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SE noob with some dumb questions (Vector related)

Thank you @molon_labe, this is more fantastic information! I think I asked about gap and exposure because that is the only reference point I have coming from DE's. the more I read on them though, I can really see how the variety of blades available is what will really determine the efficiency and/or aggressiveness in the Vector. I shave daily, so high efficiency is not necessary for me. Comfort is much more important. What I am mainly wanting is the least "bitey" experience, even some of the slightly aggressive carts can bite the crown of my skull if I get a bit careless (Defender, Gillette Guard, Bic Metal). That skin is thin up there, no room for error!

That is also an interesting note on the carboard sleeves and shipping from Try a Blade. I will definitely remember that when I try the blades I ordered from them.
 
Thank you @molon_labe, this is more fantastic information! I think I asked about gap and exposure because that is the only reference point I have coming from DE's. the more I read on them though, I can really see how the variety of blades available is what will really determine the efficiency and/or aggressiveness in the Vector. I shave daily, so high efficiency is not necessary for me. Comfort is much more important. What I am mainly wanting is the least "bitey" experience, even some of the slightly aggressive carts can bite the crown of my skull if I get a bit careless (Defender, Gillette Guard, Bic Metal). That skin is thin up there, no room for error!

That is also an interesting note on the carboard sleeves and shipping from Try a Blade. I will definitely remember that when I try the blades I ordered from them.

I have personally never been bitten in the slightest by the Vector, but then again I’m not shaving the back of my head blindly. But for my face it’s certainly an “auto-pilot” razor that doesn’t take any special level of concentration or anything, despite having some blade feel to it. Try not to think of the face feel and blade exposure in the same terms as you think of DE, AC blades are a much different experience than any DE razors. GEM are even different than AC. It’s hard to explain if you’ve never used an SE razor, so try not to find comparisons from one platform to another.

I’m also a daily shaver, so efficiency is not my #1 concern either. However, I will say that one of the main reasons I only use the Vector now is because it’s the only razor I’ve found in 8 years of wet shaving that I can get extremely close shaves day after day without any irritation.
 
This is more of what I wanted to hear. Comfortable, smooth, and cruising on autopilot is why I landed on my Karve for daily face shaves. But I just can't get a great head shave with it.

Strange how the DE and SE feel so different, though it makes some sense the more I think about it. I have been eyeing Gem razors too, especially the Sabre, that thing just looks cool. Actually the whole Blackland lineup look cool really.
 
There are some really great answers in this thread that cover just about everything here. I’ll only add that we no longer share blade gap or exposure on any of our razors. I found that people try to shave with a spec sheet and it just doesn’t work very well. It also added a lot of confusion when a razor like the Blackbird has a smaller gap than, say, the Sabre L2 even though the Blackbird is more aggressive. We’ve never published the Vector specs and I don’t even know them off the top of my head.

P.S., Vector Ti shipping is on track to hit our end of August target, if only by the skin of our teeth.
 
I really appreciate you weighing in! All I can say is I am very excited to try the Vector, and have not read a single review that makes me think that I won't like it. I am stoked that they will start shipping next week too. Being impatient, it's nice not to have to wait too long!
 
Just a note to say that the Feather Pro Light does not fit the Vector. The Soft guard does; as far as I'm aware, the difference with the Soft Guard is the guard mechanism itself, rather than the width of the blade, which looks like the standard 8mm to my eye.

In my early Vector days, I found the Soft Guard an excellent tool for confidence-building. I did not get on well with the Feather Pro Guard; not a smooth shave for me. I find that guarded blades, while forgiving in a physical sense, tend not to feel so smooth (because of the guards, I presume). YMMV. Anyway, as has already been said, the Kai Pink is a smooth and forgiving option.

I think you will arrive at your own preference, and you'll have a lot of fun getting there. The first time I tried a Pro Super in my Vector, I thought that was a step too far, but as I've dialled in my technique, the Pro Super is my favourite blade. It requires almost no pressure, and the extra stiffness is an advantage, as far as I'm concerned.

Have fun!
 
Thank you for this note on the Feather Light. I did order 5 of them in my Try a Blade order, lol! I will PIF them to someone. Thankfully I ordered most of the other blades as well, so I should still be able to land on something I like.
I did not add any Pro Supers to my order as I thought they would be way too much for now. But I am happy there are several options for down the road too!
 
Another Vector thread, me likey! I'll take every opportunity to hype/shill the Blackland Vector.

I've had my polished SS Vector since Feb 2020, and it totally changed my shaving life. No exaggeration. I am pairing the head with a polished Ti handle (same dimensions as stock handle) since March of 2020, and it remains the ultimate shaving tool for me. In fact, I only own two razors now (the other is a DE: H&SCo Z075-ti, an ultra smooth razor).

I don't think I'll be getting the Ti Vector because I just love the feel and balance of my current polished SS + Ti handle setup. Those who do get it, especially if it's your first experience with the Vector, or even AC-style razor, let me tell you, for me at least, the learning curve was non-existent. It was so intuitive. My favorite AC blades are the Schick Proline and the Kai Captain Titan Mild (referred to as "pinks").
 
Thanks @JoeLr this is exactly the kind of post I love to see! Once I got my Karve, I sold all of my other DE's, and I am hoping that I feel the same on the Vector. I just want one DE and one SE that I love. My brush and soap addiction is already taking up too much space and money! lol
 
Thanks @JoeLr this is exactly the kind of post I love to see! Once I got my Karve, I sold all of my other DE's, and I am hoping that I feel the same on the Vector. I just want one DE and one SE that I love. My brush and soap addiction is already taking up too much space and money! lol
Now, how did your journey proceed? What's your take on the Vector after using it a couple of months?

Whilst typing this post I'm just as clueless as you were when you started this thread and raised your initial questions. I have never shaved with a SE razor to date. Zero experience when it comes to AC blades, too.

However, that didn't hinder me from buying a SE razor. I received my Vector SS last week - and the debut shave still is pending. A friend of mine pif'ed me some blades (Feather Soft Guard) when I told him I pulled the trigger on the Vector. The Feather Soft Guard is his favourite AC blade and he uses them exclusively. I'll give the Vector paired with this blade a try soon, ok, tomorrow 😉

Being already stumbled down the DE-rabbit hole quite a bit, I remembered the sound advise a noob better should listen to: get a sample back of blades before buying in bulk!

I found a vendor who offers several single AC blades, so I picked my own sample pack. Before I'm going to place my order could you seniors ( @JoeLr ,@molon_labe ) pls advise if any of the blade I chose (pictured in the screenshot) will NOT fit into the Vector?

I understood from the comment @BBS_Walker made a Feather Pro Light blades won't fit.

Screenshot_20211201-230050_Telekom Mail-01.jpeg


Any feedback is appreciated.

Besides, this indeed is a thread with meaningful answers for a noob like me. Thank you to everyone who already has contributed to this thread.
 
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I am glad you got yourself a Vector! I have used mine every single day since receiving it. I have used it for my face, but mainly got it for my head shaves. I have not regretted buying it for one second. I also went the Try a Blade route, and have landed on Kai Captain Titan Milds as my favorites and Captain Pro Touch as close seconds. Feather Soft Guards are okay, I actually have been using one this week, but it doesn't have the longevity for me. The Kai's give me 7-10 days for comforatble head shaves. (Another cool feature of AC blades)

I have not gotten a single nick or cut in use. I think the worst I got was a bit of razor burn on the back of my head on the first couple uses from learning the angle and overshaving a bit. It is very efficient without feeling at all aggressive.
 
I found a vendor who offers several single AC blades, so I picked my own sample pack. Before I'm going to place my order could you seniors ( @JoeLr ,@molon_labe ) pls advise if any of the blade I chose (pictured in the screenshot) will NOT fit into the Vector?

I understood from the comment @BBS_Walker made a Feather Pro Light blades won't fit.

The Pro Light is not compatible with the Vector and the FHS-10 is not an Artist Club blade so it also doesn't fit. All the others on your list will work.

I recommend picking one blade and sticking with it for your first week or so with the Vector until you feel comfortable and are getting good results. Then begin trying the rest of the sampler. It can be tempting to try a new blade each time, but that introduces a lot of variables which makes it difficult to determine whether the blade or your technique is responsible for the results. Dial in the technique on one blade and then you'll have a great foundation for evaluating the rest. It doesn't really matter where you start, but the Pro or ProGuard are generally decent options.

I hope you enjoy your Vector! Feel free to reach out if you have any technique questions.
 
The Pro Light is not compatible with the Vector and the FHS-10 is not an Artist Club blade so it also doesn't fit. All the others on your list will work.

I recommend picking one blade and sticking with it for your first week or so with the Vector until you feel comfortable and are getting good results. Then begin trying the rest of the sampler. It can be tempting to try a new blade each time, but that introduces a lot of variables which makes it difficult to determine whether the blade or your technique is responsible for the results. Dial in the technique on one blade and then you'll have a great foundation for evaluating the rest. It doesn't really matter where you start, but the Pro or ProGuard are generally decent options.

I hope you enjoy your Vector! Feel free to reach out if you have any technique questions.
Thank you, Shane, for your advice, very appreciated! It´s another proof of great customer service Blackland Razors provides.
I did not expect you to take the time to provide such an extensive answer.

In the meantime I placed my order on the sample AC-blades after your comments and I´m going to stick with one blade until this blade is done before swapping to another one (as long as I get a decent result).

However, today I had a flawless debut shave with an excellent result, the Vector was loaded with a fresh Feather Soft Guard (that´s been the only blade I had handy). The change from the DE-world to this SE-razor was not an issue for me at all (I guess I´m used to way more scary DE-razors), I managed to find a proper shaving angle by intuition and had a shave free of irritation and nicks, well yeah, even better, once having done two almost speedy passes and some touchups I ended up with a calm BBS skin.

Overall, it´s been a lovely debut shave with a stunning tool. Now I understand why almost every review of the Vector I saw is a glowing one (and I´m glad I avoided to tip my toe into SE-waters by getting a Yaqi clone instead).

That beeing said, I couldn´t be happier with the first shave of the Vector. My OC Blackbird now has found a new friend...

20211202_101412-01-01.jpeg

Again, thank you for taking the time to respond to my query!
 
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I am glad you got yourself a Vector! I have used mine every single day since receiving it. I have used it for my face, but mainly got it for my head shaves. I have not regretted buying it for one second. I also went the Try a Blade route, and have landed on Kai Captain Titan Milds as my favorites and Captain Pro Touch as close seconds. Feather Soft Guards are okay, I actually have been using one this week, but it doesn't have the longevity for me. The Kai's give me 7-10 days for comforatble head shaves. (Another cool feature of AC blades)

I have not gotten a single nick or cut in use. I think the worst I got was a bit of razor burn on the back of my head on the first couple uses from learning the angle and overshaving a bit. It is very efficient without feeling at all aggressive.
So am I.

That´s truly a stunning experience you made. Congrats on finding your grail razor?!
 
Thank you, Shane, for your advice, very appreciated! It´s another proof of great customer service Blackland Razors provides.
I did not expect you to take the time to provide such an extensive answer.

In the meantime I placed my order on the sample AC-blades after your comments and I´m going to stick with one blade until this blade is done before swapping to another one (as long as I get a decent result).

However, today I had a flawless debut shave with an excellent result, the Vector was loaded with a fresh Feather Soft Guard (that´s been the only blade I had handy). The change from the DE-world to this SE-razor was not an issue for me at all (I guess I´m used to way more scary DE-razors), I managed to find a proper shaving angle by intuition and had a shave free of irritation and nicks, well yeah, even better, once having done two almost speedy passes and some touchups I ended up with a calm BBS skin.

Overall, it´s been a lovely debut shave with a stunning tool. Now I understand why almost every review of the Vector I saw is a glowing one (and I´m glad I avoided to tip my toe into SE-waters by getting a Yaqi clone instead).

That beeing said, I couldn´t be happier with the first shave of the Vector. My OC Blackbird now has found a new friend...Again, thank you for taking the time to respond to my query!
Awesome! Glad to hear it.
 

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The Vector Stainless currently sits at the top of my Big Dogs category. I consider it to be my #1 razor. I use mine with either a Timeless TRH8 Ti Crown or TiBam Ti New York handle. The combination is so good, for me, that I have not been motivated to get the Ti version.

The Vector Stainless SB can easily be a daily driver for my face/skin/whiskers with the Kai Captain Titan Protouch MG, Kai Captain Titan and Schick Proline blades.
 
20211203_114622-01.jpeg
Second shave with the SS Vector. And another brilliant one: 3 passes today, my skin feels airy smooth with a velvety smooth feeling aka BBS.

The level of efficiency the Vector provides is perfectly suited for me to become a daily driver (maybe I'll opt for a sharper blade at a later stage, there is a minor drag with the Feather Soft Guard... but on the other hand the shave result was just perfect today, again).

Overall, very happy camper here. The Vector definitely is a keeper.

Kudos @Blackland Razors!
 
Feel free to reach out if you have any technique questions.
Since you have kindly given me the opportunity to do this, I would like to take the chance:

Do you generally recommend putting some mineral oil on the thread to keep it smooth?

What do you think about using a washer with the Vector all the time (Karve expressively recommends not using a washer regularly).

Finally, while I expect the open comb baseplate to give a slightly different shaving feel, I wonder if the Vector's open comb baseplate also has an impact on efficiency. If I'm not mistaken, the specs on your website show one number only (5/10), so I was wondering.

Thanks again for some brief responses.
 
Since you have kindly given me the opportunity to do this, I would like to take the chance:

Do you generally recommend putting some mineral oil on the thread to keep it smooth?

What do you think about using a washer with the Vector all the time (Karve expressively recommends not using a washer regularly).

Finally, while I expect the open comb baseplate to give a slightly different shaving feel, I wonder if the Vector's open comb baseplate also has an impact on efficiency. If I'm not mistaken, the specs on your website show one number only (5/10), so I was wondering.

Thanks again for some brief responses.

No need for oil, but it won't cause harm either.

You can use a washer as much or as little as you'd like. There's no harm either way.

OC is marginally more efficient. We've abandoned our aggressiveness rating and replaced it with a better system on the new upcoming website. This outlines the differences between OC and SB more clearly. I know that doesn't help now, but I thought I'd mention it.
 
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