Henson AL13 +++ alternative

[mauog]

Hello everyone,


I've been using a Henson AL13 +++ for some time now. I must say I love the close shave even though I shave daily. I haven't had a terrible experience, but sometimes I find the angle it forces you to use a bit uncomfortable. Additionally, with certain blade combinations, the razor becomes unmanageable.
Therefore, I would like to consider something different. I remember being undecided between the Henson AL13 +++ and the Blackbird some time ago. Now I've seen that there is also a Lite version. Frankly, I'm not sure how the Blackbird compares to the AL13 +++.

Another alternative I had in mind could be a Karve Christopher Bradley with a C or D plate.


What do you recommend I try?

Thanks

 

[thombrogan]

Those are some good razors to fixate on.

If you didn’t already grab the Blackbird Open Comb this month and aren’t using this post to seek assurance that you’ve selected the correct nuclear option for whisker removal, might I please suggest you simply stock up on the blades that play well with your AL13+++ and feel contentment?

That or a Blackland Blackbird OC in stainless. What do I know?

 

[Joezamboni]

I like the Henson medium for head shaving, found the aggressive to be too much work to maintain the right angle for face shaving though. Compared to vintage gillettes.

It’s two completely different experiences so the whole YMMV. Except for the “old type” style Gillette head, I can get a better shave with any other Gillette on my face.

Fatboy or Super adjustable, on my face, will give me a better shave than any Henson. Henson medium on my head all day long though.

 

[Fiddler]

I've been using a Henson AL13 +++ for some time now. I must say I love the close shave even though I shave daily. I haven't had a terrible experience, but sometimes I find the angle it forces you to use a bit uncomfortable. Additionally, with certain blade combinations, the razor becomes unmanageable.
Therefore, I would like to consider something different.

What do you recommend I try?

The Blutt BR-1 with 1.20 gap should be on your list to check out....I sense that it is pretty
close to Henson +++ in terms of efficiency...you might find the Blutt more comfortable
with its traditional shaving angle (shallow)

Also look at the Paradigm Diamondback re-issue.

PS. I get along just fine with Henson +++ in Ti....its one of my favourites.

 

[Iridian]

Hey @mauog, I recently re-watched all Bond movies and I am so happy that you survived atmospherical re-entry.

Frankly, I am not a fan of the very guided Henson design, nor am I the greatest Blackbird fan here, but I really like the Blackbird much, much more than the Hensons.

The Blackbird shaves best shallow and is less guided than the Henson, I really suggest going for the Blackbird SB non-lite rather than the OC, the OC demands holding the angle and can be quite aggressive and the teeth dig in if you go steep.

You have only the Henson for comparison, and it doesn't really shaving anything like the Blackbird at all.

MAYBE ... some of the Karve Overlander owners can chime in, I don't have one, you might like the Overlander.

Maybe mention some other razors you had before, you probably had some zamac DEs before the Henson. This might help making a more educated guess what you might like.

You have the most "aggressive" Henson, finding a new favorite can take a while and means going through a lot of razors. For me it is part of the hobby. I like my SuperSlant and my Timeless Slim so much, as well as quite a lot of other razors, at one point you start enjoying the variety than trying to find the one and only best razor.

This isn't too helpful for decision making, but maybe it is putting things in perspective.

 

[mauog]

Hey @mauog, I recently re-watched all Bond movies and I am so happy that you survived atmospherical re-entry.

I survived thanks to Dolly

In my arsenal, I also have the Overlander, which I find quite efficient and nice, but I would like something slightly more performant/efficient and with a more robust hand-feel weight.

 

[shave/brush]

How about the RazoRock Cyber razor.

 

[thombrogan]

I would like something slightly more performant/efficient and with a more robust hand-feel weight.

Well, there’s the brass Overlander, but a RazoRock Super Slant in Level 3 or higher sounds up your alley.

 

[Fiddler]

What do you recommend I try?

Also look into the Chiseled Face Razor

 

[TOVT]

There is definitely a noticeable different between the Blackbird SB and Blackbird Lite.
As a near daily shaver, I'll chime in for the stainless steel Blackbird Lite.

 

[gdawg55]

If you like aluminum razors I can highly recommend the CR-7 plate 3 from Colonial. It’s a fantastic razor. It’s not too angle specific, is very smooth, and efficiency is on par with the Henson, and it costs about the same.

 

[Iridian]

not too angle specific

You know to say the right, or shall I say dangerously inspiring, words.

 

[megamac]

@mauog I've seen the Henson's get a lot of love and hate online. While I'm not the greatest fan of them, I had a medium for awhile and it delivered a smooth irritation free shave every time. i have been looking for an aggressive which I can use as a travel Razor.

The Karve Overlander and the CB are two different beasts. The Overlander is super smooth and gentle as you would know but the buffing and touch ups after a three pass shave for me leaves me with inflamed skin. The Christopher Bradley on the other hand is different, once you get the angle right it is a lovely shaver. I would ditch the brass though and get the aluminum which has a bit of heft but is lighter, nimble and delivers the same results as it's Brass Brother. The F and G SB plates are absolutely fantastic. having said that, the CB is totally different from the Henson in every respect.

@Iridian 's mention of a Timeless slim is excellent but it does cost a price.

@gdawg55 's suggestion of a Colonial CR-7 is super as the plate 3 shaves really well and it doesn't have that forced angle which kind of restricts the whole adventure of using a Razor the way it suits you best. To me this would be a great fit for you.

I would also back @Fiddler 's Chiseled Face suggestion, beautiful razor. Mild yet efficient enough but will cost you.

I don't really favor aluminum razors but I'm going to add a new suggestion - The Wolfman Guerilla probably the best AL razor I have used to date and you have two plates to choose from. Add to that the finish and quality which make it appear to be a light SS razor when it is in your hand.

 

[LeroyR]

I’d recommend just getting used to the Henson. There isn’t a perfect razor. What are you actually chasing?

That being said, I do think the Blackbird is a great razor. I like it better than the Henson, but at the end of the day they’re both fantastic and we’re fortunate to have such awesome gear to choose from.

You already own the Henson and it costs you nothing more to use it. Keep the Henson.

 

[Fiddler]

I’d recommend just getting used to the Henson.

Best advice so far.

 

[Captainjonny]

If you like light weight aluminum razors (Henson), I would recommend the Razorock Lupo Aluminum. After the Version 2 Henson+++, the aluminum Lupo is my favorite razor. It is a conventional design, and based on your technique...you can get a shave as close as the Henson +++, without the built in angle and drag. I also have the stainless Lupo, with multiple plates. It is also a great shaver...but if you like light razors, the original aluminum version might work best for you.

 

[DarkSpy]

I can't shave with the pre-defined 30º shaving angle. I find the Hensons are a ride the bar type of razors (meaning the handle more parallel to the face). Since I found this, the shaves have been more comfortable and efficient. Which goes against what Henson tells us and basically everybody else.
Maybe give it a try.
For reference I have both Henson v2 in Medium (++) and Aggressive (+++).

 

[thombrogan]

I find the Hensons are a ride the bar type of razors

When the cap and bar are equally against the face and there’s maximum blade feel, the do seem to trim trickier areas on the neck and chin a single whisker at a time.

 

[Rekmeyata]

This razor stuff gets overwhelming, but I do know this, I'm not going to spend a small fortune on buying a thousand razors to try to find the right one, as long as I get a great shave then I don't care if I can somehow, through buying a thousand razors to try to find that one shaver that might give me a 1/2 of a percent better shave!

I started using single blade safety razors about 12 years ago, started with cheap Van Der Hagen I got at Walmart just to see if I would even like a safety razor, that one was not good, and I almost gave up on the idea.

I went looking for another cheap razor, that's when I bought a King C Gillette razor, it wasn't a bad razor at all. Then I decided to try a package of various sample blades from Amazon and found that the Astro Platinum blades lasted the longest and cut the smoothest for my face and beard, so far so good.

Then I'm reading reviews of other razors after thinking maybe an adjustable razor could be better, I decided to try the Vikings razor, it was a great razor but the finish on it only lasted a year and a half it came off and turned green.

Decided to try a Rockwell 6C, this one I like the best of the 4, but the reality is I'm only experiencing about a 1% difference between the last 3, the biggest difference I found was the choice of blade, well there was the first one I bought and that one is roughly about 10% better than the last 3 from what I can remember. I'm using plate 5 if that matters, but different blades work better with different angles, but the Astra seems to work best with 5 or 6.

I'm not a "professional" shaver and can't do the sort of critiquing you all can do, but from owning just those 4 razors, I think a lot of this "which is better" is in a persons head, especially if you're using the same blade in each razor. Sure, some might feel better in the hand, so what? Its the quality of the shave I care about. Undoubtedly some will be constructed of better materials so the finish on the razor head doesn't come off like the Vikings brass finish did. Maybe if the Rockwell wears out, not sure why it would, then I might try a different brand, but to brand swap every year in search of the elusive perfect razor in my mind makes no sense, not to mention wasting a lot of money for very tiny marginal gains, if any.

I'm a cyclist, I could buy a $2,500 bicycle, and $17,000 bicycle and guess what? I can't go any faster on the $17,000 bike as I can with the $2,500 bike! Once you get past the $2,500 mark any improvements start to diminish really quickly the more it costs, and once you get to the $5,000 mark things really ramp up extremely slowly, so much less of improvements it becomes the Occam's razor scenario, no pun intended. Which is why a lot of pro teams are now moving slowly away from $17,000 bicycles, and we are slowly starting to see a few at the $7,500 price; but cycling teams have an advantage over me, in that they get their bikes for free so they can afford to field a $7,500 to $17,000 bikes.

That's how I feel about the razor situation, I can't see enough gain to make it worth while to spend more money. That's why on this forum we see a slew of different razors mentioned as being the best, because everyone perceives things differently from each other.

I think if you stick with what you have, you'll be fine, but if you can afford to buy one razor every 3 months then have fun. It's like I know a guy who has 36 bicycles! Yet I have 9, to some of you that may sound excessive, but 6 of those have been purchased over a 48 year period of time, and three were dumpster finds that were in fantastic shape. When I was racing I had to have 2 lighter weight bikes vs my first bike, and one of those was for backup, and I have one for mountain trail riding, and another for touring, they do add up after while, but the guy with the 36 bikes kept searching for the perfect elusive bike, but he can afford to do that and has a big garage to keep them in.

I know I'm going to catch hell for saying all of that, especially since I'm new here and will probably be called a troll, but it's just an opinion, just laugh me off, I can take it!

 

[lakeman77]

I have a Henson Al13 + and a Blackbird with the standard and lite plates. I'd say the BB lite plate is a bit more aggressive than the Henson, and the standard plate is much more aggressive. The BB with either plate shaves more efficiently than the Henson. And I like the Henson.
I am a cyclist and totally agree about bike prices and going faster, or not