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The Journal of a Backwards Professor

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
In my opinion, rigidity of the blade trumps technique. No matter how good your technique is it can only be as good as the tool allows it to be. The better the tool, the better the job.

An ATT SE1 is still on my mind too. I still struggle with the idea of spending that much money on a razor though. If they start offering them in 24k gold plating it might be to difficult to resist lol.
I only ordered the ATT SE1 cap and baseplate, and spent the money from the handle on a NSC. So I essentially get 2 very rigid razors for the price of 1..........

As a machinist I can relate the razor and blade to a toolholder and cutting insert. The more rigid the toolholder, the longer the tool life and a better surface finish.

The NSC showed up today, and the SE1 should be here tomorrow. I just ran my Feather Pro SS folding razor over my arm with a 1 use Proguard and I couldn't even feel the hair's popping........... :jump:
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Thursday, February 20
Schöne
Feather(5)
Omega 290
Wholly Kaw La Fougere Parfaite
Amici after splash

Tonight's shave was..............OK

After I got my hair-cut today, I stopped by the Korean market where they have a little store with kitchen stuff. I picked up some fancy spoons and a couple of cheap bowls to try out lathering. The 1st bowl I tried was maybe too large for the Omega 290, I had to load the brush heavy to get a nice lather.

As I made my 1st ATG pass on my neck I was thinking of making just a 2 pass shave and took light short strokes. There was lather left on my neck and face when I rinsed off as I didn't try to get too close.

It looked good enough and I cleaned up my gear.

I didn't notice any tightening of my skin, and the Witch hazel felt as I hadn't shaved. I felt some stubble, not much, but when I splashed on the Amici it went on slick with no sting at all. NADA.........

As I finished up with Nivea balm I felt my face and neck and realized I had a 1 pass DFS.

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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
Switching between my NEW SC and my Grande taught me about blade gap. The NEW SC doesnt have much gap at .023", but the Fatip OC has much less. When I was use to having a minimal blade gap, even the modest amount of gap offered by the NEW SC felt like a lot.

Switching between both and understanding how my skin reacted to the gap while traveling through it and the effective angle of blade edge to skin in relation to that gap, taught me my skin doesnt like gap and wont tolerate blade gap for very long without becoming irritated.

Oddly, both my GEM razors have blade gap I think similar to the NEW SC and yet they dont bother my skin at all.

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Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
I was still learning about blade gap when I got my 1st New SC. I had been using a RR DE1 which has a crazy large gap, yet still shaves similar to a tech. I noticed the rigidity right away, as blades that wouldn't cut in a tech or my DE1 gave me a clean shave with the NSC.
I got my Schöne and Piccolo about a week later and found them both more comfortable, and my poor NSC which introduced me to OC razors sat and developed a very nice patina.
A lot of my notes on the NSC do mention weepers after ATG passes, but that pretty much applied to all of my shaves at the time.

The NSC I just got yesterday looks pretty nice after a thorough cleaning, the threads inside the handle are a bit worn, but it is a 90 year old razor and the rest looks just fine. No bent teeth, the usual ding marks on the corners. It even came with a metal case and some Derby's and Gillette Blue's.

It is all ready to go, but tonight is Flare Tip Friday, and my birth quarter Red Tip is waiting to go ATG........

The NSC and SE1 will have to wait.
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Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Very thorough.


I started logging my shaves into an excel spreadsheet a while back.

It’s less about qualitative observations, like your logs, and more about identifying patterns in kit selection, product usage, blade longevity... in an effort to make the most of my materials and make better purchases.
I have thought about setting up a spreadsheet, but that is about as far as I have gotten. I keep a list of my razors and which blades they are happiest with, but as I learn new techniques, it changes.
I do keep track of things on my calendar..........that is close!
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Friday, February 21
55 Red Tip
Feather(6)
Omega 66
Wholly Kaw La Fougere Parfaite
the "Veg"


Got a nice lather, enough for 3 passes. But tonight I wanted to see how the Red Tip fares with a 1 pass shave.

The 1st pass, full ATG on my neck felt nice and smooth, the blade making a lot of noise from last night's 1 pass shave. Even before I rinsed i could see I missed a few spots.

A 2nd pass would have removed most of the remaining stubble. But tonight I will settle for a SAS.

Most of the shave was comfortable, but nowhere the efficiency of the Schöne.

I felt my face tighten up as I cleaned up my gear, the Witch hazel felt OK, the "Veg" was also OK. I used some HA and then finished up with Nivea balm.

Tonight's shave reminds me of when I first started DE shaving, but with a lot less work, and no nicks and weepers!
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Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
My new ATT SE1 showed up today. Very nice workmanship. It has the look and feel of a fine piece of tooling, made by a craftsman that has pride in his work. I fitted it with a 40 gram titanium handle for it's maiden run.

I must say it looks pretty mean when fitted with a ProGuard.
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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
I started logging my shaves into an excel spreadsheet a while back.

I did that during my initial blade testing. Even with colour coding, tracking the performance of each blade with different soaps and razors.

I noticed the rigidity right away, as blades that wouldn't cut in a tech or my DE1 gave me a clean shave with the NSC.

I've read from several people that they dont notice a difference, even when shaving ATG. It baffles me. I guess they're just the lucky ones that dont need much blade rigidity. I wish I was one of them!


My new ATT SE1 showed up today. Very nice workmanship. It has the look and feel of a fine piece of tooling, made by a craftsman that has pride in his work.

I'm glad to hear that. I'm very curious to hear your thoughts on it when you use it.
 
Tonight's shave reminds me of when I first started DE shaving, but with a lot less work, and no nicks and weepers!

Is that good or bad? I still remember my first DE shave vividly. No nicks or weepers but it was incredibly uncomfortable and took me a full hour. I lost the feeling in my right foot from the tension in my body. I had rigidity in my muscles but that wasn't where I needed it, lol.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Is that good or bad? I still remember my first DE shave vividly. No nicks or weepers but it was incredibly uncomfortable and took me a full hour.
My first DE shave was with a Vikings Blade Chieftain, and yeah, it took me about 45 minutes to an hour. I don't remember any nicks, but it was far from comfortable.
It was probably at least 3 months before I was able to get my neck clean shaven, and I would get weepers after 2 uses on a blade.
No nicks or weepers last night, in fact the comfort level of last night's shave was good, the finished product though, left something to be desired, a SAS at best.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Saturday, February 22
Above The Tie SE1
Proguard(2)
Acca Kappa
MdC Agrumes
Pinaud Clubman
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In anticipation of my maiden voyage with the ATT SE1, I loaded the brush an extra 10 seconds or 20.
I wanted plenty of lather in case I needed more than 1 pass.

First impression, at 90 grams, this is a very solid feeling razor. I am using my 40 gram titanium handle.
My Game Changer's and Fatip's are 65-73 grams.

Second impression, this razor means business, it shaves more like an SR than a DE.

My 1st pass was ATG starting at the base of my neck, I realized right away I need to keep a very steep angle and a very light touch. About halfway up I started to feel more resistance than I expected, but a slight change in angle and I could almost not feel it cut. I did get a tiny weeper? More of a dot, before I started to find the angle and touch.

My 1st face pass was ear to chin, then WTG under my nose and lips. After rinsing I noticed that I barely shaved the hollow under my chin on the left side at all. Being so close to the scar It was tugging away so I let up and used a very light touch there and missed most of it.

My son also made an entrance because he needed some tweezers, so I invited him to stay and watch, as he will be shaving soon......... He is not quite ready yet and bailed. LOL

For the 2nd pass I decided to shave WTG as I got used to shaving with a VERY STEEP angle, and an incredibly light touch. My 2nd pass was mostly like my usual 1st WTG pass.

After rinsing my face felt pretty clean, but I felt my skin starting to tighten up a bit and splashed on the Witch hazel and cleaned up my gear.
When I splashed on the Clubman it only stung a tiny bit, then felt really nice, and I finished up with Nivea balm.

Right away I can feel my face is BBS with ZERO irritation.
My neck gave me a bit of trouble and is not as close, and I did feel the blade a few times....... I don't think I need an ATG 1st pass with this razor. It feels very happy WTG and XTG with very light reducing and buffing passes.

So light that even though I have a lot of room for improvement with this razor, my face feels very happy an hour after the shave.

Yeah, it was a nice shave tonight.


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Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
So light that even though I have a lot of room for improvement with this razor, my face feels very happy an hour after the shave.

Have you used any other SE razors Doug? If so, how would you compare the SE 1 to them and did you find the wider AC blade odd, awkward or strange feeling?
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Have you used any other SE razors Doug? If so, how would you compare the SE 1 to them and did you find the wider AC blade odd, awkward or strange feeling?
Mike, this is my first SE razor. I chose the AC format because I already have a Feather Pro AC SS folding razor, and a half dozen shave-ready straights, but I have been on a bit of an SR sabbatical.

The way SE1 positions the blade in relation to the guard, changes the angle of attack significantly from that of a straight. When I used a shallow angle it felt like an unguarded blade, tugging at my hair. A neutral angle and all I could feel was blade, and I did get a weeper on my neck. Well, not really a weeper, a dot. So I finished the ATG pass riding the guard, just ever so lightly. I'm glad I chose my 3" handle as I was using a STEEP angle.
At that point I could just ever so lightly feel the blade as it effortlessly removed my stubble. And I had a bit of stubble left from the 1 pass shave from the night before.
The WTG pass felt much nicer, with the weight and firmness of the razor there is no chatter, and buffing with this razor is superb. I could actually see it reduce the facial hairs that lay flat buffing WTG. And so light I didn't feel the blade.

As in ZERO irritation from buffing. ZERO. Closest shave ever under my nose.

And when I got up this morning my face was still BBS.

It ain't your Grandpa's razor though...........
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Mike, this is my first SE razor. I chose the AC format because I already have a Feather Pro AC SS folding razor, and a half dozen shave-ready straights, but I have been on a bit of an SR sabbatical.

The way SE1 positions the blade in relation to the guard, changes the angle of attack significantly from that of a straight. When I used a shallow angle it felt like an unguarded blade, tugging at my hair. A neutral angle and all I could feel was blade, and I did get a weeper on my neck. Well, not really a weeper, a dot. So I finished the ATG pass riding the guard, just ever so lightly. I'm glad I chose my 3" handle as I was using a STEEP angle.
At that point I could just ever so lightly feel the blade as it effortlessly removed my stubble. And I had a bit of stubble left from the 1 pass shave from the night before.
The WTG pass felt much nicer, with the weight and firmness of the razor there is no chatter, and buffing with this razor is superb. I could actually see it reduce the facial hairs that lay flat buffing WTG. And so light I didn't feel the blade.

As in ZERO irritation from buffing. ZERO. Closest shave ever under my nose.

And when I got up this morning my face was still BBS.

It ain't your Grandpa's razor though...........

Nicely done, sir.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Sunday, February 23
ATT SE1 Proguard(1)
Simpson PJ2
Wholly Kaw La Fougere Parfaite
Pinaud Clubman

Last night's shave was pretty good.

The PJ2 still needs some time, but I got a pretty nice lather, a bit watery, which is good, as the SE1 shaves more like an SR than a SE.

The 1st ATG pass on my neck was better as I knew I needed a steep angle. The right side of my neck went pretty smoothly, but I am still having some trouble maneuvering around my scar, there is still some swelling, and bumps from the stitches.
I am finding that short strokes are the name of the game with this razor.

The ATG pass on my face was very smooth as I am getting used to the steep angle and keeping a light touch. The 1st pass definitely was very clean on my face, but there was still noticeable stubble on my neck, so I rinsed and lathered up again.
The PJ2 is very soft, but has a bit more backbone than I care for. The 2nd WTG pass was very comfortable, I only buffed around my lips, and the WTG pass on my neck I barely felt the blade at all, but I could hear the hair being whisked away.
Slow and steady is what seems to work best and let the wide blade do it's job.
I did get one red dot on my neck, the same spot as yesterday, and one on my face, but no styptic or alum was needed.

I cleaned up my gear and then splashed on the Witch hazel, the Clubman had it's usual light sting then cool refreshing feeling. My face felt nice and I finished up with Nivea balm.

I was busy watching DragRacing late last night and didn't feel like writing my notes until this morning, and my face is still BBS.
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Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
Nice write up, Doug.

Man, you can shave at night and be BBS in the morning! Wow. Lucky you!

Unless I'm really just lousy with my technique I must live in an alternate universe of whiskers. BBS the next morning would be a miracle for me.

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I suspect that razor - the SE1 - is going to grow on you.

The photo is of my SE1, but I've not actually used it in a while because mine is on an extended road trip along with my SE2 baseplate and my SS General. I have at the house a SS DLC Hawk so the AC platform is available to me when I want to use it.

The SE1 is a very good razor I think.

I moved from where you are to the Proline AC blade without noticing much if any difficulties in my shaves; not saying you should change blades because what you're using is obviously working for you.

Sounds to me like you've got it all working very well for you.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
When I used a shallow angle it felt like an unguarded blade, tugging at my hair.

I've found that with increased rigidity of the blade, my blade choice narrows. As @rabidus once explained, once you remove blade flex from the equation, you'll feel exactly how difficult to cut your whiskers are. I found that accurate. I believe, especially with DE blades, that this is where the blade coatings come into play.

With the right blade coating, the blade should slip through the hair composition with no drag. The Drag Theory, coined by Gillette when they applied for the patent on blade coatings for the Gillette Blue blade.

"After discovering in his test lab that shavers could not tell the difference in blade sharpness, he was responsible for break-thru research that determined that blade sharpness was not a critical factor in receiving a good shave; rather a reduction in drag by hair clinging to the blade causing pulling was needed. This Drag Theory lead to the development of coated razor blades and specifically the Organosiloxane Gel coated Super Blue Blade (1959)."


Changing blades might just remove any tugging. I never feel any tugging with either Polsilver or Gillette Yellow blades which is why they work the best for me in first pass directly ATG shaves. The GEM PTFE blade rarely tugs either, even when worn to the point of causing ingrown hairs.


As in ZERO irritation from buffing. ZERO. Closest shave ever under my nose.

You've just experienced the enhanced blade stability of the thicker SE blades. AC blades are even thicker than GEM blades. GEM PTFE blades are .009" thick.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
Changing blades might just remove any tugging.
The tugging I was referring to was the feeling you get when you test a straight by gliding it over you arm hair a few mm's above the skin. It was tugging because I had lifted the blade off my skin.
 
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