New Adjustable

[kf4tqj]

Hi Group,
About 6 months ago I bought my first double edge in years. My Norelco was getting long in the tooth and the battery wasn't wanting to hold a charge. I stopped at WalMart and took my first look at disposable razors in many years. Wow, Sticker Shock!!! But I noticed that they still sold Double Edge blades. A 10 pac for under $2. Deal me in.
Started looking around on line, found this group and a few more sites. Watched a few video's on shaving just for kicks and went to eBay to look for me a razor. I'm a 1954 model myself and I wanted something just as old and cranky as me so I bought a 1954 Gillette Super Speed. Great razor and a pretty good shave, but you guys got me in the mood to try a few others out too so, today, I got my latest eBay acquisition. A nice old Gillette Adjustable. Going to try it out in the morning and hope not to butcher myself to badly.
Any tips? I've never used anything this fancy before. Do I try several settings and find the one I like and just leave it there or do I use a different setting for each pass. Also, I think I read somewhere that you should loosen the butterfly before turning the adjuster. Is that the case or what?
Thanks for reading,
Woody / KF4TQJ / N.E. Alabama

 

[Saunterer]

Woody,

Assuming you have been wet shaving for 6 months now, you shouldn't have any issue switching to a Adjustable. Did you get a slim or Fat Boy? Just curious.

I would start off at a 4 or 5 and just shave with it. Do this for a couple of weeks, and resist adjusting it. If you adjust, you'll introduce a variable and if you get a bad shave, you'll think it was the adjustment, when it could have been a bad batch of lather, bum blade or your mojo was off that morning. Once you have a few shaves under your belt, then adjust higher or lower as you see fit.

Adjust with doors open or closed? My opinion, don't worry about it. But there is endless debate whether or not to do it around these parts. Don't go and open Pandora's Box....

Welcome to the group and enjoy your shaves,

Chris - NCØS

 

[Rivguy]

Welcome to B&B Woody and congratulations on you new acquisition of a fine classic razor. I have several of the vintage Gillette adjustables and enjoy them very much. It has been my experience and that of others here, that you should start out at the lowest setting and work your way up as you get used the the feel of the razor. Try a sample pack of blades and you will soon find the right combination that will give you wonderful shaves.

Enjoy your shaves,

Doug

 

[kf4tqj]

I'm going to say it's a slim. It's about the same dimensions as my 54 Super Speed. It hadn't been cleaned so I boiled it in a light salt water bath for 5 minutes and all sorts of gunk came out. Then I wiped it down with WD40. Both the adjuster and the opener feel like a new one now.
At 55 I don't see as well as I used to. I'll have to get a magnifier out and see what numbers I can off of it and try to date it. There wasn't much info on it when I bought it but I sniped it off eBay for $19.95 & $5 for shipping.
Appreciate your reply.
Woody

 

[kf4tqj]

Well, it's morning now and I'm not bleeding much. Just kidding. A great first shave. Haven't looked foreword to a shave so much in a while and wasn't disappointed. I decided to go a bit agressive in my setting. Chose a 6 and used a very light touch and a 3 pass classic. Great shave and almost no irritation. Loaded my favorite blade in it, a Gillette 7oClock. Now on to work.
Thanks guys.
Woody

 

[fisherbln]

Love my slim, great choice!

 

[rolisrgti06]

Well, it's morning now and I'm not bleeding much. Just kidding. A great first shave. Haven't looked foreword to a shave so much in a while and wasn't disappointed. I decided to go a bit agressive in my setting. Chose a 6 and used a very light touch and a 3 pass classic. Great shave and almost no irritation. Loaded my favorite blade in it, a Gillette 7oClock. Now on to work.
Thanks guys.
Woody

Off topic but I have the CD in your avatar, good stuff.

 

[tpoof]

congrats on the good first shave..
if I can add anything it would be to make sure that after the adjustment is set to then to give another quarter turn on the handle to "lock" the doors...

one has a tendency to close the doors without locking in place, resulting in a "loose" blade and good potential for a cut..
(spoken from experience )

if you do a search on the Slim you will find posts about it..
nice razor though... I'm using my fathers... @ setting 7, BBS almost guaranted

 

[kf4tqj]

Frank's da boss!

 

[DonN]

just wanted to add that the butterfly doors should be loose and open before turning the blade adjustment dial .

 

[kf4tqj]

Read that somewhere. Thanks.