WELL, YOU GUYS WERE RIGHT

[Old Navy_1]

@know1special ...what are your thoughts on the RR "Lupo .95"?

It's the only razor I'm even considering. I spoke to 'Michael' of "Italian Barber". His response was interesting. "If you are OK with the GC 84, then don't be scared of the Lupo 95 as I am sure it will be fine!"

I'm not a fan of overly "Aggressive" razors. The RR GC 84-P was a huge leap for me.

I'm not a novice to DE Wet Shaving, but I'm beginning to understand the relationship between 'aggression' and "Efficiency". They are inexorably linked together. The problem is, there's no road maps telling you when you've gone too far. Blade to skin is the only way you'll know for sure. JMHO, YMMV.

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[Old Navy_1]

I know I never even considered it when I purchased a Merkur "Futur" back in the '1980s. The "Futur" has a hugely tall "Top Cap" that manages to get in the way. BTW, that razor holds the record for worst razor cut ever. Just under my right nostril. It bled for hours.

I need to make a correction. In the above quote I mention I had a "Merkur Futur". That's wrong. My 68 year old brain fails me sometime.

I had the "Merkur Vision", not the "Futur". It was a ridiculously expensive razor for its time. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience.

Sorry for the misstatement.

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[know1special]

I have the SB version of the Lupo .95 and it is a very effective tool, IMHO. Fantastically efficienct and smooth operator once your technique adjusts.

I've read elsewhere that it's not quite as bitey as an R41 but still pretty high up the 'aggresion ladder'. My personal experience definitely syncs up with that opinion.

I really only grab it for 'date night' as I am a daily shaver and frankly wouldn't have much to do in 24 hrs using the Lupo.

My beard is somewhere between light and medium and one WTG pass pretty much takes all the whiskers off my face. Post-shave feel is incredible as a result of so little blade time.

My angle with it tends to be somewhere between neutral and steep but I would start off maybe little shallower at first.

Also, I use a Bic Chrome in mine which is on the sharpish end of things blade-wise. If you make the jump, I'd maybe recommend using one of your smoother blades while getting used to it.

Just as a side note, I'll just mention that nothing in this shaving journey improved my method more than moving to more aggresive razors. Go slow, work out your strokes and angles and pretty soon it'll be second nature.

 

[Old Navy_1]

@know1special ...thank you. Great overview of your experience.

The only way to find out if i can handle the "Lupo .95" is to try it myself. I'm not sure if I want to do that?

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[know1special]

No problem at all.

FWIW, I am definitely a 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' sort of person. I don't like to waste my time fixing problems that don't exist.

If you're finding that the GC .84 is giving you what you want, why not stick with it?

I shave daily with a RR Mentor which tbh probably isn't too far from your GC, shave-wise.

It's a cheap, sometimes poorly aligning head that just happens to do exactly what I want it to do. That's pretty much ballgame for me. There's definitely an ocean of fancy, pretty things to buy out there. But, I'm happy so...

 

[Old Navy_1]

@know1special ...I love happy accidents. LOL!

That's me, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. And, it's the one thing currently keeping me from pulling the trigger. That, and notoriously frugal Danish/Scotch/Irish heritage. Smiles.

I appreciate your input.

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[APBinNCA]

It's kind of strange for me to say this, but I agree and am surprised that you were thinking about a Lupo. I have had some temptations myself, but after getting my Blackbird, well, why bother buying anything else. I would seriously consider trying something completely different than RazoRock if you eventually want to buy something. It doesn't hurt that the Blackland razors have a 30 day trial!

 

[HoosierTrooper]

If it ain’t broke, you ain’t trying hard enough…

 

[Old Navy_1]

@HoosierTrooper ...I'm a former Sailor. Give me an Anvil and a Rubber Mallet and I'll manage to break it. LOL!

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[know1special]

One thing I forgot to mention..

Don't know about you but my mug is always twice as slick after the first pass. That's probably pretty universal, I suppose.

Anyway, I leverage that fact when I'm dialing in a new, more aggresive setup. I do some tandem shaves to ease myself into it.

First, I take an easy WTG pass w/ my daily driver. Then rinse and re-lather to get nice and slick.

Then I bring in the new razor for a second WTG pass to start getting acclimated.

If any more passes, buffs or touch-ups are needed I go back to my daily unit to finish up.

What I've found is usually within 3 to 5 shaves I'm ready to take the training wheels off and do the whole thing with the new razor.

Just food for thought in case you take the plunge after all.

 

[Old Navy_1]

Thanks to all! I can't believe this Thread has gotten so much attention. I figured maybe a half dozen response. Boy! Did I miss it. LOL!

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[Old Navy_1]

Since receiving them, I've been swapping between my GC 68-P and GC 84-P each week. But now, I'm going to extend it out to a month. My first 'month' I'll use the GC 84-P. The shaves I've gotten from both razors are boringly consistent and, as I've said multiple times, the RR GC 68-P and GC 84-P give me exceptional shaves. This morning's shave was great!

I think this will give me the best chance to evaluate and appreciate each razor more thoroughly.

That's the plan, anyway.

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[Old Navy_1]

@flask28 ...I figured someone with your 'Handle' would like a little 'FLASK eye candy'..

Have a great weekend.

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[flask28]

@flask28 ...I figured someone with your 'Handle' would like a little 'FLASK eye candy'..
View attachment 1611914View attachment 1611918
Have a great weekend.

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Look at that! That's stopped a bullet or two It's pretty funny how relatively polished the cap is, that flask had seen some use! Now that you say that, I really should get a flask for my shaving photos.

Funny, I was thinking of you and this thread today, as I trying to muster the courage to commit to my Fixed Four .68-P setup. I sorta have to declare it tonight to keep it as a SWS shave. B&B makes things so complicated....lol

With @gpjoe's advice I'd settled on an Astra SP blade - - But now I'm thinking Gillette Platinum. I've really enjoyed the Platinum in my Gillettes and I know it almost as well as the Astra. I feel it's a tad sharper than the Astra SP and my vague recollection of the .68-P was that it was mild. But that was like week three into my wet shaving adventure and my technique was garbage, I'm sure that was an uninformed opinion.

I like the weight of the RR vintage thin handle but I like the length and diameter of the RR UFO handle. I've used the VT handle more so I'm going with the UFO for the month. By then I'll adjust to the weight. Or not. I really like your handle in that photo, that's also one I'd like to try.

 

[gpjoe]

Look at that! That's stopped a bullet or two It's pretty funny how relatively polished the cap is, that flask had seen some use! Now that you say that, I really should get a flask for my shaving photos.

Funny, I was thinking of you and this thread today, as I trying to muster the courage to commit to my Fixed Four .68-P setup. I sorta have to declare it tonight to keep it as a SWS shave. B&B makes things so complicated....lol

With @gpjoe's advice I'd settled on an Astra SP blade - - But now I'm thinking Gillette Platinum. I've really enjoyed the Platinum in my Gillettes and I know it almost as well as the Astra. I feel it's a tad sharper than the Astra SP and my vague recollection of the .68-P was that it was mild. But that was like week three into my wet shaving adventure and my technique was garbage, I'm sure that was an uninformed opinion.

I like the weight of the RR vintage thin handle but I like the length and diameter of the RR UFO handle. I've used the VT handle more so I'm going with the UFO for the month. By then I'll adjust to the weight. Or not. I really like your handle in that photo, that's also one I'd like to try.

Love the UFO. I have three: two knurled and one halo. The Barber Pole is pretty great too.

I'm going with Gillette Platinum for March Madness.

 

[rsp1202]

Re: RR handles for the GC. Anything under 90mm length is uncomfortable for me, so I ended up with the HALO titanium and Bulldog. I'm also tempted by the polished Timeless TRH8 Titanium Crown. I really like the looks of Wolfman handles but they're too pricey.

 

[Old Navy_1]

@flask28 ...well, I haven't drank alcohol in 15 years. Got a DUI on my Harley at 2:30 a.m. I pretty sure they saved a life that night. LOL! And ever since, my life has become much less complicated.

Regarding blades. Another, very subjective discussion. Razors are actually the 2nd most important part of DE shaving 'system'. I don't care how much you spend on a razor, if there's a crappy blade in it, chances are, you'll get a crappy shave. At the same time, a very good razor can make a marginal blade seem okay.

I'm lucky I've got some miles under me, so I sort of knew what I wanted. However, I could have just as easily gotten a couple of 'stinkers', too. Not that the razors would've been bad. Just not good for my face. And, I'd be right back at square one.

I hope you find yourself with razors that work for you.

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[flask28]

@flask28 ...well, I haven't drank alcohol in 15 years. Got a DUI on my Harley at 2:30 a.m. I pretty sure they saved a life that night. LOL! And ever since, my life has become much less complicated.

Regarding blades. Another, very subjective discussion. Razors are actually the 2nd most important part of DE shaving 'system'. I don't care how much you spend on a razor, if there's a crappy blade in it, chances are, you'll get a crappy shave. At the same time, a very good razor can make a marginal blade seem okay.

I'm lucky I've got some miles under me, so I sort of knew what I wanted. However, I could have just as easily gotten a couple of 'stinkers', too. Not that the razors would've been bad. Just not good for my face. And, I'd be right back at square one.

I hope you find yourself with razors that work for you.

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Thank you sir! I hear you, it's been at least that long for me. I agree, things are far less complicated! And that's good advice about blades, I'm still on the journey there for sure.

Thanks @gpjoe, ok yeah, you're making me feel good about my choices! Appreciate that. And now that it's finally settled, it's time to take some photos

 

[Old Navy_1]

Re: RR handles for the GC. Anything under 90mm length is uncomfortable for me, so I ended up with the HALO titanium and Bulldog.

Im sure you know this, but the "Super Knurl" is also 90mm.

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[rsp1202]

Im sure you know this, but the "Super Knurl" is also 90mm.

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Yes, sir.