So I've decided to try out this old 1960s Gillette Slim / Hi, I'm new here.

[phreon]

So lesson learned?

I'm not sure, I'm still woozy from the blood loss.

Since I'm a gadget freak and a lover of great engineering, I'm sure to collect a few more razors. I just hope the collection doesn't get nuts like my mechanical pencil collection. It's highly unlikely I'll go back to cartridge shaving for anything but air travel. Even botching it and feeling like the blade was pulling a little more than it should, I got a *much* smoother shave out of a Gillette 7 O'Clock blade in the Slim than I ever did out of an unusually pristine Mach III.

 

[chansta]

* What's a good setting to start with on the adjustable Gillette? I'd say I have mildly sensitive skin.
* What's a good starter / forgiving blade? Bic? (full list of what I'm receiving at the end)
* Is a decent double blade appreciably more difficult to guide than an old school, slim head, non-articulated single blade disposable?
* Is a quality canned gel brought to a good lather and applied to a warm/wet face a reasonable start? Assume 2 passes.

1. That's totally up to you. I go with a 7 and it works beautifully for me.
2. I had a lot of luck with ASTRA when I was starting. Very sharp but for me it was forgiving.
3. The only time I have found it more difficult is under the nose. I sometimes use a cart to get the few remaining hairs, as I do for two tufts of hair on either side of my cleft.
4. This is of course total YMMV, but I experimented with tons of lathers before I decided that Razorock is incredibly easy to lather. I can get a good lather with a wet brush and about 15-30 swirls. It lasts a lot longer than the gel in a can and you can use a minimal amount for 3-4 passes.

Honestly, I wish I had started with an adjustable. You can start with something between 1 and 3 and work your way up as needed.

 

[alex2363]

I'm not sure, I'm still woozy from the blood loss.

Since I'm a gadget freak and a lover of great engineering, I'm sure to collect a few more razors. I just hope the collection doesn't get nuts like my mechanical pencil collection. It's highly unlikely I'll go back to cartridge shaving for anything but air travel. Even botching it and feeling like the blade was pulling a little more than it should, I got a *much* smoother shave out of a Gillette 7 O'Clock blade in the Slim than I ever did out of an unusually pristine Mach III.

Here

 

[phreon]

I've gone through 2 Gillette 7 O'clock blades with I guess 4 solid shaves on each. They probably could have gone longer, but I'm trying to figure out what works for me, not which blade holds an edge the longest.

I've worked up to 3 on the Gillette Slim using the 7 O'Clocks. Honestly, I wasn't terribly impressed - gave a decent shave, but the blade felt pretty grabby. I could feel that tell tale tug on every single whisker. I have a sampler pack of 5 5-packs and another sampler with a huge array of individual blades. Having read positive reviews on the Astra SPs, I put my lone example of that in the Gillette Slim still set to 3.

My beard was pretty rough, having gone 3 or 4 days (1-2 mm in length?). I was expecting an unpleasant shave, but HOLY SMOKES, was I wrong. Those Astra SP blades are awesome! 1st pass I could barely feel it taking multiple days worth of stubble and 2nd pass I was having a hard time telling if I even had the angle right because it was so smooth. Only a single, minor nick on a bump I've always had, but otherwise no rash, no burn, no blood loss and baby smooth.

I still have sample boxes of Bluebirds and Feathers (among others) I want to try, but given how dramatically better the Astras are compared to the Gillettes, I'm considering buying a good quantity of them. Right now, I literally only have a single Astra SP blade. With Astras, I might as well go up at least one more click on the Gillette Slim.

 

[JPerryman]

I've gone through 2 Gillette 7 O'clock blades with I guess 4 solid shaves on each. They probably could have gone longer, but I'm trying to figure out what works for me, not which blade holds an edge the longest.

I've worked up to 3 on the Gillette Slim using the 7 O'Clocks. Honestly, I wasn't terribly impressed - gave a decent shave, but the blade felt pretty grabby. I could feel that tell tale tug on every single whisker. I have a sampler pack of 5 5-packs and another sampler with a huge array of individual blades. Having read positive reviews on the Astra SPs, I put my lone example of that in the Gillette Slim still set to 3.

My beard was pretty rough, having gone 3 or 4 days (1-2 mm in length?). I was expecting an unpleasant shave, but HOLY SMOKES, was I wrong. Those Astra SP blades are awesome! 1st pass I could barely feel it taking multiple days worth of stubble and 2nd pass I was having a hard time telling if I even had the angle right because it was so smooth. Only a single, minor nick on a bump I've always had, but otherwise no rash, no burn, no blood loss and baby smooth.

I still have sample boxes of Bluebirds and Feathers (among others) I want to try, but given how dramatically better the Astras are compared to the Gillettes, I'm considering buying a good quantity of them. Right now, I literally only have a single Astra SP blade. With Astras, I might as well go up at least one more click on the Gillette Slim.

Congrats on a great shave. I, along with a lot of others here, am a big fan of Astras.

 

[demon73]

the beauty of wet shaving is you can experiment with different products until you find your fav...i cannot stress enough that its more trial and error before you reach what works best for you...sampler packs in my opinion is the best way to go when starting out but keep in mind even that may change..once you have gotten in the groove of your technique the blade you started out with you may find is either to harsh or not enough..when i first got into wet shaving i picked up a vintage 64 super speed and a fatboy..my go to razor is primarily my super speed loaded with a feather..i dont and havent gotten caught in all the hype over products that everyone else may be using or swear by them its not that theres anything wrong with them.its just i wanted to keep things simple,and go up from there..currently my arsenal consists of my super speed and fatboy,semogue 620 boar brush (love that damn thing ) and 150 feather blades..and thats it well except for the oak stand i built for my razors and brush and my fav mug i use to whip up my lather in..nothing fancy but its what works for me and i love it...so just find your favs and stick with it and enjoy...

 

[phreon]

I've been wet shaving for many years, but the DE world is new to me. So far, my biggest challenge is relearning how to shave around contours - articulated razors made me lazy. Easy to get a superior shave on the cheeks, etc., but the jawline and neck are "fun". Under the nose is a little more difficult with the big Gillette Slim head, but not insurmountable. I'm only doing 2 passes (what I did with the Mach III) and getting a darned good shave that only really takes a small bit longer.

I still have a few spots that are a little stubbly when I'm finished, but only against the grain. I'm considering bumping the Slim up to 4-5 territory. Regardless of the number off passes (3-4-5), I've never been able to go directly against the grain w/o drawing MUCH blood. Each whisker grabs and I get hundreds of slices. Each face is different, I suppose.

 

[UUNetBill]

I'm fairly new as well, started off with an EJ89 and ended up getting a pair of birth year (birth quarter, actually - G2's) Gillettes - a Fatboy and a Slim, and although I prefer the LOOKS of the Fatboy, I prefer the FEEL of the Slim. I like them both, really, but in different ways if that makes sense.

I'm finding that my shaves are getting smoother, safer, and quicker as the days go by. Like anything else, practice, practice, practice.

 

[alex2363]

I'm fairly new as well, started off with an EJ89 and ended up getting a pair of birth year (birth quarter, actually - G2's) Gillettes - a Fatboy and a Slim, and although I prefer the LOOKS of the Fatboy, I prefer the FEEL of the Slim. I like them both, really, but in different ways if that makes sense.

I'm finding that my shaves are getting smoother, safer, and quicker as the days go by. Like anything else, practice, practice, practice.

It makes lot of sense, the shave results may vary but with a satisfactory shave....i prefer the heft of the Fatboy.