Still liking my medium Ti razor. Super smooth, close shaves every time with no irritation. I've got it teed up and ready for tomorrow morning. Been using a newly acquired Timeless Ti .95 polished razor the past week or so. I don't believe the results I'm geting are any better than the Henson. The Henson works a bit better for daily shaving.
Henson Razor Club.
- Thread starter romo10
- Start date
After just a few shaves with an aluminum "mild", I have to say that I'm incredibly impressed with the shave and the quality of the razor its self, *but* it can't be a regular rotation razor for me, since it produces an actual BBS shave 
Sadly my face doesn't do BBS without at least one ingrown hair... I used to suspect that part of this issue was caused by the fact that with most razor and blade combinations it takes at least three passes plus touch-up, but apparently it's any BBS.
I really would like to regularly enjoy the 2 1\2 pass pushbutton BBS that the Henson offers, but it looks like I won't be, since I'm already sporting three ingrown whiskers
Sadly my face doesn't do BBS without at least one ingrown hair... I used to suspect that part of this issue was caused by the fact that with most razor and blade combinations it takes at least three passes plus touch-up, but apparently it's any BBS.
I really would like to regularly enjoy the 2 1\2 pass pushbutton BBS that the Henson offers, but it looks like I won't be, since I'm already sporting three ingrown whiskers
Preliminary report back now that I have both the mild and medium (aluminum) razors on hand. Of late I was getting some slight irritation using he medium - a razor I've used exclusively since last August - and thought to try the mild to see if I got better results. Ironically, before the mild arrived I had 3+ shaves with the medium that were quite good, irritation free, more in line with what I'd generally been experiencing since the beginning.
I had reasonably high expectations for the mild. So, after 3 days using it daily I'm not sure i'll keep it. No, it's definitely not bad, but I'm not sure it's better for me. Two "issues" I've experienced: it doesn't provide nearly the amount of feedback the medium does. Meaning, blade feel is almost zero and I don't much hear it cutting. Plus, being mild it requires a further pass or so to get the same results I get with the medium. Combining the relative lack of feedback and the need for at least additional clean up means I found it actually more irritating than the medium.
Okay, I'm certain with further practice I can get similar results with either, but I guess I prefer the medium. I shave almost every day and with the medium I can do 2 passes, maybe a bit of quick clean up and walk away with a really great shave. Three passes will give an exceptional shave. The mild needs closer to 3 passes to get a decent shave, 3+ for exceptional. So, given the better efficiency and more feedback I'm happy with the medium.
Just because I can, I'm thinking about maybe using both, first two passes with the medium, final clean up with the mild. Or mix it up to see if I can get an exceptional shave without much drama. Dunno. But, as noted, I've got both so experimenting will be fun. Who knows, maybe having both will be the best of all possible worlds!
I'll update my findings in a couple days, tell you how it went.
I had reasonably high expectations for the mild. So, after 3 days using it daily I'm not sure i'll keep it. No, it's definitely not bad, but I'm not sure it's better for me. Two "issues" I've experienced: it doesn't provide nearly the amount of feedback the medium does. Meaning, blade feel is almost zero and I don't much hear it cutting. Plus, being mild it requires a further pass or so to get the same results I get with the medium. Combining the relative lack of feedback and the need for at least additional clean up means I found it actually more irritating than the medium.
Okay, I'm certain with further practice I can get similar results with either, but I guess I prefer the medium. I shave almost every day and with the medium I can do 2 passes, maybe a bit of quick clean up and walk away with a really great shave. Three passes will give an exceptional shave. The mild needs closer to 3 passes to get a decent shave, 3+ for exceptional. So, given the better efficiency and more feedback I'm happy with the medium.
Just because I can, I'm thinking about maybe using both, first two passes with the medium, final clean up with the mild. Or mix it up to see if I can get an exceptional shave without much drama. Dunno. But, as noted, I've got both so experimenting will be fun. Who knows, maybe having both will be the best of all possible worlds!
I'll update my findings in a couple days, tell you how it went.
Thanks for the comparison. I’ve been wondering what the real world differences are between the mild and medium. I have the Ti medium and it’s a great performer for me. Glad I didn’t get the mild.
Henson sent a message to another forum. They are raising the price of the AL13 by 20 US dollars on March 1st. If you were on the fence, I would place an order ASAP. It is a great razor for a fantastic price right now.
Shaving Station in the UK have them on offer for £45.49 at the moment. Great price!
Shame about the price increase on the aluminum razor....$49 was a great deal. I've been shaving with my Ti22 the past few days. After every shave I wonder why I use anything else. It's a superb performing razor. I returned my Timeless titanium as it didn't provide any better shaves than the Henson. I may be selling off some out of commission razors in the near future.
That's unfortunate on the price increase. I was waiting for the Steel Blue to come back in stock but now at $69.99 I could also entertain some stainless steel razors from Italian Barber such as the BBS or Lupo. Glad to hear so much enthusiasm for this razor here though.
Well, I just had the most enjoyable, comfortable shave yet with my Henson Ti22. I found an old packet of Try A Blade samples under my sink that I had forgotten about and decided to try a Rapira Swedish Super Steel blade. I've never used this particular blade and boy does it mate well with the Henson (for me anyway). It's very smooth and seemed to cut effortlessly. My soap for today was a freshly cut up La Toja soap stick smashed into a 4oz plastic container. This soap, razor, and blade combo, topped off with La Toja aftershave has left my face feeling like a million bucks. Glad I decided to purchase this Henson razor.....fantastic product.
Good stuff! I've been meaning to try some Rapira blades.
After three months, I'm still trying to work out which blade I like most. They all seem to work well in the AL13!
So far I haven't had any blade not work well in my Henson Ti22. I believe the Rapira Swedish Super Steel is performing better than any I've tried so far.....very surprised. This blade is super smooth and cuts my whiskers like they are not even there. Today was my second day with the Rapira and same results as yesterday....super smooth and comfortable. My skin/face is feeling great. My soap and aftershave for today were Musgo Real hard puck soap and Musgo aftershave.....great combo.
You might find it interesting to note that the Medium has the same blade exposure as the Timeless .95 razor. I haven’t used my Henson medium in a while. I would get a few good shaves then get irritation. Since I got my Timeless .68 I always get irritation free shaves but I keep telling myself I should pick up the Henson again. I probably should have purchased the Mild version.
Interesting.....thanks for the input. I returned my titanium Timeless 0.95 as it didn't provide any better shaves compared to my Henson. I do have a stainless 0.68 plate I use with my bronze razor and it is smooth but not quite as efficient as the Henson. I haven't experienced any irritation yet with the Henson, but I don't always shave everyday so that may help.
I do shave daily and my lathering skills have improved substantially since the last time I used my medium Henson. It is past time for me to revisit that razor. I bought my son in law the mild Henson for Christmas. He never used a DE razor before and he is getting the best shaves of his life. I do think I would get along with the mild version better but since I bought my Timeless .68 I have lost interest in other razors.
Maybe give your son in law's mild a whirl to see if you like it. Might work better for you. Lather, soap, blade selection, etc all play a role in the quality of shave....that's for sure. It has taken me years to find the combos/techniques that work for me. I've been at it now for 10 years and am still finding things that help me improve.
I will say the Ti22 shaves better than the Al13 for me. The aluminum is just too light for me. It works, but I get better results from the Ti version I'm guessing due to the added heft.
I think perhaps the lightness of the AL13 might have contributed to my inconsistent shave results.
I have found that the Henson AL13 Medium is the best razor for testing blades. This is because the Henson shaving technique is not as variable as most other DE razors. This is because the Henson head fixes the shave angle, the blade exposure is minimal, and the blade is clamped so tightly that Henson has zero chatter and blade movement. If the razor minimizes shaving variables, then blade testing can be less subjective. The Astra blade was chosen by Henson because it had the most consistent manufacturing tolerances of any blade they tested. I suspect they tested a lot of blades from many manufacturers, based on their literature. The Astra is nearly the perfect blade for the razor, which gives a good baseline for comparison to other blades (cutting efficiency and smoothness). I have tried about a dozen other blades in both the Henson AL13 Medium and the Henson Titanium Aggressive model. I have found the AL13 Medium to deliver the best results for blade testing and comparison. I typically use at least 3 to 5 blades of each type, since manufacturing variation does occur. Since I typically shave 3 times a week, therefore this testing project will take me a year or more to complete. Everyone is different, and my results will be subjective. Since I have a good baseline with the Astra, I hope to rank blades in 4 groups....Equal to Astra, Better than Astra, Worse than Astra, and Terrible Don't Waste Your Time or Money! To date, bllades I have tested have been Equal or Worse than Astra. I have a couple of candidates that may be Better than Astra, but I need to do more shaves with them.
Just received a razor from them yesterday (March 19).
Btw, the razor is fantastic. I have the tan aluminum - al13 I think. I own several fairly high-end mild but efficient razors (Tatara Masamune, Haircut and shave NO75, Colonial Silversmith, Bronze Timeless) but this may be the best I see others want something a little less mild but I'm good with this. Don't have a heavy beard but I'm in my sixties so my hair is gray and white which is coarse. I thought it couldn't get better but Henson proved me wrong.
Btw, the razor is fantastic. I have the tan aluminum - al13 I think. I own several fairly high-end mild but efficient razors (Tatara Masamune, Haircut and shave NO75, Colonial Silversmith, Bronze Timeless) but this may be the best I see others want something a little less mild but I'm good with this. Don't have a heavy beard but I'm in my sixties so my hair is gray and white which is coarse. I thought it couldn't get better but Henson proved me wrong.
