About Athena and blade feel. I will try but my english is too poor, for me it is like Athena stretch my skin and bring it closer to blade. I don't know if it makes sense for you. If I try to stretch skin too much it is not so close shave as if I leave it to do by Athena. I just make little movements with head and mimic but I found stretching with other hand my skin is not needed with Athena. She does that job better. And it feels like positiv blade exposure, but there is no in reality.
Lambda Lovers
- Thread starter Big_T
- Start date
I think that’s a very good observation. I do believe that the spines on the safety bar cause the skin and hair to bulge slightly into the slots, and that’s how the blade slices so closely. I think the angle of the blade, almost parallel to the skin, then makes a very close cut, especially as it is so rigid. I think I can visualize why this works so well against the grain, when the blade is pushing the hair to stand up, rather than shaving with the grain where the blade would push the hair onto the skin.
Maybe that’s also why steeper angle razors shave closer with the grain - the bigger angle and scraping cut is more likely to keep the hair upright when it cuts the base of the hair. I just think that ultimately this kind of scraping cut won’t cut the hair quite as straight and flat, because the blade edge isn’t oriented along the skin surface, so ultimately the shave isn’t as long-lasting unless you also scrape off a layer of skin.
@APBinNCA does that make any sense from the professor’s standpoint?
I love this kind of analysis of how particular razor designs might be working. Especially with a razor like the Athena that is a different design.
I’ve also noticed, I don’t have to stretch my skin with my left hand. The safety bar does an excellent job on its own. I do puff out my cheeks for the 2 XTG passes, but that’s about it.
For a while now, I haven’t paid much attention to my shave angles. I’m in the habit of starting steep and lowering the handle until the blade engages and then letting the razor guide me by sound and feel.
I still think the Athena ends up just on the steep side of neutral but when I make the effort to notice, that can take me out of the Zen zone. I do know, the Athena takes me into the Zen zone as fast as any razor I own. <eg>
Mr Shavington - I don’t know if you have one, but I will do a comparison shave between the Athena and an Eclipse Red Ring - to me they share the baseplate design very much so it would be interesting to see if results are the same as well (even though technically the blade gap of the Red Ring is somewhat adjustable) and if your theory holds. I myself do not stretch my skin so I let the razor do all the work.
Cheers,
Guido
I don’t have an Eclipse Red Ring, or the recent PAA razor that seeks to emulate it. To me the Red Ring does appear to be the model for the Athena. The main question I would have is what effect the greater manufacturing precision of the Athena has. I would think to make this design really work perfectly it is important that the safety bar spines are all exactly the same height and they are clamping the blade edge completely straight, all the way along the blade. Visually, I’m not sure the Red Ring achieves that, and I’d expect it to make a significant difference.
I’d love to try a Red Ring to find out.
Has anyone done an exposure test with the Athena, passing it over the edge of card-stock paper?
I remember someone doing that in the Athena thread, and it confirmed there is zero blade exposure.
At least here’s the visual and you are of course right. I don’t expect Eclipse to have achieved the same tight tolerances as Theo can with today’s technology.
Note that the Red Ring has open slots so lather channeling works differently. The Eclipse is a high pitch audio feedback razor as well by the way.
I will first complete my test drive if the Mühle Rocca and then will get to it.
Cheers,
Guido
That’s essentially the theory I put forth on the Athena thread some time ago. It was when somebody posted closeup photos and we were discussing effective gap vs apparent gap. It’s nice to see that @tomas1870 put forth the same theory independently based on actual use.
It appears my comment is late!
Correct and that’s when I asked if it’s possible that the skin gets closer to the blade in some way since the blade doesn’t extend past the shaving plane. In pictures it appears likely and as Kim has observed, it would need to be on the steep end of neutral to be effective.
Further, due to the blade bend on this razor, it could still have a relatively shallow blade angle(from the skin) while still having a slightly steep shaving angle. This would contribute to it feeling gentle, like a Henson, while enhancing the cutting if a skin bulge does get closer because the blade is pointing more downward. Rolling into a shallower angle if the sensation is too much would effectively lift the blade slightly and the edge would no longer be aimed towards the skin.
After a more thorough reading back what I missed this morning, it sounds like the optimum angle is slightly different WTG vs ATG. I am quite familiar with this discussion because my Tatara is similarly neutral with unexpected blade feel. As several have mentioned slightly steep and blade feel, that would make sense and likely be the best approach for the first pass. What it sounds like is that in order to get the most out of the ATG pass, you need to keep going shallower until you find the loudest music. It seems like this could be a whole new thing for Dan to try, both a full third pass and an unusual angle for him.
Last edited:
CG lv3 and Bbird are on another level regarding efficiency, I love themI had shave number two this morning (2nd use on the Feather), and used a neutral angle throughout. Candidly, I must not have found the ideal angle yet because the first pass was still not as efficient as I had hoped it would be. It had less blade feel, of course.
Query to you Athena veterans: In finding the ideal angle, am I listening for less noise or more? Less might suggest better cutting versus scraping, correct? Or is more noise the goal?
Perhaps I have imposed too high a level of expectation on Athena‘s first-pass efficiency. Maybe I should simply enjoy the mildness of a three-pass shave with the Athena and marvel at how gently it removes whiskers and pampers the skin.
I like that it gives a mindless, incredibly safe shave even with a Feather. Sure, I can whip my TiBird around my face and (hardly) ever draw blood. But this razor seems unlikely to ever bite (unless I talk while shaving the upper lip, like @tomas1870 does …)
Here’s one certainty: there exists no redundancy in my den with my 3 current modern razors — TiBird, CG Level 3 and Athena.View attachment 1758120View attachment 1758121
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
I did take note that my ATG pass on my neck had me holding the razor practically perpendicular to my neck. And I also did have a very cap-oriented angle when going ATG on my cheeks. I agree with all of you fine gents who rave about Athena’s ATG qualities.
This is for me best use almost for all razors, but each have more or less far extremes steep vs extreme shallow needed. The most different approach WTG vs ATG is for me Muramasa, for WTG I use setting 4 (+0,07 blade exp) and pretty steep angle, ATG usually setting 3 (neutral blade exp) and shallow like Masamune or other negative exposure razors. For Athena is the same but not so big difference in angle. And it usually works with all DE some more some less adjust of angle for each pass.
I'm too new here to bring this theory as first one but after @APBinNCA tells it I can say it is my way to shave, for this it is little tricky with Henson where angle is set and still would be better to use different for each pass..
I have to admit I didn't find it observing angle, just shaving and listening so usually I have no idea of angle actually used..
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
Athena and a vintage Personna SPC blade make a wonderful match.
WELL GUESS WHAT CAME TONIGHT? NOPE...NOT THE ATHENA SS
Tonight was the first night of Chanukah. And my darling wife of 52 years, who completely thinks I am nuts with this shaving stuff gave me this present. I do LOVE her. She gets me
Tonight was the first night of Chanukah. And my darling wife of 52 years, who completely thinks I am nuts with this shaving stuff gave me this present. I do LOVE her. She gets me
Last edited:
Hi Dan, are you getting along well with her now?
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
Hi Mike. Yes, but not well enough to keep her though. She lacks the first pass mojo of the TiBird and I simply am too spoiled by the latter. I already have her listed on the bay.
Hi Dan,
I’m sorry to hear it. It is mild compared to the BB Ti for that first pass. The razor will sell quickly.
Do you prefer the BB Ti to the WR1? I’ve found the .61 to shave similarly for me.
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
I have never tried a low-gapped WR1. The TiBird is simply amazing for me and nothing shaves me better.
Tough to top the Ti BB. It’s my favorite as well but I still enjoy using the Athena. Not quite as efficient but I love it’s ATG characteristics and overall feel while shaving.
Similar threads
