The World Shave Off Showdown

[User 306]

NOTICE:

Tonights the next Shave Off and the 2 razors that will be going head to head are 2 TTO's and two razors I really enjoy shaving with. First is the Gillette 2nd Generation British Aristocrat SB from my 21 set and the other is the President which to me doesn't get the attention it deserves as a nice smooth yet pleasantly efficient razor. So I'm looking forward to the shave tonight so stay tuned.

 

[Zoost]

NOTICE:

Tonights the next Shave Off and the 2 razors that will be going head to head are 2 TTO's and two razors I really enjoy shaving with. First is the Gillette 2nd Generation British Aristocrat SB from my 21 set and the other is the President which to me doesn't get the attention it deserves as a nice smooth yet pleasantly efficient razor. So I'm looking forward to the shave tonight so stay tuned.

Hey, I remember you!

 

[Twelvefret]

Good thing a GEM Micromatic is not being compared. It would put those Fat Boys and Presidents to shame.....LOL!!

 

[User 306]

Good thing a GEM Micromatic is not being compared. It would put those Fat Boys and Presidents to shame.....LOL!!

Got one of those and at some point I’ll probably do a SE Shave Off and I’d expect the MMOC to finish in the top 4.
Remember though there are some DE razors that make the MMOC seem like a kitty cat! Lol

 

[Twelvefret]

Got one of those and at some point I’ll probably do a SE Shave Off and I’d expect the MMOC to finish in the top 4.
Remember though there are some DE razors that make the MMOC seem like a kitty

Got one of those and at some point I’ll probably do a SE Shave Off and I’d expect the MMOC to finish in the top 4.
Remember though there are some DE razors that make the MMOC seem like a kitty cat! Lol

Which DE did you have in mind?

 

[Twelvefret]

Lets see I can name 3 real quick. Charcoal Level 3OC, Ikon Tech and 2011 R41.. the MMOC would not want to get in the shave ring with any of those and I can name a couple more but I don't want to get the mods angry talking about SE razors in the DE section or go OT in a DE Shave Off but if you want to pm me we can continue this topic my friend as I love talking shaving!
Also just finished tonights 2nd round Shave Off so I want to start writing the review as I know some members are waiting.

I will!!

 

[User 306]

2nd round of the Shave Off is complete​

US President vs British 2nd Generation Aristocrat from my #21 set

Ok so tonights shave was a matching of two of my personal favorite TTO razors. So again we have a classic battle between a US and British razor. The President is one of 2 in my collection. I have one NOS President that Cap told me to vacuum seal after I showed him a photo of it and I'm not trying to brag about it but oh boy did I got really lucky when I found it for a really good price as the photos were so bad I thought I was buying a nice user grade one and when it arrived I was in a state of shock! The one I used tonight is in what I would call excellent conditon and I keep in my rack ready to go to work when I want to use it. The British Aristocrat 2nd Gen is a amazing shaver and if some of you remember the Aristocrat Shave Off it came in 2nd to the Brit 1st Gen #15 OC.

So tonight also gave me an oppritunity to shave with a soap I got in the mail today. Mikes Natural Barbershop. I'm what you'd call a fan of barbershop soaps and have quite a few soaps and AS and I really like the scent of this soap and the performance was very good. Not top tier good but lets put it this way if it was the only soap I had to shave with for the next year I'd be fine with it and the scent combined with good performance gave me a very nice shaving experience. I wish Mike would make an AS that matched the soap but I didn't see any on his site so tonight I took out the Floid Blue which is an old standard I like to use sparely as you can't get it any longer. I tried a copy but it just wasn't the same. Used my Paladin two band which is right now my favorite brush and just to be clear I don't have a case of BAD thank God! 3 good badgers and 3 nice boars and a few synthetics I rarely use anymore. I used the Feather blades from the last Shave Off as I tend to like Feathers better on the 2nd shave and the blades performed very well tonight.

Anyway on to the Shave Off:

1st Pass - WTG - As normal I divided my face up into 4 quadrants dedicating one from each side of my face and neck to each razor. So lathered up and started with the President on my right side of my face. So anyone who has shaved with a President probably knows it's a very smooth razor with a understated efficiency when coupled with a good solid technique is quite capable of delivering a very nice shave and this pass was just that very nice. So picked up the 2nd Gen and continued southbound down my neck and the first thing that's very noticeable is this razor has more blade feel than the President but is still a very smooth shaver. So on to my left side with the 2nd Gen on my face and it was slicing threw my 2 day growth like it was was cotton. Very nice pass. Picked up the President and continued south and again I notice it's not got the blade feel of the 2nd Gen but it seems to be taking down my growth fine. So I finished the 1st WTG pass on face and neck and I'd like to mention I'm using my SSSST and I did some normal skin stretching ( SS ) on the first WTG pass and I also did some reverse SS - ( RSS ) and to be honest after doing just the one pass on my face both sides I could have just stopped if this were a work shave.

2nd Pass - XTG on my face and ATG on my neck. Knowing that now that I'm using my SSSST and knowing these two razors I'm almost certain I won't need a 3rd pass. So rinsed and re- Lathered and started on the right side of my face with the President going XTG ear to nose. Audible feedback is very low at this point and blade feel is at a minimal as this pass went really fast. Moved over to the other side with the 2nd Gen and a repeat performance and like the President the audible was less than on the first pass along with the blade feel. I'd also like to add that Mikes soap has some decent glide to it so I'm pleased with my purchase at this point. So on to my neck and the ATG passes. First up was the President and after I completed the S to N I reversed my SS as I felt a little bit of stubble on a couple of spots but they were quickly gone. On over to the other side with the 2nd Gen and It was on this pass that I could tell it is more efficient than the President by a decent amount. I only had to go ATG with a normal SS and I was BBS on my more difficult side with all the nasty cowlicks. After rinsing and doing a face feel I can tell the the two quadrants where I shaved with the 2nd Gen are BBS and on the two quadrants where I used the President there are some isolated spots mostly on my neck and one spot on my lower chin that are not BBS but a DFS.

So my final thoughts are that the 2nd Gen is the more efficient razor with more blade feel but still a smooth shaving razor and it gave me pretty much the shave I've gotten with it when using my SSSST which is a Level 1 BBS on 2 passes.
The President a just a damn smooth shaver and I'd recommend it to anyone who is a daily shaver as in my opinon there is something to be said for a smooth razor that you can use daily without worries of nick, weepers or irritation. I like the Feather blade in the President and 2nd Gen but I'd prefer a Kai as I like the face feel better and it's still one sharp blade.

If your looking for a vintage razor these two are great shavers and I'll say you can't go wrong with either one in my books.
So as far as who won. Well from a performance standpoint and which razor gave me the closer shave, it was the 2nd Gen British Aristocrat so I have to call it the winner of this Shave Off but again my hats off to the sometimes forgotten President for it's smoothness and quiet efficiency.

A note between Mikes Barbershop and Floid Blue which I applied really lightly as it's a night shave I really like the post shave feel of my face and the scent is very pleasant and relaxing.

Night all and I hope you enjoyed this Shave Off and I welcome any comments about your personal experiences shaving with either one of these fine razors and any historical input you can add to this Shave Off.

 

[davidsilva]

. Night all and I hope you enjoyed this Shave Off and I welcome any comments about your personal experiences shaving with either one of these fine razors and any historical input you can add to this Shave Off.

My hat is off to you sir, for your efforts and entertaining reports! Very interesting comparisons. Thank you!

 

[JB1963]

Great Stuff! Thanks for doing this!

 

[Shavemd]

Nice review Frank I was hoping the President would knock out the Brit but it is an awesome razor. Really enjoying this thread and looking forward to the wide range of razors coming

 

[User 306]

Great Stuff! Thanks for doing this!

Thank you sir! I'm really enjoying the experience so far and more than glad to share.

Nice review Frank I was hoping the President would knock out the Brit but it is an awesome razor. Really enjoying this thread and looking forward to the wide range of razors coming

Thanks Mark

Well I think the President although now quite as efficient as the 2nd Gen is a great razor for someone looking for a razor that can be used daily without worrying about getting irritation or weepers. It's a very smooth razor with not a whole lot of blade feel even with the Feather blade in it and as James mentioned for a lot of shavers and especially some of the older gentlemen who's skin maybe isn't as tight as it used to be are looking for smoothness more than efficiency and blade feel. So he and another member made me aware of when reporting on any razor in this Shave Off I should mention wether or not I feel it would make a good daily driver. A good point that I will make sure is in all my reports moving forward. I'm also looking forward to using some of the razors that will be coming up in both the adjustable and 3 piece categories.

feel better my friend!

 

[loot]

Thank you sir! I'm really enjoying the experience so far and more than glad to share.



Thanks Mark

Well I think the President although now quite as efficient as the 2nd Gen is a great razor for someone looking for a razor that can be used daily without worrying about getting irritation or weepers. It's a very smooth razor with not a whole lot of blade feel even with the Feather blade in it and as James mentioned for a lot of shavers and especially some of the older gentlemen who's skin maybe isn't as tight as it used to be are looking for smoothness more than efficiency and blade feel. So he and another member made me aware of when reporting on any razor in this Shave Off I should mention wether or not I feel it would make a good daily driver. A good point that I will make sure is in all my reports moving forward. I'm also looking forward to using some of the razors that will be coming up in both the adjustable and 3 piece categories.

feel better my friend!

Great stuff, Frankie. I don't own either of those razors but now I know why my brother does! I am going to get quite the education over the next few months.

At present, because of a Blackbird, I judge razors on the same 3 criteria you mentioned. Blade feel, efficiency, and smoothness. For this reason, my vintage Gillette's sit primarily unused. The Gillette's can be smooth and efficient but man I crave that blade feel.

My modern razors must check all 3 boxes...or they are likely to get sold. The only exception I can think of is the 17-4. There could be others.

 

[Ray Settanta]

Excellent thread! Thanks.

 

[loot]

@Dragonsbeard Who slugs it out in round 2?

I know you are pitting Toggles at some point. F4 vs F4. Do me a favor, crank the Chrome up to 9, and run a Feather blade. Choke up on the head, hold it by the turret if you can.

I'm looking forward to whatever battle is next.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[loot]

@Dragonsbeard Who slugs it out in round 2?

I know you are pitting Toggles at some point. F4 vs F4. Do me a favor, crank the Chrome up to 9, and run a Feather blade. Choke up on the head, hold it by the turret if you can.

I'm looking forward to whatever battle is next.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Rd 3...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[User 306]

@Dragonsbeard Who slugs it out in round 2?

I know you are pitting Toggles at some point. F4 vs F4. Do me a favor, crank the Chrome up to 9, and run a Feather blade. Choke up on the head, hold it by the turret if you can.

I'm looking forward to whatever battle is next.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Ok Buddy will do. I’m gonna finish up the TTO before moving on to the Adjustable razors and the winnner of the TTO will eventually meet up with the winner of the Adjustable razors but for you I’ll start with the Chrome Toggle vs the standard F4 when I do the first Shave Off with the Adjustable razors

 

[BigJ]

Excellent!! Gillette had it right in the old days!

 

[loot]

What razor goodness you bringing tonight Frankie?

 

[User 306]

Next Shave Off Completed

British 1st Gen # 15 OC vs British 2nd Gen SB from a 21 set

Ok this morning I had to finish up the TTO category and with the 2nd Gen Taking the last round there’s only the British 1st Gen #15 OC standing in the way of heading to the championship representing the TTO razors. So I’ll get right to the shave gear.
Soap - WSP Olympus
AS - WSP Olympus Formula T
Blades - Kai
Brush - Thater beehive Boar

So I have to give a shout out to WSP for doing a great job on putting out a Creed Aventus scented soap and aftershave. It has a little more of a Pineapple opening than the real Cologne which I have and really like and I don’t mind that little extra Pineapple as it sets up a nice foundation for the Cologne. I also got a nice lather out of the soap and I’m starting to like this very reasonablely priced brand. As usual the Thater boar helped whip up the great smelling lather that filled the bathroom. I decided to use a Kai blade in both Razors’s as I used Polsilvers the last time these two met up for a Shave Off and I find the Kai a bit sharper but still very smooth.

So both these 2 Brits are in great condition as you can tell from the photos and open and close like they were made yesterday. Alignment on both is spot on.

I’ll stop babbling on and get this Shave Off started!

So today I’m going with my normal 4 quadrant separatism of my face and neck. Each razor gets one section on each side. Also I decided to do a WTG Skin Stretch pass and also a one pass Reverse Skin Stretch ( RSS ) also going ATG on my face and a 2 paseEs on my neck with one one going WTG and one going ATG.

So on with the Shave Off:

1st and 2nd Pass on face only - WTG Skin Stretching (SS) downward sideburns to base of the chin. Then back upwards to where I first started using Reverse Skin Stretch (RSS). I started on my more difficult right side I began my journey south and then back up north using the 1st Gen #15 OC and from the first couple of strokes I immediately noticed the difference with the Kai blade in this bad boy! Blade feel is decent but not off the charts. Audible feedback is again middle of the road and the angle on these Aristocrats is very easy to find. I love the balance of this razor and the Barberpole handle is one of my all time favorites. The razor and blade combo was smoothly mowing down my 2 day growth like it wasn’t there. Wonderful pass! Headed over to the other side and did the same 2 Pass WTG pass using the 2nd Gen SB and although the two razors are eventually the same razor only one having an OC and the other a SB the 2nd Gen has just a little less blade feel and is a very tiny touch smoother but with that said they are both very smooth for two efficient razors. Another good pass!

1st Pass on neck -WTG Started with the 2nd Gen at the base of my chin and started downward still using the SSSST and again no problem taking down my 2 day growth. I don't know how many of you have had a lot of shave time with an Aristocrat but they make a certain sound against the face and it's not the same sound as audible feedback it's just the sound of the head on my face and the only way I can sort of describe it is the sound is almost a hollow sound and it doesn't matter if it's a Rhodium or Gold razor I'd say they all make the same sound that to me is unique to an Aristocrat. Had a wonderful WTG pass and then picked up the 1st Gen #15 and did the same thing on the other side and once again a fabulous pass from both razors.

2nd Pass on the neck - ATG So I started with the 2nd Gen using my small hand towel as I began to SS at the base of my neck and traveled up 123,123 until my ATG pass was complete. The 2nd Gen performed great again and so I picked up the Champ which is what I call my #15 and bottom line the OC is just a little bit more efficient and that was noticeable on this pass more so than on any other in this Shave Off. These both are wonderful shavers and I hate to take one out of the Showdown but the #15 won this Shave Off by a little bit as they are very close in efficiency and smoothness, The real Truth is if anyone is looking to start shaving with an Aristocrat and likes a little more blade feel and want a tad more efficiency then either one of these two razors are capable of delivering consistently good shaves and they could be used as a daily driver with a light touch and using no pressure. Using the SSSST is a big bonus with these two razors. So again two great passes from both razors.

Having a pretty much complete set of all the Generations of Aristocrats I have to say even if you have 4 of each model All of them shave just a little bit different from each other and same goes for all the US and British Aristocrats which is why I really like them a lot.

So to sum it up the 1st Gen #15 OC has won this final TTO Showdown and will be representing the TTO group in the champion ship round when I'm done with all the adjustable razor. So on to the adjustable razors again and I think I'll use the Chrome Toggle vs the F4 Toggle in the next Shave Off which should be very interesting.

Hope that you've enjoyed the Shave Off and just so some of you that have messaged me about the SSSST the new version of the drawings will be done very soon and I kind of saw what it's going to look like and I'm pretty excited.

Great Shaves!

 

[MitchellUK]

Next Shave Off Completed

British 1st Gen # 15 OC vs British 2nd Gen SB from a 21 set

Ok this morning I had to finish up the TTO category and with the 2nd Gen Taking the last round there’s only the British 1st Gen #15 OC standing in the way of heading to the championship representing the TTO razors. So I’ll get right to the shave gear.
Soap - WSP Olympus
AS - WSP Olympus Formula T
Blades - Kai
Brush - Thater beehive Boar

So I have to give a shout out to WSP for doing a great job on putting out a Creed Aventus scented soap and aftershave. It has a little more of a Pineapple opening than the real Cologne which I have and really like and I don’t mind that little extra Pineapple as it sets up a nice foundation for the Cologne. I also got a nice lather out of the soap and I’m starting to like this very reasonablely priced brand. As usual the Thater boar helped whip up the great smelling lather that filled the bathroom. I decided to use a Kai blade in both Razors’s as I used Polsilvers the last time these two met up for a Shave Off and I find the Kai a bit sharper but still very smooth.

So both these 2 Brits are in great condition as you can tell from the photos and open and close like they were made yesterday. Alignment on both is spot on.

I’ll stop babbling on and get this Shave Off started!

So today I’m going with my normal 4 quadrant separatism of my face and neck. Each razor gets one section on each side. Also I decided to do a WTG Skin Stretch pass and also a one pass Reverse Skin Stretch ( RSS ) also going ATG on my face and a 2 paseEs on my neck with one one going WTG and one going ATG.

So on with the Shave Off:

1st and 2nd Pass on face only - WTG Skin Stretching (SS) downward sideburns to base of the chin. Then back upwards to where I first started using Reverse Skin Stretch (RSS). I started on my more difficult right side I began my journey south and then back up north using the 1st Gen #15 OC and from the first couple of strokes I immediately noticed the difference with the Kai blade in this bad boy! Blade feel is decent but not off the charts. Audible feedback is again middle of the road and the angle on these Aristocrats is very easy to find. I love the balance of this razor and the Barberpole handle is one of my all time favorites. The razor and blade combo was smoothly mowing down my 2 day growth like it wasn’t there. Wonderful pass! Headed over to the other side and did the same 2 Pass WTG pass using the 2nd Gen SB and although the two razors are eventually the same razor only one having an OC and the other a SB the 2nd Gen has just a little less blade feel and is a very tiny touch smoother but with that said they are both very smooth for two efficient razors. Another good pass!

1st Pass on neck -WTG Started with the 2nd Gen at the base of my chin and started downward still using the SSSST and again no problem taking down my 2 day growth. I don't know how many of you have had a lot of shave time with an Aristocrat but they make a certain sound against the face and it's not the same sound as audible feedback it's just the sound of the head on my face and the only way I can sort of describe it is the sound is almost a hollow sound and it doesn't matter if it's a Rhodium or Gold razor I'd say they all make the same sound that to me is unique to an Aristocrat. Had a wonderful WTG pass and then picked up the 1st Gen #15 and did the same thing on the other side and once again a fabulous pass from both razors.

2nd Pass on the neck - ATG So I started with the 2nd Gen using my small hand towel as I began to SS at the base of my neck and traveled up 123,123 until my ATG pass was complete. The 2nd Gen performed great again and so I picked up the Champ which is what I call my #15 and bottom line the OC is just a little bit more efficient and that was noticeable on this pass more so than on any other in this Shave Off. These both are wonderful shavers and I hate to take one out of the Showdown but the #15 won this Shave Off by a little bit as they are very close in efficiency and smoothness, The real Truth is if anyone is looking to start shaving with an Aristocrat and likes a little more blade feel and want a tad more efficiency then either one of these two razors are capable of delivering consistently good shaves and they could be used as a daily driver with a light touch and using no pressure. Using the SSSST is a big bonus with these two razors. So again two great passes from both razors.

Having a pretty much complete set of all the Generations of Aristocrats I have to say even if you have 4 of each model All of them shave just a little bit different from each other and same goes for all the US and British Aristocrats which is why I really like them a lot.

So to sum it up the 1st Gen #15 OC has won this final TTO Showdown and will be representing the TTO group in the champion ship round when I'm done with all the adjustable razor. So on to the adjustable razors again and I think I'll use the Chrome Toggle vs the F4 Toggle in the next Shave Off which should be very interesting.

Hope that you've enjoyed the Shave Off and just so some of you that have messaged me about the SSSST the new version of the drawings will be done very soon and I kind of saw what it's going to look like and I'm pretty excited.

Great Shaves!


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Another excellent write up and you inspired me to pull out my first generation Aristocrat for today's shave. Keep up the good work!