Journey to find my razor preference

[Ohjay]

I did just a tiny bit of sleuthing yesterday night on the S marking (or stamp) on the Rockets.
Nothing conclusive but the general consensus is that the S, and A, markings came after I/II/III and appeared at the end of Rocket production. Some also suggest that the S could signify the design changes to the Rocket by this point in time, but it doesn't explain the A marking.
These later Rockets apparently share a lot of design with the Super-speeds in terms of doors, end caps, etc. I didn't compare the S marked Rocket with my Super-speed yet, but will make a mental note to do so.
Another difference in these later Rockets is a slightly smaller head, so I measured with my calipers and it is a whopping 1mm difference in height between the II and S Rocket, granted most of that height is from the center bar which protrudes a bit above the closed doors on the II, at least on my example.
The end caps are clearly different between the two as well as difference in center bar shape, height and how it is mounted to the base plate.

I definitely don't have the eye for the tiny details of razors yet and would've missed these differences if I hadn't put the razors side by side.
And I'm definitely not knowledgeable enough to say how these differences affect the shave, but I would expect a fair difference especially considering that it looks like the "II" will bend the blade more to give it a sharper angle (see image 2 below).

Here's some images for you to compare the two. S on the left and II on the right.

 

[Ohjay]

I decided to go back to the Feather blade today and paired it with the Super-speed.
Kind of felt like coming home. Very familiar feel when shaving and I ended up having a great shave.
Did three passes and if it wasn't for a couple of small DFS spots I would say I got a BBS shave, so quite a good shave. It was also a comfortable and easy shave and I find that it's easy to find the angles with the Super-speed. I did end up with two minor nicks and after the shave I did feel some slight straining on the skin.
Overall just a massive improvement from the Rapira blade I tried before.

 

[Ohjay]

Not quite the same excellent shave today I'm afraid, and I'm not sure why either.
Used the Super-speed with a Feather blade, three passes. A couple of nicks.
In general the shave comfort wasn't as nice and at times it kinda felt like the blade was chipped, something I've felt before with the Feather blades, not quite sure why though. Quality was also not on par with the last shave but still a decent DFS shave.

It's been about 6 hours since the shave and I have thought about it on and off since I shaved, but I can't for the life of me figure out what made this shave so different from the previous one. One shave should not dull the blade that much, lather was close to the same as previous shave. Perhaps it was a mental thing, I didn't feel like I rushed it and enjoyed going through the process of shaving. But perhaps there was something subconscious affecting me. Or perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

 

[thombrogan]

Please heal soon.

 

[blethenstrom]

Not quite the same excellent shave today I'm afraid, and I'm not sure why either.
Used the Super-speed with a Feather blade, three passes. A couple of nicks.
In general the shave comfort wasn't as nice and at times it kinda felt like the blade was chipped, something I've felt before with the Feather blades, not quite sure why though. Quality was also not on par with the last shave but still a decent DFS shave.

It's been about 6 hours since the shave and I have thought about it on and off since I shaved, but I can't for the life of me figure out what made this shave so different from the previous one. One shave should not dull the blade that much, lather was close to the same as previous shave. Perhaps it was a mental thing, I didn't feel like I rushed it and enjoyed going through the process of shaving. But perhaps there was something subconscious affecting me. Or perhaps I'm just overthinking it.

Many things can effect your shave besides your technique, equipment etc. I think your mental state is big. If your are upset or angry so something like that it definitely can effect things. Also I think physiologically you can be effected like if your are dehydrated for example.

 

[Ohjay]

Many things can effect your shave besides your technique, equipment etc. I think your mental state is big. If your are upset or angry so something like that it definitely can effect things. Also I think physiologically you can be effected like if your are dehydrated for example.

Yeah I definitely agree, mental state is quite important. It's also true for many other things in life, not only shaving.
I hadn't really thought about it like this until you mentioned it in your Journey and we had a brief discussion about it. And yeah, as I said, I totally agree.


New shave today, number three with the Super-speed/Feather combo.
Went much better today despite feeling slightly rushed, which there was no reason to feel since I had nowhere to go or any time to keep.
Quite decent comfort during the shave but not quite the same as the first shave and I got a good DFS quality shave today so I am happy.
My mind wandered for a fraction of a second during the WTG pass and I was immediately punished by a nick near my adam's apple, but apart from that no other nicks or weepers.
While shaving I did realize one difference between shave 1 & 3 and shave 2 with this combo and for shave 2 the stubble was 1 day older, I wonder if that had an effect on that shave? I still think mental state was the main culprit but it's interesting to think about.

 

[blethenstrom]

Yeah I definitely agree, mental state is quite important. It's also true for many other things in life, not only shaving.
I hadn't really thought about it like this until you mentioned it in your Journey and we had a brief discussion about it. And yeah, as I said, I totally agree.


New shave today, number three with the Super-speed/Feather combo.
Went much better today despite feeling slightly rushed, which there was no reason to feel since I had nowhere to go or any time to keep.
Quite decent comfort during the shave but not quite the same as the first shave and I got a good DFS quality shave today so I am happy.
My mind wandered for a fraction of a second during the WTG pass and I was immediately punished by a nick near my adam's apple, but apart from that no other nicks or weepers.
While shaving I did realize one difference between shave 1 & 3 and shave 2 with this combo and for shave 2 the stubble was 1 day older, I wonder if that had an effect on that shave? I still think mental state was the main culprit but it's interesting to think about.

How long the stubble will effect the shave. I do not think there is a question about that. However, for you it seems like the shave with the longer stubble was worse? That I did not expect. Usually for me a 36 hour stubble yields a better shave than only 24 hour growth. Personally I think it has to do with the skin resting a bit longer, but that is just me speculating.

 

[Ohjay]

How long the stubble will effect the shave. I do not think there is a question about that. However, for you it seems like the shave with the longer stubble was worse? That I did not expect. Usually for me a 36 hour stubble yields a better shave than only 24 hour growth. Personally I think it has to do with the skin resting a bit longer, but that is just me speculating.

It could just be another mental thing, but I do feel like the shaves get worse the longer the stubble gets. A seven day stubble feels very, very rough to shave, almost to the point that I need a hair trimmer to cut it down before shaving. And I don't have quick growth and it's not thick either, but the individual strands of hair are thick.
I guess it could be technique as well.


Tried a new razor today:

A Gillette Super Slim Twist (date code P2) and I paired it with a Feather blade.
I have to start by saying I did not have a high opinion of this razor prior to shaving. It looks and feels like a toy, so I wasn't expecting much. But boy was I wrong. Very easy to shave with and during the shave it felt like I got very good results. The handle did feel a bit weird at first but I got used to it quickly. No issues with finding angles either.
Even though I have used a fair few different razors now I still struggle with determining the characteristics of some razors. This one felt like it could be an aggressive razor or with strong blade feel, or possibly both. It definitely felt different than some of the others I've used recently.
Anyway, three passes and I did get one or two nicks. Immediately after the shave it felt like a very, very good DFS++ shave, but now, about 2 hours post-shave I would say it's DFS and not quite as close a shave as it felt initially.
Overall it was quite a nice shave and a nice experience and my opinion and view of this razor has definitely changed.

 

[Ohjay]

One step forward and two steps back.

Shaved with the Super Slim Twist and Feather blade again today and unfortunately didn't have the same good experience as last time.
Did three passes as usual (WTG, XTG, ATG) and got a fair few nicks. Quality wasn't that good, CCS at best but probably a bit below that as well and it does not feel like a very close shave. Shave comfort wasn't all that great either and skin felt dry and slightly straining afterwards.
Part of it might be due to the fact that I used the Yaqi 22mm synthetic brush, I just can't seem to get good lather with it and I think this is the last nail in the coffin for this brush. I've grown quite fond of the other synthetics but this one just laughs in my face every time I try to use it.

 

[thombrogan]

Please heal quickly.

 

[Ohjay]

Please heal quickly.

Thank you and I did indeed heal quickly

Used the Slim Twist again today and it was the last shave with the Feather blade in this razor, for now at least.
I wasn't quite feeling it, so to speak, so I only did two passes as to not cause any harm to myself for being careless. The comfort of the shave was much better this time around and it was fairly smooth shaving during both passes. But I did get one weeper on the WTG pass, don't quite know how or why. Otherwise no complaints in the comfort department.
In terms of quality I would say CCS at best, there are some SAS spots I think.

Thinking back on these three shaves with this razor it is a bit strange that the first impression was so good and it just went the total opposite way on the second shave and then improved a bit on the third. I can't say I like this razor, but at the same time it would be very unfair to dismiss it after only three shaves with a very sharp blade.

Anyhow, I will most likely change to a new razor yet again for the next shave. We'll see if it'll be one I've shared or if I might take one of the remaining few that I have yet to share.

 

[blethenstrom]

Thank you and I did indeed heal quickly

Used the Slim Twist again today and it was the last shave with the Feather blade in this razor, for now at least.
I wasn't quite feeling it, so to speak, so I only did two passes as to not cause any harm to myself for being careless. The comfort of the shave was much better this time around and it was fairly smooth shaving during both passes. But I did get one weeper on the WTG pass, don't quite know how or why. Otherwise no complaints in the comfort department.
In terms of quality I would say CCS at best, there are some SAS spots I think.

Thinking back on these three shaves with this razor it is a bit strange that the first impression was so good and it just went the total opposite way on the second shave and then improved a bit on the third. I can't say I like this razor, but at the same time it would be very unfair to dismiss it after only three shaves with a very sharp blade.

Anyhow, I will most likely change to a new razor yet again for the next shave. We'll see if it'll be one I've shared or if I might take one of the remaining few that I have yet to share.

Seems like you have a lot of inconsistency issues. Hmmm could it be that you did not know the razor well enough or that the blade was not what you expected. When I try a new blade I try to use an old familiar razor so I don't throw in too many variables at once. When I try a new razor I try to use a blade I have some experience with. I find switching around things too much and too will throw me off my game easily.

 

[Ohjay]

Seems like you have a lot of inconsistency issues. Hmmm could it be that you did not know the razor well enough or that the blade was not what you expected. When I try a new blade I try to use an old familiar razor so I don't throw in too many variables at once. When I try a new razor I try to use a blade I have some experience with. I find switching around things too much and too will throw me off my game easily.

Yes I agree, there are inconsistency issues. Part of it is still technique I think and I developed bad habits during the years I used the Merkur 34C. Since it's such a mild razor it was still "okay" to be sloppy and not thinking about how I was shaving. Some things I have corrected, for example being a lot more mindful about pressure.
The Feather blade was what I used 98% of the time in the Merkur so I feel comfortable with it, but it's definitely a blade that won't work in all razors I think, or well, it probably works if you have a lot of experience and few technique issues.

Perhaps I need to rethink how I approach this journey (yet again) and stick to one razor & blade combo for longer but also sticking to one razor for even longer periods of time. Thinking about long term success I think that would be the best approach. But I'll think a bit more on it.

 

[Ohjay]

I haven't quite decided on the path forward yet, so for the shave today I went back to the brass Tech and the Feather blade I used in it almost two months ago.
Ended up only doing two passes since I didn't need a close shave and to be honest I wasn't quite in the mood for a shave.
Anyway, an easy and effortless shave with no nicks or weepers this time around. But the quality was lacking which was a bit surprising to me. I think I'd rate it as SAS. The skin also felt a bit tight and straining after the shave and I had to use the aftershave balm twice to get rid of it.

 

[Ohjay]

Another day another shave.
Used the brass Tech and Feather blade again today and had a great shave. Easy, effortless and comfortable, just one nick at that trouble spot on my neck. Quality was a very decent DFS after three passes.

The main difference between today and the previous shave was that I deliberately took my time while shaving.
I am by no means a fast shaver and a three pass shave generally takes between 20-30 minutes starting from building lather, and it's usually closer to 30 than 20.
I don't think the shave today was any longer than my other ones, but I took it slow and methodical and I think that is partly why I had a better experience today.

 

[blethenstrom]

Another day another shave.
Used the brass Tech and Feather blade again today and had a great shave. Easy, effortless and comfortable, just one nick at that trouble spot on my neck. Quality was a very decent DFS after three passes.

The main difference between today and the previous shave was that I deliberately took my time while shaving.
I am by no means a fast shaver and a three pass shave generally takes between 20-30 minutes starting from building lather, and it's usually closer to 30 than 20.
I don't think the shave today was any longer than my other ones, but I took it slow and methodical and I think that is partly why I had a better experience today.

Slow and steady does it. That is not that long of a time. I'm the same way.

 

[Ohjay]

I'm still mulling over how to continue the journey and haven't reached any decisions yet, but I needed a shave today so I ended up trying a new razor but that would hopefully feel familiar.
So which one was it? The british Gillette Rocket Flare Tip with the "S" marking on the base plate. Since it's a mix between a Rocket and a Super-speed I figured I would fair decently well with a shave and I paired it with an Astra Superior Platinum blade.

Not to toot my own horn, but I think I was correct in my assessment. I had a good, smooth and efficient shave with three passes. Quality felt great immediately after, a very respectable DFS but now a couple of hours later I think I would downgrade it to just below DFS.
I did get two nicks and one was on the upper lip and happened during the ATG pass, it was almost a weeper but I gave myself some slack and only call it a weeper.
The ATG pass was a tiny bit rough and I could tell that the previous two passes did not shave as close as some other razors have done.
But overall a good shaving experience and I'm looking forward to the next shave with this razor.

Speaking of razors, I am almost kicking myself for not trying to win an auction for a razor the other day. It was a One-piece Open Comb, probably the silver plated version, with case. It wasn't in great condition though and would probably have needed a replating. I had never seen one for sale before and figured it is a fairly rare razor, but did my research and saw that there were some available on eBay and also gauged the price of previously sold razors.
The one I was eyeing ended at just below $100 which I figured was too much based on the condition. But I am second-guessing my decision just a tiny bit. On the other hand I don't know what the max bid was from the person who won it.
Oh well, there will be another one available further down the line at some point.

 

[Guido75]

It was a One-piece Open Comb, probably the silver plated version, with case.

Sounds like you came across a Gillette Aristocrat OC. Three figure prices are common on bay sites, but in my opinion only worth it if the condition is great. Otherwise you are paying a premium for nothing.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[Ohjay]

Sounds like you came across a Gillette Aristocrat OC. Three figure prices are common on bay sites, but in my opinion only worth it if the condition is great. Otherwise you are paying a premium for nothing.

Cheers,

Guido

Thanks!
Yeah this was the conclusion I reached as well.
I think I like TTOs more than 3-piece razors, and there aren't a whole lot of OC TTOs.
One day I'll get one perhaps

 

[Ohjay]

Used the "S" stamped Rocket Flare Tip again today but elected to only do two passes due to some mental and physical fatigue after a long work week and a couple of too straining gym sessions.
Anyway, had a fairly good shave with no nicks or weepers. Quality was somewhere between CCS and DFS, but probably closer to DFS.
Not sure if it is the blade or the razor but as I mentioned in the last shave with this razor, it does not shave as close as others have done. It was quite evident after the last shave because after 24 hours I had a lot more stubble, more than I have had with most of the other razors.
If I would have to guess I would say it's the blade rather than the razor.