OK, I won an Injector on eBay - now what?

[Scotto]

Well, my entire DE career has been taken up with my Merkur Progress. Great razor, and the only one I own. Lately I have been thinking that perhaps I ought to try something else. After all, why not some RAD to go with my SCAD?

Well, I bid on this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=6554507675, expecting not to win since I figured razor prices are being run up by numbnuts like Corey. Much to my surprise, I won it.

Now I have a bunch of questions:

1. Did I buy a piece of dookie :9898: , or does this look OK?
2. What is the best way to clean/disinfect it? Can I boil it with the bakelite handle?
3. Where does one get injector blades?
4. Is there a trick to shaving with an injector compared to my Progress?

Thanks!

 

[guenron]

Well, my entire DE career has been taken up with my Merkur Progress. Great razor, and the only one I own. Lately I have been thinking that perhaps I ought to try something else. After all, why not some RAD to go with my SCAD?

Well, I bid on this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=6554507675, expecting not to win since I figured razor prices are being run up by numbnuts like Corey. Much to my surprise, I won it.

Now I have a bunch of questions:

1. Did I buy a piece of dookie :9898: , or does this look OK?
2. What is the best way to clean/disinfect it? Can I boil it with the bakelite handle?
3. Where does one get injector blades?
4. Is there a trick to shaving with an injector compared to my Progress?

Thanks!

1. It looks like a used injector! Dookie is much darker.
2. The handle is most likely plastic not bakelite. Ergo, one must not start boiling the $^%!@ out of it or you will have a melted or broken handle. Hot (very) water wash with stiff nail or tooth brush and detegent. Soak in 10% bleach solution followed by repeat of wash and scrub. Hot alcohol soak.. Any variety of dookie-cidal cleaning stuff.
The issue with most used injectors is that shave gunk accumulates in between the two pieces of the razor head and is darned next to impossible to get out.
3. Walmart, Eckards, Target, et al have them on occassion. I just found some recently at the Army - Air Force Exchange in Midwest City OK. Worst comes to worst, I could mail you some, but for the sake of simplicity and cost I hope you find some locally.
4. Yes, it is completely different, is not quite as difficult to achieve angle control. If you look at the bottom of the razor you will see a FLAT expanse, the area where the blade is exposed, and then the top part (metal) of the razor. If you start with the falt part flat on your face and tip ever so slightly forward till you have the satisfying shearing of whiskers, YOU GOT IT DOWN!
I am sure there are some connosieurs of the injector who could provide in-depth instructions on how to get the most from it, but it AIN'T rocket science... It's just shaving!
Best of luck with your new acquisition. Enjoy!

 

[ponyplayer]

Now I have a bunch of questions:

1. Did I buy a piece of dookie , or does this look OK?
2. What is the best way to clean/disinfect it? Can I boil it with the bakelite handle?
3. Where does one get injector blades?
4. Is there a trick to shaving with an injector compared to my Progress?

Scotto:

1. This is the exact razor that I use for 95% of my shaves.
I find this to be a wonderful razor. I thought about bidding on this one but figured I like to find a long handled (non-adjustable)

2. The handle is indeed plastic so you don't want to boil it. If you must boil, then just stick the metal into the water while holding the razor by the handle.

3. The blades can be found pretty easily if you are willing to use store brand blades instead of the Schick blades. I've found the Schick blades to be cheapest on amazon.com ($4.89 for 7 blades). I just ordered a book and a few boxes and the shipping was free (over $25). They are also very plentiful on eBay.

4. No real trick. Just lay the metal against your skin and go to town. After a few shaves you'll be flying through your morning ritual.

I'd be very surprised if you don't find this to be a great razor....

Patrick

 

[Austin]

Regardless whether the handle is bakelite or plastic, nice find Scotto!

 

[rschul2]

Looks like a nice piece of shaving equipment to me. Post a review once you get a chance. I've been thinking about acquiring one of these bad boys for a while.

 

[Scotto]

Thanks for all the great advice. I'll definitely post a review when I get it.

 

[Rik]

Greetings Scott!

This is perfect timing as I also just won an injector on eBay.

Pay close attention to your razor while it’s soaking in the bleach solution and make sure your solution ratio isn’t higher than 1:10. When I first began collecting vintage razors, I ruined one by using too high of a concentration. It removed the plating from the razor. If you see any bubbles forming, rinse the razor and check it over.

Another option - which is the one I currently use, is a medical grade disinfectant / sterilization chemical called Cidex. It can be picked up at any medical supply shop. It needs to be used outdoors due to the very strong odor.

I look forward to a review!

 

[Austin]

Cidex will definately kill all bacterias, etc. Some of my surgical and OB/Gyn clients use it in their clinics.

 

[Rik]

My wife brought this product to my attention. She's a surgical nurse and they use it for any instruments that can't be autoclaved.

If you acquire a razor without plastic or colored stainless, and have a friend in the medical field, they may be willing to autoclave it for you.

 

[Scotto]

I got it today, and I am pretty pleased for an $8 purchase. I am going to post a thread on my cleaning it up in the Pictorial section now.

 

[Pauldog]

That one is the injector that came out after the ones with the "bakelite" handle. (I'm using quotes because even that older handle probably was not bakelite.)

It's head design is pretty much the same as all of the ones before the very last version, the main possible difference being the amount of blade exposure. The main thing to make sure of is that the spring tension is good and holds the blade tight.

And the price is cheap, at least relative to the prices fetched for many that function almost identically to this model. Maybe it's because Corey seems to be taking a vacation from bidding after falling in love with his injector combined with a Feather blade.

There's even the chance you could double your money by turning around and selling it right back again. Don't use the word "bakelite" and have the auction close on a Sunday or Monday.

Nah, you're stuck with it. If it works, you're done. If it doesn't, it's harder to sell.

 

[Scotto]

OK, folks, having used my new injector for about a week, I am in a position to comment.

First, my only other razor, with which I have been shaving for a while, is a Merkur Progress. I typically do two passes with it on "5", and then turn it down as low as possible for a third, against the grain pass. This achieves shaving nirvana for me.

The injector feels different. I have used Bic Metals before, and this is a similar beast. It is considerable lighter - I measure my Progress at 3 oz and the injector at a measly 3/4 oz. Therefore, you have to sometimes apply a bit of pressure on the injector, unlike the Progress.

And the shave? Honestly, you can get a very good shave with the injector while being pretty brain-dead. It shaves not that differently than a Mach 3. No worrying about blade angle, super-light pressure, etc. It just shaves. I got very similar in closeness compared to my Progress, with the edge going slightly to Merkur. Then again, that may be attributed to big difference in experience levels with the two razors.

If I have one complaint, it is that I really like the adjustability factor of the Progess. On my against the grain pass, which is essential to get smoothness, I really need to dial down the Progress so as not to get irritation. Obviously, I can't do that with my injector. I am going to attach a couple of pictures, which I am not sure will show the difference in blade exposure. The Progress picture is with it dialed down as far as it can go. You can get the sense (I hope) that the Injector has more blade exposure. You have to be careful going against the grain with the injector or you will get nicks and razor burn.

The net: you can get an effortless, irritation-free shave with an injector, and do it in your sleep. It will definitely find its way into my rotation. Is it better than the Progress? Definitely not. First of all, I like an adustable razor, but more importantly, the injector has no soul. It is too easy, too lackadaisical. It lacks the artistry needed with a DE. For many, this may be a panacea. For me, it lacks something. A good razor, but not something which can achieve greatness.

 

[franz]

sell it

....Any particular reason you are going around bumping threads from 5-6 years ago?

 

[frank V]

home from work, bored outta my mind & just jumping around reading stuff from the beginning. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[franz]

Nope. Sometimes we get zombie accounts bumping threads with short or off topic replies, so I had to check.

 

[frank V]

oh ok, so sorry about that.

 

[KM-instructor]

OP how did it all workout for you?

 

[HoosierTrooper]

home from work, bored outta my mind & just jumping around reading stuff from the beginning. Am I doing something wrong?

Nothing really "wrong" with it, but it seems a little odd to give someone advice 6 years after their original post.

 

[jkingrph]

I have one that looks pretty much like that. It was my father's and he probably quit using it 50 years ago when he started using one of the Gillette techmatics.

 

[mctmatt]

I was just at Market Street Grocery Store in Plano, Texas and they sold the schick injector blades. Not sure if all Market Streets sell them, but this one did.