I've used my fingernail but here is a safer solution in this video -
The Vector is Blacklands best razor.
- Thread starter NoScrubs
- Start date
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
Mine always got stuck, and that plus the small size of the SE blades made the entire system a non-starter for me. Sticking with DE because I can see the blades and remove them so much easier. It is a shame because the Vector is a tremendous shaver. Just too much drama for me.
I remove the blade and rinse after every use; never a problem, and never a need for tweezers.
Shave #2 in the books, this time with a Kai Captain Mild PINK. WOW! What a difference a blade can make. Shave was dramatically smoother and still pretty darn close. Really excited
I mostly use the Kai Captain Titan Protouch MG and Schick Proline blades.
I ordered some prolines. Are the protouch guarded? How do they differ from the milds?
Yes, they are guarded. I’m not sure that guarded blades are necessary for a razor with a safety bar, but it may add additional ‘mildness’ compared with the Captain Titan Mild, which is my go-to. I just receiveded a shipment of the Kai guarded blades so we’ll see.
As @sarir97 states, the Kai Protouch MG is a guarded blade. It provides a mellow, but highly effective, shave. Between the Proline and the Protouch MG, I've been very pleased.
David, have you tried the Kai Captain Titan Mild? I’d love to hear your take on the difference between the two Kais.As @sarir97 states, the Kai Protouch MG is a guarded blade. It provides a mellow, but highly effective, shave. Between the Proline and the Protouch MG, I've been very pleased.
No, not yet. I have some of the Titan Mild unguarded baldes and plan to try them soon.
I tried the Kai Protouch guarded blades this morning. Maybe I’m imagining things, but I thought it was a tad less smooth than the non-guarded blade, but the shave was otherwise superb, with a DFS result and no irritation.
I had one a few years ago and found it too mild, which was also the case with an original version Hawk I had. Still, I would definitely give the Vector open comb, Hawk Open Comb, and Hawk A a shot. The single edge razors I've used and kept are the ATT SE2 and original version of the Asylum RX. As to other Blackland razors, the only one I've used is the Tradere Open Comb. It is very good. Not an SE like the Vector, it is very different. It is more aggressive, with more blade feel, and much heavier.
Unfortunately I'm quite close to giving up on the Vector OC SS. I've tried every blade besides guarded blades over 10+ shaves and have found the razor to be extremely bite-y and aggressive without being all that efficient. I'm going to give one last shot with the Feather ProGuard's to see if it helps, but after every shave, my face feels absolutely terrible, and the shaves aren't nearly as close as they should be for that level of aggression.
Perhaps I'll circle back and try the Ti version if they ever make an open comb for it, but thus far, I have not been impressed with the performance.
Perhaps I'll circle back and try the Ti version if they ever make an open comb for it, but thus far, I have not been impressed with the performance.
Blades are rarely the solution. Let’s solve this. How much pressure are you using?
Also, do you need OC? SB is always smoother and more forgiving.
Just enough pressure so that the head has enough momentum to get through the growth. I've messed around with more/less pressure, as well as shallow, steep, and in-between angles.
I need an OC just for my neck, really. Growth is super thick and the hair lays pretty flat to the skin. Therefore I try to do only one WTG pass and I find an OC does a much better job of minimizing ingrowns and getting all the hair with one pass.
With the Blackbird, I use the OC on my neck and then switch to SB for my face, which I guess I theoretically could try with the Vector, although swapping plates is a bit more tedious with an AC style razor than a DE.
Super helpful! When I hear "bitey" I think too-light pressure. So my first instinct is to have you use even more pressure. I can't say for sure if that's what's going on, but 9/10 times that's the issue with the Vector. I'd use more pressure and try using the OC teeth as a pivot point to adjust blade engagement. For more on that, see the video below.
Other thoughts:
- It sounds like you're trying a lot of stuff. What if you picked one blade and stuck with it for a week? (you may have already tried this)
- Short strokes can be especially helpful with the Vector.
- For most people, the Vector clicks very quickly so it's always possible that the razor just isn't for you. Hard to say why, but sometimes faces and razors just don't mesh.
Thanks for this - i can definitely try applying more pressure. On the shaving angle, I watched the video when you released it a week ago. It totally matches what I feel when using the blackbird - more shallow = more blade engagement; more steep = less blade engagement. However, with the Vector, I feel the opposite - if I get too steep , I feel a ton of blade and get irritation; is this right?
Appreciate the other tips - I may end up swapping for the Ti Vector just to see how it compares and try living with the SB on my neck for now. Any insight as to when an OC plate might be available for the Ti version?
Ok, so i gave it another go adding more pressure to the point that I felt I was literally pressing the razor into my face. On my cheeks and neck, this worked fine. No nicks or irritation post shave. My chin, however, was a disaster. This was the area that was giving me the most trouble previously. I got one uber shallow blood spot going WTG, but XTG absolutely tore me up
I think I'm going to give the Vector another go in Ti and with the SB, I just think this SS/OC combo isn't working
My preference is for the Ti Vector SB.
That seems to be the consensus!My preference is for the Ti Vector SB.
