First let me say; What a great thing it is to be a B&B member!
I have only ever used three different razors since I started wet shaving about two years ago. My first was the BIC Metal, which I still think of as my trainer. I got good, and then great shaves with that fantastic disposable and I still keep a few in my travel kit. When I felt I was ready, I moved up to my Edwin Jagger Bulbous lined razor with the old Merkur head. I got even better shaves with that after I got used to the difference in weight and established the perfect angles and pressure. About a year ago I took advantage of the discounted EJ Georgian razors being sold off at TESC and received a beautiful faux ivory handle with a newer Jagger/Muhle head. I liked it a lot and was pleased to see that I could switch it out to my Bulbous Lined handle.
So, for nearly a year I have been shaving with the new head and getting quite satisfactory results. All was right with the world and, with my RAD arrested, I turned my attention to other acquisition disorders, like rounding up as many Gillette Swedes as I could, and then snagging a few pucks of tallow first Penhaligon’s English Fern. Thank God for richmondesi coming up with the B&B Penny-Pinchers.
Thank you Paul.
But I digress … tonight I am preparing for a few days with a very special friend from my college days some 30 years ago and I decided to pack the Georgian and leave the Merkur head on it. I figured I should use it to shave with tonight and see if it was the right choice.
Short version is; I got an easy DFS - damn near BBS shave - in three passes. All told, a better shave than I had been getting
Detailed story is that I made every effort to remain aware that I was using a completely different razor, but I also broke the cardinal rule of DE shaving and changed more than one thing for this shave. Instead of my usual EJ silvertip brush, I used an EJ travel brush in pure badger. It is decidedly stiffer and doesn’t soak up anywhere close to amount of water as the silvertip, nor does it hold as much lather. The pure badger brush does do a terrific job of raising the stubble - which might have been another big difference maker - albeit at the cost of that luxurious silvertip feel. I made a superlather of unscented AOS soap and Nancy Boy Signature scent cream. I also loaded the razor with a brand new out of the plastic dispenser Swede. So I had the “first shave on a new blade” thing to deal with. I do cork all my new blades before the first shave only, so I believe in the corking fairytale that says it smoothes any factory burrs. Still, the thing is damn sharp!
Essentially, I was shaving with a fine tuned Merkur HD and I got one helluva good shave with it tonight. So now I am wondering if I will switch that head back to the Bulbous handle when I get back home.
This is my story. I would be interested in knowing if any of the brethren have also had experience with both EJ heads. If it matters at all, I know that EJ went a bit further with the Jagger/Muhle head and made a cosmetic upgrade after I received my Georgian, but it is my understanding that the geometry of the head was not affected.
So, who liked the old head more than the new head, without calling one or the other better of course? Let’s issue a pre-emptive YMMV.
I have only ever used three different razors since I started wet shaving about two years ago. My first was the BIC Metal, which I still think of as my trainer. I got good, and then great shaves with that fantastic disposable and I still keep a few in my travel kit. When I felt I was ready, I moved up to my Edwin Jagger Bulbous lined razor with the old Merkur head. I got even better shaves with that after I got used to the difference in weight and established the perfect angles and pressure. About a year ago I took advantage of the discounted EJ Georgian razors being sold off at TESC and received a beautiful faux ivory handle with a newer Jagger/Muhle head. I liked it a lot and was pleased to see that I could switch it out to my Bulbous Lined handle.
So, for nearly a year I have been shaving with the new head and getting quite satisfactory results. All was right with the world and, with my RAD arrested, I turned my attention to other acquisition disorders, like rounding up as many Gillette Swedes as I could, and then snagging a few pucks of tallow first Penhaligon’s English Fern. Thank God for richmondesi coming up with the B&B Penny-Pinchers.
Thank you Paul.
But I digress … tonight I am preparing for a few days with a very special friend from my college days some 30 years ago and I decided to pack the Georgian and leave the Merkur head on it. I figured I should use it to shave with tonight and see if it was the right choice.
Short version is; I got an easy DFS - damn near BBS shave - in three passes. All told, a better shave than I had been getting
Detailed story is that I made every effort to remain aware that I was using a completely different razor, but I also broke the cardinal rule of DE shaving and changed more than one thing for this shave. Instead of my usual EJ silvertip brush, I used an EJ travel brush in pure badger. It is decidedly stiffer and doesn’t soak up anywhere close to amount of water as the silvertip, nor does it hold as much lather. The pure badger brush does do a terrific job of raising the stubble - which might have been another big difference maker - albeit at the cost of that luxurious silvertip feel. I made a superlather of unscented AOS soap and Nancy Boy Signature scent cream. I also loaded the razor with a brand new out of the plastic dispenser Swede. So I had the “first shave on a new blade” thing to deal with. I do cork all my new blades before the first shave only, so I believe in the corking fairytale that says it smoothes any factory burrs. Still, the thing is damn sharp!
Essentially, I was shaving with a fine tuned Merkur HD and I got one helluva good shave with it tonight. So now I am wondering if I will switch that head back to the Bulbous handle when I get back home.
This is my story. I would be interested in knowing if any of the brethren have also had experience with both EJ heads. If it matters at all, I know that EJ went a bit further with the Jagger/Muhle head and made a cosmetic upgrade after I received my Georgian, but it is my understanding that the geometry of the head was not affected.
So, who liked the old head more than the new head, without calling one or the other better of course? Let’s issue a pre-emptive YMMV.
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