My first "vintage" shave

[Joe in Seattle]

I've been mostly a lurker here, but have put together a pleasant set for wet shaving as a treat on occasion. My daily shave is usually a Braun electric run over my face while waiting for the shower to heat up. Jaeger 89L, a couple of brushes (I told the wife one NEEDS two to let them dry between uses) and either Mitchell Wool Fat or Shave Shoppe Bay Rum with Tallow, Feather blades, and Pinaud's Lime Sec to finish.

I've been wondering how the Jaeger, which I like very well, compares to the Gillete Slim Adjustable I "learned on" in the mid-sixties. Every time I saw one here in BST it was gone before I could jump, so I went to the Bay to fish. After missing out on several, I set my sights lower and bid on one that looked just so-so and won it for less than $30.

The razor turned out to be in really nice condition except for a couple of flea bites of finish on the handle. The numbers had the black paint still intact and it seemed to snick through the adjustments nicely and open/close reliably.

This afternoon, first test drive: Lathered up with Omega boar brush and Bay Rum Tallow and scraped away beginning at level "3". MY logic was that I could remember "1" being too mild for me even when I was 16. I got a pretty nice shave with just two passes (those Feather blades are awesome), but the after shave told me I was losing more skin than when I used the Jaeger. My first impression was that the vintage razor was OK to use, but I prefer the balance of the 89.

All in all I'm continuing to enjoy my time here; it's one of the friendliest communities on the web.

 

[CUSE69]

Thanks for the post. I too am looking for a Slim Adjustable since this was my first real razor in the 60's. I will keep looking while still enjoying my Merkur 47c.

 

[Prof. Moriarty]

Personally I prefer the Edwin Jagger to the Slim Adjustable.

 

[LifesShort]

I agree. The extra weight of the EJ makes it a pleasure to use. I wish it was a little more aggressive, but it always gets me there.

 

[The MazinAzn]

I just had my first vintage experience today as well. Congrats! I placed the thread of my vintage experience below, as I bought it from a vintage shop and had to give it some TLC.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...eed-Restorable?p=5621038&posted=1#post5621038

 

[Trek2100]

A few observations. If your main shave is an electric your face will never get used to a blade. There is a facial learning curve and your face will adapt to whatever you are using. I've used electrics most of my life from Braun to Norelco and several in between. Never had a really close shave and always had to use a lot of pressure to get an acceptable shave. Make sure you are not putting "any" pressure on the DE razor. Let the razor do the work, especially since you are using arguably the sharpest blade on the market. I too use Feather in both my Edwin Jagger DE 89 gold barley razor and my Gillette Slim Adjustable without any razor burn. I have the Slim Adjustable set to 8. With that setting I'm getting a little closer shave than with the DE 89 but not that much different. Also, I use the three pass technique. I love them both.

If you have any antique dealers or antique malls in your area you might want to check them out before you go to the bay. A few weeks ago I found a Slim Adjustable in close to new condition (no marks or signs of wear and the numbers were all black) for $35.00. Something in that condition on the bay could easily bring 3 times that amount, especially if you get into a bidding war. You have to know when to quit. Recently I bit the bullet on a Super Speed in beautiful condition that was made in my birth year. I held on like a snake. I won but I paid the price, if you get my meaning.

 

[Theprofessor]

The only vintage item in my collection is my grandfather's Gillette Slim Adjustable L3 Circa 1966 or 1967 (i'm not sure).

 

[ShaneN.]

I just got my slim in the mail last week and i've only used it twice but i love it! There is something satisfying, intriguing and fun about using hardware that is nearly twice as old as me. I really like the TTO design and adjustability of it too. Also have been using a replated gillette NEW.

 

[Trek2100]

The only vintage item in my collection is my grandfather's Gillette Slim Adjustable L3 Circa 1966 or 1967 (i'm not sure).

Your Slim Adjustable was made during the 3rd quarter of 1966. L = 1966 and 3 = 3rd quarter. Look at Shavewiki. There is a section on Gillette's and when the razors were made, except for the years they did not stamp a code on them.