Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
They do not give them away!
Happy shaves,
Jim
Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....
- Thread starter Phoenixkh
- Start date
They do not give them away!
Happy shaves,
Jim
Yes, I do agree that knot density and backbone are not primary considerations, nor that more is necessarily better.
I got the badger / horse brushes from VanityStock.com in Italy. They have a lot of rare or unique Zeniths and I suspect some may be things Zenith only makes for them. They have a lot of Manchurian / Silvertip mixed knots too, which I can’t imagine Zenith normally makes. Unfortunately their site says they ship within the EU and for other countries you would have to email them to arrange it.
The horn Plisson is size 14, which is 22mm diameter and 59mm loft. Here is Plisson’s size chart with the diameters and lofts for each size.
Yep. Horn is expensive, and I guess badger hairs that long are too. I think somebody had a size 20 brush and it was so big it was almost a comedy brush, or a display brush. Although the knot diameters are not large, the lofts are so high that the brushes feel a great deal larger. My 22mm size 14 is a good size brush, and I guess size 12 (standard) is too. The 22mm size 14 feels equivalent to between 26 and 28mm knots from other brands using more common loft ratios.
Size 10 at €320.00. Super tempted.
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
Yes, it's a very good razor.
Rumor has it it's much like and perhaps made by Fatip.
I was quite disappointed with mine...
...but only because it has nine teeth. The one on the Plisson website had eleven teeth like a Fatip. Mine has nine teeth like a Schone. I did not appreciate getting a surprise instead of what I ordered. The company didn't bother responding to my letter of complaint either. Bad customer service!
Still, it is a very good razor. Beautiful. Works very well indeed (as do all Fatips).
It was a Christmas present from my bride. As such, I love it even more.
Happy shaves,
Jim
Attachments
My brass/nickel brush is size 10. It actually feels bigger than I expected and it is a very usable size. That one is actually European White hair, not High Mountain White, but they feel pretty close - also very soft.
Since I have a beard, I often find the 26-28mm range that appears to be the most popular to be more than I would like anyway.
Altho, backpedal, I wasn't looking at the High Mountain White. 450 euro for the 10.
Jim! No!!
I didn’t intend to start a Plisson buying frenzy and I feel I should stress that the Plisson brush is very different from any other brush I’ve used. It’s very soft, it encourages you to use it in a gentle and relaxed manner, it feels luxurious and refined to me, and it makes a very nice lather with little effort. But it is absolutely not a dense brush, it is not high backbone (though it’s not floppy, it is lower backbone than the average badger), it’s not scrubby, and it is not for mashing on your face - that would be a tragic abuse and heaven knows what this would do to the knot.
Most current shavers here wouldn’t like the Plisson - at least not judging by the trends of what people buy and say they like. It’s expensive and you’re paying for a heritage brand name (since 1808) and a unique way of making brushes. Mine are very nicely made, but most people around here would say they are terrible value because they lack the hair density they expect for a $200+ badger brush. You will only see value in these brushes if you appreciate the refined feel of a brush that is made the Plisson way. I’m sure Plisson will never change - they’re French and they will do it their way.
If you want to buy one, please do expect that it will not be like other brushes. Some of you might be delighted and never use any other brush, and some of you will be furious at spending even a dollar on it. Most of you, probably. If you don’t appreciate the particular qualities of this knot you might well think it feels like a very cheap knot. I think it’s a niche taste now, but I guess decades ago this was the height of luxury shaving and the Plisson was the most refined brush in production, for the tastes of the period.
Most current shavers here wouldn’t like the Plisson - at least not judging by the trends of what people buy and say they like. It’s expensive and you’re paying for a heritage brand name (since 1808) and a unique way of making brushes. Mine are very nicely made, but most people around here would say they are terrible value because they lack the hair density they expect for a $200+ badger brush. You will only see value in these brushes if you appreciate the refined feel of a brush that is made the Plisson way. I’m sure Plisson will never change - they’re French and they will do it their way.
If you want to buy one, please do expect that it will not be like other brushes. Some of you might be delighted and never use any other brush, and some of you will be furious at spending even a dollar on it. Most of you, probably. If you don’t appreciate the particular qualities of this knot you might well think it feels like a very cheap knot. I think it’s a niche taste now, but I guess decades ago this was the height of luxury shaving and the Plisson was the most refined brush in production, for the tastes of the period.
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A momentous journey it is Kim! I for one thoroughly enjoy your journal and posts (and remember the going back and forth if you should stay one or not!). Always kind and always in depth with the shaving masters of B&B chipping in as well. For me you have always been around and nearby (but that could be because we joined in the same month and when I joined you were already here 
).
You have an amazing collection of razors and I look forward to your further explorations with this collection in terms of shave quality, blade selection, and technique.
Glad you are part of B&B!
Cheers,
Guido
).You have an amazing collection of razors and I look forward to your further explorations with this collection in terms of shave quality, blade selection, and technique.
Glad you are part of B&B!
Cheers,
Guido
Chan Eil Whiskers
Fumbling about.
- Thread starter
- #633
I put off my shave yesterday and Man, am I glad I shaved today. My face is very smooth. Well done, hands and shaving equipment.
I used the RR SuperSlant L3 again today. My hands and equipment were stellar <pause> My brain? Not so much. I was able to get the sides of my chin cleaned up, nick free.... but the front of my chin..... I have a pretty decent, new nick. You know, one of those you for which you buy liquid styptic because you've been there before.
I nicked myself on the first ATG pass, re-lathered and did an XTG pass with no further damage but decided, just before I applied the lather the third time: your face needs to try the L2++ for your final pass. I know it's a bit of a hassle switching base plates mid-stream, but it only took a minute or less.
I have to say.....I've only had two shaves with the L3 but the L2++ appears, for me, to be much smoother. I realize, this is after one pass and my whiskers were all but gone. I could hear it cutting, so not all gone. For me, the L3 is very efficient, but not all that smooth. With the L2++, it was a feel to which I'm grown accustomed to with my other top razors, at least, that is my first impression. I'm going to stick with the SuperSlant and use the L2++ base plate until I get comfortable with it. I haven't had a nick on the front of my chin since.... well, I can't remember, truth be told.
I wasn't kidding when I said my face feels smooth at the moment. My post process includes Metro Gel and Hyaluronic Acid, both of which I apply to a wet face, each drying in between applications. My last step, after my face is dry, is to add the Neutrogena Hydro Boost on top. During all three applications, I didn't feel anything but skin. I wasn't really going for BBS, but I guess that's what I got. It wasn't all that pleasant getting there. Don't get the wrong impression. I'm going to Really like the SuperSlant, but I'm still learning it. It will be interesting to see what a full shave is like with the L2++ base plate produces. Rather than continue to use the Wizamet, I did install a new Nacet blade when I reassembled the razor, but I haven't noticed that much difference in the blades I'm using so I don't thing that should influence things that much. All of them have been excellent.
I took a photo of the L3 and L2++ base plates so you can see them side by side. As has been mentioned in the SuperSlant thread, the ++ base plates have a little step in them. I'm guessing the L2 starts out looking like the L3 but with a smaller gap... and the + and the ++ have increasing steps down but someone else will have to confirm that for us.
L3 on the left:
My set up today:
I used the RR SuperSlant L3 again today. My hands and equipment were stellar <pause> My brain? Not so much. I was able to get the sides of my chin cleaned up, nick free.... but the front of my chin..... I have a pretty decent, new nick. You know, one of those you for which you buy liquid styptic because you've been there before.
I nicked myself on the first ATG pass, re-lathered and did an XTG pass with no further damage but decided, just before I applied the lather the third time: your face needs to try the L2++ for your final pass. I know it's a bit of a hassle switching base plates mid-stream, but it only took a minute or less.
I have to say.....I've only had two shaves with the L3 but the L2++ appears, for me, to be much smoother. I realize, this is after one pass and my whiskers were all but gone. I could hear it cutting, so not all gone. For me, the L3 is very efficient, but not all that smooth. With the L2++, it was a feel to which I'm grown accustomed to with my other top razors, at least, that is my first impression. I'm going to stick with the SuperSlant and use the L2++ base plate until I get comfortable with it. I haven't had a nick on the front of my chin since.... well, I can't remember, truth be told.
I wasn't kidding when I said my face feels smooth at the moment. My post process includes Metro Gel and Hyaluronic Acid, both of which I apply to a wet face, each drying in between applications. My last step, after my face is dry, is to add the Neutrogena Hydro Boost on top. During all three applications, I didn't feel anything but skin. I wasn't really going for BBS, but I guess that's what I got. It wasn't all that pleasant getting there. Don't get the wrong impression. I'm going to Really like the SuperSlant, but I'm still learning it. It will be interesting to see what a full shave is like with the L2++ base plate produces. Rather than continue to use the Wizamet, I did install a new Nacet blade when I reassembled the razor, but I haven't noticed that much difference in the blades I'm using so I don't thing that should influence things that much. All of them have been excellent.
I took a photo of the L3 and L2++ base plates so you can see them side by side. As has been mentioned in the SuperSlant thread, the ++ base plates have a little step in them. I'm guessing the L2 starts out looking like the L3 but with a smaller gap... and the + and the ++ have increasing steps down but someone else will have to confirm that for us.
L3 on the left:
My set up today:
Thanks for the photo of the baseplates, that's not a little step! I am very pleased with my guess that the ++ plate would be better for how you shave, but good job having a go with the L3 never the less. The thing with these slants is one end is different than the other, not side. I have found that areas that get nicked require you to remember them and use either the middle or the mildest end of the razor, which is kind of annoying. Also, because one end is higher and one lower, that can require brain recalibration dynamically. If you start to think about it too much, it is actually a lot going on. Some of the pretty aggressive slants have one side where the blade almost sticks straight out, can't remember if it's the high or the low side! Your X1 is probably easier because it's a tilted slant, not a helical.
Please heal quickly, @Phoenixkh
I did say there would be blood.
- Thread starter
- #637
Not a bad movie either.
I just took delivery of the L1 for use later this week.
- Thread starter
- #639
I look forward to your impressions. It is an interesting design.
Despite your challenging first shave @Phoenixkh , you're getting me very curious about the Superslant, and I'm just barely getting over a nasty case of RAD after joining the forum! Digitally contagious.
