NOTICE!
F4 Toggle vs Chrome Toggle
Well this was a special shave and as I've never held let alone shaved with the legendary Chrome Toggle and I have to start out by saying why do they call it a Chrome Toggle when it's plated in nickel? I need some historians to chime in here for a history lesson on this beautiful razor. This razor was replated in Nickel by [email protected] and he did a amazing job on it as it shines so brilliantly. My F4 Toggle was also replated by Chris in Rhodium and was the last Toggle he said he will ever replate as I guess they are very time consuming an difficult to work on. I'm very glad I got lucky enough to have mine done and it looks awesome as well but a bit different than the Chrome Toggle. Also as you can see in the photos the Chrome is shorter than the F4 and the head is different and in fact it's the same head that was on the Red Dot Fatboy I shaved with to kick off this thread with along with the standard Fatboy. So in a way this Shave Off is similar. James @loot asked me to please use both these razors on setting # 9 which I have no problem with at all and agreed to at least do the first pass using the # 9 setting but as it was I just left them both on 9 for the two passes I made.
The soap I choose for this epic Shave Off is my MDC Fourgere which is one of my top soaps and I love the scent and performance. As an aftershave I choose my SV Fern which compliments the MDC soap nicely. The cologne here is Creed Original Vetiver which to me doesn't smell like traditional Vetiver like Guerlain to me which honestly I'm not a fan of but more of a fresh green scent and when layered over the SV Fern they really blend well together for an overall great scent! Blade of choice for tonights Shave Off is 2 brand new Polsilver's and brush was my 2 band Paladin.
So on to the Shave:
As usual I broke my face up into 4 quadrants and assigned each razor one quadrant on both sides of my face and neck to try and make this as fair as possible as one side of my face and neck is a lot more difficult which is my right side.
1st Pass - WTG I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Chrome Toggle so I started with it on my face on my more difficult right side. Using the razors on 9 I'm anticipating a lot of blade feel and using my SSSST I really stretched my skin above my razor and proceeded downward and I was pleasantly surprised at the smoothness of the Chrome on #9 setting. Yes there was some blade feel but not what you'd expect and as I had the Red Dot set only on 7 I'm not sure how it would compare having the same head and one thing I've learned about using Vintage razors you could have 8 of the exact same razor and model etc and each one would shave just a bit differently and although subtle they do differ. Anyway I got off track and sorry guys! My first pass was great and I had over 2 days growth so there was some decent growth for these two razor to mow down and mow down the Chrome did with ease. So I finished up my right side and picked up my F4 and started down my neck. Using my shave towel I again stretched my skin fairly tight and headed southbound on the neck. The F4 had a different face feel than the Chrome and it was noticeable from the first stroke. A tad more blade feel and the angle I needed to use was not quite as steep as with the Chrome. The F4 felt a little more efficient but not by much at this point. Again a very nice pass! So kept it in hand and moved to the other side of my face and up to my sideburns. Again a nice strong SS and from the first 3 strokes what I thought might be true indeed was true. Just like the traditional Fatboy was a bit more efficient than the Red Dot Fatboy the same happened here. The F4 mowed down my whiskers like butter on my left side and yet was very smooth as well. Back to the Chrome and continued down my neck and again I confirmed that the F4 was a bit more efficient and I was in my groove with these two. So I rinsed and did a quick face feel and I could feel the F4 had taken down just a tad more growth than the Chrome but it was not by a big margin but best described as somewhat noticeable on this 1st pass. So overall a very nice WTG pass from both these beauties.
2nd Pass XTG on my face - I decided to keep things in sync so again I started with the Chrome on my right side. This passes blade feel and audible feedback was not as apparent as in the 1st pass so I knew there wasn't much growth left to cut down. So nice pass and over to the other side of my face with the F4 and again very nice as it mirrored the Chrome in that the blade feel and audible feedback had subsided a good amount. So on to the next pass using the F4 on my neck and again this razors is demolishing my stubble. Another smooth pass from both razors and I have to mention the slickness of the MDC soap was very nice and I could have just kept making pass after pass just to not end the shave as I love the smell the scent!
2nd Pass on the Neck - ATG So I had decided to just do a WTG and ATG pass on my neck with these two as I knew I could get a lot out of them both and they sure delivered. The F4 on my neck on my more difficult side basically just had to clean up a little bit of stubble on my cowlick and a few other small trouble spots to finish up my right side. So on to the other side and the Chrome and again very smooth and it to finished off what little stubble was left very easily. I rinsed with warm water first then cold and rubbed my Alum stick on my face to see if there was any feedback and there was a very tiny bit but within seconds it went away. Cleaned up my gear and rinsed again. As usual went to the fridge and had a refreshing splash of unscented Thayers Witch Hazel and went back to the bathroom and wiped down the razors which I had sprayed with Isopropyl Alcohol and then rinsed. I wiped them with a 100% cotton extremely soft cloth and then used my blow dryer on cool to dry the razors even more. Set them down to air dry just in case there was any moisture left on or in the razors. Yeah I'm a little OCD about cleaning my gear.
With my face dry by now I pulled out the cotton as I kind of knew the outcome of this Shave Off but wanted to confirm using the cotton. The end results were the Chrome gave me a 2 pass BBS Level 1 shave but the F4 took it up a step to a BBS Level 2 and as I'm sitting hear feeling my face as I'm typing this review my face feels awesome and the scent of the AS and Cologne are perfect! Overall a very rewarding night shave!
So the winner by a touch is the F4 and when I say this was a pleasureful shave I mean it was great and I'd like to personally say thanks to James for sending me this beautiful razor. If this were mine it would get used but maybe I'd only pull this out once a year as I know how hard to work on and I wouldn't want to speed up the wear on this classic!
So if any of the historians are reading this thread and this Shave Off please give me some background and history on the Chrome Toggle...
Thanks all!
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The World Shave Off Showdown
- Thread starter User 306
- Start date
Great thread, and thanks for giving us the chance to vicariously experience a number of razors we would never have the chance to see or use.
- Thread starter
- #83
I think like I mentioned some of these vintage razors are so old that even if you had 4 different Red Dot's or Chrome Toggles I'd almost bet they all would vary slightly in the shave they give. I did a Shave Off a while back using the same Rhodium Toggle vs my own personal E2 Fatboy which was also replated a few years ago and I found the Toggle was smoother than the Fatboy and overall gave me a better shave. In this Shave Off the F4 was just a tad more efficient than the Chrome Toggle and it was confirmed with not only the cotton test post shave but in my beard regrowth today. I like to hear other peoples experience with any of the razors I'm shaving with in the Shave Off so thank you for your feedback!
- Thread starter
- #84
Like I said James each of these vintage razors is a little different. I agree with you on the Toggle vs the Fatboy as I did the Shave Off between these 2 already months ago and the Toggle won. I also want to thank you for asking me to shave with both of them set on 9.. that was a first for me using the Toggles.
Whaaaat? There are other settings than 9? At one time I didn't dream of using one on 9...now, that's my favorite setting.
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Three piece razors! Three piece razors! Three piece razors!
Sorry just excited for next phase in comparisons.
It’s cool to see vintage stuff particularly rare stuff in this thread — so thanks for sharing it! And for others to contribute their rare collectibles for you to discuss/shave. I know many are into it although I’m not a vintage guy and more interested in next phases. Patience Kluber, patience.
Sorry just excited for next phase in comparisons.
It’s cool to see vintage stuff particularly rare stuff in this thread — so thanks for sharing it! And for others to contribute their rare collectibles for you to discuss/shave. I know many are into it although I’m not a vintage guy and more interested in next phases. Patience Kluber, patience.
@kluber, I hear you brother. Vintage is not my forte but one day I would like to venture into the unknown.
- Thread starter
- #88
Patience Kluber! LOL I know guys if your not into vintage it's hard to wait. I'm with you as I can't wait to get to some of the moderns as well. I have to admit I'm also interested in shaving with some of my rare adjustable razors that have never had a shave yet like the Apollo Ben Hur and NOS Vintage Merkur Progress Slogan and see how all these adjustable razors do compared to my favorite the Gibbs #17. I am using a modern razor in tonights shave. The Rex Ambassador and it's going up against the Fatboy. It is the only modern adjustable in this competition.
Vintage is another rabbit hole that you may want to reconsider before going down that path. I started with a Fatboy 9 yrs ago and I've got a decent collection of vintage razors but lately I've been on a modern kick as far as adding razors to my den as I've got most all of the vintage razors I've ever wanted and because I had a bad case of RAD I accumulated way to many. I've been clearing out the den of those that either I have no attachment to any longer, never shave with or have 2 to 4 of the exact same razor. Example I just sold almost all of my vintage Gem's and Eveready's also 2 of my 5 Eclipse Red Rings and I'll probably send another one out the door after this shave off is over but there's two RR's and 1 Gem that I won't ever sell as they are special to me.
I'll say we got a real good collection of modern razors ready to roll as soon as I've completed the TTO's and Adjustable razors. So stay with me guys we will get there!
I was just thinking the exact same thing as I have been catching up on this thread this morning with coffee.
Definitely some great razors in here that are being compared. I have an OC Aristocrat that I absolutely love and am happy it won the TTO group. I am looking forward to the modern three-piece razors.
Thanks to @Dragonsbeard for taking this on (I'm sure shaving with some of these, it must be hardwork
) and writing up great descriptions for each of the shave (and each pass). Some great reading and I am definitely following along!Thank for the kind words my friend and it's much appreciated. Putting this one together was a bit more work than the Aristocrat Shave Off Showdown and there are a heck of a lot more razors to go through to get to the end but it's a journey I'm enjoying so far. What Gem Aristocrat OC do you have? Just curious. If you followed the Aristocrat Shave Off the 1st Gen #15 OC won that and it just won the TTO category and will go into the finals once I get through the Adjustable and 3 piece razors are completed and we go for the overall champions once put in their categories but at least it's got one championship under it's belt in this Shave Off and gets to take a rest! LOL
Thanks again for following the thread!
I have a '36 USA Aristocrat, in user grade condition but is a good candidate for replate one year soon. I did keep an eye on the Aristocrat Showdown; I'm happy the '36 USA it stood up well with its British brothers. I think it'll be interested to see how the three-piece modern razors will fair against each other and then against the No. 15 Crat.
It's interesting to have the heads up shaves with each razor and the description of their performance. I know when I generally have a new razor in the den, there is that excitement and perceived performance of that razor. So it'll be great to have some of the big boys go head to head and see how they perform!
- Thread starter
- #91
NOTICE: Next Round of the Shave Off Completed.
Rex Ambassador vs Gillette E2 Fatboy
So last night I put these two razors face to face in the Shave Off and my reasoning to compare them is because according to the creator of the Rex the Fatboy was one of the two razors that inspired the Rex with the other being obviously the Gibbs adjustable razors as you can tell by the photos of the head of the Fatboy and the ReSo for those that may ask is this the most current model of the Rex and yes is the answer because the owner, my friend Mark aka @Shavemd had a Rex from the first release that had some issues and RE got him a brand new one when this latest version came out. RE was kind enough to polish this one because if you all remember the first release had more polished top cap on it and so if your wondering why it's a bit more shinny than the Rex you may have in your den that is the reason just to clear things up.
My gear I used was:
B&M Patches shave soap
B&M Patches Aftershave
Prosilver blases
Thater Beehive Boar Brush
Fine Shaving bowl
I stared out with the Rex on setting 6 which is max and the Fatboy on 7 but quickly switched to setting 9 after a few strokes as I realized the gap's and efficiency were not matched up as good as it could be. As far as function. They both function as they were meant to. The dial and settings on the Rex doesn't click into place but is easy to move but I know some have complained that it moves easily during the shave if your hand touches it but I had no problems with that at all and is very much like the vintage Gibbs that it was inspired by and does allow you to set the between the numbers for your perfect setting. The Fatboy clicks into place with every number so not in between settings but to me no biggie either way. The weight of the Rex feels quite a bit heavier and I'm not sure what the difference is. I will say they both feel good in hand and I have maybe a little preference to the Fatboy as I find it has better maneuverability than the Rex at least for me.
So on to the Shave Off:
I decided to do a WTG and XTG pass on my face with these two razors and then a WTG and ATG pass on my neck as I don't see it taking more than two passes to get a solid level 1 BBS shave out of these two razors.
NOTE: As usual I set up my face in 4 quadrants as seen in the drawing below where you can see which razor was used in which section. I'm probably going to include these drawings in all of my Shave Off's moving forward to make it easier for members to see which razor I'm using in which section so I don't have to always write the same alert on al the shaves.
1st Pass - WTG - I started on the right side of my face with the Fatboy on setting 7 but after a few strokes kicked it up to a 9 as I knew from experience the Rex on 6 is max setting and I wanted both to be close to be fair. As usual this razor is so natural for me as it was my first ever DE razor after leaving cartridge razors 9yrs ago and I love everything about the Fatboy even the name. It has mojo to it for those that know what I mean by that. It's very maneuverable and the well balanced as least to me. So heading south using my SSSST and because I didn't have as much regrowth as I got a great shave in the last Shave Off with the Toggles the Fatboy was easily mowing down my whiskers. So finished the pass and so on to the Rex to finish the ATG pass on my neck. It's immediately noticeable that the Rex has more blade feel than the Fatboy. At least this one does and it seems more efficient on max setting than the Fatboy but it's a little to soon to tell as sometimes if a razor has more blade feel it tricks me into thinking it's more efficient which is not always the case. So I've shaved with this Rex before a few times and it's smooth but has more blade feel than the Fatboy for sure. So on to the other side of my face and neck and I won't bore you with all the detail but same results as the other side.
2nd Pass - XTG on my face and ATG on my neck. So I started again with the Fatboy and on the right side I stretched the skin pretty far near my ear and started to head towards my nose. The Fatty was not singing as loud a song as far as audible feedback as on the first pass. This pass was very smooth and I have to say the B&M Patches worked great adding a nice cushion and the scent is a pleasant light good for a night shave type. So nice pass and on to the Rex. I think that this latest version is much improved from the first release Rex's that I tried and if I had one I'd want it high polished and I hope as some point RE offers them. So I finished up the WTG pass and very nice from both razors. This is a close one. On to the ATG on my neck. So first up is the Fatboy and again a nice smooth pass. The twice used Polsilver blades are working very nicely and there has been no chatter or skips from either razor. Finished another nice pass and grabbed the Rex and same thing as al the rest of the passes. More blade feel but not uncomfortable at all.
The efficiency of the Rex on setting 6 is very good and if I had one I can't see me going with it any lower than 5 setting unless I was using it daily and I'm guessing 4 would probably be my best setting.
So this Shave Off is in the books and I have to proclaim the winner the Rex by a tiny bit because when I rinsed, towel dried my face and let that air dry I went back after to feel the shave with my hands and it was very close so I had to pull out the cotton and it showed the true winner as the areas where the Rex had shaved had less cotton sticking to it than the Fatboy.
So for me the Fatboy was a touch smoother than the Rex and the Rex was a bit more efficient than the Fatboy and you couldn't go wrong with either of these razors as they are both really good shavers!
Rex Ambassador vs Gillette E2 Fatboy
So last night I put these two razors face to face in the Shave Off and my reasoning to compare them is because according to the creator of the Rex the Fatboy was one of the two razors that inspired the Rex with the other being obviously the Gibbs adjustable razors as you can tell by the photos of the head of the Fatboy and the ReSo for those that may ask is this the most current model of the Rex and yes is the answer because the owner, my friend Mark aka @Shavemd had a Rex from the first release that had some issues and RE got him a brand new one when this latest version came out. RE was kind enough to polish this one because if you all remember the first release had more polished top cap on it and so if your wondering why it's a bit more shinny than the Rex you may have in your den that is the reason just to clear things up.
My gear I used was:
B&M Patches shave soap
B&M Patches Aftershave
Prosilver blases
Thater Beehive Boar Brush
Fine Shaving bowl
I stared out with the Rex on setting 6 which is max and the Fatboy on 7 but quickly switched to setting 9 after a few strokes as I realized the gap's and efficiency were not matched up as good as it could be. As far as function. They both function as they were meant to. The dial and settings on the Rex doesn't click into place but is easy to move but I know some have complained that it moves easily during the shave if your hand touches it but I had no problems with that at all and is very much like the vintage Gibbs that it was inspired by and does allow you to set the between the numbers for your perfect setting. The Fatboy clicks into place with every number so not in between settings but to me no biggie either way. The weight of the Rex feels quite a bit heavier and I'm not sure what the difference is. I will say they both feel good in hand and I have maybe a little preference to the Fatboy as I find it has better maneuverability than the Rex at least for me.
So on to the Shave Off:
I decided to do a WTG and XTG pass on my face with these two razors and then a WTG and ATG pass on my neck as I don't see it taking more than two passes to get a solid level 1 BBS shave out of these two razors.
NOTE: As usual I set up my face in 4 quadrants as seen in the drawing below where you can see which razor was used in which section. I'm probably going to include these drawings in all of my Shave Off's moving forward to make it easier for members to see which razor I'm using in which section so I don't have to always write the same alert on al the shaves.
1st Pass - WTG - I started on the right side of my face with the Fatboy on setting 7 but after a few strokes kicked it up to a 9 as I knew from experience the Rex on 6 is max setting and I wanted both to be close to be fair. As usual this razor is so natural for me as it was my first ever DE razor after leaving cartridge razors 9yrs ago and I love everything about the Fatboy even the name. It has mojo to it for those that know what I mean by that. It's very maneuverable and the well balanced as least to me. So heading south using my SSSST and because I didn't have as much regrowth as I got a great shave in the last Shave Off with the Toggles the Fatboy was easily mowing down my whiskers. So finished the pass and so on to the Rex to finish the ATG pass on my neck. It's immediately noticeable that the Rex has more blade feel than the Fatboy. At least this one does and it seems more efficient on max setting than the Fatboy but it's a little to soon to tell as sometimes if a razor has more blade feel it tricks me into thinking it's more efficient which is not always the case. So I've shaved with this Rex before a few times and it's smooth but has more blade feel than the Fatboy for sure. So on to the other side of my face and neck and I won't bore you with all the detail but same results as the other side.
2nd Pass - XTG on my face and ATG on my neck. So I started again with the Fatboy and on the right side I stretched the skin pretty far near my ear and started to head towards my nose. The Fatty was not singing as loud a song as far as audible feedback as on the first pass. This pass was very smooth and I have to say the B&M Patches worked great adding a nice cushion and the scent is a pleasant light good for a night shave type. So nice pass and on to the Rex. I think that this latest version is much improved from the first release Rex's that I tried and if I had one I'd want it high polished and I hope as some point RE offers them. So I finished up the WTG pass and very nice from both razors. This is a close one. On to the ATG on my neck. So first up is the Fatboy and again a nice smooth pass. The twice used Polsilver blades are working very nicely and there has been no chatter or skips from either razor. Finished another nice pass and grabbed the Rex and same thing as al the rest of the passes. More blade feel but not uncomfortable at all.
The efficiency of the Rex on setting 6 is very good and if I had one I can't see me going with it any lower than 5 setting unless I was using it daily and I'm guessing 4 would probably be my best setting.
So this Shave Off is in the books and I have to proclaim the winner the Rex by a tiny bit because when I rinsed, towel dried my face and let that air dry I went back after to feel the shave with my hands and it was very close so I had to pull out the cotton and it showed the true winner as the areas where the Rex had shaved had less cotton sticking to it than the Fatboy.
So for me the Fatboy was a touch smoother than the Rex and the Rex was a bit more efficient than the Fatboy and you couldn't go wrong with either of these razors as they are both really good shavers!
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Ah, the Rex won! Thank goodness I didn't have to ask for a recount...hanging chads and all.
Dragonsbeard you are doing a great job this is an awesome thread. Love the skin stretch drawings. You are a lucky man with all these great razors. I am really looking forward to the 3 piece razors. Thank you for doing this.
Happy shaves
SMURF
Excellent review Frank. I usually shave on 4.5 to 5 with my Rex so 6 had to be aggressive, as you know I like aggressive razors but 5 on the Rex is enough for me.
- Thread starter
- #95
Thank you Smurf for the encouraging words. I have a member who is taking my drawings of my SSSST and is going to make them look more professional looking as I’m just ok at drawing.
I’m very lucky to have some good friends/members on here that helped me make this thread possible by lending me some of these great razors both modern and vintage as I have a decent collection but don’t have all these!
Yeah I know a lot of people are waiting for the 3 piece razors because I think more can relate to them better but there are some pretty amazing vintage razors out there that shave great as well as the TTO and Adjustable's.
Thanks again for chiming in on the thread it’s much appreciated!
Great shaves!
- Thread starter
- #96
Mark if I remember the last shave with the Rex was on setting 5 as I matched it to the 5 setting on the Gibbs. Today for some reason the Fatboy didn't seem as efficient on 7 as it was a couple of shaves ago so I cranked it up to 9 and I thought lets max out both razors for this Shave Off. The Rex was not as smooth as the Fatboy but only by a little bit and it was just a touch more efficient and now that my growth is about 12 hrs it was a very very close Shave Off feeling my face.
Also the last time I used the Rex it had a Kai in it instead of a Polsilver when I did the comparison to the Gibbs vs the Rex with my older Gibbs. Next time if they meet in this Shave Off it will be my Mint Gibbs as we discussed the other had a issue I was unaware of so it should be a all out war LOL
The Kai blade is my preferred blade in the RexMark if I remember the last shave with the Rex was on setting 5 as I matched it to the 5 setting on the Gibbs. Today for some reason the Fatboy didn't seem as efficient on 7 as it was a couple of shaves ago so I cranked it up to 9 and I thought lets max out both razors for this Shave Off. The Rex was not as smooth as the Fatboy but only by a little bit and it was just a touch more efficient and now that my growth is about 12 hrs it was a very very close Shave Off feeling my face.
Also the last time I used the Rex it had a Kai in it instead of a Polsilver when I did the comparison to the Gibbs vs the Rex with my older Gibbs. Next time if they meet in this Shave Off it will be my Mint Gibbs as we discussed the other had a issue I was unaware of so it should be a all out war LOL
- Thread starter
- #98
Mark I know and I will use the Kai in the next Shave Off when the Rex comes up again as it eliminated the Fatboy from the competition so it's taking a break for a while until I match up some other adjustable razors. I think the next match up will be the Vintage Merkur Progress Solingen which is NIB and never been used so it's going on it's maiden voyage and I'm going to put it up against the F4 Toggle. It should be a good match up I'm hoping.
Talk to you soon my friend!
Good stuff, Mr. Beard.
Since the Rex barely bests the Fatboy, on your mug, i don't think I'm missing out on much not having a Rex. Plus, from reading other threads the Rex is still having issues with the N series. Damned shame too, I'd like to see it be successful.
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Since the Rex barely bests the Fatboy, on your mug, i don't think I'm missing out on much not having a Rex. Plus, from reading other threads the Rex is still having issues with the N series. Damned shame too, I'd like to see it be successful.
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I am loving the competitiveness of this shave off, most of these razors are in the top of anyones collection, keep up the good work my friend
