The Scallop Stainless Steel cap and Gillette Flat Bottom Base came out winner with today's 2-day stubble. The only thing with this combination is that there are no matching notches that fit cap and base together. You need to do the alignment visually. It takes a minute of fiddling, but once the handle is installed the cap and base clamp down very securely.
The Frankenrazor Thread
- Thread starter never-stop-learning
- Start date
I now have 5 Frankens in my winner's circle. The next step is fine tuning with shims and then doing side-by-side comparisons of all 5 (not all during the same shave, of course) with the goal of ranking them according to comfort and efficiency. This should be a lot of fun.
Once I have them all ranked with my top 3 or 4 brand name razors, I will be able to choose according whether I prefer a bit more aggressive or less aggressive shave on any particular day. Also depending how many days or growth I am dealing with on that day.
The thing is that I have a very wiry beard and very sensitive skin. So, finding what works best for me is a constant challenge. I'm getting there. Lots of trial and error with Frankens has been very helpful. So, I encourage others to give it a go. You have little to lose and potentially a lot to gain.
I have tried many so-called "mild" razors that have cut my face to shreds. Universally touted as being "mild". With this kind of challenge it takes a bit of work to find what works, and what works best. I often have to shim even the mildest razor to tone down what my face perceives as being aggressive. The result can be lots of feedback, which sounds like the stubble is being mowed down, when in fact it may not be. So, there is often a fine balance between mowing down the stubble without cutting my face to shreds, while experiencing a smooth shave. This is a real balancing act.
I am often amused when I watch smiling, fast-talking razor pushers putting a new Nacet or Voskhod or Super Iridium into a so-called "mild" razors (never mind non-mild razors) and in 2 strokes cover each side of the face. One stroke for each side of the neck. A fast second pass and possibly a few touch-ups. All done. BBS. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation, and no stinging with the alum block. I'd already be on my way to the ER to get stitched up. Different strokes for different folks. Excuse the shaving pun.
And talking about different strokes, I am discovering how much of a difference the handle can make regarding the quality of the shave. I have tried to make the short vintage Gillette handles work for me, But they just don't, and I am not sure why. Neither do the large heavy handles work well for me, that come with many popular razors. Perhaps, in both cases it is a matter of personal comfort and maneuverability. The handles I have found that work best for me are an inexpensive but very high quality handle from Ali in China. They cost $5 including delivery each. The 90mm length is perfect and the weight is also perfect. Not too light, not too heavy. After switching out these new handles for the others, the results with all of my razors have been much improved. This has really changed the shaving experience in a way that I had not anticipated. A much more pleasant experience.
Regarding using a nail buffer to create a shiny surface on a satin or matte razor head, here is an important caveat. I just went to repurchase a pack of 20 and they are no longer available. Anywhere. The nearest I could find was a 100 grit. Stay away. You do not want to use ANY abrasive on these razor heads. All you want to do is to create a shine, without removing any of the metal surface. I am look into alternatives at the moment.
For some reason, I and many others find the neck the most BBS-evading area to shave. This is especially the case with Frankens. Trying to find the most efficient Franken to tackle the neck area successfully is a real challenge. I find that shimming helps greatly in improving the results. If you have a Franken that is too mild, which is often the case with mine, then one or 2 shims between the blade and the base is the answer. You may not end up with a BBS shave but you can end up with a DFS without causing irritation by experimenting with shims in this way.
On the other hand, if your Franken is a bit tooo aggressive then putting one or 2 shims between the cap and the blade will make the shave milder. Give it a try.
In the end, I now have 10 top razors in my collection with 5 Frankens in the winner's circle. It is easy to forget which razor is shimmed which way because I clean my razor after every shave and put the blades and shims aside. So, I created a table where I note how many shims and where they are placed with each zapper. This can change as I experiment along the way. But without organizing my razor collection in this fashion it would be easy to get things mixed up. Which would cause unnecessary confusion.
I have just tried the Gillette Platinum blade from Russia for the first time. I rank them with my go-to Personna Blue made in U.S.A. They pair very well with my sensitive skin and wiry beard. Especially with the Frankens. This came as a surprise to me because I have tried dozens of blades in the past and none compared to the Personna Blue -- until now.
There are no rules here. My experience would probably be shared by very few others because everyone is different when it comes to their shaving needs. Most people probably do not have the kind of sensitive skin that requires a special kind of razor matched with a special kind of blade. So, experiment to see what works best for you.
I remember having a conversation with Mark Szorady about the Viking Stonehenge. He was adamant that this is a mild razor. I do not believe there is such a thing as a mild razor. There is such a thing as a mild shave. But a mild razor? That's a statement that must therefore apply to everyone. But the Viking Stonehenge cut me to ribbons. I found another user who had the same experience as I did with it. So, for many, perhaps for most people, the Vikings Stonehenge gives a mild shave. But to call it (or any other razor) a mild razor is a very big leap to make. In my opinion.
So, when I talk about Frankens, I am looking for razors that give mild shaves. For many people the shave may be too mild. For others the shave may be just right. For others, the shave may be too aggressive. But rarely so, because this can be remedied by using one or two shims between the blade and the base. In any case, I do not speak of this or that Franken (or any razor) being a mild razor. If I have do so, then please excuse the misunderstanding.
That should read "if I have done so". I am now in the process of ranking the 5 Frankens that are now in my winner's circle. The problem is that they need fine tuning with shims. So, over the next few days I will be double shimming to see if I can up the efficiency of those that are too mild. I will post the results here.
Shimming. As soon as you think you've got it figured out, you find out that you don't. I have been double shimming using 4 Frankens with Gillette Platinum blades made in Russia. On my second use I find that, in the middle of the shave, I needed to remove one of the shims between the blade and the base. The adventure continues.
Well, no matter how much I fiddle with the shims in the Scalloped cap + English flat bottom, this is just not working out well. Too aggressive or too mild. So, it's on the back burner for now. At least, we're making progress.
I wonder why there is a blanket covering my Avatar today? Is anyone else having the same experience?
Ken
Ken
It is snow.
You can take it off if you wish. On your Profile, click 'Preferences' then go to 'Disable Holiday Styling' on the list, it's near bottom. Check the box and save. You will be snow free.
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