Timeless Bronze .78 OC Question

[Cannon Cocker]

Thanks. Any idea what the blade gap/exposure is on the R41 - and is the R41 something you would use daily? The other one I've been considering is the Greencult 2.0 with plates 3 and 4 (beyond the #2 it comes with).

The gap and exposure are really hard to tell by looking. I only shave every other day, because there just isn’t enough stubble to shave every day. I don’t think I would have a problem using it every day but can’t say for sure. Blade selection could also play a part in that.

I shaved with the original Greencult 1.0 and liked it a lot. I can’t remember the exact gap and exposure, but the 2.0 plate #4 was very close. I seem to remember that if you order it directly from the manufacturer you can get it with any plate you want.

One other thing to remember with the Muhle R41 head, the cap screw is made of brass or bronze not Zamak. They changed that a while back because most of the rot failures occurred in the threads. If the cap has the #5 on the underside, the screw is brass or bronze. If the #4 it’s Zamak.

 

[RJB42]

Good to know about your experience with the Greencult. After others said the Timeless bronze .78 would be way too much for everyday, I started looking around at other things that would be a bit more efficient than my Timeless .95. The Blackbird comes up a lot, and I know it's not officially published, but it's apparently ~.58 mm gap and ~.1 mm exposure (from user measurements) and that's around what the level 2 plate on the Greencult comes with. Was thinking of additionally ordering the level 3 and level 4 plates though. I'm thinking there's something to the line of thinking that smaller gaps and larger exposure are better for shaving every day short stubble.

 

[Patrice]

If you shave every day, I don't see the point of having something more aggressive than the Blackbird Stainless Steel. I have removed an 8 days growth with no problem. It was much more efficient than the R41. From all razors I've tried BB SS is the one I would keep together with the Merkur Progress.

 

[guitarslinger]

The 78 oc is one of the most aggressive razors I’ve ever used.

 

[RJB42]

If you shave every day, I don't see the point of having something more aggressive than the Blackbird Stainless Steel. I have removed an 8 days growth with no problem. It was much more efficient than the R41. From all razors I've tried BB SS is the one I would keep together with the Merkur Progress.

I get that more "aggressive" razors are effective at removing more growth, but what I notice is that my Timeless .95 is excellent at clearing a week of growth leaving me smooth, but it's not great at clearing 24 hrs of stubble. I put "aggressive" in quotes because I think what people are talking about when they use that word is more often than not the blade gap and not necessarily the exposure.

I suspect my experience is due to the relatively small (.05 mm) exposure on the Timeless which makes it difficult to "pick up" the short stubble - whereas it has a pretty easy time picking up the hairs that are a few days long. A lot of my growth is kind of flat to my face and I think that exacerbates the problem further.

I've read that the blackbird has more exposure (user reported) than the timeless, so you're probably right that I would see an improvement. I guess I just see the .95 timeless and the blackbird compared more similarly to each other than vastly different more often than not (though in this thread in particular, the blackbird being the winner seems to be the consensus). I also don't love that the blackbird head geometry isn't published... but I do understand the reasoning behind it from the manufacturer, and that doesn't figure into the decision much.

In any case, I do appreciate all the thoughts here, and I definitely feel like you all helped dissuade me from getting the Timeless .78 for daily use. Much appreciated.

 

[Guido75]

I can’t remember the exact gap and exposure

The GC1 has a blade gap of .95 and exposure of .25 making it an extremely effective razor (face and head by the way). The GC1 is in the sweet spot between plates III and IV of the GC2.

Cheers,

Guido

 

[cyberdog]

I ultimately returned my .78 Bronze, it found and either irritated or gave a small nick on every facial imperfection, which doesn't bode well if you have a small scar or two. In comparison the Timeless 95 OC is a joy to use, as is an R41, two of my favorite razors.