam in this comparison, simply because it was the first razor that I liked and learned how to shave safely and effectively (photo).
Comparison method-each razor was tested continuously for several days (5-7), using different blades. As a rule, I alternated those blades that I considered more aggressive with softer ones. I tried to standardize the method of shaving as much as possible-3 passes+ chins, although sometimes after the first pass it was clear that you can limit yourself to two. Perhaps this is the wrong method and if I learn to shave in 2 passes-the results will be different. But I can't do it yet.
Sebum Tonka soap and serum were used all the time. The quality assessment was carried out immediately after shaving and in the evening-according to the feeling of stubble on the face. Irritation and fatigue were also assessed twice. Immediately after shaving, the irritation was checked for skin reaction to alunite (muhle) and lotion (neumann 1911). The first stage took almost a month, and after 2 sessions of shaving, I took off Classic Cobra-unfortunately, the irritation and fatigue of the skin are such that I could not shave with this razor every day. The others held out. At the end of this experiment, I shaved in a row with different razors, once with different blades-the ones that I thought gave the best result. At this stage, I used Sebum green soap and serum-I really like both foam and serum in this version. So I enjoyed it.
What I wanted to achieve and what I considered the best result:
1 Of course efficiency-the cleaner the shave, the more fun
2 Maximum comfort-we understand that effective shaving takes place on the edge of comfort. And this is exactly the line when the skin warms up after shaving, smooth, but even in the evening there is no irritation or "fatigue" I wanted to achieve.
I finished this research yesterday and now I'm summing up the results.
First, General impressions:
In my understanding, the maximum difference between these razors in the shaving philosophy is occupied by Vector and Paradigm. If you compare it to cars, I would compare vector to Porsche, and paradigm to Maybach. In one case, you seem to be holding a blade in your hands and "sliding" it across your face. In the second, you float above your face, not even noticing the cuts.
Vector-very effective, but at the same time "nervous", "sensitive" razor. This was the first time in SE that I understood what "blade sense" is. I had the complete feeling that it was the blade I was holding in my hands. I liked both the results and the fact that shaving requires the concentration of a professional rider. However, it is worth noting that the second part-comfort-is not expressed here. We must try very hard to make shaving comfortable and the skin does not respond. At the same time, the most interesting weight distribution of the razor, the "weightless" head and the overall beauty make this razor "desirable" for me and I want to try further and master "sports driving" in a wet shave.
Paradigm SE-a great, soft razor. Provides not the cleanest, but very comfortable shave. You can shave and think about something else-it's still clean and safe to shave. The head of a razor is unusual, after others the first 2-3 Postings are strange. Then you forget about it and just enjoy it. The most comfortable of all razors. For me, this razor has set new standards of comfort that are very difficult to achieve, but worth striving for. That's just the quality of shaving with it is not always obtained BBS-BBS+. So there is something to work on.
Classic Cobra-the most effective. Not as super-sensitive as Vector, but it shaves even cleaner. Unfortunately, it is also very aggressive. I immediately called the "razor of the day." In the daily shaving test, I survived for 2 days, and after I got skin irritation and fatigue on feather pro guard, I simply removed the razor from further research. I need to change my skin for this razor. I have a similar result with Rocnel ajustable 2020-but there I hope to choose the efficiency settings and the blade for comfort. In my understanding, this is a very beautiful, well-hung and "lying" in the hand of a razor for a person with skin who will like its aggressiveness.
General-well, I didn't like this razor. Neither appearance, nor weight distribution. But research is research-emotions do not play a role here, and I must say that the razor occupies exactly the middle position between the poles. On the one hand, it shaves quite effectively, and at the same time quite comfortably. But I will not leave this razor for myself-it seems to me that personal emotions play an important role in the General atmosphere of shaving and if you do not like the razor, it is better to look further.
Enoch Occam is the razor that started me learning about SE and made me realize that wet shaving can be fun. I tested it at the end of the list, as I wanted to initially get an impression of other razors. I liked this razor and still like it, although it is inferior to famous rivals. This is just a "strong average"-which you use when you need a quick and easy shave.
Design and features of razors.
The most difficult process of installing the blade in Classic cobra and Occam-often it is not possible to install the blade correctly the first time, or it gets up, but unevenly. In general, this is a big minus, as I think we need to think about the consumer. For me, this was not a problem, since I always put the blade in the razor in the evening. But I can imagine what would happen if I tried to insert a blade in Enoch in the morning, and even when I was asleep. The most trouble-free installation of the blade in Paradigm-once used and then no problems. Excellent installation at Vector-the machine can be assembled only in one way, while the blade is immediately fixed on the pins and does not cause problems. Well, almost perfect installation of the blade in General.
The most "omnivorous" of all razors was Paradigm-it showed stable results with any blade. Once I managed to get irritation after using Feather pro super-I don't know what the reason is, but 1-2 hours after shaving, my neck started to itch. I had to additionally smear the cream. The rest of the time it seemed to me that this razor didn't care what blade it had. And it always seemed that it could be sharper. For myself, I concluded that this is not a reason to look for sharper and sharper blades-it is a reason to evaluate the comfort of the razor.
This test was not intended to identify the winner. Our forums have shown quite well that each of the razors has fans. I wanted to understand the difference between them, the characteristics of each and why they are so popular. I think I understood it myself, and if I succeeded, I showed my vision here. Well, to make a conclusion-what kind of razor to buy yourself-this is everyone's choice. I regret to say that I have already "optimized" the Cobra, and there will still be razors in the queue. With regret, you begin to understand that "your skin is closer to the body"-testing razors, you strain your own skin. And there are so many razors that experiencing everything is an unattainable goal. So with this analysis, my tests of SE machines were completed. So far, I don't see a razor on the market that I would like to include here. I apologize to the many fans of other razors. I took only those machines, among which I chose "for myself". ATT SE1-I tried it exactly once a long time ago and closed this topic for myself. The rest are simply not considered for purchase and use. I won't say that I'm absolutely right-it just happened. And there are several tables of General results in conue.
