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looking at a oneblade core

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
Don't buy the Core, buy one of the OneBlade Hybrid refurbs, they're close in price, but use the stainless Genesis head. I tried the original Core, and then waited for the updated model a couple months later, and ultimately returned it back in 2017. - There's now a V2 (if you call the ones I used V1 and V1.1 or V1.5), which might have addressed my gripes.

When I tried the original(s), it took work to get a clean/close shave, compared to my DEs. The other thing I didn't like was the plastic head didn't seem to glide as smoothly on my face as your typical metal head razor, that's the only way I can describe it, not harsh, not the blade, the Triton head just didn't seem to glide as easily with some soaps. There was as some minor concern about accidentally cutting off the front stops, which were also Triton/polymer. - Keep in mind there's apparently an even newer revision, and this was the original and then the modified original. There's a 3rd version that uses a slightly different head compound, which is touted as being stronger.

I've purchased a refurbished Hybrid ($119) using a discount which brought it down even more. Having showed up yesterday, I used it this morning, once I found the left over blade from 2017 (they forgot to include the 10 pack of blades), it shaves both closer and much more smoothly, with better glide than the either of those Core models. Actually, it shaved pretty darn well, and that's coming from somebody who loves their Timeless 95 OC, Gillette Slim, Rockwell 6s, and Schick Adjustable. - I managed a two(2) pass shave, that equaled what I'd have gotten with the slim using a Feather or Nacet blade, but very quickly and easily. (You can just zip this thing around, pressing to engage the pivot). I think the Hybrid is definitely a keeper and I liked how well is managed those 'trouble' areas, the two small scars, the sides of the jaw, and upper lip. No sting from the witchazel or aftershave, and my face is easily BBS feeling.
Excellent review! Thanks.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
So I have mine and have a couple of shaves in. It's an easy shaver. Don't expect a super close efficient shave. About the same as a Gillette Guard for me and not as good as the Guard as the guard being twin blade and having a better pivot to it will be faster to get things done.

Also not happy with the fit and finish. Lots of sharp edge around the pivot of the head and event the handle could use a little buffing along the edges. I'm kind of unimpressed and I got it at a discount. $79 - no darn way. Also managed 1.5 shaves with blade #1. Actually knowing what I know now, I would say it's one blade per shave for me. Cost of blades alone would probably make me return this. Given the other issues I have with tension and fit and finish it's almost a certainty.

If you really want one, I think @cyberdog probably has the right idea. I've heard the steel heads do shave a little closer.

I think the tension in the pivot is WAY TO HIGH. I can push hard enough to get it to pivot and not get cut, but man, I'd never push that hard in a normal shave. NOBODY understands spring tension in a pivoting head like Gillette, nobody. The spring in the one blade could operate a small catapult.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
So I have mine and have a couple of shaves in. It's an easy shaver. Don't expect a super close efficient shave. About the same as a Gillette Guard for me and not as good as the Guard as the guard being twin blade and having a better pivot to it will be faster to get things done.

Also not happy with the fit and finish. Lots of sharp edge around the pivot of the head and event the handle could use a little buffing along the edges. I'm kind of unimpressed and I got it at a discount. $79 - no darn way. Also managed 1.5 shaves with blade #1. Actually knowing what I know now, I would say it's one blade per shave for me. Cost of blades alone would probably make me return this. Given the other issues I have with tension and fit and finish it's almost a certainty.

If you really want one, I think @cyberdog probably has the right idea. I've heard the steel heads do shave a little closer.

I think the tension in the pivot is WAY TO HIGH. I can push hard enough to get it to pivot and not get cut, but man, I'd never push that hard in a normal shave. NOBODY understands spring tension in a pivoting head like Gillette, nobody. The spring in the one blade could operate a small catapult.
You just saved me some money..... Though I doubt I would actually buy one, as I'm cheap. I waste money on vintage Avon, lol.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
I waste money on vintage Avon, lol.
I don't think that is ever a waste. As long as the stuff hasn't gone bad and I've never had one that had, you get a nice scent. Better than many today, and a cool container to boot.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I've only had one that was bad, and I "doctored" it up by mixing it with some Blend 7 and orange essential oil. It was called.... I can't remember! Not one I use much, dang it! Deep Woods? Is that a thing? Gotta look it up.

Anyway, the stuff had darkened and just smelled.... off, somehow.
 
I think the tension in the pivot is WAY TO HIGH. I can push hard enough to get it to pivot and not get cut, but man, I'd never push that hard in a normal shave. NOBODY understands spring tension in a pivoting head like Gillette, nobody. The spring in the one blade could operate a small catapult.

It’s my belief that the pivot is designed to be used differently in the Oneblade than it is in a cart.

With a cart, you lean into the much looser pivot and let it do all the work conforming to your face.

With a Oneblade, you hold it at the correct shaving angle manually, like a traditional safety razor. When shaving with minimal pressure, the pivot moves only a small, nearly imperceptible amount, but it corrects small deviations from correct angle that may occur.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
With a Oneblade, you hold it at the correct shaving angle manually, like a traditional safety razor. When shaving with minimal pressure, the pivot moves only a small, nearly imperceptible amount, but it corrects small deviations from correct angle that may occur.

With small amounts of pressure as one would do with a DE, that pivot is not pivoting at all. I don't think it should be used like a cart, but for it to provide some correction it's got to move a bit and it simply does not unless you put a great amount of pressure on it. Wish I had a small digital scale to press the head against to get some readings. It's several ounces in my opinion.

Rejigger the budget a bit. 50% less to marketing team, 50% more to design team.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the FHS blade. It shaves ok, but the longevity is terrible. After 2 shaves (3 if I'm lucky), I have to bin it and get another. And they are not cheap. (I use them in a Valet; I have never tried a OneBlade.)
 
With a Oneblade, you hold it at the correct shaving angle manually, like a traditional safety razor. When shaving with minimal pressure, the pivot moves only a small, nearly imperceptible amount, but it corrects small deviations from correct angle that may occur.
I've never owned a Oneblade of any configuration but from what I've read it takes pressure, the same a a cart if not more, to make it work properly and is in no way to be used like a traditional safety razor!! Thats what sets it apart from traditional wet shaving!!
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I've never owned a Oneblade of any configuration but from what I've read it takes pressure, the same a a cart if not more, to make it work properly and is in no way to be used like a traditional safety razor!! Thats what sets it apart from traditional wet shaving!!
Yep.
 
I've never owned a Oneblade of any configuration but from what I've read it takes pressure, the same a a cart if not more, to make it work properly and is in no way to be used like a traditional safety razor!! Thats what sets it apart from traditional wet shaving!!

Just because it has a pivot does not mean you use it exactly like a cart.

I recently spent a couple of months developing my technique with an MMOC. Once I became proficient with the MMOC, I found that that technique transferred very well to my Oneblade.

Using my Oneblade like an MMOC dramatically improved the shaves I got from it.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
I'm not a huge fan of the FHS blade. It shaves ok, but the longevity is terrible. After 2 shaves (3 if I'm lucky), I have to bin it and get another. And they are not cheap. (I use them in a Valet; I have never tried a OneBlade.)

I normally do a two pass shave plus touch ups. These blades are lasting me one shave and 3/4 of the first pass of shave 2 and it's like hitting a wall. They are fine until they aren't and then they really aren't. I can get a weeks worth of good shaves from a carbon steel gem blade (in a Gem razor, never tried despining one for the Oneblade). Not an economical system to be sure.
 
Just because it has a pivot does not mean you use it exactly like a cart.

I recently spent a couple of months developing my technique with an MMOC. Once I became proficient with the MMOC, I found that that technique transferred very well to my Oneblade.

Using my Oneblade like an MMOC dramatically improved the shaves I got from it.
If that is what works for you then I say thats great, but from the majority of peeps that have owned or used the razor in the past have specified the pivot works like a cart but more pressure is needed for it to work most efficiently for them. There was a pass around thread from a few years back that had some really good info in it. Can't remember if it was here on B&B or another forum though... I was merely pointing out that the razor was never mfg'd with the intention of shaving like a traditional SE / DE razor and in fact the marketing isn't even catered to the traditional wet shaving community at all, its catered to the cartridge user!!
 
I just had shave #3 with a FHS-10 in my OneBlade Hybrid, results were a super close and smooth shave. When I say super close, even my Timeless 95 OC or Rockwell (R6) wouldn't get any closer. And keep in mind, I had the original two renditions of the Core, and it couldn't muster this close a shave with a brand new blade, and the second shave with one of these blades wasn't as close with the Core. - Absolutely a big step up in efficiency over the core. I should add, that I flipped blade between shaves, as I tried when I had the Core.

I have a GEM which I enlarged the notch using a conical grind stone in my dremel. That will be the next blade, once this FHS is dead. Going to see just how many good shaves the Hybrid can yield on the FHS. I have like 180 PTFE GEM blades, so if they work for me, I'm set for quite some time.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
If that is what works for you then I say thats great, but from the majority of peeps that have owned or used the razor in the past have specified the pivot works like a cart but more pressure is needed for it to work most efficiently for them. There was a pass around thread from a few years back that had some really good info in it. Can't remember if it was here on B&B or another forum though... I was merely pointing out that the razor was never mfg'd with the intention of shaving like a traditional SE / DE razor and in fact the marketing isn't even catered to the traditional wet shaving community at all, its catered to the cartridge user!!
This is what I recall as well.
 
I originally tried using my genesis in a cart-like fashion as well. I liked the results well enough but wasn’t as fully satisfied with them as I expected to be.

It was only after months of use and thought that I realised what I believe the right way to use the pivot was. It might be tricky for people to pick up on this nuance during the short time of a pass around, particularly if they are going into it with this preconception about using it like a cart.

I have had no deep insight, here, though - it turns out that I only rediscovered what was in the manual.

“Minimal pressure” is the term used on their instruction page: https://www.onebladeshave.com/pages/how-to-shave

In the video on the same page, a caption says “It’s important that you never apply too much pressure”.

A correct holding angle (32 degrees) is also specified in this video.

On their “Wet Shaving 101” blog post, the phrase “Avoid adding any pressure” is used: WET SHAVING 101

As many of you here have correctly insisted, minimal/no pressure is impossible when using it cart-style.
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
I think "no pressure" shaving with any razor is near impossible. I don't really "press" with a razor, but by merely holding it firmly you create some pressure. I don't treat my DE shaves like I did/do a cartridge, but I do use some. Against the grain would be impossible for me without a little bit of pressure. The blade would literally bounce across the stubble. But I'm probably overthinking it.
 
I think "no pressure" shaving with any razor is near impossible. I don't really "press" with a razor, but by merely holding it firmly you create some pressure. I don't treat my DE shaves like I did/do a cartridge, but I do use some. Against the grain would be impossible for me without a little bit of pressure. The blade would literally bounce across the stubble. But I'm probably overthinking it.

Agreed. A certain amount of pressure is required with any razor to keep it in contact with the face.

This is particularly true shaving ATG - you can’t “let the weight of the razor do the work” when you are moving it against gravity.

To be thorough, you could reconstruct “no pressure” as “the absolute minimum pressure required to hold the razor in contact with the face in such a way that it cuts hair”. But it’s quicker to say “no pressure” :)

This applies to all safeties, though, not just the oneblade.
 
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