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Looking for a new Adjustable razor …

Did someone say...sheep?!

Since no one 's mentioned it... I have a Rockwell T2.
Quite big & heavy but this means that it feels very solid and gives me a great shave.
Is it worh the extra coin over a Progress or Variant? Since all three of them have zamac parts, the haters will say it's not. For me the ease of blade loading on a TTO compared to Progress & Variant is what made me go for the Rockwell.
I also think the T2 looks alot cooler and yes, I am a shallow person and believe that looks matter. :p

I also have a 1975 Soviet adjustable aristocrat copy which serves me well, but the Rockwell feels smoother.
A gillette slim adjustable would cost you less than a T2 would, so might also be a good choice.
 
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I also think the T2 looks alot cooler and yes, I am a shallow person and believe that looks matter. :p
. . . A gillette slim adjustable would cost you less than a T2 would, so might also be a good choice.
A fancy word for "looks" is style, and it is indeed an important part of the overall user experience. Good design includes function AND aesthetics. Not shallow at all; it is integral to the total experience.

The Slim (and maybe even the T2) are probably too mild for what the OP is looking for.
 
A fancy word for "looks" is style, and it is indeed an important part of the overall user experience. Good design includes function AND aesthetics. Not shallow at all; it is integral to the total experience.

The Slim (and maybe even the T2) are probably too mild for what the OP is looking for.

right i m looking for something adjustable between moderate mild to moderate aggressive.
 
Honestly.... I heard that there may be an adjustable razor or two coming up in the St. Sue auction....

But I don't think you will find anyone who dislikes a Slim adjustable by Gillette from over a half century ago. Or a Fatboy *giggle*.

+1! Great advice! :thumbup::thumbup:

And if you cannot win the from St. Sue, you can still keep your eye on BST.
 
thanks for reply
can you advise progress max 5 setting to nearly which futur setting ??
Batman, I think you're overthinking it. Answers from various shavers will vary. Settings are only a part of the questions. Other issues are weight, thickness of handle, comfort of handle in the hand, the blade choice, and more. Overthinking a question is a detriment. You have all the info you need to make a wise selection. The ball is in your court.
 
I've owned two adjustable razors, the Merkur Futur and the Pearl Flexi. The both run about the same price but the Futur had two major drawbacks for me. I couldn't shave under my nose no matter how I tried and taking the top off always seemed like there was the possibility of slipping and slicing my hand open on the blade.

Pearl Flexi has none of those issues. I would have liked to purchase a Rex Ambassador but $250 is way out of my price range so the Flexi was a good alternative. I have just begun to use it and I have no complaints other than its very heavy which takes some getting used to. I have to use zero pressure when shaving. I keep it on a setting 4 and shave 7 days a week.
 
I love my adjustables and there are a lot of great modern and vintage ones available. Out of the three you mentioned, the only one I didn't enjoy is the Futur. Way too aggressive for me. I much prefer the Futur clones that are available. I really like both the Progress and Variant and if I had to pick between the two, I'd go with the Variant just because of the handle. How much money have to got to spend on an adjustable? There are some higher priced goodies out there.
 
It all depends on the type of razor you're looking for. I just had another shave with my Progress and it was amazing. I can get BBS with every razor in my collection, but very few DE razors can give me the same BBS as the Progress does. If you like more efficient and aggressive razors, the Progress is probably your best choice. The Pearl Flexi is also great, but it's not as efficient even on 6 and the Rockwell 6S/C is super inefficient for my taste even with a Feather blade.

In short - if you want max efficiency, go with the Progress. With the Rockwell 6S/C if you want a very smooth, but not very efficient razor, with most settings being useless and the Flexi being in the middle - with a decent amount of efficiency and smoothness.
 
I love my adjustables and there are a lot of great modern and vintage ones available. Out of the three you mentioned, the only one I didn't enjoy is the Futur. Way too aggressive for me. I much prefer the Futur clones that are available. I really like both the Progress and Variant and if I had to pick between the two, I'd go with the Variant just because of the handle. How much money have to got to spend on an adjustable? There are some higher priced goodies out there.

thanks for yr advice
re the progress i like its vintage long handle look and well made
my current budget is around $75 as i pay nearly twice up my door delivery through amazon incl shipping/tax/customs..
 
thanks for yr advice
re the progress i like its vintage long handle look and well made
my current budget is around $75 as i pay nearly twice up my door delivery through amazon incl shipping/tax/customs..
You can't go wrong with either a Progress or Variant, but for $75 you might be able to swing the Pearl Flexi, a fine adjustable. And, if you don't mind changing plates, the Rockwell 6C is well within the budget. But you can also find Gillette Slims and Supers in that price range as well.
 
It all depends on the type of razor you're looking for. I just had another shave with my Progress and it was amazing. I can get BBS with every razor in my collection, but very few DE razors can give me the same BBS as the Progress does. If you like more efficient and aggressive razors, the Progress is probably your best choice. The Pearl Flexi is also great, but it's not as efficient even on 6 and the Rockwell 6S/C is super inefficient for my taste even with a Feather blade.

In short - if you want max efficiency, go with the Progress. With the Rockwell 6S/C if you want a very smooth, but not very efficient razor, with most settings being useless and the Flexi being in the middle - with a decent amount of efficiency and smoothness.

thanks for yr advise
till now i mostly prefer the progress with long handle ..
 
I have owned three adjustable razors, a Gillette Super Adjustable "black beauty" bought new in the 1970's, a Progress which I used daily for a few years and a Futur which is now part of an 8 razor rotation. The size of the Futur can be a bit off-putting at first, but at the lower settings it is a mild and very smooth razor. At higher settings the blade feel is more noticeable, but it's still a very smooth and efficient razor. I generally use it at 4.5, but occasionally move it up or down .5. At those settings I find it matches my Blackland Dart, Muhle Rocca and EJ 3one6 for efficiency.
How does the Gillette Super Adjustable "black beauty" compare to the Slim Adjustable or the Fatboy?

I have the Merkur Futur, however, the size of the head makes it more difficult to get under the nose. I always go at it with an angle using the Futur, but find it easier to get under the nose using the Slim Adjustable or even the Fatboy.
 
How does the Gillette Super Adjustable "black beauty" compare to the Slim Adjustable or the Fatboy?

I have the Merkur Futur, however, the size of the head makes it more difficult to get under the nose. I always go at it with an angle using the Futur, but find it easier to get under the nose using the Slim Adjustable or even the Fatboy.

The heads of both Slim and SA are the same, but the SA is a bit more efficient than the Slim on the higher settings. When I first heard about this I didn't believe it, but after getting my hands on one and had a couple of shaves with it and then compared the gap of both Slim and SA on setting 9, I was convinced that this was indeed true and not one of the countless unproven myths and legends about the vintage Gillette razors and oh boy there are lots of them.

My SA is the 109 or the long handle model, which I also like a lot. So unless you like using your Slim on setting 9 and want to a slightly more efficient version or perhaps a lighter razor with a slightly longer handle, there's really no reason for you to buy a SA.

About the Fatboy, I haven't used one, but from what I know is that it's the least efficient of the bunch and some people report that they have a hard time shaving under their nose, since the head is a big bigger. I personally consider the Fatboy along with a few other Gillette (especially the TTOs) models to be - just a nice razor to have it in your collection and also a decent shaver, but nothing special or impressive at all.
 
I just posted some measurements on the Progress, here.

IMHO, it will open up the blade gap as wide as most people would ever want. A full turn of the adjusting knob will get you from 0.40 (quite mild) to 1.20 mm.

The Parker Variant is a near-clone of the Progress. It may have more QC problems, according to reviews. It does fix some of the Progress's weak design points.

. Charles
 
Hard to beat a slim adjustable. They are inexpensive, easy to find, and will last a lifetime. I have tried others, but keep coming back. I like it more than my Fatboy, which is no slouch and would be my second recommendation. Cheers.
 
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