slim - ouch!?!?

[philburt]

Bought a slim adjustable off BST. I had thought that I had read that the Slim was a pretty mild razor at the lower settings, so I threw a feather blade in and set it to 4. That was yesterday. After liberal use of the styptic pencil to cover up the numerous nicks I felt like my face was "rough" for the rest of the day. Not razor burn, not stubble, but not comfortable and smooth like I normally get with my GEM Micromatic or Gillette Superspeed. Hmmm? Tried again today with the razor set to 3 - same result.



I'll try some different settings and see what I get for results. Maybe it is just the weight of the razor that is giving me grief. This thing may end up back on the BST.

Phil

 

[moonshine44]

Do you normally shave with a Feather blade? I've not used Feathers in my Slim yet, but I've had excellent shaves using a Derby with the Slim set on 3 for the first pass and 4 for the second. You might want to dial down to 2 or even 1 with a Feather, as they are supposed to be extremely sharp...

 

[uberculture]

A feather really sucked in my Slim, but everything else is lovely. But then, I've only managed decent results out of a Feather using a NEW, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

[luvmysuper]

There was a post a while back where a guy kept getting bit by his slim, and turns out he had a bent guard bar. Take a look and make sure everything is even and that at some point a previous owner didn't drop it.

Just a thought - no intention of maligning anyone on BST, the best and fairest place to get a good deal from great people who would never knowingly ship off anything defective (unlike e-bay where that is considered a good business model).

 

[TimMechEngr]

Bought a slim adjustable off BST. I had thought that I had read that the Slim was a pretty mild razor at the lower settings, so I threw a feather blade in and set it to 4. That was yesterday. After liberal use of the styptic pencil to cover up the numerous nicks I felt like my face was "rough" for the rest of the day. Not razor burn, not stubble, but not comfortable and smooth like I normally get with my GEM Micromatic or Gillette Superspeed. Hmmm? Tried again today with the razor set to 3 - same result.



I'll try some different settings and see what I get for results. Maybe it is just the weight of the razor that is giving me grief. This thing may end up back on the BST.

Phil

I had a Slim, and I had the same basic problem. No matter what setting I used, or how many different types of blades I tried, it left my face feeling like a plowed field for the next 24 hours. I didn't have the nick problems you speak of, but man the burn was enough for me to sell it. I really tried to like that razor too. Not every razor works for every face.

 

[ouch]

I've put on a few pounds.

 

[Oldguy]

Hey Phil,

A Gillette adjustable set to a 4 is more aggressive then a red tip according to the aggressive chart. When lower numbers are mentioned I think they're talking about a 2 maybe. I use my Slim and Fatboy set to 3 and maybe a 4 sometimes but I use an IP, not a Feather. Try a different blade in that Slim and see what happens. Or take a close look at the blade spacing on both sides to make sure they are the same and that nothing is amiss. In any case good luck.

Len

 

[Tommy C]

A feather really sucked in my Slim, but everything else is lovely. But then, I've only managed decent results out of a Feather using a NEW, so take what I say with a grain of salt.

My Slim doesn't like Feathers whatsoever. That combo provided me poor results.

 

[ctakim]

+1 on the check for safety bar alignment. This is easy to adjust and it can often be misaligned.

 

[philburt]

Thanks for all the advice. I've used feathers in my Merkur Progress (usually use a setting of 3), 1904, travel razor, and Gillette Superspeed. Feathers have been the only blade that managed to be both close and comfortable. The razor definitely doesn't show any signs of damage and both sides cut the same.

I tried the slim on 3 this morning and tried to use an extra light touch. My face feels much better and there were only a few weepers that closed up with some cold water. Still, I'm not as happy with the results as I am with some of my other razors. It amazes me how different each razor shaves!

 

[blackfoot]

My Slim and Feathers don't get along very well either.

 

[mankini]

I've put on a few pounds.

That is what I thought...

 

[philburt]

Well, with a few days on the feather blade and the slim set to 2, I seem to be getting a much better shave. Nice and smooth with no rough spots. I think when I'm done with the feather I'll try a different kind of blade. I do like the weight of the razor, though I'm still getting used to the size. I think I may be a short handle guy.

Thanks for the help (and sorry for the insult, Ouch!)

Phil

 

[cbrigstocke]

I have a feeling that if you stick with it you'll develop a feel for the razor and it'll start giving you better shaves. I know a lot of people change razors with no problems, but in contrast, it takes me 3 or 4 shaves to really get in the groove when I switch.

CB

 

[Blondie]

The first razor I used was a Tech. I got a hold of an adjustable from a family member, and tried it, hated it. Then my tech got lost in some luggage, and I was forced to use the adjustable. It took a while to get used to the size, it seems to be a "thicker" head than a tech. At first I hated it, but after getting used to it, and finding Derby blades, everything is good. I do all passes at 9, with the exception of my upper lip, I turn it down to 4-5 for that. If I forget to though, I get a weeper on the lip. Just keep with it and I think you will end up liking it.

 

[heirkb]

Hmmm...I didn't really like any of the blades I tried in my slim until I found Gillette 7 O'clocks and Feathers...YMMV

Edit: As an added note, I use all of my Gillette Adjustables set at 9. I started at 2 and added 1 for every two shaves and realized that I didn't get any extra nicks or irritation, just quicker reduction.

 

[cbrigstocke]

I have a suspicion that different blades create different blade angles. I haven't checked, but I think the widths might be different resulting in having to use slightly different angles depending on the brand of blade. Thus, it takes me a few shaves to really find out what a blade can do for me. Has anyone done a comparison on blade widths?

 

[grump]

I hope you don't have a damaged razor.

Anyway, I had same problem with Feathers in slim, but the Israeli Personna was heaven. I use it on 3 when shaving every day and 4 when I skip a day or 2.

Good luck and I hope you find the right combination.

Sure seams to be a bunch of Phil's on here.

Phil

 

[brz90]

My slim @ 3 with a feather in it is a great combination. Smooth as.

 

[arghblech]

My slim and feathers get along fine. Unsure what could be causing your issues.