Fine Marvel cap on Swing plate. Made for each other. Strikes me as more efficient than stock Marvel and smoother than stock Swing. Pretty close to perfect. I'm downright giddy about this one.
Frankenrazor February
- Thread starter gvw755
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #102
I have a Swing! Actually I have a SB and OC Swing, but will try the SB one since I already know the Marvel pairs well with most OC plates.
My Swing is this one (differential exposure pretty obvious).
Guess I'll check out the Matador as well.
- Thread starter
- #104
Frankenrazor Feb 16 – DOC Cap/Marvel Base
Having previously put together a regular domed cap with the Marvel base plate to see how much the Marvel base plate contributed to the smooth shave of the Marvel, I ended up with one of the roughest and worst shave of all Marvel configurations. I truly believe that the Marvel base plate was specifically designed for the Marvel top, but that was not going to stop me from trying something else – the DOC cap. This seemed fitting as the DOC Frankenrazors come up next anyway.
WTG pass was promising. It was not as harsh as the regular domed cap, however I had to find a balance between riding the guard and allowing the comb of the cap to assist the shave. The first pass was successful in clearing most of the whiskers. ATG pass was a totally different story. I played with different angles, but could not find an angle that efficiently cleared whiskers, although the aggression was there. Stretching my skin helped, but not by much. I actually had to do an XTG pass and even then, the best I ended up with was a DFS.
Though slightly better than the domed cap, this combination will not be tried again.
Having previously put together a regular domed cap with the Marvel base plate to see how much the Marvel base plate contributed to the smooth shave of the Marvel, I ended up with one of the roughest and worst shave of all Marvel configurations. I truly believe that the Marvel base plate was specifically designed for the Marvel top, but that was not going to stop me from trying something else – the DOC cap. This seemed fitting as the DOC Frankenrazors come up next anyway.
WTG pass was promising. It was not as harsh as the regular domed cap, however I had to find a balance between riding the guard and allowing the comb of the cap to assist the shave. The first pass was successful in clearing most of the whiskers. ATG pass was a totally different story. I played with different angles, but could not find an angle that efficiently cleared whiskers, although the aggression was there. Stretching my skin helped, but not by much. I actually had to do an XTG pass and even then, the best I ended up with was a DFS.
Though slightly better than the domed cap, this combination will not be tried again.
- Thread starter
- #105
DOC Frankenrazors
So now the Frankenrazors with the Marvel caps are done and we transition to the DOC. I recently got a DOC head from Aliexpress for $3. Assuming that it isn’t a Yaqi Mellon, it is probably a cheaper Chinese clone of a cheap Chinese clone. Not having a Yaqi in hand, I don’t know if there are any differences. I found the unaltered razor to be a very mild shaver, but with some effort, it was also efficient. It barely made my two pass plus touch up requirement for keeping a razor. Beginning tomorrow we shall see if I can coax better performances from it.
So now the Frankenrazors with the Marvel caps are done and we transition to the DOC. I recently got a DOC head from Aliexpress for $3. Assuming that it isn’t a Yaqi Mellon, it is probably a cheaper Chinese clone of a cheap Chinese clone. Not having a Yaqi in hand, I don’t know if there are any differences. I found the unaltered razor to be a very mild shaver, but with some effort, it was also efficient. It barely made my two pass plus touch up requirement for keeping a razor. Beginning tomorrow we shall see if I can coax better performances from it.
Marvel cap-Matador plate. Another great one. Not quite as smooth as the Swing but even more efficient -- Matador has gap AND exposure and fulcrum shoulder rather than rigid clamping . A mini Barbasol Floating Head. Eminently enjoyable. PolSilver (2).
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- Thread starter
- #107
Frankenrazor Feb 17 – DOC Cap/Merkur type Base
Shortly after the DOC head was listed on the Yaqi site, a version with the OC cap and a regular base plate was listed with a name of “Beast Hybrid”. Well, I just had to follow up with creating my own Beast for Frankenrazor February. So how did the Beast do?
At first I stared at the large space between blade and safety bar and wondered if Yaqi knew something by naming this Beast. My WTG pass had a bit more blade feel than the original DOC, but not a rough shave. It did clear much more on the first pass than the original.
Second pass was ATG and again, a little more blade feel, but no discomfort and I could have stopped there with a near DFS. I did minimal touch up and ended up with a surprisingly comfortable BBS. I was definitely impressed with this Frankenrazor and it will become a regular.
Shortly after the DOC head was listed on the Yaqi site, a version with the OC cap and a regular base plate was listed with a name of “Beast Hybrid”. Well, I just had to follow up with creating my own Beast for Frankenrazor February. So how did the Beast do?
At first I stared at the large space between blade and safety bar and wondered if Yaqi knew something by naming this Beast. My WTG pass had a bit more blade feel than the original DOC, but not a rough shave. It did clear much more on the first pass than the original.
Second pass was ATG and again, a little more blade feel, but no discomfort and I could have stopped there with a near DFS. I did minimal touch up and ended up with a surprisingly comfortable BBS. I was definitely impressed with this Frankenrazor and it will become a regular.
- Thread starter
- #108
I need to check my Matador. I think it is a two piece though.
That is one scary looking razor.
- Thread starter
- #110
Frankenrazor Feb 18 – DOC Cap/Alfa Base
After being pleasantly surprised by the “Beast” clone last night, I was anxious to try the Alfa base on the DOC head. From the first stroke of my WTG pass, I realized that this was going to be the real Beast. Blade feel was more than the previous night, but again, not to the point of being uncomfortable. In return for the added blade feel came added efficiency. I could have stopped after one pass plus touch up and ended with a DFS. I instead went for an ATG pass and ended up with a two pass BBS with minimal touch up.
I was very impressed with the shave, but preferred the feel of the original Beast clone.
After being pleasantly surprised by the “Beast” clone last night, I was anxious to try the Alfa base on the DOC head. From the first stroke of my WTG pass, I realized that this was going to be the real Beast. Blade feel was more than the previous night, but again, not to the point of being uncomfortable. In return for the added blade feel came added efficiency. I could have stopped after one pass plus touch up and ended with a DFS. I instead went for an ATG pass and ended up with a two pass BBS with minimal touch up.
I was very impressed with the shave, but preferred the feel of the original Beast clone.
- Thread starter
- #111
Frankenrazor Feb 19 – DOC cap/Apollo Base
It seems that as I change the base for the DOC cap, it becomes significantly more aggressive. From the first WTG stroke, I knew this was going to be a rough shave. After finishing the WTG pass, my discomfort was rewarded by a near DFS. I attempted an ATG pass only because I did one for the other shaves. ATG went slightly better, probably because most whiskers (and possibly a layer of skin) were taken off with the first pass. Very uncomfortable shave, but a two pass BBS with minimal touch up. I am believing that the design of the DOC prefers keeping the lather around more, while both the Alfa and Apollo base plates were very efficient in redirecting lather away from the shave, and the Apollo left a very large blade gap, making it past aggressive.
This is one Frankenrazor that will not be combined again!
It seems that as I change the base for the DOC cap, it becomes significantly more aggressive. From the first WTG stroke, I knew this was going to be a rough shave. After finishing the WTG pass, my discomfort was rewarded by a near DFS. I attempted an ATG pass only because I did one for the other shaves. ATG went slightly better, probably because most whiskers (and possibly a layer of skin) were taken off with the first pass. Very uncomfortable shave, but a two pass BBS with minimal touch up. I am believing that the design of the DOC prefers keeping the lather around more, while both the Alfa and Apollo base plates were very efficient in redirecting lather away from the shave, and the Apollo left a very large blade gap, making it past aggressive.
This is one Frankenrazor that will not be combined again!
OK, here are my 3 Souplexes, with the Double Six in the middle. The one on the left looks like your other Double Six (which I never knew was a D6).Thus.
The one on the left is called the Double Six Minor.OK, here are my 3 Souplexes, with the Double Six in the middle. The one on the left looks like your other Double Six (which I never knew was a D6).
- Thread starter
- #114
Frankenrazor Feb 20 – DOC cap/Progress Base
It seemed that the past two nights my DOC combinations have gotten progressively aggressive with last night’s shave being close to uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to expect tonight when I paired the DOC cap with the Progress base plate. When I started my WTG pass, I immediately noticed significant blade feel, slightly more than the Barbasol and less than the Apollo. I also noticed significant audio feedback. It seems that the trough base combined with an open top produced an amplified sound chamber. I was very surprised how efficient and comfortable the shave was despite the blade feel. It seems that the Progress base plate kept the lather in place and added to the comfort. This was another time when I could have stopped with one pass plus touch up and gotten something better than a DFS, but I continued to the ATG pass.
ATG pass went very well, again with blade feel and a lot of noise, but I ended up with a two pass and minimal touch up BBS. This was a very nice ending to the DOC Frankenrazors.
It seemed that the past two nights my DOC combinations have gotten progressively aggressive with last night’s shave being close to uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to expect tonight when I paired the DOC cap with the Progress base plate. When I started my WTG pass, I immediately noticed significant blade feel, slightly more than the Barbasol and less than the Apollo. I also noticed significant audio feedback. It seems that the trough base combined with an open top produced an amplified sound chamber. I was very surprised how efficient and comfortable the shave was despite the blade feel. It seems that the Progress base plate kept the lather in place and added to the comfort. This was another time when I could have stopped with one pass plus touch up and gotten something better than a DFS, but I continued to the ATG pass.
ATG pass went very well, again with blade feel and a lot of noise, but I ended up with a two pass and minimal touch up BBS. This was a very nice ending to the DOC Frankenrazors.
- Thread starter
- #115
Alfa Frankenrazors
The Alfa razor was a cheap Czech razor made mostly of some kind of plastic (not bakelite). The top is fully pent but not asymmetrical like the humpback slants. The base has widely spaced teeth similar to the Neillite 400 razor on the wide side only. By itself it is a slightly rough shaver but pretty efficient, not as efficient as the PAA BOCS, but also not as rough. This was definitely a good candidate for experimentation, and so the Alfas will appear tomorrow.
The Alfa razor was a cheap Czech razor made mostly of some kind of plastic (not bakelite). The top is fully pent but not asymmetrical like the humpback slants. The base has widely spaced teeth similar to the Neillite 400 razor on the wide side only. By itself it is a slightly rough shaver but pretty efficient, not as efficient as the PAA BOCS, but also not as rough. This was definitely a good candidate for experimentation, and so the Alfas will appear tomorrow.
My offering is a Frankenjector.
I'm not just splicing between two different breeds, but two different species.
I acquired a Schick Type G with a broken handle, bent-back head, and a spring turned to the side (which it was not supposed to do).
Before I set out to repair the handle with epoxy I wanted to see if the head was still good (after I went at it with pliers).
Mark I:
Handle was borrowed from an LC New. It wobbled a bit because the stud is smaller than the thread.
But it worked.
Mark II:
Handle is an orphaned aluminum Soluna (a Soviet-era Czech razor). I wrapped one layer of duct tape around the head's stud so that there was something for the handle's threads to bite into. It was much less wobbly. The outer layer of tape was for insurance.
It worked even better, and I thought the balance was better with the lighter handle.
I'm not just splicing between two different breeds, but two different species.
I acquired a Schick Type G with a broken handle, bent-back head, and a spring turned to the side (which it was not supposed to do).
Before I set out to repair the handle with epoxy I wanted to see if the head was still good (after I went at it with pliers).
Mark I:
But it worked.
Mark II:
It worked even better, and I thought the balance was better with the lighter handle.
- Thread starter
- #117
Great ideas!
For handles, I have used bamboo stakes that I use in my garden and carbon fibre tubing. These are already bored out so you don't have to do something with the screwed end. I like to moisten the inside of the tube and use Gorilla Glue around the part I am inserting and let it expand to fill the opening.
For handles, I have used bamboo stakes that I use in my garden and carbon fibre tubing. These are already bored out so you don't have to do something with the screwed end. I like to moisten the inside of the tube and use Gorilla Glue around the part I am inserting and let it expand to fill the opening.
- Thread starter
- #118
Frankenrazor Feb 21 – Alfa Cap/Apollo Base
First Alfa Frankenrazor used the Apollo base plate. The upward facing teeth ad the large lather holes definitely made quick work of things. Unlike the Marvel/Apollo, the Alfa cap set a different angle with slightly more blade feel, but significantly more efficiency. WTG pass was very fast as the pent cap set a perfect angle and the large lather holes meant I didn’t have to waste time rinsing (very similar to the SE Lather Catchers of old). Again, I could have stopped with just one pass plus touch up for a DFS, however as always; I went for a second pass. ATG was very similar to the first pass with definite blade feel, but no discomfort and not needing to rinse the lather along the way. This ended up being a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS.
First Alfa Frankenrazor used the Apollo base plate. The upward facing teeth ad the large lather holes definitely made quick work of things. Unlike the Marvel/Apollo, the Alfa cap set a different angle with slightly more blade feel, but significantly more efficiency. WTG pass was very fast as the pent cap set a perfect angle and the large lather holes meant I didn’t have to waste time rinsing (very similar to the SE Lather Catchers of old). Again, I could have stopped with just one pass plus touch up for a DFS, however as always; I went for a second pass. ATG was very similar to the first pass with definite blade feel, but no discomfort and not needing to rinse the lather along the way. This ended up being a two pass plus minimal touch up BBS.
- Thread starter
- #119
Frankenrazor Feb 22 – Alfa Cap/Barbasol Base
Next up is the Alfa cap on a Barbasol base. The Barbasol base shares some characteristics with the Apollo in that it has upward facing comb and decent lather flow. The shave was also similar. WTG pass had blade feel similar to the Apollo but was more efficient. Although there was enough whiskers left after the first pass, most was taken off with the ATG pass. Again, definite blade feel, but no discomfort. Unlike the Marvel cap experience where the Apollo and Barbasol bases were different in their shaves, the shaves with the two base plates and the Alfa plate were almost identical. Another two pass plus minimal touch up BBS.
Next up is the Alfa cap on a Barbasol base. The Barbasol base shares some characteristics with the Apollo in that it has upward facing comb and decent lather flow. The shave was also similar. WTG pass had blade feel similar to the Apollo but was more efficient. Although there was enough whiskers left after the first pass, most was taken off with the ATG pass. Again, definite blade feel, but no discomfort. Unlike the Marvel cap experience where the Apollo and Barbasol bases were different in their shaves, the shaves with the two base plates and the Alfa plate were almost identical. Another two pass plus minimal touch up BBS.
Again, thank you for the tip. I was able to find a metal washer that would fit, but I was afraid of damaging the RR Old Type. I decided to make a shim out of an expired credit card. It turns out I was definitely over-thinking the problem.
I was able to use the shim to combine the Yaqi Mellon cap with the RR Old Type base with no rattle. I think I'll just finish out the month with this combo. I was also able to use the same shim with the NEW LC and WCS #84BR handle.
