(Slaps link to thread) You Can Fit So Much Wrong In This Journal

[Esox]

Do any of the soulless pharmacy chains in your nation contain the uncoated stainless GEM blades? They’re available in the USA at Walgreens.

The only place I havent looked are the specialty tool shops and I would expect to find the same Stanley utility blades as are found everywhere else. I buy mine from Connaught.

Do you need Stig-like reflexes to use that razor? Hoping that skill level is reserved for scary, exciting razors like Le Barbe Bleu and homemade DeVettes.

I've never used an injector but I'd have my doubts.

Even the Stig crashed, but he was driving an MMOC without blade stops and forgot to tighten the handle lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Ah, the Schick Type E2 open to clean, a sublime safety razor!

I've linked earlier in this thread to my long post describing what I like so much about the Schick open to clean Type E2. All these photos are either full sized or thumbnails which can be clicked to enlarge them. All were taken today for this post.




I'd like to discuss the razor some here, and perhaps help you since you're interested in this E2.

I searched a long time for an E2 open to clean. Then, I discovered I'd already bought this one. I've never seen one for sale where it was described as an open to clean so you have to learn what to look for. I had one but didn't know it because I didn't know what to look for.

Obviously, what to look for is a moveable spring allowing the mechanism to open. That's not so easy to find or easy to spot when you see one.

This photo ^ shows the spring. I've moved it just a little bit to the left. You can see how there's a gap between the top of the spring and a little bump or tab to the right of the spring. Yes? The bump is right above the arrow pointing to the right. The right wing of the spring is pointing at the bump. The bump stops the spring from going further to the right.

Here's ^ another view of the bump or tab. In this photo something's missing which you'll find on most or at least some other Schick Type E injectors. Here there is only one bump. Some of the injectors have another bump to the left of the spring (when the spring is "closed"). In fact, that bump, the one to the left, prevents the razor from opening. The spring on non open to clean injectors may be otherwise prevented from opening.

So, in the open to clean model there must be one and only one bump, and it must be to the right of the spring.

Make sense?



See how the spring rotates?



Here ^ the razor is open and the spring is pointing at you.



Here ^ it's open. See the blade tabs. I've seen razors where one was missing which means the razor is junk. They're at the ends of the piece at the bottom on the right photo.

This ^ and other photos show the numbers. My friend, Joel, @Johnnynroy, did a post or two about the numbers and how to use them to distinguish the Type E from the Type G. There are threads discussing the various Schick injectors, threads with posts by gentlemen who know far more than me about the E2 and other models. All I know is this one Schick Type E2 open to clean razor, mine.

I also know that not all open to clean E2 razors are loved like mine which tells me not all are the same. Mine's a piece of cake to shave with and a great safety razor.




That said, I'm not sure there's a huge advantage to the open to clean model. You don't actually have to clean the razor beyond what you can do without opening it. Today was the first time I've ever opened it to clean the razor (and mostly I opened it to take these photos).

My main reason for wanting an open to clean E2 was so I could use blades like the Proline which don't come in an injector. However, I am perfectly fine with the regular Schick chick blades and have not used anything else in the razor. Plus, as I just discovered putting a blade into the razor by hand while it's open and then closing the razor without damaging the blade is quite the trick.

I don't know this will help you, but I hope it does. It's all I've got to offer.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Rosseforp]

Might also be just as sharp, but no need to slice paper and make Voskod references.

 

[thombrogan]

Last night's shave:
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (20?)
1.25 pumps of KMF applied by hand

Prep was diminished because I already showered much earlier after yard work. Also, wanted brush to dry.

Shallow ATG attempting carefulness with steep ATG under nose. Wasn’t as careful there. No gentle heat from the alum block this time. Luckily only Sting Township instead of Sting City.

Somehow managed to figure out to re-wet my hand instead of re-wetting the razor to make use of the KMF’s residual slickness. Thankful it was the top cap moving less than slick and not the blade that gave me this helpful lesson.

@Chan Eil Whiskers, thank you for the picture-heavy essay showing the differences between the “open to clean” and standard Schick E2. Very well written. In parts where I’m not sure I was spying the actual spring or bar, your description has me confident there will he lots “so that’s what he meant” when I get one of these nice-looking razors of owners past in my greedy, undeserving hands.

@Rosseforp, I didn’t realize how cutting my comments can be. At least we can tie Personna/ASR to Gillette via Russian collusion with the irony of the coating used to describe John Gotti and make Esox dislike GSB razor blades…

 

[Rosseforp]

@Rosseforp, I didn’t realize how cutting my comments can be. At least we can tie Personna/ASR to Gillette via Russian collusion with the irony of the coating used to describe John Gotti and make Esox dislike GSB razor blades…

"Said the Blind Man, as he picked up his cane and saw"
I have 4 more Voskhods and lots of paper.......... Lol

 

[thombrogan]

Tonight’s shave:
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (21?)
1 pump of KMF applied by hand

Started shallow ATG and was smooth. Then it wasn’t. Then it was again. And so forth. Went steep under nose and steepish to the sides. Alum asked me to stop with the not smooth bits.

Can tell when doing it right; can tell when doing it wrong. Keeping mindful of a subtle, scrapy change is next goal.

I have 4 more Voskhods and lots of paper.......... Lol

Save the paper for putting over glass with a bit of buffing compound and be a stropping lad.

Reminds me…. The chromium oxide would probably be a good finisher for stropping new life into dying blades.

 

[Esox]

Started shallow ATG and was smooth. Then it wasn’t. Then it was again. And so forth.

A lack of blade exposure making the ideal angle/pressure combination difficult to maintain.

 

[thombrogan]

A lack of blade exposure making the ideal angle/pressure combination difficult to maintain.

Thanks, that hadn’t occurred to me. It shaves well steep and makes the good results better when shaving shallow, so I assumed; without verifying; that its blade exposure was adequate. Better caliper-reading skills and better eyesight would be a boon here.

Here’s hoping I can make up for a lack of blade exposure with a lack of motor skills next time.

 

[thombrogan]

More blade exposure lets you get the edge more parallel to your skin. Less blade exposure, like with my NEW SC, makes that more difficult and even with considerably more pressure on the cap, I need to concentrate like I'm trying to understand quantum physics to shave as shallow as I do with my Grande, mindlessly.

Reposting observation for further, mental prep

 

[Esox]

Thanks, that hadn’t occurred to me. It shaves well steep and makes the good results better when shaving shallow, so I assumed; without verifying; that its blade exposure was adequate.

Adequate and no more.

Better caliper-reading skills and better eyesight would be a boon here.

Calipers!

Even leaving notes for myself isnt working lol.

 

[thombrogan]

Adequate and no more.

Assuming the thickness of the Schick Proline P-30 blade of ultimate awesomeness is 0.009” thick (aka “dummy thicc” to metallurgists), would using a 44% thinner blade in a foxy FaTip Grande really make for a better shave?

Looks like I’m comparing spine-to-apex on Proline, Kai Pink, and Vincent tonight. Vincent being the $9usd for 50 blades, not nephew that towered over me at age 14…

Calipers!

Even leaving notes for myself isnt working lol.

I try reading your notes here and missed your reference to those

 

[Esox]

Assuming the thickness of the Schick Proline P-30 blade of ultimate awesomeness is 0.009” thick (aka “dummy thicc” to metallurgists), would using a 44% thinner blade in a foxy FaTip Grande really make for a better shave?

I'm not sure how thick the Prolines are. Some AC blades are .015" thick and thicker. Would a thinner blade lead to a better shave? Not in my mind, but I guess it would depend on any individuals technique. In my own shaves, angle of use is far less critical with a .009" thick GEM blade than it is with a ~.004" DE blade.

My shave today for example, with a fresh PTFE in my MMOC. The entire shave was done steep, without issue. Damn good shave too!

I try reading your notes here and missed your reference to those

Goddam it man, I forgot again! lol

I've been leaving myself bread crumbs to remind me to look for my wayward Mitutoyo calipers and keep forgetting. I guess thats because I dont really need them....yet.

 

[thombrogan]

I'm not sure how thick the Prolines are. Some AC blades are .015" thick and thicker. Would a thinner blade lead to a better shave? Not in my mind, but I guess it would depend on any individuals technique. In my own shaves, angle of use is far less critical with a .009" thick GEM blade than it is with a ~.004" DE blade.

I fished my binned-too-soon Kai Mild from the apple juice bottle. It’s corroded, but I compared it to the Proline P-30 and Vincent blade.

The Schick Proline P-30 and Vincent appeared to be as tall as one another. Both were kind of flex albeit less so than DE blades. The Vincent‘s primary bevel starts higher than Schick Proline P-30, which would be super in a folding pocketknife or kitchen cutlery, but should make it even less rigid in an SE razor. Maybe better in a shavette? I have no frame of reference, but I don’t think they’ll be the overlooked, bargain-priced legend I wanted to luck into.

Sadly, the Kai Mild offers less exposure than either, but was more rigid by far. So it‘ll take skull sweat to enjoy these and the fabled Prolines already requires more brains than I’m comfortable using. Will still use them, but it will be tough.

My shave today for example, with a fresh PTFE in my MMOC. The entire shave was done steep, without issue. Damn good shave too!

Congratulations! A great, steep-angled shave can be wonderful.

Goddam it man, I forgot again! lol

I've been leaving myself bread crumbs to remind me to look for my wayward Mitutoyo calipers and keep forgetting. I guess thats because I dont really need them....yet.

Oh yes! I do remember you mentioning those! Find them. Find them soon for good measure

 

[Rosseforp]

Goddam it man, I forgot again! lol

I've been leaving myself bread crumbs to remind me to look for my wayward Mitutoyo calipers and keep forgetting. I guess thats because I dont really need them....yet.

No bread crumbs for me, I keep one set in the garage, and the other one in my den!

 

[thombrogan]

Reminding @Esox that Mitutoyo calipers; not even ones with carbide tips; can find themselves…

Last night’s shave:
RazoRock BlackHawk V2
Schick Proline P-30 (22?)
1 pump of KMF applied by hand
Equate Moisture Advanced Care Body Lotion

The battle between the whiskers and RazoRock BlackHawk V2 was a rough-and-tumble that scorched the dermal fields and resulted in a truce too close to even.

Choking up on the head of the razor and using the thumb on the back of its cap like using a wa-gyuto to katsur-muki vegetables was a great way to feel like I had dialed in control of the blade without actually doing so.

Maybe 40% smooth/60% rough. Alum stung. Moisturizer stung. Got slightly better at shaving shallow ATG under my nose, so not a complete loss.

 

[Esox]

Find them. Find them soon for good measure

The humour is not lost on me lol.

No bread crumbs for me, I keep one set in the garage, and the other one in my den!

Mine seem to have migrated from my reloading bench.

Reminding @Esox that Mitutoyo calipers; not even ones with carbide tips; can find themselves…

But they can sure hide!

 

[thombrogan]

So re-attempting shooting for omnicomfort: comfortable shaving, post-shave, between shave and letting my face look less chewed-on.

It was my fantasy that shallow ATG-only shaving with my RazoRock BlackHawk V2 and a Schick Proline P-30 blade would give me long-lasting BBS goodness and allow my skin to not look so shaved on. With my skillset, it's a nice fantasy. To compensate for my gross motor skills, Esox believes more blade exposure would be needed. From his prior experiences with a DE razor with minimal blade exposure mirroring my getting and repeatedly losing the magic angle, it seems he's correct.

So that leaves me choosing between different modes of defeat if I ever wish to enjoy non-damaging shaves that delight my bride instead of terrify or repulse her.

Luck be a FaTip Grande tonight!

Also, where's Mike's Mitutoyo calipers?

 

[Esox]

Also, where's Mike's Mitutoyo calipers?

 

[Rosseforp]

Also, where's Mike's Mitutoyo calipers?

 

[Esox]

View attachment 1078387

Those arent mine. Mine have a cracked glass over the dial. At least they havent yet migrated to Cali lol.