Have a Rockwell 6S and debating about buying a Yates 921-M

[MikeMCT]

I have been pretty happy with the 6S and I largely shave on R4, but I have just seen great things about the Yates.

I usually shave every 3-4 or 4-5 days and how would the Yates with the bar M plate handle that. Plate 4 on the Rockwell does fine it seems.

I like the weight of the 6S and the shorter handle, so if I did the Yates I’d go for a shorter handle as well and the stubby one if that was available.

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!
Mike

 

[mrey]

Yeah the Yates razor is good. Go for it. I have both the Rockwell 6C and the Yates in the M-SB, M-OC, and the H-SB plates. I would suggest the H-SB plate if you shave every 3-5 days. Nothing wrong with the Rockwell but I find myself reaching more for the Yates instead.

 

[MikeMCT]

Thanks - I know the Rockwell has a solid/flat safety bar where the 921 has the scalloped bar that it looks like you have. If I do the build your own option I think you can choose scalloped or solid bar.

This is a completely dumb question - but what is the point of the scalloped it seems like there would be a different closeness depending on whether the skin hits the scallop or not. I know the norm is scalloped for the 921.

Mike

 

[Iridian]

This is a completely dumb question - but what is the point of the scalloped it seems like there would be a different closeness depending on whether the skin hits the scallop or not. I know the norm is scalloped for the 921.

It's meant to guide hair, allow some lather flow. It's basically between open comb teeth and a solid bar. I prefer open comb, as this gets even closer. Think of scalloped bars as in between the two worlds. Very wide spaced open teeth are not for everyone, for instance the Game Changer .84 JAWS with wider spacing than the .84 OC can do things to skin on your chin. I was there myself and after that rather took the OC. It looks cool though, but OC design I am huge fan of the Timeless OC with inward benth teeth.

I shave with the Yates - EH plate and the extra long handle, but that's my preference as I prefer more aggression and have a bit larger fingers/hands.

I would also recommend the H plate, that shouldn't be too aggressive for most people while adding some extra oomph to the shave.

 

[ralph029]

I never did enjoy my shaves with the Rockwell 6S. I found the razors balance not to my liking: too top heavy and bulky. My other issue with this razor was the angle needed. I found it too shallow for my style.
Some time later, after many razor purchases, I found Yates. I shave daily. My daily razor for 80+% of my shaves is the Yates EH OC. I use both M and the H on my head; it depends on if I shave every 2 days or let it slide to a third day.

I find the Yates to be a very steep razor, which I love. It's close to parallel with the shaving surface. This is a big deal for me. If a razor requires too shallow of an angle, I'll mothball the razor or give it away. The other thing about the Yates is how nimble I find it. The head is much more (for the lack of a better term) compact than the Rockwell. I guess it's the height of the head I'm referring to. I use the the 3.25" handle for my face and the 3.5" for my head. If I goof and somehow get the 3.5" handle on the head for my face, I really notice the difference. I do prefer shorter handles and the Yates is a fine handle.

Why do you shave only every 3 - 5 days? Is it because that's what you prefer or because it's only what you need? If your beard is finer and only requires shaving that often then the M plate should be fine. The gap on that head is 025” (.64mm) with a neutral exposure. There is not a lot of blade feel. Since Rockwell does not publish their specs I can't tell you which plate is comparable for gap or exposure. If you shave every 3 - 5 days because you like that particular look and your beard is heavier, then I think you would be better served with the Yates H plate. That plate has a gap of .040” (1.0mm) with a positive exposure of .003” (.077mm). The blade feel is not bad with this plate but you will feel it. When I use the M plate on my head I need to do a XTG pass and then a ATG pass. When I use the H plate, I can do a single ATG pass. On my face with the M plate, it is basically a shave to just knock the stubble down and not really care how I look. I cannot get a close enough shave to get dressed up and go to dinner. It's at best a good shave for my comfort only. When I shave my face with the H plate, I get a DFS after a couple passes and buffing spots that have heavier growth. The EH plate is a two pass and done with a little buffing on the tip of my chin.
BTW, I find the Yates M plate requires a slightly more shallow angle than the H or EH plates. It's probably not even noticeable unless, like me, your preference is a very steep angle.

Just my 2 cents. Full disclosure, I'm a Yates fan! I own 921's in both Stainless and Titanium. Oh and the other 20% of the time, I use a RazoRock Lupo. If you're interested, I did an efficiency comparison using all three Yates plates and Lupo plates. If might shed some further light on the shaves with each plate. Explain "Efficiency" to me... - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/explain-efficiency-to-me.647757/post-12534524

 

[MikeMCT]

Those are both super helpful comments thank you. So for the bar it may be worth sticking with the scalloped.

I am just use to the short 3.3 inch Rockwell handle and I guess in my mind I feel like I have more control with the shorter handle where I am closer to the head. Jake said I could opt for a shorter handle or even the Merica handle which to me seems like it is the most grippy. It looks a little thicker and weighs a little more than the shortest “normal” handles that they show on the Yates, but I’m not sure if the 3.1 inch is a bit too small and there is some balance aspect I should be thinking about. If I was ordering today I’d probably go with that shortest Merica or the skinnier 3.25 that looks like it has less grip (standard 921 design). Their 3.25 stubby handle looks great and is nice and heavy putting the razor weight at about what my Rockwell is but it looks to be out of stock. The other two handles I mentioned weigh maybe 20g less than that one with weights in the 60gs.

For shaving every 3-5 days it’s a combination of 1) laziness on work days having a long commute, 2) generally liking a scruffy look and being able to have that at work, 3) not having a super thick beard (I shaved 24 hours ago and I’m not sure anyone could tell right now that I didn’t shave 3 hours ago. That last time I went 5-6 days was about 3 weeks ago and the Rockwell 4R plate seemed to get through it fine.

I’m also on the fence because of the “do I need” another razor since I arguable have a great one to be begin with. That hasn’t stopped me on the guitar front though - ha!

 

[ralph029]

Those are both super helpful comments thank you. So for the bar it may be worth sticking with the scalloped.

I am just use to the short 3.3 inch Rockwell handle and I guess in my mind I feel like I have more control with the shorter handle where I am closer to the head. Jake said I could opt for a shorter handle or even the Merica handle which to me seems like it is the most grippy. It looks a little thicker and weighs a little more than the shortest “normal” handles that they show on the Yates, but I’m not sure if the 3.1 inch is a bit too small and there is some balance aspect I should be thinking about. If I was ordering today I’d probably go with that shortest Merica or the skinnier 3.25 that looks like it has less grip (standard 921 design). Their 3.25 stubby handle looks great and is nice and heavy putting the razor weight at about what my Rockwell is but it looks to be out of stock. The other two handles I mentioned weigh maybe 20g less than that one with weights in the 60gs.

For shaving every 3-5 days it’s a combination of 1) laziness on work days having a long commute, 2) generally liking a scruffy look and being able to have that at work, 3) not having a super thick beard (I shaved 24 hours ago and I’m not sure anyone could tell right now that I didn’t shave 3 hours ago. That last time I went 5-6 days was about 3 weeks ago and the Rockwell 4R plate seemed to get through it fine.

I’m also on the fence because of the “do I need” another razor since I arguable have a great one to be begin with. That hasn’t stopped me on the guitar front though - ha!

The grip on the 921 is fine. I lean towards heavily knurled handles but I have had issues with the 921.
As for do you need another razor? I think most of us here would say, of course you do, hehehe.

 

[Aaron H]

The short version - get the Yates with M and EH plates.

The Long Version below.

I had the Rockwell 6C, then 6S, R41, Gillette slim, Blackbird and whole bunch of razors and ended up with the Yates 921 + EH plates as the daily shaver.

YMMV but for me on a scale of aggressiveness of 1 to 10, the EH plates are like an 8 whereas the H plates are akin to a 6.5. The Rockwell 6C plate 6 is a 6 and the 5 plate is 5 and so on. The R41 is a solid 9.5 (which I can't use as a daily as my skin feels super tight / mild razor burn after every shave). The M on the Yates is on the 5.5 scale. Again YMMV.

Before the Yates, the 6C with plate 6 was my preferred daily shaver among the razors owned. There is something magical about the 6C in gunmetal paired with a Nacet. It shaves like a solid heavy tank on your face which is different experience to all other razors. It was also a very hard to cut or nick yourself with the 6C/ 6S and you could shave without thinking/ focusing.

I gave the 6S away to my dad (which IMHO is similar to 6C but like I liked the gunmetal color better) which re-introduced him to wet shaving. He was using cart Mach 3s and was adamant about finishing his Mach 3 cart stock until I told him that there is a reason why the 6S is a 100 dollar razor. He used the 6S once and has not touched his Mach 3 since. He also tried my Blackbird and other razors but preferred his 6S and stuck with it.

Back to the Yates, I got the SS custom / BYOR with 3 plates (M, H and EH) with the upgraded 3.25 inch titanium handle. Very quickly after rotating through the 3 plates, the EH plates in solid bar is the plate for me. YMMW.

What changed (compared to Rockwell 6C) was the Yates in EH plates allows me to use blades that are not as sharp like Big Ben, Tiger Platinum and even sharks (which can be tuggy on the Rockwell unless you get the optimal angle). Yates in EH amplifies both the sharpness in less aggressive blades and their smoothness. Naturally, Big Ben (a medium sharp blade) is now my favourite blade and the sharper Nacet is only used on weekends when I am relaxed and have more time to shave carefully. Nacet is still a fine blade, but I realise that if I rush or don't get the lather thickness right, I end up with multiple light weepers using the Yates in EH.

The Yates is a much lighter razor with a lower profile head. Like someone once here mentioned, shaving with a Rockwell is like driving a tank/ large SUV which is comfortable, stable and heavy whereas the Yates is comparable to driving a nimble sports car. The thick 6C head is great for the open roads / large flat surfaces that you are shaving but not great on smaller windy roads / non flat surfaces like under your nose where the Yates excel.

Another plus of the Yates EH is that the razor will give you more versatility by allowing you more range to experiment with angles of shaving (shallow vs steep) with a bigger razor blade gap. The gap on the Rockwell and even the Blackbird feels relatively smaller which makes it harder to cut yourself. With the Yates EH plates, you could shave safe by shaving with a shallower angle on sensitive areas with finer hair and shave steep on difficult areas with coarser hair. This really gives you options when shaving. Heck, I once used a Nacet slowly on a shallow angle only shave resulting with a BBS finish without any cuts, but it was a longer shave that what I would preferred. It was awkward as the wifey had questions on what I was doing in the shower for like an hour..

The 3.25 handle grip on the Yates is adequate (it is not slippery even when wet) although the Rockwell's grip is much better. Sometimes when I get really slick lather on my fingers, I do have to rinse them before continue shaving with the Yates which you don't need to with the Rockwell handle.

I trust that the above is enabling and please order the Yates BYOR already as it might take some time for them to make and ship the razor to you. It took almost 2 months to get mine (I also paid for global express shipping) but I would buy it all over again if I had to.

 

[StewB]

I can't comment on the Rockwell 6C/6S as I have not tried them, but I have 3 Yates razors (Winning v1, Merica v1, and 921-H). All of them are great in their own way. I haven't tried the 921's M plate, but from what I have read it shaves similarly to the Merica. The Winning is (to me) like an improved stainless steel Henson. The 921-H sits at the top of my den. I'm definitely a fan of the Yates products and their customer service is top notch.

 

[MikeMCT]

I just put in an order for a 921-M but with a short handle like the 6s (Merica one which is most similar). I find myself choking up on the 6S so I’ll roll the dice with that short handle. My gut tells me that I’ll go back for an H plate at some point, but I like the feel of the Rockwell 4 and 3 plates the best so the M seems like a good place to start!

Yates seems like a great company too - fantastic customer service.

Thanks everyone!
Mike

 

[wetshaver233]

I have the Yates with the EH plate and I really like it. It's just as good as the Blackland Blackbird, but both are a bit different. The very steep angle and the very high efficiency combined with a lot of smoothness is what I like about the Yates.

 

[nav]

I just put in an order for a 921-M but with a short handle like the 6s (Merica one which is most similar). I find myself choking up on the 6S so I’ll roll the dice with that short handle. My gut tells me that I’ll go back for an H plate at some point, but I like the feel of the Rockwell 4 and 3 plates the best so the M seems like a good place to start!

Yates seems like a great company too - fantastic customer service.

Thanks everyone!
Mike

Good choice!

I was surprised to see H and EH plates being suggested for a Rockwell plate 3/4 user.
I think you'll be happy with the M plate.

I was disappointed Yates fell for the initial requests after initial launch, from a handful of users for high gap plates and they totally skipped the middle ground of 0.8 to 0.9mm gap with moderate exposure of 0.1 to 0.15mm.

 

[MikeMCT]

Good choice!

I was surprised to see H and EH plates being suggested for a Rockwell plate 3/4 user.
I think you'll be happy with the M plate.

The H having a “positive blade exposure” still seems scary to me considering that I’ve been at this for less than 6 mos.

Also, the more I read these forums the more I think that my facial growth is on the slow side compared to a lot of people here. Maybe that’s why I have been fine with the 6s on plate 4 when I let it go 4 or 5 days. I always do 2 passes and clean up now matter what anyway. I never really pay attention to other peoples faces but this is a pic this morning and I shaved 2 mornings ago. I bet this is lighter than average.

 

[nav]

The H having a “positive blade exposure” still seems scary to me considering that I’ve been at this for less than 6 mos.

Also, the more I read these forums the more I think that my facial growth is on the slow side compared to a lot of people here. Maybe that’s why I have been fine with the 6s on plate 4 when I let it go 4 or 5 days. I always do 2 passes and clean up now matter what anyway. I never really pay attention to other peoples faces but this is a pic this morning and I shaved 2 mornings ago. I bet this is lighter than average.

Yah, from the pic, it seems the Rockwell 4 or Yates M should be great for you.

I shave daily, doing 4 passes to get BBS.
I use the blackbird razor for maximum efficiency with good skin comfort.

Just go for what you need. No point going beyond that and causing skin issues or having to pay more attention etc.

 

[StewB]

The growth in your picture looks kind of like mine after one day, so yours might grow a little slower than mine does. I agree that the 921-M should work well for you. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it!

 

[ewk]

Great choice! I love the 921-M. By the way, the "M" is for "Medium," not "Mild."

 

[Hopalong]

I gave my 6s away as well. I only shave a couple times a week and I found it to clog, and skip over too many spots.

 

[MikeMCT]

I won’t keep adding to this but this is a full 3 days of growth (about to shave now). I usually shave at this point or maybe a day later depends on what is going on. I definitely think that M plate should easily be able to tackle this the R4 Rockwell plate does.

Thanks for everything again everyone. Great forum.