Schick Injector I found - egad

[rdangelo]

Popped into an antique shop yesterday and found a Schick Injector. Has the plastic handle and looks a million years old. Seems straight and in decent shape. I got some blades at Wegman's this morning and thought I'd try it for an early afternoon shave, since my wife and I are going out for dinner later.

I did everything "right", by my own standards: right out of the shower, day and a half growth, hot water, wet beard, Cremo Cream (not my favorite, but stilll...), light touch, at least as light as I could.

Not good. First of all, it felt "harsh" the way the single blade disposables feel. Went WTG and although there were plenty of whiskers in the basin, not close at all for even a first pass. So I went ATG, which is even recommended on the Cremo tube and I can always get away with. Ended up reaching for extra witch hazel, then cold water with the alum block (which I hardly ever need any more) because I was all cut up. My face felt like I had been dry-shaved, for Pete's sake. Had to go hardcore then with the Skin Food after all this, to get some semblance of a face back.

So, apparently the Injector is not the one for me. I'm having good results with my Jagger 89 whatever DE and my Gem that I found in another antique shop. So I'll stick with those. I'm thinking I may not go through with the straight razor experiment I had planned...

 

[mblakele]

Sorry to hear that. It sounds to me like your blade angle was a little too aggressive, so that you were cutting into the skin about as much as the hair. This might help:

Using the injector is much like the old GEM razors in that the flat part of the razor head should be flat against the skin, which gives the "perfect" blade angle for that razor.

Is the handle plastic or bakelite? If it's bakelite it's probably the E-type, which is said to be fairly aggressive anyway. If you run into another type of injector in the future, you might like it better.

I have an E-type myself, and I haven't taken it for a spin in some time. Maybe that will be tomorrow's shave....

 

[bald1]

Any idea which vintage Schick you tried? Here's a page to help ID models: http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schicktech.htm

I have a couple of G models from the '40s and early '50s. They are much more aggressive than the more modern injector razors and accordingly need a very deft touch and as noted above proper angle.

Those Wegman blades were probably ASR Personnas which many folks dislike compared to the Chinese Schicks and of course certain NOS vintage blades. I've been using them for years. In addition to the blade dispenser issues many have documented, occasionally there can be a bad lot reminiscent, at least for me, of the crappy German Schick injector blades that have now been replaced by Chinese manufacture. They would pull and drag and cut as if they had not been properly sharpened or the coating process had destroyed the edge.

Bottom line is that with just one shave, don't give up on the injector system.

 

[Slivovitz]

If you had just gotten a meh shave that wasn't as good as your other razors, and if you tried it a couple of more times with the same result, it would be time to shrug and intone "YMMV".

With that bad an experience, though, I have to think that something else is going on. Besides the suggestions above, sometimes these old Schicks will have loosened up, and the blade will be moving around. Make sure it's tight in there. And after that, I'd think that blade angle, as already mentioned, is the likely culprit.

For quality of shave, my G1, I2, and L1 injectors are probably the best razors I've got, and certainly the easiest to use. It would be a shame to give up because of one bad experience.

 

[82R100]

If it turns out that your razor head is in any way loose that would explain the whole experience.

I'll be receiving a G type razor in need of repair in the mail in a few days and am considering documenting what it takes to get it back into working condition. I'll try to let you know when that gets posted so you can check in and check out the health of your razor.

- Chris

 

[rdangelo]

What is bakelite?

 

[rdangelo]

This forum thing is the bomb. After reading your responses, I'll definitely be checking on the possible looseless, what kind the razor is, where the blades were made, and ESPECIALLY the blade angle. Obviously I'm no more used to this razor than I was my first DE Merkur HD about 13 months ago.

Thanks again, chaps!

 

[nwman]

keep the flat plane of the razor head flush against your face. if this doesn't cut well, lower the razor handle towards your face just ever so slightly.

you'll know it when you hit it--suddenly, it's cutting perfectly leaving a lather free swipe and a very satisfying feel to the whiskers being cut. when the angle's right you can almost feel some invisible energy pulling the blade to the end of each pass, sounds weird i know. if i keep my touch light, i usually end up cutting a much longer swipe than with other razors just because it's so pleasurable, though i don't necessarily recommend this.

as my introduction to se shaving, injectors were a little bit of a miracle for me.
hope you give it one more try...

 

[Slivovitz]

What is bakelite?

It's one of the first plastics. Used to be modern, now looks old fashioned. Many of the older injectors have rather nice butterscotch colored Bakelite handles.

 

[BBrad]

What is bakelite?

It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland.

Bakelite was one of the earliest plastics used in producing both industrial and household goods. It is known for very hard surface that stands up well to use and age - it is also quite brittle.

Items in good condition made with Bakelite are very popular with collectors.

 

[DonOhio]

RD,

Same thing happened to me when I first tried them. Then I stayed away from inj. for better part of a year. Now I swear by them (see my sig).

I just got in a lot of razors with several of the more modern Schick's - will be glad to PIF you one...it may or may not make a difference for you, but injectors are worth not giving up on after even a couple shaves.

Like everyone else, I'd like to know what model Schick you tried.

 

[82R100]

It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland.

Bakelite was one of the earliest plastics used in producing both industrial and household goods. It is known for very hard surface that stands up well to use and age - it is also quite brittle.

Items in good condition made with Bakelite are very popular with collectors.

Some of the more recent products made of phenolic thermoset plastic are cookware handles, car ashtrays, circuit breaker housings.

- Chris

 

[ctakim]

It is a thermosetting phenol formaldehyde resin, formed from an elimination reaction of phenol with formaldehyde, usually with a wood flour filler. It was developed in 1907–1909 by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland.

Bakelite was one of the earliest plastics used in producing both industrial and household goods. It is known for very hard surface that stands up well to use and age - it is also quite brittle.

Items in good condition made with Bakelite are very popular with collectors.

Why did I bother with college and graduate school?? I could just read B&B all day! Thanks for such an informative post!!!