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Rockwell 6S, the best razor for me.

My wife got me a Red 6S for Christmas. Ordered it on Black Friday and never arrived. We got a usps tracking number but never got that. My wife contacted Rockwell customer support and Barr looked into it and finally received it yesterday. No visible flaw and shaved with it yesterday and today on R3 and all is well. First shave was a bit draggy, maybe new blade or light on the shave cream but today was a good shave.

I have another 6S in Rhodium and has been fantastic and is regular DE on R4.

My second favorite sport team has red colors so that is why I got the Red from her. Cubbie Blue would be good….

Time will tell to see how well the red coating holds up. I still am looking for more and I like the looks of the Blackland Tradere. So it is a good Razor, it not be end all of be all for all people.

If I did not had RAD, I would be happy with a 6S. But I dislike a aggressive razor, or my face dislikes one.

Find what works for you and expand from there.

FYI. The T&H Grafton A/s is really good. Thanks to my wife on that one.
 
I'm happy with my new 6S. I just used it for the third time on my head and face, and had to step up to the R4 head since it had been several days since the last shave.

It took more passes then I expected, probably because the blade has too much mileage on it. But I have yet to draw blood with the 6S, which is remarkable, since I'd become used to my head-shaving routine looking like a horror movie set.

The one thing I dislike about the 6S is that the blade sticks out slightly on each side, which causes discomfort when shaving behind the ears.
 
Two threads about Rockwell razors lately with concise and detailed assessments of the qualities of the razor ("the best razor for me", "pure magic") resulting in a returned razor and reports about Rockwell support not being responsive all the time.

I had one "defective" razor in decades, and that was a butterfly TTO razor with not nicely and evenly closing doors. I found that razor in a box under the roof, age probably 20+ years, user unknown.

I also have a Q-Shave Futur clone that requires some manual alignment of the blade when it isn't centered perfectly.

Long short story: The Rockwell 6S is a mild to medium razor with R1 and R2 only being used by extremely few people, for most these plates are unusable. 3, 4 and 6 seem most commonly used, with 4 giving me surprisingly a better shave than 6, something I wondered about. I think 4 guides to a better cutting angle, despite the lower gap resulting in a better result.

I will never deny that the Rockwell 6S gives a very good result. As usual preferences are YMMV, but among dozens of razors I have it isn't among my favorites, but rather sitting at the bottom. It's too mild for me and its finish is less shiny than that of and other razor. It's MIM cast with minimal brushwork to remove machining marks, so the plates inside are often shown with crude casting marks.

I offered some excess razors of the good kind to a friend and neighbor less than a month ago. He had the pick of a RazoRock BBS AS, Rockwell 6S, DSCosmetic X1, and beat me, another DSCosmetic or Yintal.

This was a gift of the kind try them all, keep one kind. Seems he only tried the Rockwell, which gives a great shave, and it has three plates. This must always give it an air of being exceptional. Maybe even the less polished finish sets it apart in a perversively positive way, kinda.

I am fairly sure he only tried the Rockwell or picked it just because it had the most parts, but well, his choice.

The Rockwell is much more readily available and not too expensive. Maybe this is why it gets talked about so way mich more than any other SS razor. It usually also is the first stainless steel razor for many people.

The combination of these factors seems to create such a positive buzz that even the most seasoned and acclaimed marketing experts can only smile and bow in awe! 😀

Maybe the defects get so much more reported because so many units are sold. I don't know.

Outside the USA the Rockwell is a razor that often is available locally, without having to import it from overseas. This also contributes to popularity.

It takes a while to find your favorite razor. In most cases it is also not cheap. Für instance, my first choice was the Timeless .95 gap head. Turns out it is very good and smooth, but boy, do I love the 0.5 Slim head so much more. I also for some reason don't like the BBS AS, the BBS A on the other hand is fine for me. While I in general rather prefer more aggressive razors.

Where to start when getting more serious about DE razors?

The Rockwell is often seen as a good start. Merkur 34c and Edwin Jagger DE89 are often recommend as well, and many people stick with these razors forever, and there is nothing wrong about it.

It just terribly rubs me the wrong way when a razor with regular quality issues and the most basic finish gets recommended and praised so much.

There are so many razors out there that potentially are an even better fit, shave better, with a better finish and no recurring quality issues.

For some reason the Rockwell is supposed to be the end all razor upgrade. The one time perfect investment.

I think Rockwell pushes the right buttons. A mix of Lego and adjustable, a flood of positive reviews drowning the also significant number of complaints.

I feel myself nearly again for the razor. The electric blue version is a looker. A few days later the OP reported paint flaking. Bets are on if the replacement will do any better, and when it will be shipped and received.

I would like to be the marketing guy at Rockwell. I would do nothing regarding the 6S and focus on trying to recreate the magic for their latest models. It has become a self runner.

And as some might have stopped reading halfway, TLDR: other razor manufacturers have even prettier daughters/razors that also might shave even better. 😉
The 6S was my first razor and still gives me great shaves. I have never had an issue with QC and I expect that the majority of 6S users haven't had an issue either. Personally, I prefer a longer handle than the stock handle but that is my only complaint. My razor is the standard stainless finish, so I haven't had an issue with coatings. I won't hesitate to recommend this razor based on my personal experience. YMMV
 
Thanks. I can't tell a difference between how the blade sits in any of my 6S' heads, but I see a very small variance in how the blade aligns, by virtue of the amount of play it has in the top cap. I'm going to assume that this is normal.

View attachment 1381955

Yes, that's me touching a razor blade with my bare fingers. :biggrin1:
Mine does the same thing. It's still my favorite razor. My guess as the head is tightened and the blade transitions from a flat plane to a curve the distance of the diamond shape hole's shorten and making the blade rest on the posts. It works.

One of the complaints sometimes showing up here once in a while is that if the blade is making noise it's a bad design. But If it works?

Sometimes we miss out on things when they don't meet or notions of how something should be. To each their own.
 
Still, there’s nothing more entertaining than a thread that goes from “best razor ever” to “oh, it fell apart” in less than one page. I loved it. Nearly choked to death laughing.

By the way, my 6S Red is still intact, but I’m inspired to shave with it tomorrow and I have my fingers crossed it will explode for our gratification.
 
Thanks to this thread, I looked in to my razor storage drawers and found my Rockwell 6S in original silver after several months. It had a Gillette India Permasharp SS (Green) blade loaded with plate 5/6. I would probably have used it for a quick shave in between my SE and SR shaves some months back.

Lathered up MWF with the Razorock BC silvertip synthetic. First pass on #5 and flipped to #6 for the second pass.

The 6S reminded me that the heavy industrial head always delivers a fantastic, smooth, efficient shave. Perfect in every way ! Couldn't ask for anything more. It makes me wonder why do I need any other razors. :001_rolle

Reminded me of some of the better things in my life to be grateful for - a great shave on the last day of this year and ready and looking forward to a new one !

Happy shaves Gents !
 
Nothing but joy for me from my 6S; I love everything about it.

Personally, I find a whoooole lot of room for gentlemanly disagreement with post #37 (e.g. "For some reason the Rockwell is supposed to be the end all razor upgrade. The one time perfect investment." (Utterly Confused Look Goes HERE)) but to each their own.
 
Agreed - this is a great razor.
Probably one of the best values out there with the 6 different gap settings - esp since it's fairly easy to get this razor new for around $80.
 
I bought the 2C initially and then ended up buying the 2/4 plate seperately.

I just try various blades on the 1,2, and 3 settings to see which one's work best with which blade - 4 is too aggressive for me.

I like the razor, in general, a lot. It's pretty heavy but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
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I got a 6s for Christmas and it's my best razor so far. I am still trying different blades with it and testing different plates but I already found some very good combinations. I've already experienced the best shave I ever had with the 6s in one year of wet shaving.
At first it can be a bit complicated to manage with the different plates when you don't shave regularly but overall it's a very comfortable razor. I'd say my Gillette Tech is almost as good in term of comfort but I prefer the 6s and its hefty weight. I also like it's rugged looks and it feels like it's built like a tank.

I don't think it's just a marketing spoof, it might be that the popularity of the 6s comes from the pretty good build quality (at least for the basic SS finish), comfort and consistent results the razor can give.
 
I got a 6s for Christmas and it's my best razor so far. I am still trying different blades with it and testing different plates but I already found some very good combinations. I've already experienced the best shave I ever had with the 6s in one year of wet shaving.
At first it can be a bit complicated to manage with the different plates when you don't shave regularly but overall it's a very comfortable razor. I'd say my Gillette Tech is almost as good in term of comfort but I prefer the 6s and its hefty weight. I also like it's rugged looks and it feels like it's built like a tank.

I don't think it's just a marketing spoof, it might be that the popularity of the 6s comes from the pretty good build quality (at least for the basic SS finish), comfort and consistent results the razor can give.
It is a damn good razor. I have a number of modern razors now and I enjoy the 6S immensely when it comes up in my rotation. The weight of this razor does most of the work for you. BTW, I switch plates between passes from a higher number to a lower number plate and it is easy to do. It feels like it is built like a tank because it is built like a tank.
 
I got a 6s for Christmas and it's my best razor so far. I am still trying different blades with it and testing different plates but I already found some very good combinations. I've already experienced the best shave I ever had with the 6s in one year of wet shaving.
At first it can be a bit complicated to manage with the different plates when you don't shave regularly but overall it's a very comfortable razor. I'd say my Gillette Tech is almost as good in term of comfort but I prefer the 6s and its hefty weight. I also like it's rugged looks and it feels like it's built like a tank.

I don't think it's just a marketing spoof, it might be that the popularity of the 6s comes from the pretty good build quality (at least for the basic SS finish), comfort and consistent results the razor can give.
KAI/Feather blades work well in my 6c with plate R5.
 
KAI/Feather blades work well in my 6c with plate R5.
As it has been said before, it seems that blades that work for you usually work almost the same in any razor, I kinda found out it was the case for me.
I tried a Feather blade in the 6S but did not like it so far but I'll try it again. I like the Kai blades on my Kai Captain shavette and I wanna get a pack of DE Kai blades to try them out too.
At the moment my best results were with some Gillette 7 O'clock Super Stainless on all the razors that I own. With the 6S I use the R4 or R3 plates but in my opinion plates should be switched depending on the growth you have.
 
It is a damn good razor. I have a number of modern razors now and I enjoy the 6S immensely when it comes up in my rotation. The weight of this razor does most of the work for you. BTW, I switch plates between passes from a higher number to a lower number plate and it is easy to do. It feels like it is built like a tank because it is built like a tank.
I tried switching plates for example from 4 to 2 or 3 to 2 for ATG passes and it was great, I need to try again to see if it is really better for less irritations.
I might get used to do the 4/2 switch as it seems to be the most logical way to use the plates. It is kinda annoying for me though cause I also shave my head so I would need to switch at least twice everytime I shave.

I was able to get a great BBS shave using only plate 4 for face and head though.
 
I tried switching plates for example from 4 to 2 or 3 to 2 for ATG passes and it was great, I need to try again to see if it is really better for less irritations.
This is one very flexible razor. Avoiding irritation is exactly the reason I began switching plates between passes. My technique has improved to the point where I might not need to do so but I still switch plates. As an example, sometimes, I start out with a 5 on my first with-the-grain (WTG), use a 4 on my second across-the-grain pass (XTG) and move to plate 3 or 2 for my final against-the-grain pass (ATG). I am particularly prone to irritation on my neck near my Adam's apple and this technique helps me to avoid this problem. All that said, I am not a head shaver so my needs are different. I am also retired and can indulge in such time consuming rituals.
 
I tried switching plates for example from 4 to 2 or 3 to 2 for ATG passes and it was great, I need to try again to see if it is really better for less irritations.
I might get used to do the 4/2 switch as it seems to be the most logical way to use the plates. It is kinda annoying for me though cause I also shave my head so I would need to switch at least twice everytime I shave.

I was able to get a great BBS shave using only plate 4 for face and head though.

I also shave my head, and after reading Southsider's message, decided I'm going to try switching to R1 before the last pass. But there's no need to do this multiple times, because you can simply shave such that a "pass" includes everything (face and head).

I doubt I will stick to this practice, though, because even using the R3 or R4 the whole time leaves me with no irritation. I love the 6S.
 
I also shave my head, and after reading Southsider's message, decided I'm going to try switching to R1 before the last pass. But there's no need to do this multiple times, because you can simply shave such that a "pass" includes everything (face and head).

I doubt I will stick to this practice, though, because even using the R3 or R4 the whole time leaves me with no irritation. I love the 6S.
I don't think R1 would be enough for head shaving but R2 should be nice when you're ATG. Although, if you don't have any irritation I don't see the point anyway.
I already tried switching to R2 ATG on my face but for my head one plate usually does the job. R3 or R4 is mild and comfortable enough for 2 passes + corrections ATG.
Anyway, some days a shave can go great and sometimes it can go wrong (skin not in good condition, bad lather, wrong blade etc...) so it is great to be able to switch plates whenever you feel like it's gonna be more comfortable
 
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