EclipseRedRing
I smell like a Christmas pudding
It is interesting how people perceive things differently. To my mind, improving my technique would enable me to get a good shave with a lower setting, not a higher one
Adjustable razors
- Thread starter WThomas0814
- Start date
I do my first WTG passes on a higher setting. With 5 to 7-days of whisker growth, I start out on level 8 on my Osprey razor, which knocks the majority of the whisker growth down.
( Quite the whisker weight reduction on the first pass! )
Then in my XTG passes, I will typically use level 5 on the Osprey, which is a very smooth medium aggression, which reduces the blade feel and exposure just enough, that it feels safe going that direction. But it leaves enough gap, to tackle those whiskers still.
In my ATG passes, thats when the razor will be up against more resistance.
( Just the nature of the beast when going ATG with any razor really. )
I set the razor to level 3 or 4, and I am able to achieve my BBS.
So you could most certainly say, I do indeed use an adjustable razor, as an adjustable razor. I am not one of those folks who chooses one setting and stick with it, because I like to adjust the razor's aggression on the fly, for what I need.
If your having 2nd thoughts, don't be. The Osprey is a truly high end razor that is built amazingly well, and will last forever. The ability to adjust it, is just icing for the cake.
I do my first WTG passes on a higher setting. With 5 to 7-days of whisker growth, I start out on level 8 on my Osprey razor, which knocks the majority of the whisker growth down.
( Quite the whisker weight reduction on the first pass! )
Then in my XTG passes, I will typically use level 5 on the Osprey, which is a very smooth medium aggression, which reduces the blade feel and exposure just enough, that it feels safe going that direction. But it leaves enough gap, to tackle those whiskers still.
In my ATG passes, thats when the razor will be up against more resistance.
( Just the nature of the beast when going ATG with any razor really. )
I set the razor to level 3 or 4, and I am able to achieve my BBS.
So you could most certainly say, I do indeed use an adjustable razor, as an adjustable razor. I am not one of those folks who chooses one setting and stick with it, because I like to adjust the razor's aggression on the fly, for what I need.
If your having 2nd thoughts, don't be. The Osprey is a truly high end razor that is built amazingly well, and will last forever. The ability to adjust it, is just icing for the cake.
People use them differently I guess.
I change settings between shaves based on how aggressive of a shave I want, what blade I use, how many shaves it had etc., but I practically never bother with changing it during the shave.
Currently trying to make the Super 109 work for me the best I can, before I make the final judgement. I am finding that, contrary to my experience with other Gillettes, and to what the best angle seems to be when I look at the razor, it seems to favor shallower angles.
I don't know if it's perception or not, but technique enables me to get a good shave no matter what setting (for an adjustable) or razor (DE/SE/SR) or blade (stainless, carbon, vintage) being usedIt is interesting how people perceive things differently. To my mind, improving my technique would enable me to get a good shave with a lower setting, not a higher one
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
For me, adjustable vs. non-adjustable are not opposites. I thoroughly enjoyed both razors.
When I want to get it done without any fuss, I choose a 3-piece razor that is smooth, efficient, and comfortable no matter what blade I add. Or sometimes when I have some free time and want a bit of a challenge, I'll pick a 3-piece that may require attention to angles and strength.
But if I want to take good care of my skin and avoid unnecessary irritation from the unfamiliar sharpness of a new blade.
I would use the adjustable model and choose the gentle setting for the first few shaves; as the blade's character gradually becomes gentler, I would increase the setting for the next few shaves.
And playing with mechanical mechanisms full of creativity and technical content, I sincerely thank the designers and engineers for their efforts in all this.
The razor is always the same, but our skin conditions and feelings do change, so while not everyone needs one, adjustable razors do have a place.
When I want to get it done without any fuss, I choose a 3-piece razor that is smooth, efficient, and comfortable no matter what blade I add. Or sometimes when I have some free time and want a bit of a challenge, I'll pick a 3-piece that may require attention to angles and strength.
But if I want to take good care of my skin and avoid unnecessary irritation from the unfamiliar sharpness of a new blade.
I would use the adjustable model and choose the gentle setting for the first few shaves; as the blade's character gradually becomes gentler, I would increase the setting for the next few shaves.
And playing with mechanical mechanisms full of creativity and technical content, I sincerely thank the designers and engineers for their efforts in all this.
The razor is always the same, but our skin conditions and feelings do change, so while not everyone needs one, adjustable razors do have a place.
- Thread starter
- #46
Pretty much the reason I opted against it. I believe that I would either use it exclusively, ignoring my other razors, or I would seldom use it at all. It doesn’t seem like a “standard rotation” razor to me.
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
To avoid any play favorites, I line up all the razors in a row on the shelf and rotate them monthly.
Every once in a while I might rearrange the sequence—for example, alternating between strong and weak to give the skin a rest, or using a picky-angle razor continuously to train hand stability.
When the time comes, I switch razors and move on to the next experience, so I don’t in your situation.
- Thread starter
- #48
I rotate mine weekly.
ERS4
My exploding razor knows secrets
Yes, between rotations, we fell in love with each razor.
- Thread starter
- #50
Yes, between rotations, we fell in love with each razor.
Right? When asked what my favorite razor is, I have to look at what’s currently in my hand.
And I think that's a great problem to have.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and providing background information on the adjustables.Back in the 1960's-1970's Gillette focused on adjustable razors (Slim, Super Adjustable Black Beauty, etc.) so that one or a very limited number of SKUs could meet the needs of 98-99%+ of its customer base. The intent back then is that with one of these convenient TTO razors you were almost guaranteed to find the level of mildness or aggression you preferred. My first razor was a Gillette Super Adjustable that I used for around 5 years before going electric.
The same applies today though, thanks to eCommerce, conserving shelf space is no longer an issue. Instead the benefit is that with one razor the user can be almost assured of achieving good shaves without having to experiment with multiple fixed aggression razors. Even experienced DE users can benefit from a well designed adjustable as it can let them dial in more precisely to the desired level of aggressiveness.
The challenge is that adjustable razor mechanisms are not easy to design or build, especially with my preferred TTO design. When I returned to DE 4+ years ago most TTO adjustables out there had alignment issues or I would have had to choose a multi piece adjustable like the Merkur Progress or Futur. With some experimentation I settled on a couple different fixed aggression razors, one moderate and the other mild to provide a range of options.
This past November by chance I stumbled on an excellent low cost TTO adjustable, the Razorock Adjust (rebranded Baili also sold by Stirling) that works really well using the same type of adjustment mechanism used by Gillette in it's Super Adjustables, Slims, etc. It provides my preferred mild to moderate aggression range with excellent alignment. Right now we are only aware of one other razor that offers this type of Gillette mechanism in a TTO. That is the Rockwell T2 razor with lots of positive reviews for folks who prefer a more premium option. Both of these TTO adjustables were introduced over the past couple of years.
Of course there are plenty of quality multi-piece designs such as the Merkur options mentioned above, Rockwell 6S/C and the Osprey you are considering. Given the quality razors you already own, if they already hit your sweet spot in aggressiveness, you may not realize a lot of benefit from the Osprey investment. If they don't then the extra precision could be worth it. YMMV here so this is really a personal decision based on your preferences.
P.S. There are many posts from shavers who like to adjust razor aggression between passes. This is a relatively recent phenomena with the resurgence of DE over the past 10-15 years and by all means experiment with it if desired. It does go beyond the original objective of the Gillette adjustable noted above. Again YMMV though for me personally I've had to learn to adjust my technique per the aggressiveness of each razor. No desire to have to do that in the middle of a shave.
Link below to a post with Gillette's adjustable instructions. The core message was that " After one or two shaves you will be
able to determine the best setting for your skin and beard." Though they mention a milder setting for more sensitive parts of your face such as the neck area.
Hi-res Gillette adjustable manual for download!
I just scanned in an original Gillette slim adjustable manual hi-res at 100% 1000 d.p.i. full color. I scanned both sides as image 1 and image 2. Each file is a high quality jpeg with max quality setting, the files are about 13 mb. Feel free to download them. They print really well too. Here are...www.badgerandblade.com
I've been using double edge razors for almost a year now. I have used several fixed razors such as the Mühle R89, the ROCCA as well as some adjustable razors such as the Merkur Progress 5xx.
I've gotten fantastic shaves with both types. However, I have to admit that my smoothest shave recently was a Merkur Progress with ~5 WTG and ~2.5 ATG in 2 passes. No burn and a nice BBS. The combination of smoothness and durability was really nice. I think I've found the right setting for my more sensitive skin.
I also like the flexibility to choose the level of aggressiveness I want when I reach for the razor in the morning. That's why my adjusters are getting more attention at the moment, I guess.
By the way, the vintage manuals are a treasure trove.
Gentlemen, please share with us more of your experiences on this aspect of the art of shaving.
I fall into the second category, mentioned above. Different level for different days.
For what its worth, I have been using the Rockwell 6S exclusively for about six months. Prior to that I used two different razors, Muhle R89 and Merkur 37C slant depending on how heavy my beard is when I shave. Sold them both after going Rockwell 6. However, I do not change/flip plates during the shave. I played with that in the beginning but found one setting works just fine depending if there is one or three or five days growth. Should I go 3+ days and decide to use the most aggressive plates, 5 or 6, I may go down to plate 2 or 3 for the second or third pass. But it is rare I go three days without a shave, so one setting does the trick, usually setting/plate 3 or 4.
So what I found is that if one has a regular routine, like a shave every day, then find the razor that works. If one has variable needs, then different agressiveness is needed to match those needs in the form or either different razor, or a good adjustable. I went from one razor, to two (mild + agressive)l and now back to one adjustable. However, I am not a collector. I found my razor, I found my blade, I fouhd my brush. Now I am working on playing with different soaps - mostly from buying lots of samples from Maggards. Razor, blade, and soap, are all variables, and it takes a lojg time to work out - and I guess that is part of the fun
I have owned 3 adjustables in my wetshaving journey. I purchased the Merkur Futur twice and regretted it both times. Bulky head, small angle window, but loved the pop off top cap. It gave me awful skin irritation and weepers.
I still currently own a Rex Ambassador. It gives okay shaves. Usually have to set it at 3 or lower to avoid irritation. It's a love/hate relationship.
Also own a Gibbs No. 17. It shaves the best of the 3 but it's finicky to load a modern DE blade into the proprietary slot.
I still currently own a Rex Ambassador. It gives okay shaves. Usually have to set it at 3 or lower to avoid irritation. It's a love/hate relationship.
Also own a Gibbs No. 17. It shaves the best of the 3 but it's finicky to load a modern DE blade into the proprietary slot.
I do cold shave with my new Ambassador since a few weeks now. It plays well together with a Perma-Sharp blade for me. Today I used it at 4.5 (WTG), 2.5 (XTG), 1.0 (ATG). This gave me very good results with a BBS and very little irritation (but still not perfect though).
That is exactly what it was designed to do. Matt at Razor Emporium has stated several times in videos that his razor designs are all based around Perma-Sharp, as the constant standard for sharpness.
I agree with the OP that new wetshavers can benefit from this application. it would be beneficial to them to find out what level of aggressiveness and blade exposure works out best for their skin.
for me personally i don't prefer them. adjustables and by design have an inherent problem which is the razor head must be larger than a normal razor to accommodate for the different levels. This is a deal breaker for me as i prefer as slim of a razor head profile as possible. it's just easier to use and get in under the nose, shape side burns, etc.
for me personally i don't prefer them. adjustables and by design have an inherent problem which is the razor head must be larger than a normal razor to accommodate for the different levels. This is a deal breaker for me as i prefer as slim of a razor head profile as possible. it's just easier to use and get in under the nose, shape side burns, etc.
My first razor, when I started shaving in high school (1960's) was a Gillette Slim adjustable. I also had a longer handle Black Beauty. I never really knew the basics of how to shave right (everybody in those days just jumped in and tried to swim). It was a daily, often bloody, chore, so I was an easy convert to cartridges when I was in college. Thirteen years ago, I stumbled across the Badger & Blade website. I dumped my plastic razor and shaving gel, bought an Edwin Jagger DE89, learned the basics, and it revolutionized my shaving experience. Probably more backstory than you need, but to my point...About a year ago on a whim (and skeptically), I bought the first adjustable I'd touched since that Gillette Slim -- a Yaqi Final Cut. I was totally blown away by the consistent, close, comfortable shaves it has given me (German Wilkinson Sword blades). One thing I love is the versatility. First pass (XTG) at 2; second pass (ATG) at 3.5; touch up at 1/1.5 ---> predictable BBS for me. I'm down to just two razors in my regular rotation: Rockwell 6S...and my Final Cut.
Thank you for the background information. They play very well together and Perma-Sharp are currently available quite cheaply in the EU. The blade is also great for me in the Rocca and the Merkur Progress.
If you like them then stock up right now. Gillette closed the factory in Russia where these, and several other fan favorites, like Astra SP or Nacets, were made. I know the current Astra stock is now made in India. Personally, I picked up 300 Perma-Sharp blades a few months ago, Russian stock, made in 2022. I am now set for about 5-6 years, so I am set with blades until my early 70’s
