What razor/blade did you use today
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Razor: Gillette President
Blade/ Gillette (2)
Soap: PAA Droid Black
Brush: DS Cosmetics Ken Surfs Two Band Badger
Blade/ Gillette (2)
Soap: PAA Droid Black
Brush: DS Cosmetics Ken Surfs Two Band Badger
Razor: Above The Tie - R1
Blade: Astra Sp (3rd use)
3 passes for BBS
Blade: Astra Sp (3rd use)
3 passes for BBS
Gillette Blue Tip / Personna Med Prep (2)
Razor: Karve Overlander, brass
Blade: BiC Chrome Platinum (1)
Blade: BiC Chrome Platinum (1)
Razor: Gillette 1947 Aristocrat Gold
Blade: Feather Hi Stainless
Blade: Feather Hi Stainless
1948-50 Gillette aristocrat TTO
German Personna platinum
German Personna platinum
I have an ATT-R1 with an Atlas handle. I don't recognize the handle you have in the photo. What handle is it?
Best Regards,
This morning's shave was "all screwed up." Read on...
SOTD: Saturday November 18, 2023
Razor: PAA El Fantasma
Blade: Dorco Prime (1)
Brush: Omega 10005
Soap: Peppermint Trip
![IMG_0781[1].JPG](https://xfdata.badgerandblade.com/attachments/1481/1481438-a1ef6e6835ad55ffd2807abaa3a2ad03.jpg "IMG_0781[1].JPG")
I interrupted my celebrations of NOCvember* to pick up where I left off with some other researches. I'm fiddling with two things: putting some more "bench strength" in my technique with very light razors; and experimenting with locking handles to allow for a bit of "twist adjustment." Both topics I was a bit uncomfortable around and always somewhat dismissed as unnecessary. I remembered that old saw about, "Argue for your limitations and -- sure enough! -- they're yours." Not universally applicable, for sure, but for a lot of those things of which we may not be accomplished practitioners it's an effective reminder.
Light razors first. The Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "El Fantasma" OC slant lends itself well to this project, as it is not only light (ABS plastic) but is also rather durable and well made, particularly at its price point under $30. After my training wheel shaves with a Merkur 38 I tried some bakelite razors that I didn't have technique for. A couple of them were not all that well made (in my opinion) so I was also trying to learn their idiosyncracies while also trying to learn how to use them. Bad scene, man. So I painted them all as bad and switched over to metal razors.
I have posted before in appreciation of the "gravity-powered shave" one can get with a nice massy razor. As time has passed I've drifted back from some of the heavier examples more toward a middle ground. I prefer stainless razors, so for that reason I've not explored titanium. Ditto for other metals, though some of them attract me. Bronze for instance. Not aluminum. Since light razors (aside from titanium) tend to be Zamak, aluminum or some plastic and those materials tend to be ones with which I'm not too engaged I've felt justified in embracing my limitation in that area. But, but, but...
I picked up an El Fantasma because it's a darn good homage to the Fasan Double Slant and the Merkur "Super Slant." I like slants; the more extremely helical the better. So I gritted my teeth and bought one. I've already admitted to owning three of them, so you may as well assume I like them. Unlike the Alpha Ecliptic which I have owned on three separate occasions and piffed off every time; I still have two more "ElFs" in the box. Out of the box I found it too light and too mild. So I applied a trimmed razor blade as a shim between blade and baseplate. That opened up the gap a little and made it much more congenial. I added a stainless handle for some additional mass. Worked OK. That setup was one of the three razors I valued enough to put in my run kit against the event of an evacuation ahead of wildfire. Would grab them all if I could but fire coming over the ridge would mean I had at most five minutes to get everything we needed into the vehicles and hope that the only road out was still open.
There matters remained until recently when I started to see some folks doing things with handles modified to thread a long screw up from the bottom to lock the handle and keep it from turning when the razor is unscrewed a bit (@Clouds, @Tanuki, and I think @ChrisPL68, I'm lookin' at you gentlemen). Conventional wisdom has it that doing so opens up the gap a little, may also increase exposure a bit, and leads to a smoother shave with a razor that formerly was a bit mild.
I had tried "twist adjustment" on my FOCS, which was a bad idea for me. Even 1/4 turn open there wasn't enough spring pressure from the blade to keep things stable. All that is necessary on a hollow handle is to see if the threads for the cap stud go all the way to the bottom of the handle ferrule. If so one merely needs a screw of the right size and Robert is your mother's brother. Tanuki pointed out the PAA handle is also hollow, the threads go to the bottom of the ferrule, and they are an easier thread pitch to find in North America than the M4.5 x 0.75 that Fatip uses. Tooling for modifications is likewise less expensive. So I put the FOCS project on hold while I fiddled with the ElF.
Aside from dressing the end of the screw with a file to make it flat for more traction on the stud end, all I did was screw it in and shave. The stainless screw adds a little mass to the razor and its length means that I've also got a little finger rest on the handle. I may or may not cut the screw down; at this point I'm finding reasons not to do so. So how's the shave?
Well! The blade is not as well clamped, but still it's solid. Noisy, because of being loosely held. I didn't have problems with it chattering. I'll play with it a while and see how it goes, but fun so far.
O.H.
*NOCvember is "No Open Combs November," one of our regular themes along with "SLANTember," "SEptember," and others.
SOTD: Saturday November 18, 2023
Razor: PAA El Fantasma
Blade: Dorco Prime (1)
Brush: Omega 10005
Soap: Peppermint Trip
I interrupted my celebrations of NOCvember* to pick up where I left off with some other researches. I'm fiddling with two things: putting some more "bench strength" in my technique with very light razors; and experimenting with locking handles to allow for a bit of "twist adjustment." Both topics I was a bit uncomfortable around and always somewhat dismissed as unnecessary. I remembered that old saw about, "Argue for your limitations and -- sure enough! -- they're yours." Not universally applicable, for sure, but for a lot of those things of which we may not be accomplished practitioners it's an effective reminder.
Light razors first. The Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements "El Fantasma" OC slant lends itself well to this project, as it is not only light (ABS plastic) but is also rather durable and well made, particularly at its price point under $30. After my training wheel shaves with a Merkur 38 I tried some bakelite razors that I didn't have technique for. A couple of them were not all that well made (in my opinion) so I was also trying to learn their idiosyncracies while also trying to learn how to use them. Bad scene, man. So I painted them all as bad and switched over to metal razors.
I have posted before in appreciation of the "gravity-powered shave" one can get with a nice massy razor. As time has passed I've drifted back from some of the heavier examples more toward a middle ground. I prefer stainless razors, so for that reason I've not explored titanium. Ditto for other metals, though some of them attract me. Bronze for instance. Not aluminum. Since light razors (aside from titanium) tend to be Zamak, aluminum or some plastic and those materials tend to be ones with which I'm not too engaged I've felt justified in embracing my limitation in that area. But, but, but...
I picked up an El Fantasma because it's a darn good homage to the Fasan Double Slant and the Merkur "Super Slant." I like slants; the more extremely helical the better. So I gritted my teeth and bought one. I've already admitted to owning three of them, so you may as well assume I like them. Unlike the Alpha Ecliptic which I have owned on three separate occasions and piffed off every time; I still have two more "ElFs" in the box. Out of the box I found it too light and too mild. So I applied a trimmed razor blade as a shim between blade and baseplate. That opened up the gap a little and made it much more congenial. I added a stainless handle for some additional mass. Worked OK. That setup was one of the three razors I valued enough to put in my run kit against the event of an evacuation ahead of wildfire. Would grab them all if I could but fire coming over the ridge would mean I had at most five minutes to get everything we needed into the vehicles and hope that the only road out was still open.
There matters remained until recently when I started to see some folks doing things with handles modified to thread a long screw up from the bottom to lock the handle and keep it from turning when the razor is unscrewed a bit (@Clouds, @Tanuki, and I think @ChrisPL68, I'm lookin' at you gentlemen). Conventional wisdom has it that doing so opens up the gap a little, may also increase exposure a bit, and leads to a smoother shave with a razor that formerly was a bit mild.
I had tried "twist adjustment" on my FOCS, which was a bad idea for me. Even 1/4 turn open there wasn't enough spring pressure from the blade to keep things stable. All that is necessary on a hollow handle is to see if the threads for the cap stud go all the way to the bottom of the handle ferrule. If so one merely needs a screw of the right size and Robert is your mother's brother
. Tanuki pointed out the PAA handle is also hollow, the threads go to the bottom of the ferrule, and they are an easier thread pitch to find in North America than the M4.5 x 0.75 that Fatip uses. Tooling for modifications is likewise less expensive. So I put the FOCS project on hold while I fiddled with the ElF.Aside from dressing the end of the screw with a file to make it flat for more traction on the stud end, all I did was screw it in and shave. The stainless screw adds a little mass to the razor and its length means that I've also got a little finger rest on the handle. I may or may not cut the screw down; at this point I'm finding reasons not to do so. So how's the shave?
Well! The blade is not as well clamped, but still it's solid. Noisy, because of being loosely held. I didn't have problems with it chattering. I'll play with it a while and see how it goes, but fun so far.
O.H.
*NOCvember is "No Open Combs November," one of our regular themes along with "SLANTember," "SEptember," and others.
Gillette 1959 Fatboy E-4, Feather blade (4)
Last time was setting 7, so today was 8.
This razor made 5 days growth feel like one or two. With each setting increase, it stays just as smooth, truly blown away by this razor.
Super comfortable and close shave.
Very confident to try 9 next time!
Last time was setting 7, so today was 8.
This razor made 5 days growth feel like one or two. With each setting increase, it stays just as smooth, truly blown away by this razor.
Super comfortable and close shave.
Very confident to try 9 next time!
Wolfman Guerrilla with Wizamet
Its a West Coast Shaving Stainless steel 303 handle.
I was super lucky. Someone on Ebay, a former member here, gifted me the Razor with the handle a year ago. The cap has a very minor issue with the thread when assembling the razor but it does not negatively impact the have at all.
It was yesterday, but Pearl Flexi with Willy's Premium.
Karve CB - D
Gillette Khaki Set Old Type / Treet black (3)
RazoRock Game Changer 1.05-P razor
Vintage Thin Bar handle
Big Ben Stainless (2)
2 day growth
Been using the new 1.05 plate for a bit now, and very happy with it. Initial shaves on this thread.
Still early days, but already getting consistently very close & smooth shaves, with no more damage than with the 0.84-P plate.
My first reaction to the news of RR's new 1.05 was that it might be too big a jump from the .84, and I would have chosen somewhere around 0.95. But they seemed to have nailed the sweet spot combo of efficient and tame (enough). Certainly for me.
You still have to be careful. It will bite you hard if you don't respect it, and it is not for the inexperienced shaver. But it is not unduly aggressive for that gap size.
Need more experience with it to be sure, but it is rapidly heading towards my RFL.
Nice work, RR.
Vintage Thin Bar handle
Big Ben Stainless (2)
2 day growth
Been using the new 1.05 plate for a bit now, and very happy with it. Initial shaves on this thread.
Still early days, but already getting consistently very close & smooth shaves, with no more damage than with the 0.84-P plate.
My first reaction to the news of RR's new 1.05 was that it might be too big a jump from the .84, and I would have chosen somewhere around 0.95. But they seemed to have nailed the sweet spot combo of efficient and tame (enough). Certainly for me.
You still have to be careful. It will bite you hard if you don't respect it, and it is not for the inexperienced shaver. But it is not unduly aggressive for that gap size.
Need more experience with it to be sure, but it is rapidly heading towards my RFL.
Nice work, RR.
Razorock GC 1.05 / Wilkinson Sword (8)
King C. Gillette
Astra superior platinum
Usually I use a Parker variant, but I’m sorta enjoying the more mild feeling for the moment.
Astra superior platinum
Usually I use a Parker variant, but I’m sorta enjoying the more mild feeling for the moment.
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