So is a Tech like a pickup with three on the tree and no power steering?
To Tech, Or Not To Tech.....How Do The Best Techs Stack Up?
- Thread starter never-stop-learning
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I find a low pressure and shallow angle the most efficient (closer and less mishaps and irritation) for my mild early postwar Tech and a worn blade. I’ve seen many examples of this ad cited as proof that the Tech needs to be shaved with a steep angle. (So what follows is not meant to single anyone out.) But I don’t agree that since Gillette advertised that they improved the baseplate that it implies it is necessary to ride the baseplate (or use a steep angle) for the baseplate to be most effective. Steep or shallow, the baseplate always comes into play. To test this, I tried riding the cap until I couldn’t feel the baseplate. At that point the blade wasn’t touching my face either. (Try it and see!) So there is no possiblity of a shave without the contribution of the baseplate. I realize some may have a different experience, since most of my shaving is with an older blade. Those who toss a blade after a couple of shaves may get different results.Amen to that. I used to use a shallow angle with my Techs until you posted the actual instructions for using a Tech.
Instructions, what a concept.
Going steep took my Tech shaves to a much higher level.
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- #263
A bit more than that.
The Tech is a very simple, but elegant, razor that is very capable of superb results.
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- #264
Definitely a YMMV situation. I've tried shallow, neutral and steep with my Techs and definitely prefer steep.
Yes, I bin my DE blades after 5 - 7 shaves.
I don't doubt that, but so is the old pickup. Can that Tech go down the freeway at 70mph without feeling that is going to come apart?A bit more than that.
The Tech is a very simple, but elegant, razor that is very capable of superb results.
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- #266
Yes, it can.
The English Gillette Tech/NEW Hybrid is one of the finest and most elegant razors I own.
My Canadian Pre-War Tech can run with my Big Dog DE razors and gives me consistently superb shaves.
The Tech, especially when paired with a larger diameter handle, is a very effective instrument.
@Hopalong, are you Tech curious? Have you used one before? I know you’re monogamous with your FOCS……buuuuuuuuut.
Curious? Maybe, but I would never act on it. I refer to my current post on Fatip Friday.
PM sent
Yes, there are a lot of folk who get good results with a steep angle. I can’t seem to get that to work for my face.
My only concern is the claim that is found on many Tech threads that since Gillette made a big deal about the improved baseplate that they are suggesting that the Tech requires a steep angle, and the followup comments that shaving with a shallow angle is a misuse, or misunderstanding of how the razor is designed to function. (I realize the discussions don’t always express it these stark terms.)
Prewar Fat Handle Triangular cut outs with a fresh Feather is always a good choice.
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- #272
One of my favotite Tech combinations.
- Thread starter
- #273
Yes, there are a lot of folk who get good results with a steep angle. I can’t seem to get that to work for my face.
My only concern is the claim that is found on many Tech threads that since Gillette made a big deal about the improved baseplate that they are suggesting that the Tech requires a steep angle, and the followup comments that shaving with a shallow angle is a misuse, or misunderstanding of how the razor is designed to function. (I realize the discussions don’t always express it these stark terms.)
I think that folks will experiment with various angles and use what works best for them.
The Tech is more like a Buick Electra 225. It rides across your skin as smooth as sailing on air and without bumps. It is good technology in the way it bends to blade to give a more advanced shave. Finally, it just looks beautiful.
Had to try the single edge scene or I felt like I would always be curious. Wasn't for me so I'm back to the Tech. Post war beater, travel Tech, and a nice nickel that stays in the safe for when/if my son wants it. Switched to Personna Lab Blue which seems to be a little better for me than the Astra SP, and I've realized that a single pass WTG is good enough for me.
Yep, it works really well. Post-War with a Feather. Easy, smooth & effortless. I like and love performance but, easy on occasion I love too…
Prepare yourself for a long post, gentlemen. But i think it's worth reading it because this experience should be interesting for all Tech lovers and other shavers as well...
I post it here because this is my favourite thread on this forum and it would deserve to become a sticky thread.
Since my last connection here, i've managed to find a US pre-war Tech for 8 € and also to find back a 60s/early 70s Tech made in Germany in a orange plastic travel box for only 1 €. This one :
I decided to try the pre-war Tech with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech so that i could notice if there was a remarkable difference between them.
I found the pre-war Tech to be very rough for the skin and in the same time, it didn't give me a closer shave than its little brother. In fact, it was the exact opposite...
So far, i'm slightly disappointed by this one, but i will try it with other blades than the Gillette platinum.
For now, i much prefer the early 70s German one because when you combine it with a heavy handle, it becomes a very good razor !
I set it with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech instead of the plastic handle you get with the orange box because this Tech was quite mediocre with it, to me.
So now, it's just like the 1966 US set :
And for 1 €, that's a keeper for sure !
So after that, you probably think : if he uses the 70s German Tech with the handle of his UK post-war Tech, how does he shave with his favourite Tech now ?
Well, it's quite simple : i have combined my UK post-war Tech full brass nickeled head with the aluminium ball-end handle of the UK post-war Tech #52. This one :
I also use the mat finish top cap of this set because i prefer it to the brilliant polish one. It looks now tougher, even more humble & this type of finish is more resistant to bumps & scratches.
I think the Tech does not need a polish finish like an Aristocrat to be the greatest razor ever made...
With this aluminium handle & the original full brass head (top cap + guard), the balance of the UK post-war Tech changes completely : the result is a head-heavy balance like the Slim adjustable.
In my case, this type of balance with this razor & its unique blade rigidity help me a lot to shave a short beard-growth of 24 hours/48 hours.
I have brown hair but my beard whiskers are black like @ivan_101 , an italian type of beard in my case. Very demanding with shaving quality products...
I've also found some good improvements for this razor, thanks to that :
But don't misunderstand me, gents : when i say the efficency is now better, i do not say either that it has now reached the level of a Merkur Progress / Futur for instance or any other modern razor which are very efficient.
But IMO, the improvement is sufficient to stick with this combination... (at least, in my case of course)
I post it here because this is my favourite thread on this forum and it would deserve to become a sticky thread.
Since my last connection here, i've managed to find a US pre-war Tech for 8 € and also to find back a 60s/early 70s Tech made in Germany in a orange plastic travel box for only 1 €. This one :
I decided to try the pre-war Tech with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech so that i could notice if there was a remarkable difference between them.
I found the pre-war Tech to be very rough for the skin and in the same time, it didn't give me a closer shave than its little brother. In fact, it was the exact opposite...
So far, i'm slightly disappointed by this one, but i will try it with other blades than the Gillette platinum.
For now, i much prefer the early 70s German one because when you combine it with a heavy handle, it becomes a very good razor !
I set it with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech instead of the plastic handle you get with the orange box because this Tech was quite mediocre with it, to me.
So now, it's just like the 1966 US set :
And for 1 €, that's a keeper for sure !
So after that, you probably think : if he uses the 70s German Tech with the handle of his UK post-war Tech, how does he shave with his favourite Tech now ?
Well, it's quite simple : i have combined my UK post-war Tech full brass nickeled head with the aluminium ball-end handle of the UK post-war Tech #52. This one :
I also use the mat finish top cap of this set because i prefer it to the brilliant polish one. It looks now tougher, even more humble & this type of finish is more resistant to bumps & scratches.
I think the Tech does not need a polish finish like an Aristocrat to be the greatest razor ever made...
With this aluminium handle & the original full brass head (top cap + guard), the balance of the UK post-war Tech changes completely : the result is a head-heavy balance like the Slim adjustable.
In my case, this type of balance with this razor & its unique blade rigidity help me a lot to shave a short beard-growth of 24 hours/48 hours.
I have brown hair but my beard whiskers are black like @ivan_101 , an italian type of beard in my case. Very demanding with shaving quality products...
I've also found some good improvements for this razor, thanks to that :
- it clearly improves its efficency, especially with very good blades.
- it is now even smoother for the skin
- same closeness at the end, always excellent in my case
But don't misunderstand me, gents : when i say the efficency is now better, i do not say either that it has now reached the level of a Merkur Progress / Futur for instance or any other modern razor which are very efficient.
But IMO, the improvement is sufficient to stick with this combination...
(at least, in my case of course)
The 60s heads made in Europe are not all the same. There are the odd batches with more exposure and gap. The 70s are all the same. Same applies to the 50s style head that you call post-war.Prepare yourself for a long post, gentlemen. But i think it's worth reading it because this experience should be interesting for all Tech lovers and other shavers as well...
I post it here because this is my favourite thread on this forum and it would deserve to become a sticky thread.
Since my last connection here, i've managed to find a US pre-war Tech for 8 € and also to find back a 60s/early 70s Tech made in Germany in a orange plastic travel box for only 1 €. This one :
I decided to try the pre-war Tech with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech so that i could notice if there was a remarkable difference between them.
I found the pre-war Tech to be very rough for the skin and in the same time, it didn't give me a closer shave than its little brother. In fact, it was the exact opposite...
So far, i'm slightly disappointed by this one, but i will try it with other blades than the Gillette platinum.
For now, i much prefer the early 70s German one because when you combine it with a heavy handle, it becomes a very good razor !
I set it with the original heavy ball-end handle of my UK post-war Tech instead of the plastic handle you get with the orange box because this Tech was quite mediocre with it, to me.
So now, it's just like the 1966 US set :
And for 1 €, that's a keeper for sure !
So after that, you probably think : if he uses the 70s German Tech with the handle of his UK post-war Tech, how does he shave with his favourite Tech now ?
Well, it's quite simple : i have combined my UK post-war Tech full brass nickeled head with the aluminium ball-end handle of the UK post-war Tech #52. This one :
I also use the mat finish top cap of this set because i prefer it to the brilliant polish one. It looks now tougher, even more humble & this type of finish is more resistant to bumps & scratches.
I think the Tech does not need a polish finish like an Aristocrat to be the greatest razor ever made...
With this aluminium handle & the original full brass head (top cap + guard), the balance of the UK post-war Tech changes completely : the result is a head-heavy balance like the Slim adjustable.
In my case, this type of balance with this razor & its unique blade rigidity help me a lot to shave a short beard-growth of 24 hours/48 hours.
I have brown hair but my beard whiskers are black like @ivan_101 , an italian type of beard in my case. Very demanding with shaving quality products...
I've also found some good improvements for this razor, thanks to that :
- it clearly improves its efficency, especially with very good blades.
- it is now even smoother for the skin
- same closeness at the end, always excellent in my case
But don't misunderstand me, gents : when i say the efficency is now better, i do not say either that it has now reached the level of a Merkur Progress / Futur for instance or any other modern razor which are very efficient.
But IMO, the improvement is sufficient to stick with this combination...
I am not a big fan of the 50s head simply because it cannot provide a BBS with my whiskers. The 60s and the 70s styles can (although it is a short lasting BBS).
Does your plastic handle Tech state country of manufacture on the head? Does it have a date code?
Well in that case, it's quite normal that you don't appreciate it as much as i do...
So to get a BBS with your type of beard, which is the most important : a high positive blade exposure or a large gap ? Or maybe both ?
Because this 50s Tech has 0,09 mm of positive exposure. From my point of view, it doesn't seem to be that small for a blade exposure...
No country stamped under the baseplate. Only the Gillette logo & a date code : T 2
So, what is your diagnosis Dr. Ivan ?
I appreciate all of my Techs. Because it took some time to collect them. Currently 89.Well in that case, it's quite normal that you don't appreciate it as much as i do...
So to get a BBS with your type of beard, which is the most important : a high positive blade exposure or a large gap ? Or maybe both ?
Because this 50s Tech has 0,09 mm of positive exposure. From my point of view, it doesn't seem to be that small for a blade exposure...
No country stamped under the baseplate. Only the Gillette logo & a date code : T 2
So, what is your diagnosis Dr. Ivan ?
Both the exposure and the gap matter. 0.09 is not a big exposure. But I wonder how did you measure it is 0.09.
T2 means 1973.
Just in case check if on the top side of your bottom plate there is a country of manufacture. Both my black handled Techs don't have anything there. But I doubt they are made in Germany if there is no stated country of manufacture. Not sure they kept making Techs in Germany in the 70s. Lots of English manufactured Techs and TTOs without the country mentioned on the head.
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