Kriss Kross Razor

[salish]

Hello,

I hope this post finds everyone healthy and happy. I am looking for advice from others who may have experience with Kriss Kross razors. I have one of those vintage Kriss Kross blade sharpening systems that you see quite often on ebay. Mine is still in the box and in good condition, and includes a handful of the original blades, as well as some very old Gillette DE blades which make me wonder if the original owner of this thing was trying to cut down DE blades to work in the sharpener. Anyway, I have an opportunity to purchase a Kriss Kross razor to go with this stuff which would make everything usable. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any experience with these razors. They are way different from my old Gillette and Ever-Ready SE razors in that the head of the razor "pivots" into different positions, and even allows for an "angle of attack" like that of a straight razor. Are these old Kriss Kross razors okay shavers? I'm one who likes to use razors, not just collect them.

Thank you,
Cliff

 

[salish]

Hello,

I hope this post finds everyone healthy and happy. I am looking for advice from others who may have experience with Kriss Kross razors. I have one of those vintage Kriss Kross blade sharpening systems that you see quite often on ebay. Mine is still in the box and in good condition, and includes a handful of the original blades, as well as some very old Gillette DE blades which make me wonder if the original owner of this thing was trying to cut down DE blades to work in the sharpener. Anyway, I have an opportunity to purchase a Kriss Kross razor to go with this stuff which would make everything usable. I'm just wondering if anyone here has any experience with these razors. They are way different from my old Gillette and Ever-Ready SE razors in that the head of the razor "pivots" into different positions, and even allows for an "angle of attack" like that of a straight razor. Are these old Kriss Kross razors okay shavers? I'm one who likes to use razors, not just collect them.

Thank you,
Cliff
View attachment 1129053

pS- this is a photo of the Kriss Kross razor. The seller does not know if the razor uses the same proprietary blades used with the sharpener.

 

[Flintstone65]

Hi Cliff -- I've got a Rhodes Kriss Kross that I shave with occasionally. I just use an injector blade in mine and the clamping/spring strength is more than enough to keep the blade in place. The challenge I've found with it is that unlike the proprietary blade (which I'm assuming sets the blade in perfectly in place), blade placement for an injector blade is manual and can be pretty fidgety. I may have placed the blade too far back, but I found the KK to be mild in terms of efficiency, but not quite as comfortable of a shaver as most of my SE's. I've only used it twice so far, and it didn't exactly "wow" me. It absolutely does the job, but I have well over 50 vintage SE's (I suspect the number is closer to 3 digits, but I can't bring myself to count them), and this one doesn't stand out in the shaving department. That said, I think it's a cool razor and I'll likely keep it in my collection and use it once in a blue moon....I've just got so many others that I think do a better job of balancing comfort with efficiency.
Here's the link of my first shave with it (it has pictures): Rhodes Kriss Kross and Weck Sextoblade

 

[salish]

Fred, thanks, this is very helpful information. You know, a Kriss Kross razor wouldn't even be on my radar if I didn't have a mint condition strop machine and a half dozen original blades. I found it in my dad's things after he passed away. I don't think he ever used the thing, but probably found it in an antique shop. For those reasons alone I think I'll go ahead and purchase the razor, since they are not asking too much for it. I also found a half dozen vintage Gillette DE blades in the sharpener box and it looks like the original owner might have been cutting them down to fit the razor. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on the shave if you had an original blade to try it out with. My guess is it would probably be a similar experience. I think it is a super cool idea, but maybe not the greatest design that came down the pike. The cool factor really is the honing machine that accompanies it. Thanks for you input, I really appreciate it.

Cliff
Seattle, WA

 

[salish]

Well, my "new" Kriss Kross razor arrived today. After soaking it in rubbing alcohol for an hour I gave it a try. I have to say I was underwhelmed. It came with an old blade in it, but I already had 5 or 6 blades in my Kriss Kross razor strop machine box, which I honed on the machine a couple of days ago. But they were so dull I could barely shave. In fact, I shaved afterwards with another razor just to complete the job. I'll try honing the blades again and take my time and see how it goes. If that doesn't work I'll purchase some Schick injector blades and see how they work. The shave was a bust, but I have to say I really like the razor itself. It has the nicest feeling handle of any of my razors, and it is really balanced well. Even if it doesn't become a razor I often use it will still be a really interesting addition to the Kriss Kross honing strop machine.

Thanks
Cliff

 

[Flintstone65]

Very interesting, and I'm sorry the KK blades aren't working yet. I am curious to hear how you like it with an injector blade.

 

[salish]

I'll let you know how they work out. Thanks.

 

[salish]

Fred,

Just wanted to let you know that I picked up some Schick Injector blades and tried them out in this old Kriss Kross razor and they worked just fine. I just had to be sure about where to place them in the clamp. I have the original KK blades and when you "drop" them into the razor they automatically stop where they should by virtue of their machined width, but the Schick blades are thinner. I was able to insert the original blade and eyeball it to see where the edge lays on the comb and then duplicate it with the Schick blade. Like you said, the razor clamp has enough tension to keep the Schick blade in place.

So it's a success and adds a renewed life to this old razor, but what's even more exciting is that the quality of the shave is right up there with my more conventional SE & DE razors. I wasn't expecting that. And I think I like the razor shape and handle better than my others. I don't know if it will become my go-to razor, but it's definitely not going in to storage.

Cliff

 

[Flintstone65]

That's great news, Cliff!!!