htownmmm
06-21-2007, 03:35 AM
Ok, let me update my experience with the Sledge.
After receiving this new gem of a razor and adding it to the rotation, I was somewhat amused by the amount of members who tried it, hated it(didn't care for it), and sold it-in less time than it took to ship to them in the first place. :wink:
I figured that Merkur had not let me down as of yet(VISION,HD, Slant) so I would give the new baby time. For the past 6 weeks, I have shaved with no other razor. This focused usage of the sledge really helped me in deciding irrevocably the disposition of the razor.
In the first week of usage, I loaded it with an Israeli Personna. My first shave went initally well, but I did notice road rash beginning. At first I wanted to attribute this to the new razor, but experience made me stop and think- "I haven't had road rash since forever, so what am I doing wrong?" On the next shave I payed more than the usual attention to my technique and found that I had been using too much pressure. Why? because the weight and feel of the sledge is deceptive-your brain thinks HD and your muscle memory says HD, but HD it's not. Think of the person who has lived all their life in one part of town and then moves to another part of town. They leave work after a tiring day to head home and before they realize it, they are in front of their old address and do not know how they got there! Those of us who own and love the HD have to overcome the mental pattern we have ingrained upon us. We know that the 38C is heavier and longer than the HD, but the head profile is the same, so we automatically go into 'HD mode' for our shave.(enough psychoanalyzing :out: )
Once I made this mental adjustment(which definitely took about 2 weeks before I stopped thinking) the road rash went away, my shaves improved immensely, and I finished up the week thinking not bad- no BBS except once, but no reason to get upset.
It was time to move on to the 38C and Derby combo. During the 2nd week there were times that I had to remind myself that "ok Marty, this is the sledge-pay attention!" However, I was able to shave much closer, faster, and with no irritation.
Now the moment of truth was upon me- load up the 38C with a Feather for the 3rd week. If my technique wasn't right or I was slipping into HD mode, I would know about it immediately! :yikes:
Here is where the 38C came into its own(:thumbup: )-mind, body and razor became one. My shaves were effortless and resulted in faceturbation. I did not have to 'pay attention' to the 'nth' degree and there were no nicks, cuts, rash, or irritation to be found. :a50:
To be sure, in the next 3 weeks I repeated my blade usage pattern to make sure of my findings. Lo and behold, the shaves with the IP became much better than with the Derby, with the Derby and the Feather staying about the same. This surprised me, but overall, I am very happy with this razor. At this point in time, it has become my #1 razor in my rotation- or at least until Merkur comes out with a Slant version of it!
So if you are considering purchasing the sledge, do so!- RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!(now you knew that would be in this lenghty post somewhere. :biggrin: ) But remember, you will have to 'relearn' how to shave all over again with it. It feels different, while looking like what you already know. Take that into account and smooth shaving to all.
Marty
After receiving this new gem of a razor and adding it to the rotation, I was somewhat amused by the amount of members who tried it, hated it(didn't care for it), and sold it-in less time than it took to ship to them in the first place. :wink:
I figured that Merkur had not let me down as of yet(VISION,HD, Slant) so I would give the new baby time. For the past 6 weeks, I have shaved with no other razor. This focused usage of the sledge really helped me in deciding irrevocably the disposition of the razor.
In the first week of usage, I loaded it with an Israeli Personna. My first shave went initally well, but I did notice road rash beginning. At first I wanted to attribute this to the new razor, but experience made me stop and think- "I haven't had road rash since forever, so what am I doing wrong?" On the next shave I payed more than the usual attention to my technique and found that I had been using too much pressure. Why? because the weight and feel of the sledge is deceptive-your brain thinks HD and your muscle memory says HD, but HD it's not. Think of the person who has lived all their life in one part of town and then moves to another part of town. They leave work after a tiring day to head home and before they realize it, they are in front of their old address and do not know how they got there! Those of us who own and love the HD have to overcome the mental pattern we have ingrained upon us. We know that the 38C is heavier and longer than the HD, but the head profile is the same, so we automatically go into 'HD mode' for our shave.(enough psychoanalyzing :out: )
Once I made this mental adjustment(which definitely took about 2 weeks before I stopped thinking) the road rash went away, my shaves improved immensely, and I finished up the week thinking not bad- no BBS except once, but no reason to get upset.
It was time to move on to the 38C and Derby combo. During the 2nd week there were times that I had to remind myself that "ok Marty, this is the sledge-pay attention!" However, I was able to shave much closer, faster, and with no irritation.
Now the moment of truth was upon me- load up the 38C with a Feather for the 3rd week. If my technique wasn't right or I was slipping into HD mode, I would know about it immediately! :yikes:
Here is where the 38C came into its own(:thumbup: )-mind, body and razor became one. My shaves were effortless and resulted in faceturbation. I did not have to 'pay attention' to the 'nth' degree and there were no nicks, cuts, rash, or irritation to be found. :a50:
To be sure, in the next 3 weeks I repeated my blade usage pattern to make sure of my findings. Lo and behold, the shaves with the IP became much better than with the Derby, with the Derby and the Feather staying about the same. This surprised me, but overall, I am very happy with this razor. At this point in time, it has become my #1 razor in my rotation- or at least until Merkur comes out with a Slant version of it!
So if you are considering purchasing the sledge, do so!- RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!(now you knew that would be in this lenghty post somewhere. :biggrin: ) But remember, you will have to 'relearn' how to shave all over again with it. It feels different, while looking like what you already know. Take that into account and smooth shaving to all.
Marty