Rockwell 6S versus new Henson AL13 mild

[ShavingPrimate]

There are just some spots that work so much better on my face with this razor.

I can see how that would be.

 

[Bells Dad]

This shaving thing is so technique and skin specific it can be hard to draw comparisons. I have now been shaving daily with the Henson mild, and it is only getting better for me as I learn the pressure etc. There are just some spots that work so much better on my face with this razor.

My shave buddy Thomas bought a Henson medium and was so amazed about it that he sold everything (karve, wolf, timeless ect) Good for him (and good for me, I bought the timeless for peanuts)

 

[WhiskerLess]

Shavepals:

I have been wet shaving for 9 years, and my technique is pretty good. I have been using the Rockwell 6s for many years now. It is a fine razor. I had been using plate 4 for years, but find that I have some sensitive areas that are just hard to get right with the plate 4. When I go for it and get BBS, I sometimes pay with irritation and some weepers. So recently I switched to plate 3. I find it harder to reach BBS, but I am satisfied with DFS+. I shave pretty much every day. So it has been performing pretty well. I have decided that a milder razor makes sense for my face.

I was intrigued by the Henson AL13, and at the fairly low price point thought I would give it a try. The razor has a reputation of being perhaps too mild. Today I loaded an Astra SP, my blade of choice all the time, and went for it with my usual Proraso red cream. The shave was nearly effortless. Took a minute to get used to how light the razor is, but you find the angle immediately. There is not much feedback, just a little, but that is a good thing since it is really just shaving. I found the shave was terrific, and nearly BBS with my usual 3 pass shave. I will use this for a while and see what I think, but I suspect I will switch to this permanently. Very interesting indeed. The way the blade is held, and the shape of the razor make it easy to get the angle. I suspect many could get good shaves with this with less effort and technique.

I am relatively new to DE shaving, decades of carts before.

Initially, Henson was my 1st choice when I am about to shift into DE shaving.
However, I went for Rockwell 6S due to the good reviews I am reading and various plates options.
I have no idea what aggressiveness would suit me so I went with all these in mind.

However, Henson always piqued my interest. Like you, I am most comfortable shaving with R3 & R4 plate with sensitive skin.
That neck in between lower chin and Adam's apple is very challenging for me. Its where I get irritation most of the time.

How do you compare Henson mild with Rockwell, which plate is the equivalent in terms of smoothness and aggressiveness?
I am curios to try myself, about to pull the trigger but not sure whether to go for Henson mild or Henson medium.

 

[Iridian]

Both razors make me just sad. For the Rockwell its the drab finish and overall mildness and for the Henson that it simply is too mild and the locked in angle plus low weight.

Thankfully the forum is full of alternative suggestions!

 

[tm3]

I am relatively new to DE shaving, decades of carts before.

Initially, Henson was my 1st choice when I am about to shift into DE shaving.
However, I went for Rockwell 6S due to the good reviews I am reading and various plates options.
I have no idea what aggressiveness would suit me so I went with all these in mind.

However, Henson always piqued my interest. Like you, I am most comfortable shaving with R3 & R4 plate with sensitive skin.
That neck in between lower chin and Adam's apple is very challenging for me. Its where I get irritation most of the time.

How do you compare Henson mild with Rockwell, which plate is the equivalent in terms of smoothness and aggressiveness?
I am curios to try myself, about to pull the trigger but not sure whether to go for Henson mild or Henson medium.

I have a Henson mild that I really like. I bought, and returned, a 6s as while it was a very nice razor I didn't feel like it brought anything unique to the table over my other favorite razors (Merkur 34, Progress, ASD2).

I would say that the Henson mild shaves similarly to the 6s with a plate #2, or maybe #3.

For me a big difference is in the handling. I always thought that I preferred heavier razors until I tried the Henson. The light weight and handle design make it very maneuverable, and this might help you with the problem area on your neck that you describe. The Henson handles much more like a cartridge razor than the 6s.

I think you made a great and very logical decision in picking the 6s as a first DE. You might prefer the Henson and the only way to know for sure is to try one. I've seen them sold used for around $40-50, and they can be picked up in sales like Black Friday for 20% off.

 

[WhiskerLess]

I think you made a great and very logical decision in picking the 6s as a first DE. You might prefer the Henson and the only way to know for sure is to try one.

Thanks, guess you are right. Bought one myself AL13 mild to compare.

But if I saw your reply a little tad earlier I could have bought AL13 medium. I am shaving R3 / R4 plates on Rockwell 6s.

Anyways, in case I would not like it I can always pass it on to my daughter for her leg shaving.

 

[tm3]

I hope you like your new razor!

I think that I read that over 90% of sales are of the mild, as that is what most prefer, but obviously some like the more aggressive versions.

You may want to check out the Henson Razor Club thread for more tips and suggestions.

 

[dndrich]

I am relatively new to DE shaving, decades of carts before.

Initially, Henson was my 1st choice when I am about to shift into DE shaving.
However, I went for Rockwell 6S due to the good reviews I am reading and various plates options.
I have no idea what aggressiveness would suit me so I went with all these in mind.

However, Henson always piqued my interest. Like you, I am most comfortable shaving with R3 & R4 plate with sensitive skin.
That neck in between lower chin and Adam's apple is very challenging for me. Its where I get irritation most of the time.

How do you compare Henson mild with Rockwell, which plate is the equivalent in terms of smoothness and aggressiveness?
I am curios to try myself, about to pull the trigger but not sure whether to go for Henson mild or Henson medium.

It has been nearly a year now since I bought the Henson mild and started this thread. It is the only razor I use. My Rockwell is sitting in the drawer. I love the Henson mild. I do a 3 pass shave with a face lather with Proraso cream and Astra SP blades. The whole thing takes like 8 minutes. My technique has evolved over the last 9 years to be very fast. I really move the Henson across the face with speed and almost no touch or pressure. It just glides across with very little feel, and takes the hair off effortlessly with no irritation or weepers etc. When people say to let the razor do the work and use no pressure, I really take that to heart with the Henson and it does not disappoint. Every day I have BBS/DFS with no rash, irritation etc. I even shave my neck now against the grain, which I could not do with any other razor without irritation. I am sold. I am not a hobbyist like some on this board. I wet shave just to get a good reliable fast shave without irritation. I started wet shaving years ago because carts gave me so much irritation. I suspect I could shave with a cart now and not have much irritation since I finally know how to shave at age 64, but there is no reason. My method works so well I don’t even think about it anymore. Love the Henson.

 

[Jaybyrd]

It has been nearly a year now since I bought the Henson mild and started this thread. It is the only razor I use. My Rockwell is sitting in the drawer. I love the Henson mild. I do a 3 pass shave with a face lather with Proraso cream and Astra SP blades. The whole thing takes like 8 minutes. My technique has evolved over the last 9 years to be very fast. I really move the Henson across the face with speed and almost no touch or pressure. It just glides across with very little feel, and takes the hair off effortlessly with no irritation or weepers etc. When people say to let the razor do the work and use no pressure, I really take that to heart with the Henson and it does not disappoint. Every day I have BBS/DFS with no rash, irritation etc. I even shave my neck now against the grain, which I could not do with any other razor without irritation. I am sold. I am not a hobbyist like some on this board. I wet shave just to get a good reliable fast shave without irritation. I started wet shaving years ago because carts gave me so much irritation. I suspect I could shave with a cart now and not have much irritation since I finally know how to shave at age 64, but there is no reason. My method works so well I don’t even think about it anymore. Love the Henson.

This is great! I am a Newb and this has become a hobby for me. I love the Henson razor, it’s definitely the easiest to shave with and I get great results DFS+ maybe BBS cheeks. I also have the Rockwell and use plates 3/4 and although I like how it feels in my hand I don’t love the blade tabs sticking out the edges and the size of the cap makes it hard for me to get under & near my snout. I bought a second Henson recently to take with me on travel. I’m still trying to find the perfect blade for me but so far the GSB and Gillette Platinums have been superb.