Now that my experiment with the Lord L122 has begun to fray my nerves as well as my face, I've decided to move on to my other new razor, the S625, aka the Lord Smart. This morning was the inaugural shave.
Usual prep: hot shower, followed by lather-up with TJ. I transferred the used-once blade from the L122 to the Smart, and made sure to use the fresh edge so I didn't judge the Smart unfairly.
First impressions: wow, this sucker is heavy! Compared to the L122, the Smart is a nine-pound hammer. The handle is pretty light: it's all plastic and cheap pot metal. The head, though, feels like some kind of steel, although I could be mistaken there. In any case, the head is noticeably denser than the handle, and in totality this razor is the heaviest I've used to date. I like the feel very much, although I don't yet know what I think about the concept of a razor so top-heavy. I'll be curious to try out a razor with a similarly heavy head, but with the handle made of the same material so there's a larger symmetry of balance. I also appreciated that the thicker, heavier head made it much easier to load the blade, whereas the L122 scared me.
Second impressions: wow, nice razor! I definitely enjoyed this shave much more than any I've had with the L122. It glided across my face (especially down!) where the L122 and even the recently deceased Vincent tended to scrape or bounce. The shave is milder than I expected from the heft of the Smart, which meant it shaved very comfortably, but my first pass was barely SAS. Since this was the overall effect rather than localize to a patch on my neck or something, I went for a complete re-lathered second pass, which I don't think I've ever done in my life. (I usually just do a few more strokes on problem areas, and refresh with warm water rather than break out the shaving cream again.)
The second pass got me a nearly BBS shave, although I have yet to meet the razor that can truly accomplish BBS; even my cheeks, the easiest part to shave, will feel a little rough if I run my hand up ATG. Shaving those ATG with a DE razor is, as yet, beyond me unless I want to look like a knife attack victim. I settled for a DFS going WTG and XTG on my cheeks and neck. Got only one small weeper, and the rest of my face and neck felt well treated.
It's hard to imagine going back to the L122 for now, at least until I can get my hands on some blades that have a reputation for being really sharp and aggressive to counteract the L122's natural tendencies. On the other hand, I can see how the need for a full second pass can annoy the time-poor: I almost missed my bus this morning from the length of the shave! (Granted, I was enjoying myself, which may have been part of the problem.)
Questions:
Usual prep: hot shower, followed by lather-up with TJ. I transferred the used-once blade from the L122 to the Smart, and made sure to use the fresh edge so I didn't judge the Smart unfairly.
First impressions: wow, this sucker is heavy! Compared to the L122, the Smart is a nine-pound hammer. The handle is pretty light: it's all plastic and cheap pot metal. The head, though, feels like some kind of steel, although I could be mistaken there. In any case, the head is noticeably denser than the handle, and in totality this razor is the heaviest I've used to date. I like the feel very much, although I don't yet know what I think about the concept of a razor so top-heavy. I'll be curious to try out a razor with a similarly heavy head, but with the handle made of the same material so there's a larger symmetry of balance. I also appreciated that the thicker, heavier head made it much easier to load the blade, whereas the L122 scared me.
Second impressions: wow, nice razor! I definitely enjoyed this shave much more than any I've had with the L122. It glided across my face (especially down!) where the L122 and even the recently deceased Vincent tended to scrape or bounce. The shave is milder than I expected from the heft of the Smart, which meant it shaved very comfortably, but my first pass was barely SAS. Since this was the overall effect rather than localize to a patch on my neck or something, I went for a complete re-lathered second pass, which I don't think I've ever done in my life. (I usually just do a few more strokes on problem areas, and refresh with warm water rather than break out the shaving cream again.)
The second pass got me a nearly BBS shave, although I have yet to meet the razor that can truly accomplish BBS; even my cheeks, the easiest part to shave, will feel a little rough if I run my hand up ATG. Shaving those ATG with a DE razor is, as yet, beyond me unless I want to look like a knife attack victim. I settled for a DFS going WTG and XTG on my cheeks and neck. Got only one small weeper, and the rest of my face and neck felt well treated.
It's hard to imagine going back to the L122 for now, at least until I can get my hands on some blades that have a reputation for being really sharp and aggressive to counteract the L122's natural tendencies. On the other hand, I can see how the need for a full second pass can annoy the time-poor: I almost missed my bus this morning from the length of the shave! (Granted, I was enjoying myself, which may have been part of the problem.)
Questions:
- Is there any way to adjust my technique so that an entire second pass is not necessary, or will I simply have to budget the requisite time for two passes if I don't want 5 o'clock shadow at noon?
- What exactly makes this razor feel so mild to me? I notice that the safety bar is really hefty compared to others I've tried, which I assume has to make a big difference. Is there anything else in the construction that I should be eyeing?
