Damn Comfortable Shave

[ShavingByTheNumbers]

Thank you Grant. What excellent handle dimensions and weight (IMO that is)!

I remember asking PAA if they sold their DOC Satin handles separately, but unfortunately no.

No problem, Cal. The knurling is really nice, too. The surface finishing isn't perfect, but it's a nice handle.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Cal, the razors are not particularly expensive. I have the PAA Prismatic and the PAA DOC. I've not used the DOC, which I bought used, because I've been so pleased with my similar looking but much more efficient, or so I'm told, RR SLOC, but the Prismatic is a decent enough shaver. My first use of it was yesterday and I got a good shave even using a new and unfamiliar blade.

You'd think they'd sell handles separately to increase overall sales, but that's their decision.

I prefer handles to be in the 3 to 3.25 inches long range. Still, this handle is in my preferred handle thickness range, and it works okay.

I think mine is exactly the same except for its finish as the one already weighed and measured, but I can weigh it, etc. if you want?

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Monday's shave was good.

Schaeffer. Polsilver. MS 30 mm silvertip fan. Fine L'Orange soap and splash.

This really is a top tier soap. I like to load it heavy, hydrate it heavy, and make a rich, thick, creamy, slick lather on my face and neck. The brush is outstanding for that task and is soft, soft, soft to boot.

The broach was a one time addition at the insistence of my wife. She's discovered all the shaving photos on my phone. Apparently she has no interest in my shaving, but she does like the pictures. She's also purchased and given me several shaving articles (soaps, a brush, two nice razors) so it's not like she's unsupportive of me, just not very interested in my shaving hobby.

I'm not very interested in the finer points of her quilt making either, but the quilts are beautiful and I fake being fairly interested. Not that I fool her for half a second.

I like this razor!

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

My R41 head has arrived. It's in my office mailbox so I've not seen it yet. I've not decided exactly how or when I'll use it, but I'm inclined to use its baseplate with the cap and handle from the SLOC and load it with a Polsilver.

I might use my new Schick Krona razor first. This photo is not very focused (sorry), but the Krona is in really great shape. I can hardly believe I got such a nice example for $10 including shipping.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

I might use my new Schick Krona razor first. This photo is not very focused (sorry), but the Krona is in really great shape. I can hardly believe I got such a nice example for $10 including shipping.

The Krona is a razor I've been curious about so I'm interested in your thoughts Jim.

 

[Raven Koenes]

No, thats mine. Yours is nickel remember? lol



You better hide, she's looking for you.

View attachment 891171

The polling is in and the results are clear:

Do you shave with the handle loose or snug Poll?

I've made it back to the BOSC asylum and into the capable hands of nurse Ratched. I never should have thought I could make it off of my meds. I was wrong.

...But I feel much better now.

 

[Cal]

Cal, the razors are not particularly expensive.

I see Phoenix have come back down to $13.30 for First Class International shipping (it was aroung $25 not long ago). Even so, if I purchased the Prismatic (just for the handle) it would cost me $38.25 (plus bank charges and maybe customs duty). I definitely like the handle, but not that much.

I think mine is exactly the same except for its finish as the one already weighed and measured, but I can weigh it, etc. if you want?

Yep, it's the same Jim. But many thanks for offering to weigh and measure it.

 

[Esox]

I never should have thought I could make it off of my meds. I was wrong.

Yeah, but...who are the other three?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I see Phoenix have come back down to $13.30 for First Class International shipping (it was aroung $25 not long ago). Even so, if I purchased the Prismatic (just for the handle) it would cost me $38.25 (plus bank charges and maybe customs duty). I definitely like the handle, but not that much.

Yep, it's the same Jim. But many thanks for offering to weigh and measure it.

Yipes! Those are killer (bad) deal breaking charges.

I've gotten where I order stuff in batches so I can get free shipping, as often as possible. But, I know the PAA is probably only sold by US vendors.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The polling is in and the results are clear:

Do you shave with the handle loose or snug Poll?

I've made it back to the BOSC asylum and into the capable hands of nurse Ratched. I never should have thought I could make it off of my meds. I was wrong.
View attachment 891698
...But I feel much better now.

I could change my vote if it would make you feel less alone, Rave.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I could change my vote if it would make you feel less alone, Rave.

No, I'm perfectly happy to be back in the fold of normal crazy. Oh, The Roedter 1909 is out as a desired object of acquisition.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

No, I'm perfectly happy to be back in the fold of normal crazy. Oh, The Roedter 1909 is out as a desired object of acquisition.

Is this a place, or just nuts?

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Tuesday's shave was good.

This was my first shave with my new R41 head. The handle is the iKon Bulldog. The blade, a previously used Polsilver. The soap is a sample.

I shaved at a very steep angle. I didn't ride the cap at all. This was my approach because I'd heard that at a steep angle the razor is a pussycat.

That may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but not too very much. The razor was not particular hard to use. Now, make no mistake. I was fairly careful. I certainly didn't throw the razor about with reckless abandon. This is after all a R41.

I found the razor perhaps not what you might call terribly smooth, but it was far from rough. It was also fairly quiet. I expected a lot of audible feedback and chatter.

This was a shave I expected to be closer and a razor I expected to be unworldly efficient. Neither were the case. The R41 is reasonably efficient and the shave was pretty close, but I did not get an immediate post shave BBS neck nor did my lower lip end up as smooth as it sometimes does with other razors.

My shave was my usual shave. If anything, I under did the number of jiggy passes and the buffing, but that's not to say I didn't get jiggy and do some buffing.

One shave is not enough to grade a razor. I like the R41 a lot more than I might have guessed, but it doesn't rate anywhere near as high in efficiency as touted on B&B and elsewhere.

My guess is a lot of gentlemen have faces and necks much easier to shave than mine.

It's possible the razor will grow on me as I can experience with it. It's also possible I'm a lousy shaver.

These were my post shave products applied after witch hazel.

I did get a little nothing nick on my chin and a weeper under my chin. Not anything big, but I never get weepers and seldom cuts (although sometimes). So, maybe the razor is aggressive.

The soap sample doesn't smell all that much different from the King of Oud. I'm surprised. Did they send me the wrong sample. I'll have to compare them side by side.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[jmudrick]

Patent was Segal's. Schaefer would have simply been branding.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Patent was Segal's. Schaefer would have simply been branding.

Branding or licensing. I strong suspect but don't know that my Schaeffer razor was actually made by Segal. I have seen in a video a Segal branded razor exactly like the Schaeffer I own except for the brand marking.

The Segal is, I think, the best design for a TTO razor.

• No additional size to the head.
• A cap and a baseplate not thickened or enlarged for the TTO.
• The mechanism is all central to the handle.
• Nothing related to the TTO changes the head's shaving parameters as far as I can tell.

If I'm wrong I'd love to know what I'm missing in my conclusions or information. I think Mr. Segal nailed it with this razor. Of course, he was building on a foundation of other great razors (the Gillette Old Type comes to mind).

I've not explored this yet, but were there earlier patents for a TTO razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

This post says there's a solid brass R41 still in production. Link.

 

[Cal]

This post says there's a solid brass R41 still in production. Link.

Made by FATIP!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Made by FATIP!

Okay, I'll bite.

So, you're saying what? Fatip razors used to be sold as the R41?

The comb design on the R41 I have (recently purchased as a head only) is nothing like a true open comb Fatip.

Tell me more please.

Oh, never mind. I found this post. Link. Explains all. Middle razor is a 2008 R41/Fatip Piccolo.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[jmudrick]

Branding or licensing. I strong suspect but don't know that my Schaeffer razor was actually made by Segal. I have seen in a video a Segal branded razor exactly like the Schaeffer I own except for the brand marking.

The Segal is, I think, the best design for a TTO razor.

• No additional size to the head.
• A cap and a baseplate not thickened or enlarged for the TTO.
• The mechanism is all central to the handle.
• Nothing related to the TTO changes the head's shaving parameters as far as I can tell.

If I'm wrong I'd love to know what I'm missing in my conclusions or information. I think Mr. Segal nailed it with this razor. Of course, he was building on a foundation of other great razors (the Gillette Old Type comes to mind).

I've not explored this yet, but were there earlier patents for a TTO razor.

Happy shaves,

Jim

There are a number of patents for one piece DE razors pre dating the Segal, including the O'Malley patent of 1925, which Gillette bought and used as the basis for its patent infringement lawsuit against Segal, and the Edmonds and Dunn patents of 1909 and 1913 respectively.

The patent for the Gem Micromatic TTO dates from 1930.

 

[Cal]

So, you're saying what? Fatip razors used to be sold as the R41?

The comb design on the R41 I have (recently purchased as a head only) is nothing like a true open comb Fatip.

Tell me more please.

I suspect that Marcus @mjclark would know more about the Mühle R41 history than anyone. Beaming you up Marcus... we seek knowledge.