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Do you really need adjustability in a razor? My answer is - NO.

I think adjustables are really cool designs with their old school mechanics. I don’t change settings on them today but still find them awesome to use. And one day, when I get bored I will play around with adjusting the setting between passes :001_tt1:
 
I've never found myself changing settings during my shaves. I use the 6S, some days I want to shave with 3, some others with 6. But I won't use different setting on different passes.
 
As you say, YMMV.

I would say that not everyone needs an adjustable. They work well for some but not as good for others.

I have the Fatboy and Slim in my collection. They are nicely balanced, attractive design, and well built.
However my Old type, New Type, and Superspeeds provide me with much better shaves.
 
I always thought it was to provide a razor that works for everyone. You find the setting that works for you and go with it. I never change my setting, once I find which one works best.

Well, that is what it's meant for, and that's why comments like the thread starter's kind of miss the whole point. Gillette invented the adjustable because a lot of people bought and owned exactly one Gillette razor. Making an adjustable allowed them to satisfy a wide range of customers without having to produce individual razors at all different aggressiveness levels the way they did previously (remember the red tip and blue tip Super Speed? That was what came before the adjustable, and they were discontinued after the adjustable came out.)

Now if you're the sort of person who loves buying lots of different razors, then an adjustable is not necessarily of value to you. But that is not how most men work. They had one razor. If the standard razor like a Tech or Super Speed worked for you, then great, but that's not right for everyone. In the same way, my two Gillette adjustables are responsible for 95% of my shaving. I bought them because I needed to figure out what I wanted from a razor, as the Super Speed wasn't equal to my requirements. So the Slim and the SA 84 are both set to 7 and they satisfy me. Other than an occasional spin with a Gem, nothing else touches my face.
 
I think adjustables are great for beginners. I wish I would have started with an adjustable. It would have saved me lots of money. I've gotten rid of my adjustables over time, and currently don't own a single one nor do I plan on it. I now have very efficient razors that I can do a single WTG pass but that are also smooth enough to do daily ATG passes also.

I agree they are good for beginners. They let you experiment with different blade exposures.
 
I am no expert, but far from a beginner, I have 3 Toggles, a Fatboy, Slim and Rex. I shave on different levels during a shave and start with different levels depending on my beard and skin conditions. I may be in the minority but I enjoy using my adjustables as a change of pace from my other razors in my collection. A lot has been written on the Rockwell and Karve positively and it seems like many write about different Gamechangers. These may not be true adjustables but aren’t you using different levels of gap and exposure depending on your need?
 
I am no expert, but far from a beginner, I have 3 Toggles, a Fatboy, Slim and Rex. I shave on different levels during a shave and start with different levels depending on my beard and skin conditions. I may be in the minority but I enjoy using my adjustables as a change of pace from my other razors in my collection. A lot has been written on the Rockwell and Karve positively and it seems like many write about different Gamechangers. These may not be true adjustables but aren’t you using different levels of gap and exposure depending on your need?
Nope. Just rotate , Tech one day, Le Coc caged head the next etc. Enjoy great shaves whether mild or wild.

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Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I have 5 adjustable razors, 1 Gillette slim, 1- 1959 Gillette fatboy, 2-Ming shi 2000 and my recent acquired Schick injector 1970-72 model 3 and still enjoy adjusting them to fit my shave and comfort & closeness level. The Gillette slim razor was my first DE razor and bought it at a garage sale. Gillette fatboy is a well built razor and I was surprised how good a shave I receive from my Schick adjustable injector M3. I would buy a adjustable if it's a good deal because there are days when you just want a easy going shave and just dial down and relax with a nick free shave. Adjustable razors are part of shaving community and always will be. I think they are better built sometimes than a say a Gillette tech, but fellows can get just as good shave with a Tech with good hand technique & sharp blade no doubt with a extra pass or two.
Have some great shaves!
 
If you use a different razor on a different day or a different razor for each pass (yes some use 2 or 3 razors on a single shave) it’s not an adjustable but “your system”. IMO changing guards during a shave like a Rockwell, Karve or GC is also not an adjustable but “your system” of shaving.

Adjustable razors change gaps and efficiency on the fly for a single given razor and have been available as vintages (Gibbs, Toggle, FB, Slim etc) to the moderns (Merkur, Rex etc).

And yes dialed adjustables are just as effective as a 3 piece. You should be able to get nearly identical shave results with just about any razor you use provided you know how to use them. At this point I can get almost as close a shave with my mild EJ89 as with the R41 but it will take me more passes.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Adjustable razors in my Den: Merkur Progress, Gillette Slim, Gillette Fatboy and the clone of the Merkur Futur.

They all work well but I don't use them that much.
 
You don't NEED adjustability in a razor but it's nice to have. Especially if you don't have a lot of razors, you can't get a mild or aggressive shave depending on the dial and it spices up the variety in your shave.
 
@jmudrick so essentially you have created your own adjustable using different razors.
Err you seemed to have missed the point. I don't vary according to "need" . I do own plenty of adjustable razors by the way, more because I appreciate the designs than the shave quality.

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garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Ok, well I started with a Gillette Adjustable, it was when JFK was our face to the world, think it was a Fatboy but ..

I seldom change the settings these days. Still have a travel Fatboy that I used last night in fact in prep for my high school reunion. I'd disagree that the adjustable is poor for a beginner, and with using a Tech to start. My whiskers don't do Tech, sorry, tried & tried again this very year, the Tech don't cut it. A Fatboy to 6 or up will. Giving a neophyte a Tech if the guy has wire whiskers just causes pressure and nicks. Much better to play around with an adjustable than buy 9 different three piece razors to find your groove.
 
Ok, well I started with a Gillette Adjustable, it was when JFK was our face to the world, think it was a Fatboy but ..

I seldom change the settings these days. Still have a travel Fatboy that I used last night in fact in prep for my high school reunion. I'd disagree that the adjustable is poor for a beginner, and with using a Tech to start. My whiskers don't do Tech, sorry, tried & tried again this very year, the Tech don't cut it. A Fatboy to 6 or up will. Giving a neophyte a Tech if the guy has wire whiskers just causes pressure and nicks. Much better to play around with an adjustable than buy 9 different three piece razors to find your groove.
Blades are sharper in a Fatboy than a Tech? I get it's easier for you to dial in with Fatboy on than with the Tech but ....TTT....and the Tech I think is a perfect learning tool.

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garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Blades are sharper in a Fatboy than a Tech? I get it's easier for you to dial in with Fatboy on than with the Tech but ....TTT....and the Tech I think is a perfect learning tool.

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My beard, my experience is that the sharpness of the blade isn't the only factor. On my mug, knowing all the art of shaving, multiple passes, best blades etc, I still struggle with the Tech because it doesn't have enough exposure. If you give a Flintstone beard a Tech, even with a Feather, he'll likely fail for longer than it takes him to get to enjoy traditional wetshaving. Sure, with patience I can make a Tech (maybe six passes & cleanup) give me a socially acceptable shave, but ..
 
Ok, well I started with a Gillette Adjustable, it was when JFK was our face to the world, think it was a Fatboy but ..

I seldom change the settings these days. Still have a travel Fatboy that I used last night in fact in prep for my high school reunion. I'd disagree that the adjustable is poor for a beginner, and with using a Tech to start. My whiskers don't do Tech, sorry, tried & tried again this very year, the Tech don't cut it. A Fatboy to 6 or up will. Giving a neophyte a Tech if the guy has wire whiskers just causes pressure and nicks. Much better to play around with an adjustable than buy 9 different three piece razors to find your groove.
I know what you mean. I can't get a good shave with a mild razor either regardless of blade choice. And it's not a matter of technique either. To each their own....
 
I am currently using an adjustable as I occasionally become board with my go-to razor, which is not adjustable.

I have had a week of pretty good shaves with my Merkur Furtur, which is a razor I have used on and off (mostly off) for about 15 years if not more. I have even figured out how to shave well with it in problematic areas. Over the years, I've used all levels of its ajustabilty. I have also used the Mercur Progress and the ancient Gillette Fatboy, which are both well made adjustable.

However, my conclusion is that ajustabilty is not that important. I think I get the best shaves with a non-adjustable, following the principals and movements of Charles Roberts cutting forms - the 4 pass shave. I guess an adjustable *might* be capable of a closer shave. But I find that the non-adjustable more relaxing and ultimately just as satisfying.

I recognize, of course, that YMMV.

Thoughts on this?

Define "need." If you mean as a necessity, we don't need much of the stuff we buy for shaving. Adjustables allow the shaver to select the aggressiveness that works best for them. I started shaving in the 1970s with a Schick Adjustable. Once I found the setting that worked best for me, I left it alone. I currently have a Futur knock-off and my father's slim, and I did the same with them. In theory, if you need a mild shave, you can dial it down. That works fine if you only have one razor. Since I have my father's Tech, I reach for that. OTOH, my father stayed with the Slim after he got it.

Some people don't like adjustables, and that's fine. Unless you go vintage or clone, they cost more than three-piece or TTO razors. But since I've gone to one pass shaves, I find some just too inefficient for my tastes, requiring a multi-pass shave. In theory, an adjustable allows you to up the aggressiveness until you get an efficient shave. Yes, I know aggressiveness does not equal efficiency, but you can fake it some with an adjustable.

The one thing I wouldn't do with an adjustable is to constantly fiddle with the settings. I started low and worked my way up.
 
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