This morning, I used my shave as a fun experiment.
My daily shave - Gillette 1946 Milord TTO with Red IP blades.
vs
"The Edsel of razors" http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/292716-Gillette-TechMatic-World-s-worst-razor
Yes, the maligned Gillette Techmatic.
Techmatic with 1 shave on it, set on 5. Red IP with 3 shaves on it - which puts it at halfway through its use. These blades have such staying power for me.
Shower, no shave oil or beard prep, Arko face lathered with an Omega Pro 49. Jack Black post shave balm (overpriced, but works well for me - and it was a gift)
2 days growth to give the razors something to chew on.
3 pass - WTG, XTG, ATG. ATG is more of a chevron pattern in order to keep it comfortable.
Shaved RHS with Milord, LHS (the more difficult side for me) with Techmatic.
Milord - No surprises. Can't feel the blade until ATG. Feel like I just can't go wrong with it. I could go with this combo forever (I choose, however, to have variety). 4 hours later - right cheek silky smooth, neck has just a hint of rough if I rub ATG.
Techmatic - I _love_ the balance in my hand. It feels great to hold. I can feel the presence of the blade a bit, but each pass was over before I knew it. Very fast shaver, despite having to rinse it many times. 3 rinses per pass vs. the Milord, which I can get through an entire pass and rinse in between, although I usually rinse between sides. 4 hours later - a bit of roughness on my left jaw line, but other than that indistinguishable from the right hand side.
I have to give my DE setup a _very_ slight edge, but it shows how even a bottom-tier SE can hold its own. The Techmatic is surely an SE design, with the downward-facing blade band and the shaving angle which brings the blade about 30 degrees from parallel.
I have 3 bands and 2 handles - might be time to put up a WTB in the B/S/T and stock up.
I'm really surprised at this result, but it goes to show that everyone's face is different. I like this razor, but can't stand Rapira blades, which others like. I like the Milord, but the Aristocrat and Fatboy are uncomfortable. I guess part of the fun is in finding those optimal combinations.
Derek
My daily shave - Gillette 1946 Milord TTO with Red IP blades.
vs
"The Edsel of razors" http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/292716-Gillette-TechMatic-World-s-worst-razor
Yes, the maligned Gillette Techmatic.
Techmatic with 1 shave on it, set on 5. Red IP with 3 shaves on it - which puts it at halfway through its use. These blades have such staying power for me.
Shower, no shave oil or beard prep, Arko face lathered with an Omega Pro 49. Jack Black post shave balm (overpriced, but works well for me - and it was a gift)
2 days growth to give the razors something to chew on.
3 pass - WTG, XTG, ATG. ATG is more of a chevron pattern in order to keep it comfortable.
Shaved RHS with Milord, LHS (the more difficult side for me) with Techmatic.
Milord - No surprises. Can't feel the blade until ATG. Feel like I just can't go wrong with it. I could go with this combo forever (I choose, however, to have variety). 4 hours later - right cheek silky smooth, neck has just a hint of rough if I rub ATG.
Techmatic - I _love_ the balance in my hand. It feels great to hold. I can feel the presence of the blade a bit, but each pass was over before I knew it. Very fast shaver, despite having to rinse it many times. 3 rinses per pass vs. the Milord, which I can get through an entire pass and rinse in between, although I usually rinse between sides. 4 hours later - a bit of roughness on my left jaw line, but other than that indistinguishable from the right hand side.
I have to give my DE setup a _very_ slight edge, but it shows how even a bottom-tier SE can hold its own. The Techmatic is surely an SE design, with the downward-facing blade band and the shaving angle which brings the blade about 30 degrees from parallel.
I have 3 bands and 2 handles - might be time to put up a WTB in the B/S/T and stock up.
I'm really surprised at this result, but it goes to show that everyone's face is different. I like this razor, but can't stand Rapira blades, which others like. I like the Milord, but the Aristocrat and Fatboy are uncomfortable. I guess part of the fun is in finding those optimal combinations.
Derek
