I have been alternating between my Lupo 58 and Lupo 127, so all things being as equal as possible .and sort of one extreme to the other. I notice the 127 seems to have much more blade chatter especially on 1 day growth where there is shorter stubble and more rigidity. It actually produces a completely different sound as well. I would describe it as "tinny" and makes a metallic sound as I shave, whereas the 58 mows down everything and seems much smoother with little feedback. Because the Lupo has blade exposure, I do still feel the blade equally, but wondering if the blade gap alone is what's changing the response?
higher blade gap equals lest stable blade?
- Thread starter NEPA507
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Could be, but I'd think there is less clamping of the one that makes more noise. This may or may not be related to the blade gap, if the gap results in the clamping area of the base being further from the edge, that would be the cause, not the gap itself.
Gillette adjustables move the baseplate down to give larger gap and exposure, the part that clamps the blade stays in the same position. I've not noticed any change in blade sound as the adjustments change.
Gillette adjustables move the baseplate down to give larger gap and exposure, the part that clamps the blade stays in the same position. I've not noticed any change in blade sound as the adjustments change.
AFAIK it's more to do with how well the blade is clamped in place. Some razor head designs just do this better than others. Some of my old German torqued slants have large blade gaps, but because the blade is held under tension there's no chatter at all.
I have noticed a similar phenomenon with some of the razors that have one cap but different plates that offer extra gap / exposure.
I figure that as you go up the plates, not only exposure, but also clamp distance is increasing. That means more free blade to flap about behind the cutting edge. The differences may only be small, but they seem noticeable. It's the reason I never tried the Gamechanger 1.05 or Lupo 1.27 - I find that the 0.84 and 0.95 respectively can both already be a little chattery and I suspect that the extra gap / exposure might just exacerbate the problem, so the trade off for a bit of extra aggression wouldn't be worth it.
I figure that as you go up the plates, not only exposure, but also clamp distance is increasing. That means more free blade to flap about behind the cutting edge. The differences may only be small, but they seem noticeable. It's the reason I never tried the Gamechanger 1.05 or Lupo 1.27 - I find that the 0.84 and 0.95 respectively can both already be a little chattery and I suspect that the extra gap / exposure might just exacerbate the problem, so the trade off for a bit of extra aggression wouldn't be worth it.
It varies by design - in most I've seen, it looks more like they either take away material from the guard (Yates used to do this) or they just add more material under the clamping surfaces, making the base plate thicker/taller.
I wonder whether a larger gap doesn't just make it more apparent that the clamping area is relatively far away from the cutting edge. I suspect most people actually exert a bit too much force toward the skin and they might not be aware of it, and skin, being somewhat elastic, gets into larger gaps just a little more, making any lack of rigidity more apparent.
There might also some other factors like minor imprecisions due to tool wear and the like.
In casual observation, I've noticed that modern razor makers tend to use narrow ridges to clamp the blade against the cap, often fairly far from the edge. I believe this is an invitation for blade vibration, I personally feel it doesn't provide enough damping, even when there is a significant curve to the cap. I prefer the system in the Gillette Adjustables -- fairly wide bars holding the blade against the cap with a moving bottom plate. Clamps the blade pretty lose to the edge with enough area on the clamp to dampen vibration.
@NEPA507 , could it be your natural inclination to shave with the safety bar against your skin is what is making your 1.27mm Lupo plate feel more chattery than your 0.58mm Lupo plate? Without the baseplate getting progressively wider with the increased gap, a larger gap razor will have you shaving at a much steeper angle than one with a modest gap even though you’re just riding the bar in both cases.
Is Atelier Durdan the only maker that widens baseplates as their razors’ gaps increase?
Is Atelier Durdan the only maker that widens baseplates as their razors’ gaps increase?
It really varies by manufacturer, but there are quite a few who do this.
Having said that, there are old designs (particularly German, e.g. Merkur's) that clamp the blade even farther from the cutting edge than a lot of current production razors.
I think Above the Tie might have had a hand in this - their designs were particularly noteworthy in this regard, I think.
Others, like Rocnel, Barbaros and others, seem to have based a lot of their designs on what ATT had done.
I find that one thing that might help alleviate lackluster clamping is the top cap forcing a bend unto the blade.
The result is not the same as when it's clamped closer to the cutting edge, but way better than an uncurved blade past clamping point, at least for me.
There is one benefit - they can have a massive lather channel under the blade, making it a lot more difficult to clog the razor even with pretty long growth.
I have lupo58 and 95. Not a huge difference, but, yes, the 95 is a little more chattery...obviously it isn't the 1.27, but it is by no means bad. There is always going to be a trade-off to using interchangeable base plates with the same top cap.
Both Lupos are similar to each other in terms of blade feel and blade pickiness compared to many other razors in my opinion.
Both Lupos are similar to each other in terms of blade feel and blade pickiness compared to many other razors in my opinion.
Yeah, I've heard they're pretty similar in terms of blade feel and pickiness. The 95 might be a tad more chatty, but it's still a solid choice. And you're right on the money about those interchangeable base plates - there's always gonna be some give and take.
Everything in the universe vibrates. I would not agree that a higher blade exposure is less stable because of more vibration. The reason for using more assertive or aggressive razors is to increase efficiency in closeness and to reduce shave strokes. A higher efficiency razor needs better skin prep and beard softening to accommodate best results. A sharper blade is always a good choice to achieve best results with more efficient razors.
From my experience, higher blade gap does not equate to less stable blade. That is just one factor in the design. For me, I believe it is more around the overall head design pertaining to blade clamping, angle, blade used and blade exposure. I could be wrong, as my wife has pointed out many times....
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