Steep Angle Shavers Alliance

[Raven Koenes]

Uncas, Welcome to the club!!! I hope you add SASA to your signature line. I think with the blade exposure and blade angle of Fatips there is a natural inclination to drop down the handle angle. This can translate into discovering the joy and benefits of riding the guard with other razors. It is so good to see you here.

 

[Uncas]

Thanks Rave! Overcoming intellectual inertia has never been my strong point, you can ask my wife. I have a built in resistance to change that causes me to be late to the party a lot. Well a few shaves has made me a true believer, and remade shaving fresh again. I'm still stunned at the difference, and running out of superlatives to express myself, so I'll talk less and shave more. Always a pleasure to be with you my friend.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Thanks Rave! Overcoming intellectual inertia has never been my strong point, you can ask my wife. I have a built in resistance to change that causes me to be late to the party a lot. Well a few shaves has made me a true believer, and remade shaving fresh again. I'm still stunned at the difference, and running out of superlatives to express myself, so I'll talk less and shave more. Always a pleasure to be with you my friend.

Likewise!

 

[Uncas]

Still using the same vintage Gillette Platinum Plus in the Old Type. I can't get over how much blade feel I'm getting with absolutely no irritation or burn, amazing! I'm only working one days growth, cause I can hardly wait till my next shave. It seems effortless, and the post shave is devine, it feels great retaining the top layer of skin for a change. I really can't thank you all enough!!!

 

[G-Dogg]

Thanks Rave! Overcoming intellectual inertia has never been my strong point, you can ask my wife. I have a built in resistance to change that causes me to be late to the party a lot. Well a few shaves has made me a true believer, and remade shaving fresh again. I'm still stunned at the difference, and running out of superlatives to express myself, so I'll talk less and shave more. Always a pleasure to be with you my friend.

Welcome to the club! Yours is a great story, and I’m very happy to hear just how much of a difference the change has made. SASA rules!

 

[Uncas]

SASA rules!

Indeed! and thanks for the welcome G-Dogg.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Still using the same vintage Gillette Platinum Plus in the Old Type. I can't get over how much blade feel I'm getting with absolutely no irritation or burn, amazing! I'm only working one days growth, cause I can hardly wait till my next shave. It seems effortless, and the post shave is devine, it feels great retaining the top layer of skin for a change. I really can't thank you all enough!!!

You're welcome Uncas. When I first started DE shaving everything I read was to keep the handle extended out from my face. It is not a cartridge razor after all. This led me to ride the cap and take it to the limits of shallow angle shaving. I got very frustrated with the irritation and razor burn I always got no matter how light the touch. It was either learn to live with it, shave every other day, or go back to carts (never really an option). Then I heard Cal, and others, talk about steep angle shaving. I dropped the handle angle a bit relying more on the guard than on the cap and it was like a divine revelation. I never looked back and started the SASA thread (with assistance from Cal). I figured some folks would look behind the counter-intuitive crazy sounding nature of SASA and try it for themselves.

 

[Uncas]

You lead, I follow. Momma raised some slow learners, but she didn't raise no dummies.

 

[Trenchdigger]

I dropped the handle angle a bit relying more on the guard than on the cap and it was like a divine revelation. I never looked back and started the SASA thread (with assistance from Cal). I figured some folks would look behind the counter-intuitive crazy sounding nature of SASA and try it for themselves.

Yup ... I learned that my personal preference in razor type changed when my technique moved to steep angles: Open comb razors quickly became my favorite razors.

 

[Uncas]

Yup ... I learned that my personal preference in razor type changed when my technique moved to steep angles: Open comb razors quickly became my favorite razors.

100% agreement on the open combs. I makes a difference with closed combs, but my best shaves have been and are coming from OC. In fact I just ordered an Ikon OC deluxe which should be here in a few days. Lovin me some new toys!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

You're welcome Uncas. When I first started DE shaving everything I read was to keep the handle extended out from my face. It is not a cartridge razor after all. This led me to ride the cap and take it to the limits of shallow angle shaving. I got very frustrated with the irritation and razor burn I always got no matter how light the touch. It was either learn to live with it, shave every other day, or go back to carts (never really an option). Then I heard Cal, and others, talk about steep angle shaving. I dropped the handle angle a bit relying more on the guard than on the cap and it was like a divine revelation. I never looked back and started the SASA thread (with assistance from Cal). I figured some folks would look behind the counter-intuitive crazy sounding nature of SASA and try it for themselves.

Even I am shaving steep, Rave.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Even I am shaving steep, Rave.

Enough for you to join SASA? Not yet? No worries, I'll keep trying. SASA goes really nice with BOSC.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm not sure I want "to join" anything else in a formal sense, Rave, but thanks for asking, and I'm not ruling anything out. Mostly I shave by feedback, tactile and audible, so I'm not exactly a steep angle shaver, but I shave steep a lot, and it works great.

Enough for you to join SASA? Not yet? No worries, I'll keep trying. SASA goes really nice with BOSC.

 

[Uncas]

Well the Ikon is nice, I don't see any real improvement over a Fatip or OT Gillette. Its as good, just not better. It won't go as steep as the OT without pivoting away, but within that limit, it's smooth and clean. It delivers on the workmanship and materials, and I don't regret adding it to the rotation.
Not a ringing endorsement I know, but there it is. Perhaps I'm becoming a bit jaded, or looking more to the skill and less to the technology. So in all, viewed as a new toy, I'm happy.

 

[Uncas]

We're looking forward to further reports with your Mk2 cap, and of course more info when you try the slimmer Mk1 cap, Uncas.

BTW, are you using the (Mk1/Mk2) caps along with their respective baseplates? Because they're different too.

Mk1 tonight Cal. I used a Silver Star as it's one you're familiar with, and a great blade. The Mk1 really shines at a steep angle, and the Silver Star is sharp enough to lighten up the pressure slightly and still get a clean smooth cut. I'm trying not to get all gushy about this, but man this is great shaving! A modest lather with Haslingers is all it takes to get the job done, and the post shave is very very nice with a splash of Proraso green. Life is different on the steep side.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Mk1 tonight Cal. I used a Silver Star as it's one you're familiar with, and a great blade. The Mk1 really shines at a steep angle, and the Silver Star is sharp enough to lighten up the pressure slightly and still get a clean smooth cut. I'm trying not to get all gushy about this, but man this is great shaving! A modest lather with Haslingers is all it takes to get the job done, and the post shave is very very nice with a splash of Proraso green. Life is different on the steep side.

Makes me want to try my Mk1 soon.

 

[Uncas]

Makes me want to try my Mk1 soon.

Jim, the Mk1 totally belies it's appearance and is a very fine shaver. Some might advocate a blade on the milder side, but my experience shows a sharp blade works best for a lighter pressure and less repetition . When you first load a blade and look at it with all that fang hanging out it makes you wonder, but I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Steep angle shaving is already counterintuitive, so your half way home, good luck.

 

[Cal]

Life is different on the steep side.

 

[Uncas]

I think I'll put the new Ikon on ice for awhile and see how far I can go on the Silver Star in the MK1. This combo seems hard to improve on.

 

[loot]

I'm in (thanks for the invite @Cal).

I'm pretty much a guard rider on everything I touch...oh, and I will put pressure on a razor, too. I know that makes me the odd man out.

I've tried riding the cap but hate it. It does make sense to put the blade as parallel to the skin as possible to facilitate cutting. I get it, in theory. In practice I could never get it to cut close.

I decided to forget about what I read and find my own way to make my tools work the best for me as I could...and so I did.

Anyway...glad to know I'm not the only unorthodox shaver in the building.

Carry on, men.

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