What am I doing wrong?

[gnicksandcuts]

Hello,

I am looking at purchasing the Rex SupplyAmbassador razer or a Blackland(or rather wife's 20 year anniversary gift to me). I have been wet shaving in the shower using DE razors for almost a decade now.

Over the past 10 years I have gone through the following DE razor's and some other DE razor's that I probably forgot about.

I have owned a Edwin Jagger & a Merkur Slant.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RBF1PO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Amazon.com: Merkur Slant Bar Double Edge Safety Razor, MK-37001: Premium Beauty - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001LY7GEM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Merkur Model 180

One of the reasons why I got into this was as I thought I could use these razor's for a LONG time, I do clean up after I shave, but I MUST be doing something wrong as after a few years of shaving the threads which are used to screw in these razors seem to get stripped and are completely worn away and I can't use them anymore and have to toss them. Hence I have ended up joining this forum and writing this note.

I am currently using the fusion from my travel kit till I order and order and get my next razor.

Before I splurge, please share your thoughts on what am I doing wrong? Further I am open to any suggestions/recommendations.

Thank you!

gnicksandcuts

 

[Lefonque]

Sounds like you are over tightening your razor. You can use a washer between the neck and head of the razor.
That’s my first thoughts. I am sure others will make suggestions that may help. Good luck.
Happy Shaves.

 

[romsitsa]

Hello, the razors you have a problem with have zamak threads, softer than brass and prone to rot once the plating wears down. My guess is you either overtighten the threads and/or store the razor without letting it completely dry out. This problem won’t occur with brass, bronze, stainless razors.

 

[diamondtim]

Do you leave them in the shower?[emoji848]

They can't dry out in there. Take them out to dry.[emoji6]

Sent from my H1A1000 using Tapatalk

 

[BigJ]

Hello, the razors you have a problem with have zamak threads, softer than brass and prone to rot once the plating wears down. My guess is you either overtighten the threads and/or store the razor without letting it completely dry out. This problem won’t occur with brass, bronze, stainless razors.

+1! Yep! That’s the problem with Zamak.

 

[gnicksandcuts]

I promise, I don't have king kong powers and screw this that tightly and I always dry it outside the shower in a stand.

@romsitsa @BigJ Thank you for the comment on the Zamak thread, I feel better now.

Do you fine folks have any recommendations on what I can splurge on? I like the Rex Supplies Ambassador with their life time warranty and their infinite adjustments looks great, although the Blackland Razors also look fantastic.

Thank you!
gnicksandcuts

 

[Garb]

Blackland all day.

 

[huck1680]

Karve, Masamune, Razorock, Rockwell, Timeless there's lots of great razors out there.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I promise, I don't have king kong powers and screw this that tightly and I always dry it outside the shower in a stand.

@romsitsa @BigJ Thank you for the comment on the Zamak thread, I feel better now.

Do you fine folks have any recommendations on what I can splurge on? I like the Rex Supplies Ambassador with their life time warranty and their infinite adjustments looks great, although the Blackland Razors also look fantastic.

Thank you!
gnicksandcuts

When you dry it in the stand, are you putting it in the stand wet to let it dry? If so, you’ve got corrosion going on during the drying process. Dry the razor and blade with a hand towel before putting it in the stand. That will keep corrosion to a minimum. But, with Zamac, it’s going to happen eventually.

 

[Joncr]

Have a DE89 and it is in fine shape after 7 years, not used every day, but still. Rockwell, Timeless, Karve, Gamechanger, ATT are stainless steel razors that can take much more punishment and still last a lifetime. There are many other Stainless, brass, and bronze razors around in a wide range of prices. Vintage Gillette razors also seem to stand up to rougher treatment than Zamak razors and continue to perform. Search around the forum for product reviews, almost every razor out there has had comment on this forum. Good Luck

 

[UrbanHound]

I promise, I don't have king kong powers and screw this that tightly and I always dry it outside the shower in a stand.

@romsitsa @BigJ Thank you for the comment on the Zamak thread, I feel better now.

Do you fine folks have any recommendations on what I can splurge on? I like the Rex Supplies Ambassador with their life time warranty and their infinite adjustments looks great, although the Blackland Razors also look fantastic.

Thank you!
gnicksandcuts

I'm sure if you share your shaving preferences you can get some solid advice from the gents here. For instance you mention the Ambassador which would be a solid 'no' for me as I like to swap and mixup my handles so a TTO/adjustable razor would not be for me (although one of my favorite razors is the Schick Krona). Your price points will also play a factor - for someone used to buying cheaper DE's something $70-90 could be considered a splurge but that is only the tip of the iceberg when you're starting to get into stainless, artisan crafted razors. As has been mentioned you can't throw a stone nowadays without hitting some upper-high-end DE razor that will meet your needs. And I'll also echo that the old brass Gillettes have withstood and will continue to withstand the test of time.

Best of luck to you - and good shaves.

 

[3oclockShadow]

I've had similar issues with my zamak 2011 Muhle R41. I don't shave in the shower, but I think in my case I wasn't letting the razor dry enough and it didn't help that I bought Muhle's razor stand which stores the razor head down. I didn't know any better. I'm shopping for better razor stands and taking more care to loosen and dry my razors now (in addition to adding some stainless steel razors to the collection).

 

[romsitsa]

I promise, I don't have king kong powers and screw this that tightly and I always dry it outside the shower in a stand.

@romsitsa @BigJ Thank you for the comment on the Zamak thread, I feel better now.

Do you fine folks have any recommendations on what I can splurge on? I like the Rex Supplies Ambassador with their life time warranty and their infinite adjustments looks great, although the Blackland Razors also look fantastic.

Thank you!
gnicksandcuts

Actually you should dry it disassembled for a couple of days. Just to make sure.

 

[guitarslinger]

Blackland blackbird is tough to beat.
Sold my Rex btw.

 

[gnicksandcuts]

I am glad I posted here, but now I am getting overwhelmed with the choices

@UrbanHound I really liked the Edwin Jagger and if the threads had not given up on me I would have stuck with that for as long as I would have, so I would definitely appreciate any recommendations like that. I liked the nice robust feel of this one. I definitely did not care too much for the Merkur Slant in comparision to the Edwin Jagger before it gave up on me.

I am just wary about not having the flexibility the "infinite" adjustments offer compared to the one size of the Blackbird(which looks beautiful btw)

I just liked how nice the Edwin Jagger felt and I wish it lasted more than the 2.5 years I had before I have to toss it.

@guitarslinger can you share why you parted ways with your Rex?

I am not looking to spend $ just because I am fortunate enough to afford it, but I guess I am just caught up in the mind set $$ = better quality.

I definitely like the looks of the polished stainless steel and that is a style I am probably going to go with.

Thanks to everybody who spent their precious time to give me feedback!

g

 

[guitarslinger]

I am glad I posted here, but now I am getting overwhelmed with the choices

@UrbanHound I really liked the Edwin Jagger and if the threads had not given up on me I would have stuck with that for as long as I would have, so I would definitely appreciate any recommendations like that. I liked the nice robust feel of this one. I definitely did not care too much for the Merkur Slant in comparision to the Edwin Jagger before it gave up on me.

I am just wary about not having the flexibility the "infinite" adjustments offer compared to the one size of the Blackbird(which looks beautiful btw)

I just liked how nice the Edwin Jagger felt and I wish it lasted more than the 2.5 years I had before I have to toss it.

@guitarslinger can you share why you parted ways with your Rex?

I am not looking to spend $ just because I am fortunate enough to afford it, but I guess I am just caught up in the mind set $$ = better quality.

I definitely like the looks of the polished stainless steel and that is a style I am probably going to go with.

Thanks to everybody who spent their precious time to give me feedback!

g

I have like 90 other razors I like more. I just didn’t like the geometry at all. The corners of the cap are sharp and pointy and would catch around mouth. The adjustment is just lost on me. The gap gets bigger and smaller, but the geometry was never comfortable, whether the gap was big or small. I like the look and the concept, but I just never connected to it. The best part was the awesome handle.

my Blackland Sabre and blackbird are 2 of my top 5 razors ever. Just outstanding.

 

[Adjustingtolife]

My rex ambassador is my favorite and I've had over 45 razors

- Fayiz D.

 

[gdawg55]

If you like the EJ then take a look at the EJ 3one6 all stainless model. Incredible shaver and ups the efficiency a bit. It compares to my Blackbird but is smoother. Get the Blackbird if you like blade forward razors as it has lots of blade feel. It is also one of the best looking razors out there in my opinion. It's a very close shaver but slightly less comfortable than others.

 

[tamahagane]

Looking at the results of this thread, there seem to be no Zamak razors which hit 10 years and are still serviceable. I have had this same problem with a bunch of threads on de razor caps (despite thorough drying) and it seems you must invest in higher quality materials. Hopefully, my Rockwell 6S will never give me such headaches.

 

[gnicksandcuts]

I know this is a subjective number but can somebody who knows this business a bit better than me comment on the aggresiveness # found in the blackland web site.

I am specifically interested in what that # would be with my erstwhile EJ when it was in service

vs the 2 items shown below.

Shop

Blackland Razors

www.blacklandrazors.com

Blackbird

The Blackbird is a safety razor like no other. Engineered and machined from stainless and brass to shave closer and smoother. Proudly made in the USA.

www.blacklandrazors.com