Timeless Bronze Open Comb VS Solid Bar: an extreme case of YMMV

[Rickpa]

In an extreme example of YMMV, the Timeless Bronze SB felt a bit aggressive to me, and I tended to get a weeper or two, and a good bit of irritation while trying to get BBS in 3 plus passes. It wasn't easy.

The Timeless Bronze OC, on the other hand, gave me BBS in 2 passes and cleanup with zero weepers and minimum irritation. I can't believe how easy this was. Go figure.

My go to blade is Gillette Silver Blue, and that's what I used with the open comb, a GSM on its second use. My best shave with the solid bar was a Feather blade, but only on the first use. The second use of that Feather blade was less satisfying.

I figure it all must be in the angle, and the open comb makes it easier for me to dial it in, and the fact that it simply cuts better.
Beautiful razor!!!

 

[User 306]

The SB is so much milder but it has a sweet spot and you have to find it and it's a nice when you only have a small amount of growth or you have to just touch up a shave you had early in the morning and your going out that night and you have just a little bit of stubble. I find the .38 very mild but it may have been the Feather as I've found many times in certain razors they are a bit harsh on the face. I use Polsilver or Kai in both OC and SB with the Bronze. I do agree with you on the OC version. I've gotten great shaves out of it. Some find it aggressive but I don't. It's just efficient and again it has a sweet spot that once found the Bronze OC gives a great efficient smooth shave.

 

[cyberdog]

Could be the SB is so smooth this subconsciously applying pressure to compensate. I've done that myself with mild razors, which is probably why I've started favoring a bit more aggressive razor.... .Adjustable on 9, my Rockwell with plate 6, the Schone OC.

It also means fewer passes, and fewer Stokes per pass. - And sharper blades, KAI, Nacet, Feather, and the like.

With eBay offering 20% off practically everything on Friday, I broke down and ordered a Bronze OC...can't wait!

 

[Danton1975]

I do not know about the OC Bronze. I have it but have not tried it yet. I should really buy stock with Timeless since I think I will single handedly make the company profitable in 2018. I really like the look of these razors, the name, the packaging, and most importantly how well they shave.

I tried the 0.68 SS Scalloped base this morning and it was the best and closest shave ever with no irritation. I was expecting it to be a rougher shave than the Bronxe 0.38 however it was anything but...Now I know what folks here mean when they say they had to double check to see if they loaded up a blade. How is it that I went up in blade gap and yet the shave got both smoother and closer?

With the Bronze, I have to do 3 passes plus clean up and maybe BBS but a good, irritation free shave. a 4th Pass with cleanup is flirting with irritation. With the 0.68, by the first pass, I could have rinsed and toweled off and been content. I did 2 passes and minor cleanup and result was BBS and skin felt outstanding.

If the OC Bronze will be more effective than 0.68 SB and just as smooth...oh man, I am in for a treat.

 

[Rickpa]

For me on the bronze oc, I feel the comb but not the blade. The sb had more blade feel to me.

 

[JazzDoc]

I do not know about the OC Bronze. I have it but have not tried it yet. I should really buy stock with Timeless since I think I will single handedly make the company profitable in 2018. I really like the look of these razors, the name, the packaging, and most importantly how well they shave.

I tried the 0.68 SS Scalloped base this morning and it was the best and closest shave ever with no irritation. I was expecting it to be a rougher shave than the Bronxe 0.38 however it was anything but...Now I know what folks here mean when they say they had to double check to see if they loaded up a blade. How is it that I went up in blade gap and yet the shave got both smoother and closer?

With the Bronze, I have to do 3 passes plus clean up and maybe BBS but a good, irritation free shave. a 4th Pass with cleanup is flirting with irritation. With the 0.68, by the first pass, I could have rinsed and toweled off and been content. I did 2 passes and minor cleanup and result was BBS and skin felt outstanding.

If the OC Bronze will be more effective than 0.68 SB and just as smooth...oh man, I am in for a treat.

I find the bronze OC to be as aggressive as the Muhle R41. I got a two pass BBS out of it on day 1 after receiving it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I ordinarily shave with a straight razor, it might have been relegated to the same rarely used spot in my rotation as the R41.

I do, however, still love my bronze SB, as I don’t mind a nice, relaxed, no pressure, smooth three pass shave.

Of the Timeless razors I have, my favorite is the .68 SS. Right up there with my Feather SS and vintage Gilletes.

 

[Danton1975]

I find the bronze OC to be as aggressive as the Muhle R41. I got a two pass BBS out of it on day 1 after receiving it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I ordinarily shave with a straight razor, it might have been relegated to the same rarely used spot in my rotation as the R41.

I do, however, still love my bronze SB, as I don’t mind a nice, relaxed, no pressure, smooth three pass shave.

Of the Timeless razors I have, my favorite is the .68 SS. Right up there with my Feather SS and vintage Gilletes.

Hmmm...I am relatively new to wet shaving and I have heard of this mythical creature the Muhle R41 and do not want to make its acquaintance. Especially if you say that the OC bronze is same aggressiveness. No way I am ready for that. I was really hoping the OC bronze was milder.

I do think we may have different perception of razors though. For example the 0.68 gave me a great smooth shave in a way my Feather SS didn’t even get close to it. In addition I had a feather blade loaded up in the Feather and a Green Gillette 7 o’clock loaded up in the 0.68 Timeless.

I may still just give the OC bronze a spin, maybe just a one pass shave to see how it performs. I was saving it for a bit later as my technique improves but I don’t think a one pass shave would cause a major bloodbath. Who knows I may like it...(the razor not the bloodbath)

Doc what Vintage Gillette’s shave similarly to 0.68 Timeless?

 

[Neffarious]

Or wad never a blood bath issue for me, it was rough, it was not efficient, and it was razor burn. Red bumps, stinging, just not a fun time. It wasn't particularly aggressive, and certainly no R41. It was just mean.

 

[Rhody]

My mileage was the opposite op. I found the oc a killer I just could not tame. Way to aggressive for my skills, attention level and tolerance. It's just not forgiving in the least. I like the SB however. I agree that its on the mild side but not like the mamba at all. It can bite but very rare so far. I'm not getting the closest shave most days but its very acceptable its also going to be my travel razor. Given everything I've tried so far the timeless ss 68 oc is the best for me.

 

[JWK1]

This thread is killing me. I'm trying to decide which Timeless to buy. I can only choose one at this time. There's just no way to know what will be best for me. It is what makes wet shaving so frustrating and fascinating at the same time. What makes one razor so different for different people? We will never know. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

 

[JazzDoc]

Hmmm...I am relatively new to wet shaving and I have heard of this mythical creature the Muhle R41 and do not want to make its acquaintance. Especially if you say that the OC bronze is same aggressiveness. No way I am ready for that. I was really hoping the OC bronze was milder.

I do think we may have different perception of razors though. For example the 0.68 gave me a great smooth shave in a way my Feather SS didn’t even get close to it. In addition I had a feather blade loaded up in the Feather and a Green Gillette 7 o’clock loaded up in the 0.68 Timeless.

I may still just give the OC bronze a spin, maybe just a one pass shave to see how it performs. I was saving it for a bit later as my technique improves but I don’t think a one pass shave would cause a major bloodbath. Who knows I may like it...(the razor not the bloodbath)

Doc what Vintage Gillette’s shave similarly to 0.68 Timeless?

For those with dense, tough beards the infamous R41 can be a Godsend. I’m not putting it down, and I’ve shaved with mine many times. I put the bronze OC in the same vicinity, aggressive-wise. With proper technique there’s no reason to come away with weepers nor with pseudofolliculitis (razor bumps).

I happen to be a great fan of the Feather razor. Any blade’ll do in that one.
Same goes for the Timeless SS 0.68.

That said, I have many DE’s I love, however. I’m just not big on OC razors, but that’s a personal thing and, of course, YMMV.

As to your last question on Gillettes, I like the Techs owing to their shallow heads and ability to get into those tight places under vision - under the nose around my goatee, etc. I also like the Aristocrat.

 

[cyberdog]

Don't forget about the blade. Just because a blade works well for you in one razor, doesn't mean it will in another. The Nacet is a favorite, but no so much in the Yaqi DLC or Pearl heads, where a KAI is oh so much smoother and comfortable.

I'll probably be playing blade of the day, once my Bronze OC arrives.

 

[BigJ]

... Just because a blade works well for you in one razor, doesn't mean it will in another...

+1! These are different razors IMO!

For me any new razor means a learning curve where I need to figure out the sweet spot and optimal blade combo for that razor. With use and some experimentation, your initial opinions may change.

This is a SWEET PROBLEM! Just my $0.02!

 

[Rhody]

This thread is killing me. I'm trying to decide which Timeless to buy. I can only choose one at this time. There's just no way to know what will be best for me. It is what makes wet shaving so frustrating and fascinating at the same time. What makes one razor so different for different people? We will never know. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Timeless gas a 30 day trial period .I switched from the bronze oc to SB.

 

[Rickpa]

To further the YMMV axiom:


Today I shaved with a Rockwell razor blade! Though they are very mild blade (or some might say it's not a very good blade) I did get a good deal of razor burn, however, I got baby bottom smooth. Hours later my face felt great! Perhaps the aggressive razor/mild blade tactic is good for this razor? Today was promising, but the best shave so far for the bronze oc was with a Gillette Silver Blue blade. Oddly a Nacet blade seemed a bit harsh. That shoots down my notion that Nacet and GSB are the same blade.

 

[cyberdog]

My Bronze OC arrived a couple days earlier than expected, and I had my first shave this morning. I chose a KAI blade knowing they've performed fantastically in a couple of other razors, that were on the aggressive side, such as the Pearl head I have. Prep was a shower, Dove for Men pre-shave oil, and Stirling Electric Sheep with my 30mm synthetic. Sweet mother of GOD, a KAI may not be the best pairing with the Bronze OC, or I hope they're not!

After three passes, there were a few weepers, one very small nick after becoming overly confident during the first pass.....thought I'd found a nice smooth or comfortable angle right off the bat. There was definitely a couple of slightly sore or raw feeling spots on my face. With the weepers, I pulled out an Alum block and had quite a bit of feedback in several spots. Not the worse shave, but not the best. (Definitely close, just not super comfortable). This baby has some teeth, at least with a KAI chocked in it. And I was very careful and observant of pressure, and can usually eek out a shave from anything, but this took some doing to finish the third pass. - Rocky with plate 6 or a Slim on 9 has nothing compared to the OC Bronze, and it could be the most aggressive razor I own. (Not sure if it's more aggressively efficient than the Pearl had, which I had a pretty good shave with using a KAI last week).

Handle close to face (too steep) seems to scrape, too far (shallow a blade) and it's as if the guard isn't even there, but in between there was a narrow spot that seemed smooth, so I thought. Fantastic looking razor, and I need to try and tame this thing a bit. - VERY hefty feeling and heavier than Rocky (my Rockwell), but I haven't weighted them to verify, but it feels fairly hefty in the hand.

With the forward blade exposure, I'm thinking a blade that runs a bit smaller or narrower might be a better choice for the next dance with this puppy. I have a tuck of GSBs, from the looks of things Nacets aren't real comfortable, what about an Astra SP, Personna Red, or Feather? - Yes, I said Feather, they run a tad narrower than the standard 22mm width. Any suggestions are much appreciated, before I chock in one of the mentioned blades for tomorrow.

 

[JazzDoc]

I was running late for my plane this morning and decided to get a DE shave real quick.
I thought I had my Timeless SB set up with a Personna Red so I lathered up and went to town.
Midway I saw a few weepers on my cheek and a bit of burning higher up.
Checked my razor and sur enough it was the Bronze OC.

Finished up a bit slower. After some styptic pencilling and witch hazel it all settled down.

This would’ve been child’s play with the SB.

I am SO done with OC razors. Just not worth the aggro when I can get a better shave with much more control with my straight razors or SB DE’s.

My OC’s will be on the selling block shortly. Bleh.

 

[cyberdog]

I truly wasn't expecting the Timeless OC to be quite as aggressive as it felt this morning. Even knowing the Bronze OC has more blade feel and efficiency than a comparable SS model, I still expected it to be more comfortable than it was this morning. - And that might be the blade, so I'm willing to try a few others and work with a bit. (I don't own a SS Timeless, only the Bronze OC).

I sat on the fence pondering whether to get the SB or the OC, and took a gamble with the OC. - I like a REALLY close smooth feeling afterwards (BBS), and thought the SB might be too mild for my gray mid-50s growth and typically use plate 6 on the Rockwell and setting 9 on my Slim or Fat-Boy. I used my Schone all through October, no problem, but wow is this a beard eating beast.

 

[Rickpa]

After taking a day off yesterday, I returned to the Timeless bronze solid bar today. I used the Nacet that was too harsh on the open comb, and got an amazing shave. I have decided that both plates are keepers as they are the best shavers when finally dialed in. I am suspecting the open comb will do best with an Astra blade, so I'll try that tomorrow.

I never thought of buying a Muhle R 41, but after seeing the comments here, I am really curious how close it is to the Timeless Bronze OC.

 

[Rickpa]

Today I learned that Astra Superior Platinum blades are perfect for the Timeless Bronze Open Comb razor. DFS in 2.5 passes. No cuts, not even a weeper.

They are an excellent balance between comfort and closeness. If I really want to go at it with this razor, than Gillette Silver Blues. BBS with weepers, but with practice I can do better.

I may tempt fate with a Feather blade at some point.