So, my first-ever Gillette DEs (not counting my Dad's much-abused Fat Boy from Dog-knows how many years back) arrived Wednesday evening from a fellow B&B'er, packed with a few Dorcos and Gillette 7 O'Clocks (yellow) for good measure. A late-40s gold Aristocrat and an early-70s short-handle Super Adjustable. And there was a need for adjustment.
When I started down the DE path, I moved from a Mach3 (which I reluctantly returned to after doing something stupid to the instrument that was my first escape path from multi-blade Hell, a Pumaster straight) to a Merkur Vision, supposedly the pinnacle of modern TTO DEs. The problem was that I miscalculated the physical size of the thing when looking at photographs online; I never saw a picture of someone actually holding it. When it arrived on my doorstep, I was taken quite aback... I could nail carpet tacks with it! I managed to adjust to it sooner than I expected, and was actually getting somewhat in the groove of working this beast (couldn't do the Filtrum Trim with it), when it was damaged by being accidentally flung against a tile wall in the bath (not by yrs trly).
I'd have to send the Vision off to the Mothership in Germany to have it properly serviced. In the meantime, I got hole of an older (Hoffritz-branded) version of the Merkur Futur on the 'Bay. This time there was little to no learning curve: I grokked the Futur almost off the bat, getting good shaves with my stash of Merkur blades (five packs of which I got with the Vision), and even better shaves with IPs a short time later. (I gave it a go with one of two Feathers, which, while sharp, were a bit unweildy for me.)
Then, some weeks back, the Futur got broadsided in much the same way as the Vision (again, not by me). The cap went missing for a whilethere's one potential problem with removable razor parts, and I'd have to make do with a Personna Tri-Flexx (don't ask) while sorting out what to do next. That's when I came back here, and, in the wee hours, instinctively pounced upon two of three Gillette DEs on offer by someone. I figured that one good example each of an adjustable (late-model Super Adjustable) and non-adjustable (the Aristocrat, even though I was a tad tempted by the '71 Super Speed which was the third razor on offer...that one was scarfed up pretty fast, too). I'd long wondered whether I'd made the classic newbie mistake of diving into the deep end of the DE pool to fast, too eagerly. Now, I was going to see what the vintage life in the mirror would reveal.
Pulling the razors from the box and wrapping, I was in for a shock: I forgot how small and light the Gillettes were...and these were considered "man-sized" back in the day. But I had to remind myself that the only reference I had to go against these were the Teutonic Titans of Solingen. Thor's hammer versus a ball-peen job. "Downsizing" is a fact of life in so much else right now, but how would I handle this?
It was a lot easier than I could have imagined.
First up was the Super A. I took a once-used IP and loaded it up, set the razor to 5, and went at it. I'd skimped a bit on the shaving cream (TOBS Lavender), and was perhaps a bit overzealous in attack, likely because of the difference in size and weight. I liked the feel of the Super A overall, but didn't totally get the hang of the balance (a bit more top-heavy than either Merkur, IMO). The shave was pretty close, no nicks, but a bit of burn on a stretch of chin. Generally, I was satisfied.
Late this morning (day off from Jury Duty: yay!), after a luxurious shower, I loaded up the same blade in the Aristocrat, W/A/XTG as usual, but working to be a bit less intense than with the Super A. The balance seemed a bit better than the Super A, and I liked the textured handle (easy to twirl when swapping edges...the Super A offered engendered confidence in handling). At the finish, there were no nicks, but this time a bit of burn along the right side of my neck; I'd gone a bit nuts at the end with one blade-buff too many, and too fast.
And I had the closest, true-BBS shave in a long time. And this with an "old" blade.
Once the Vision is fixed and returned, there's a chance I'll sell it (I love it in a number of ways, but four razors might be a bit of a crowd here...yeah, blasphemy, right?
). Meanwhile, the cap for the Futur has been recovered, and I'll likely keep it. But it might not make it back into rotation terribly soon, as I stay put in the Wayback Machine and explore the possibilities of these two Gillettes. I've got those Dorcos and yellow 7 O'Clocks to get through, but not before pulling a fresh IP from the box.
Dad would've been amused.
- Barrett
When I started down the DE path, I moved from a Mach3 (which I reluctantly returned to after doing something stupid to the instrument that was my first escape path from multi-blade Hell, a Pumaster straight) to a Merkur Vision, supposedly the pinnacle of modern TTO DEs. The problem was that I miscalculated the physical size of the thing when looking at photographs online; I never saw a picture of someone actually holding it. When it arrived on my doorstep, I was taken quite aback... I could nail carpet tacks with it! I managed to adjust to it sooner than I expected, and was actually getting somewhat in the groove of working this beast (couldn't do the Filtrum Trim with it), when it was damaged by being accidentally flung against a tile wall in the bath (not by yrs trly).
I'd have to send the Vision off to the Mothership in Germany to have it properly serviced. In the meantime, I got hole of an older (Hoffritz-branded) version of the Merkur Futur on the 'Bay. This time there was little to no learning curve: I grokked the Futur almost off the bat, getting good shaves with my stash of Merkur blades (five packs of which I got with the Vision), and even better shaves with IPs a short time later. (I gave it a go with one of two Feathers, which, while sharp, were a bit unweildy for me.)
Then, some weeks back, the Futur got broadsided in much the same way as the Vision (again, not by me). The cap went missing for a whilethere's one potential problem with removable razor parts, and I'd have to make do with a Personna Tri-Flexx (don't ask) while sorting out what to do next. That's when I came back here, and, in the wee hours, instinctively pounced upon two of three Gillette DEs on offer by someone. I figured that one good example each of an adjustable (late-model Super Adjustable) and non-adjustable (the Aristocrat, even though I was a tad tempted by the '71 Super Speed which was the third razor on offer...that one was scarfed up pretty fast, too). I'd long wondered whether I'd made the classic newbie mistake of diving into the deep end of the DE pool to fast, too eagerly. Now, I was going to see what the vintage life in the mirror would reveal.
Pulling the razors from the box and wrapping, I was in for a shock: I forgot how small and light the Gillettes were...and these were considered "man-sized" back in the day. But I had to remind myself that the only reference I had to go against these were the Teutonic Titans of Solingen. Thor's hammer versus a ball-peen job. "Downsizing" is a fact of life in so much else right now, but how would I handle this?
It was a lot easier than I could have imagined.
First up was the Super A. I took a once-used IP and loaded it up, set the razor to 5, and went at it. I'd skimped a bit on the shaving cream (TOBS Lavender), and was perhaps a bit overzealous in attack, likely because of the difference in size and weight. I liked the feel of the Super A overall, but didn't totally get the hang of the balance (a bit more top-heavy than either Merkur, IMO). The shave was pretty close, no nicks, but a bit of burn on a stretch of chin. Generally, I was satisfied.
Late this morning (day off from Jury Duty: yay!), after a luxurious shower, I loaded up the same blade in the Aristocrat, W/A/XTG as usual, but working to be a bit less intense than with the Super A. The balance seemed a bit better than the Super A, and I liked the textured handle (easy to twirl when swapping edges...the Super A offered engendered confidence in handling). At the finish, there were no nicks, but this time a bit of burn along the right side of my neck; I'd gone a bit nuts at the end with one blade-buff too many, and too fast.
And I had the closest, true-BBS shave in a long time. And this with an "old" blade.
Once the Vision is fixed and returned, there's a chance I'll sell it (I love it in a number of ways, but four razors might be a bit of a crowd here...yeah, blasphemy, right?
). Meanwhile, the cap for the Futur has been recovered, and I'll likely keep it. But it might not make it back into rotation terribly soon, as I stay put in the Wayback Machine and explore the possibilities of these two Gillettes. I've got those Dorcos and yellow 7 O'Clocks to get through, but not before pulling a fresh IP from the box.
Dad would've been amused.
- Barrett
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