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The Frankenrazor Thread

I should also mention the use of shims which is very important for optimizing results. With the Karve and Barbaros bases I use one shim above the blade. With the ATT copper base I use one shim above and 2 shims below the blade. My blade of choice is always the Personna Blue made in U.S.A.
 
As I mentioned earlier, my Frankens are not simply a non-matching handle attached to a standard head. For me, that's not a Franken. That's simply a handle swap. A real Franken is a head made up of a cap and base that do not come from the same razor maker. A lot of experimenting is necessary to figure out not only which caps and bases are compatible, but which combinations produce results that are superior to the razor heads from a single company.
 
My experience is that most Frankens simply do not work for me. In most cases, the effect is a shave that is WAY too aggressive.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
As I mentioned earlier, my Frankens are not simply a non-matching handle attached to a standard head. For me, that's not a Franken. That's simply a handle swap. A real Franken is a head made up of a cap and base that do not come from the same razor maker. A lot of experimenting is necessary to figure out not only which caps and bases are compatible, but which combinations produce results that are superior to the razor heads from a single company.
That is also my definition of a Frankenrazor. :)
 
When using a nail buffer to transform a matte or satin cap into a shiny cap, needless to day, remove the blade first so that you can use back and forth strokes to get the polished effect, which also avoids the possibility of cutting yourself.
 
Using Frankens can help hone our judgment skills. By this I mean, if we use a standard mild razor (say a Rockwell 6s or 6c plate 3) to shave one side of the face, with a Franken on the other side of the face, we will get an immediate feel for the quality of each shave and which shaver gets the job better -- using mildness and effectiveness as criteria. We can do this with all of our Frankens to assess how they stack up and if they will enter our Franken group on the winner side.
 
In the following way, you will be able to weed out the weak sisters and brothers from among your Frankens. Line up 2 or even 3 Frankens for your next shave. Once you start to shave across the grain and against the grain with one, then switch to #2, then switch to #3. It should soon become apparent which one, or ones, are a bit too aggressive. If shimming the next time around does not bring the laggards up to your desired standard, then it may be time to retire them.
 
I have often been disappointed using a new brand name razor for the first time. What the heck was all the hype about, I ask myself? But, being a stubborn kind of fellow, I don't give up easily. I open my drawer of "rejects" and fish around for a mate for the cap and the base. If I am lucky, I am able to create a new Franken. I then take a powerful magnifying glass to look closely at the blade exposure and blade gap. If the result looks like a smooth shave may be in the offing, it goes onto my tray for the next shave, usually accompanied by another Franken I have recently adopted so that I can do a side-by-side comparison.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
SE SOTD, Tuesday, December 13th 2022

Razor : Schick injector adjustable model 3, Mfg 1970-72, excellent adjustable and built well enough to last with some care. The Schick adjustable will take all the different variants of blades that fit any Schick injector. They also take the AC 50mm blades also when modified to length. Have been experimenting with a simple blade hack to smooth the shave a little.
Blade : Personna SS PTFE(3) very sharp, excellent longevity, smooths out nicely + predictable.
Soap : Razorock Fresco XXX, nice clean mild scent(mild mentholated) with excellent lather qualities.
Brush : Yaqi "casino clubs" 26mm timber wolf synthetic, excellent lather generator, heavenly luxury cloud like soft tips, gentle splay scrubber + excellent lather generator. The 26mm synthetic brushes are impressive IMO.
Pre shave : (Dedicated Cashmere synthetic)Brush wash whole face with CeraVe hand bar cleanser with a dollop of clear Aloe Vera on the cleaned beard area.
Prep : Cold water rinse after each pass of 2 + pickups. WTG(4.5) + ATG(4.5) + pickups(9setting).
Post shave : Razorock XXX Fresco with witch hazel + a dollop of CeraVe moisturizing lotion(scentless).
Results :CCS,DFS,BBS + no irritation + 1 blemish weeper=:a17: Excellent shave with my Schick M3 adjustable with a modified Personna injector blade.
SOTD Dec 13 2022.jpg



I have been tinkering around with a slightly modified Personna injector blade to see what would happen when shaving. All did was put some slightly modified cut electric tape on the width that just shy of covering the alignment cut outs.
What I noticed with this simple shim is it smooths out the shave but you lose some aggression. I have used it in the E2 injector and the M3 adjustable adjuster and it was smoother shave in both razors especially the E2 injector( very noticeable) so I use it in the adjustable so I can get more a sense of what I'm dealing with.
After 2 shaves with the E2 and 2 shaves with the M3 adjustable injector it might be a consideration for some folks to try I'm thinking.
I opened the adjustable wide open on 9 setting for the clean up pass and it was more manageable I believe and that was with good BBS shave results.
As you might know I like to tinker into areas of blade hacks to see what results can be.
Schick blade hack 2..jpg


Have some great shaves!
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Monday 20221212
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Razor: Frankenrazor - Mühle R41 Plate, Yintal Brass Cap, Mühle R95 Handle
Blade: Perma-Sharp (5 and retired)
Brush: Omega Jade 011842 Premium Pure Bristle
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Cyril R Salter Indian Sandalwood
Aftershave: Stetson Aftershave
Fragrance: Stetson Cologne

Excellent shave! :cool:
20221212_220949~2.jpg

Please check out my Journal for full shave notes plus comments, rankings and other random stuff: never-stop-learning's Quest for Knowledge - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/never-stop-learnings-quest-for-knowledge.611194/post-12047173
 
I note all the aftershave products being touted. I am sure many are very good. The only one I now use is 100% Aloe Vera Gel. This is a most soothing and healing product I have ever used. It is scent-free and chemical-free, which is something I appreciate. And it is dirt cheap.
 
I note that a lot of folks are constantly in search of a slick lathering soap. I use a mixture of Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Aloe Vera. A little dab added to any soap instantly creates the slickest lather you could imagine. You can save a lot of money doing this instead of buying one soap after another in search of something that's so easy to make at home.
 
Another useful tip regarding Frankens is that it is very common for shimming to produce even better results than using an un-shimmed blade. Try one or 2 shims between the cap and the blade for a milder shave and 1 or 2 shims between the blade and the base for a more efficient shave.
 
I just discovered another very mild yet efficient Franken today with a Henson aluminum cap + Blackland Era base.
 
The bottom line is that those of us with a short list of mild yet efficient brand name razors and a drawer full of "rejects" could eventually end up with a list of Frankens that is longer than our brand name list. This takes time and perseverance. I am constantly working on it and am often pleasantly surprised at the positive results I get with a new Franken.
 
I note that a lot of folks are constantly in search of a slick lathering soap. I use a mixture of Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Aloe Vera. A little dab added to any soap instantly creates the slickest lather you could imagine. You can save a lot of money doing this instead of buying one soap after another in search of something that's so easy to make at home.
How much of each item do you add to a soap or what ratio do you use to make the mixture (if you make a batch at a time)?
 
How much of each item do you add to a soap or what ratio do you use to make the mixture (if you make a batch at a time)?
I used a cup of Coconut Oil, a cup of Shea Butter and a tablespoon of Aloe Vera whisked together in a bowl to create Mr. Slick. This turned out to be way more than I actually needed. I add a finger nail's worth of Mr. Slick to my shaving soap -- about 1 part of soap to one half part of Mr. Slick. I use a bowl for preparing the mixture. Then I face lather. This beats any commercial product I have ever used.
 
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