I love my Henson Mild. I bet you will, too.
That being said I would love to try a Medium at some point in the future.
Thinking about a Henson
- Thread starter gpjoe
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That being said I would love to try a Medium at some point in the future.
I highly recommend the mild Henson. I do two passes WTG daily. On the second pass, I use the Gillette Slide technique and have a great shave.
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- #43
Well, the Henson has arrived. The mail truck just drove by. I'll use it later today and see how it compares to my beloved Gillette Techs.
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- #44
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- #45
First shave in the books.
Used a Wizamet Super Iridium with two prior shaves on it, removed from my nickel ball-end Tech. Whipped up some MdC Agrumes with my $20 Amazon badger (of unknown grade and origin) and lathered up.
I went at this with abandon. Maybe not fair to the Henson, but they market the razor as an easy trasition from a cartridge, so I treated it that way. Not careless, but not necessarily careful.
First pass, WTG, very quick and a rinse to see what happened. I always have a two-day stubble, and it was as expected with some missed spots and roughness - same ss my ASD2 and Tech, but I was shaving quickly. second and third pass were uneventful and cleaned up the leftovers.
I paid close attention to under the nose, as some have said that this area can be a problem with the block-headed Henson, and found that it easily grabbed everything. Not sure if this is due to the V2 improvements as this is my one and only Henson.
Verdict: It's a keeper.
Gives me as close a shave as my other mild razors and really does feel like a razor that can give fast, mindless shaves without drama or trauma (tm).
And I love the color.
Used a Wizamet Super Iridium with two prior shaves on it, removed from my nickel ball-end Tech. Whipped up some MdC Agrumes with my $20 Amazon badger (of unknown grade and origin) and lathered up.
I went at this with abandon. Maybe not fair to the Henson, but they market the razor as an easy trasition from a cartridge, so I treated it that way. Not careless, but not necessarily careful.
First pass, WTG, very quick and a rinse to see what happened. I always have a two-day stubble, and it was as expected with some missed spots and roughness - same ss my ASD2 and Tech, but I was shaving quickly. second and third pass were uneventful and cleaned up the leftovers.
I paid close attention to under the nose, as some have said that this area can be a problem with the block-headed Henson, and found that it easily grabbed everything. Not sure if this is due to the V2 improvements as this is my one and only Henson.
Verdict: It's a keeper.
Gives me as close a shave as my other mild razors and really does feel like a razor that can give fast, mindless shaves without drama or trauma (tm).
And I love the color.
A Henson standard is very mild and it is better than my post war Tech for smoothness and efficiency. It is mild and comfortable.
I have a question for the group. What is the difference in shaving experience between the Henson +, ++, or +++ and the Feather AS-D2. For those who have both, which is your favorite? Why? I know YMMV. Very curious.
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- #48
I have the ASD2 and the new (V2) Henson AL13+.
I like both, and both provide me a similar shave. I shave every-other day, and typically do a 3-pass shave with both razors.
I find that either razor is easy to use with little risk of cuts or irritation, and I can achieve a BBS shave with either razor.
If I had to choose one, it would be tough, though I do like the weight of the ASD2. The Henson does feel well made and sturdy, so really, it's a toss-up. To be fair to the Henson, it is a heck of a value at $85 shipped compared to $200+ for the ASD2.
Thank you. That removes the urge to find out at $200. It looks great. I shave every day. I have been using the Henson AL13++ for one month and this is my introduction to wet shaving. I have been loving it so far. I do not miss my Harry's cartridge at all. It will be reserved for travel now.
Hello there Hexagon!
Since I own both razors, I suppose I should respond. I have a Henson ++ and a Feather AS-D2.
The Feather AS-D2 is a super mild razor, its so mild, that it really requires the sharpness of a Feather blade to function properly. Using milder blades in an AS-D2 will result in the razor being so inefficient, that its not even worth shaving with.
Also, its a strange razor that doesn't like a steep angle, it prefers a shallow angle, so often times you have to ride the cap, in order to get it to cut. It can handle daily shaving whiskers, but don't push it to 2-day stubble or more, otherwise the AS-D2, even with a Feather blade, will still take a long time, due to the razors inherent inefficiency.
About the only good thing I can say about the AS-D2, is that its a high quality razor in its construction, quality 316L stainless steel. So its a razor that is going to last a lifetime. But if you were to accidentally damage it, your screwed, because you can't get parts for it from the company.
I strongly recommend beginners to stay away from the Feather AS-D2. I started out as a beginner on the AS-D2, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, it was a mistake buying it. I only use it as a touch up razor now days, I keep it in the other room for that.
The Henson AL13 ++ razor, has a larger blade gap then the Feather AS-D2, and its that extra blade gap, why its a little more efficient then the AS-D2. Also, the Henson uses a set blade angle, which makes it very easy for a beginner to use, because you don't have to worry about messing up your shaving angle.
As there is only one angle that you can use with a Henson razor, you simply cannot mess it up, its a foolproof design. So, you have a set blade angle, you have a slightly higher level of aggression. When paired with a Wizamet blade, you also have a much smoother shaving experience!
The Henson razor is made out of aluminum, so its a lot lighter then the AS-D2. You can also shave quickly with a Henson razor, because you don't have to think about the blade angle, just pickup and go. But you still have to remember to NOT use pressure. It is a DE razor afterall, and that is a dynamic that all of them share.
The Henson AL-13 razors are also far cheaper then a Feather AS-D2. You pay around 70 dollars for a Henson AL-13 razor, and 200 dollars for a Feather AS-D2 razor. So cost wise, to any beginner in wet shaving, obviously, the Henson will also be the better deal for you. I say begin your training with a Henson razor, you will love it far more then the weirdness of a Feather AS-D2.
In the future, when your ready to upgrade to stainless steel or Titanium, there will be far better options for you to choose from. For now, just focus on getting a Henson razor, develop your technique, then you can try out other razors.
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- #51
Well, it's just one opinion.
I know this: If I had purchased the Henson first, I would have been perfectly happy without the Feather, though I did pay the same price for the ASD2 from a member here.
Thank you very much for this well-thought-out reply. This goes a long way to reinforce the importance of sticking with what I have and getting more proficient. I am interested to see how this experience will evolve over time. I wonder if this sticks as a permanent habit. I am a daily shaver and if what I am doing is not broken, don't fix it. Once I get better, in a couple of months, I will venture out and try new blades. It did not take me long to switch from the RK blades to Voskhod. I don't know if the improvement was due to getting better technique or the blade. I like where I am now so I am going to stick with it.
The Voshkod are a lot better than the RK. I tried the RK in my + and ++ and it was terrible in both. For me, the Voshkod are not enough for the +, but in the ++ they do pretty good. However, I like sharper blades so I like the Feather, Gillette Super Nacet, and Gillette Nacet blades in both razors. The Nacet are super smooth.
I'm glad you found your combo. This shows how different people's faces are. For me, the Derby were so dull that they felt like they were pulling out my whiskers instead of shaving. They are pretty dull compared to some other razors, but a duller blade and an aggressive razor are a great combo and you found your. That's great!
Mine arrived yesterday. Can't wait to use it!
Shaved with it today. Boy is this a foolproof razor. I almost want to try and cut myself with it because I don't think it is possible. It is certainly mild but it provided a very enjoyable shave.
I love your beautiful pictures of your Henson razor.
You really know how to show off its angles. And I think its awesome that you had a wonderful shave with it. And now you see what we've been talking about this whole time. A worry free shave, foolproof shave, and the ability to have a really quick shave! Of course, I only use my Henson for when I need to do a quick shave, cause I am pressed for time.Otherwise, if I have plenty of time, I enjoy a luxurious shave, with one of my other razors, using copious amounts of super lather, a good facial massage with the shaving brush to apply said lather, and take my time with a razor. Sometimes, our days can be so stressful, that only the moments we have alone to do a proper DE shave, do we ever get to really decompress, and enjoy the moment.
I hope that you continue to love your shaves with your new Henson razor. And I think its really cool, that you got it in the same color as mine. That obviously means you have a good taste in color, cause BLUE is awesome, especially that color of blue. Congrats!
What do you think of that soap? Which base did you get? I’m currently sampling Pisgah, Nantahala, and Great Bear.
I got my Henson AL13 Medium Blue this past January, and it's been my daily driver ever since. It came with Astra blades, which are my favorite all-around blades anyway. Man, what a fine razor. I probably average 4 shaves a week. I'm semi-retired and don't have to go to the office every day, so I'm not an every day shaver anymore, but I do still shave on consecutive days on occasion. I have a slightly heavier than average beard, and one pass with the grain is all I need to get a quick, close shave. Not baby's butt smooth, mind you; that can be accomplished pretty easily with two passes, with and across the grain; but one pass is all I need to get cleaned up and presentable. I find this to be one well designed, well made razor, which delivers an almost effortless smooth, easy shave. I shaved for a long time with a Merkur 34C after converting to traditional wet shaving around 15 years ago. I've tried a few other razors along the way with mixed results. I even went back to a Gillette Mach 3 for a while. Nothing has hit the sweet spot for me like the Henson AL13 Medium. I know everybody's beard and skin and shaving technique is a little different, but for me, this razor is it.
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