Gentler shave than DE89 with Personna Prep DE Blades

[hrbngr]

Current shave is EJ DE89 with Ikon handle that I got in 2014. I also ordered the 250ct box of Personna DE Prep blades from Robbins at that time. The shave is pretty smooth but can be a little harsh around my chin and mouth, so I was wondering if there are any newer heads that would give a more gentle shave w/out horrible efficiency.

I have read a little about the Razorock Mamba and Gamechanger heads which are appealing due to full SS, but honestly my goal is to find a head that will work with the Personnas if possible and be more gentle. Don't really care about handles if I can just move over the ikon or any other recommended grippy handle that are compatible.

thanks.

 

[Joncr]

Feather AS D2, Gillette Blue Tip Superspeed, Gillette Slim/Fatboy at low number settings, Gillette Tech are all milder and may solve your issue? Modern adjustables at their mildest settings/base plates may also do so....Timeless .68 and Rockwell 6S and 6C with 1,2,3 baseplates, OTOH it may be your technique, - pressure or angle in those areas which create your issue

 

[Dovo1695]

Current shave is EJ DE89 with Ikon handle that I got in 2014. I also ordered the 250ct box of Personna DE Prep blades from Robbins at that time. The shave is pretty smooth but can be a little harsh around my chin and mouth, so I was wondering if there are any newer heads that would give a more gentle shave w/out horrible efficiency.

I have read a little about the Razorock Mamba and Gamechanger heads which are appealing due to full SS, but honestly my goal is to find a head that will work with the Personnas if possible and be more gentle. Don't really care about handles if I can just move over the ikon or any other recommended grippy handle that are compatible.

thanks.

I started with a EJ R89 as well. The Gamechanger .68 was definitely a comfort upgrade. So was the Mamba .53. Of the two, prefer the GC .68.

I'd also recommend you try some different blades. I bought 100 personna when I started out 5-6 years ago, and I still have 50 left. I disovered that my R89 shaves were much more comfortable with Nacet, Perms Sharp Super, Gillette Silver Blue.

YMMV

 

[BigJ]

Feather AS D2, Gillette Blue Tip Superspeed, Gillette Slim/Fatboy at low number settings, Gillette Tech are all milder and may solve your issue? Modern adjustables at their mildest settings/base plates may also do so....Timeless .68 and Rockwell 6S and 6C with 1,2,3 baseplates, OTOH it may be your technique, - pressure or angle in those areas which create your issue

+1! Great suggestions (especially the AS/D2). I also endorse the idea that you revisit your blade choice.

 

[engblom]

My favorite is iKon X3. It is both smoother and milder than DE89 and the torque makes the blade really rigid. Currently the heads are on sale from the manufacturer ($25 and normally $40). It is the razor that killed my RAD. I still have razors I never tried and I lost interest in trying other razors.

X3 is milder than the razors mentioned above, which would cause a slight learning curve in the beginning. I really had to do some shaves before I reached the level that I always got a close shave.

 

[hrbngr]

engblom
I will pick up an iKon X3. Will the personna preps work well w/it? Do you have a go to blade you prefer?

BOSC,
sounds good, i'll get on the waitlist for a GC .68, any preference on the blade w/that? (Nacet, Perms Sharp Super, Gillette Silver Blue) Are any of those three blades more consistent blade to blade than the others?

joncr,
so the feather is a bit out of my price range and the Gilettes are vintage. For the Rockwell 6S/6C is there any other difference besides the materials, or do i just go w/the cheaper one? I'm not sure i'm ready for a full adjustable, but the different baseplates would provide some variation.

 

[engblom]

@hrbngr I do not see any problem with using Personna but my own choice is Sputnik. I have successfully used several different brands with my X3. In my opinion it is exactly because the blade is so rigid and stiff in X3 that makes it work with a wide range of blades. This with having a rigid blade is one of the biggest advantage of having a torque as a rigid blade gives less irritation in my experience.

 

[hrbngr]

Received the iKon X3 and freaked out b/c the head was all bent up....

...(Brad/Maggard) "So, the X3 is a slant head. That's by design. Were you aware?"

I was....not aware. (many hours of reading/videos later) ...well at least it's a gentle slant...*whew* Leisureguy/Sharpologist on his blog really seemed to like it.

Just to be safe, I went ahead and also ordered a Rockwell 6S...can't screw that up, right??? Apparently, BasePlate 1 or 2 is very similar to the Feather AS D2, so that's nice.

 

[Joncr]

Received the iKon X3 and freaked out b/c the head was all bent up....

...(Brad/Maggard) "So, the X3 is a slant head. That's by design. Were you aware?"

I was....not aware. (many hours of reading/videos later) ...well at least it's a gentle slant...*whew* Leisureguy/Sharpologist on his blog really seemed to like it.

Just to be safe, I went ahead and also ordered a Rockwell 6S...can't screw that up, right??? Apparently, BasePlate 1 or 2 is very similar to the Feather AS D2, so that's nice.

FWIW I have found the 6S a great razor, the specs for plates 1 and 2 may be similar to the AS-D2 but the shave with those plates is very different than an AS-D2. I can get a decent shave with the Feather but cannot get anything much done with a Rockwell using plates 1 and 2. For me the 6S with plates 4 or 5 is pretty similar to an EJ DE89 and the 6 plate is still only mid aggressive. Experiment and enjoy.

 

[engblom]

Received the iKon X3 and freaked out b/c the head was all bent up....

...(Brad/Maggard) "So, the X3 is a slant head. That's by design. Were you aware?"

I was....not aware. (many hours of reading/videos later) ...well at least it's a gentle slant...*whew* Leisureguy/Sharpologist on his blog really seemed to like it.

As I am the one who recommended this razor I am especially curious of how you like the shave it gives. Yes, it is a slant and the twisted head makes the blade extra rigid and this helps in keeping the irritation down. It is a very, very mild razor despite the look.

 

[hrbngr]

engblom,
I unwittingly now have a slant in the arsenal, and that is not a bad thing. I'm not sure i would have picked up a slant if i actually looked at them.

About the only concern i have read is that slants can sometimes have slightly offset blade positioning if you are not careful when assembling. Do you ever notice any blades being slightly out of positioning/uneven when you use it?

 

[hrbngr]

Joncr,
thanks for the plate comparisons on the 6S with my current EJ89. I will keep an eye on BST to see if i can find an AS-D2 closer to $100

Not ready for OC yet, but if/when the GC .68 comes back in stock, i might also pick up the JAWS plate at that time.

Where would the Rocca V4 fit into the conversation? Although it is not a slant, it appears to have a well-designed head that clamps down on the blade from above and below firmly.

 

[fathandle]

I have a EJ89 sitting somewhere. I will break it out and try again. I gave up with it as it was too mild or inefficient for me.
My Techs are as mild as I go these days. They can be had for cheap I think. I use a Silver Blue in it or any other razor I own. Tech for the win.

 

[engblom]

engblom,
I unwittingly now have a slant in the arsenal, and that is not a bad thing. I'm not sure i would have picked up a slant if i actually looked at them.

About the only concern i have read is that slants can sometimes have slightly offset blade positioning if you are not careful when assembling. Do you ever notice any blades being slightly out of positioning/uneven when you use it?

I have a couple of X3 (because of course I need a spare of my favorite razor) and both of them I load in the same way:
1. Load a blade but do not attach the handle.
2. Hold the loaded head so a short side is facing you and the screw is pointing towards the floor. Now you have one edge on the left and one on the right.
3. To align the blade push with your handle (because it is dangerous with fingers) the right-side corner that is closer to you and the left side corner that is more far away from you. You push both corner fully in and then with your finger squeeze together the head so the blade is staying in place
4. Attach the handle and shave.

Even if you do not have it perfectly aligned, it will shave OK.

 

[hrbngr]

engblom,
thanks for the loading instructions. If i was trying to figure that out on my own, i would end up looking like the guy that was shaving in the movie Airplane...

 

[never-stop-learning]

Post-war Fat Handle Tech, RazoRock BBS, Mamba 70, Mamba 53 and GC68-P.

Any of these should fit the bill.

 

[Joncr]

I have the original Rocca, it has positive blade exposure, a lot of blade feel and is closer to an R41 than any razors mentioned. It can give a great shave with care for no pressure and attention to angle. Like all aggressive razors can work with sharp blades if the shaver takes his time and can shave without any pressure and knows how to find and maintain a workable angle.