Is anyone not impressed by the Gillette NEW head?

[VR6ofpain]

I had my first shave with a Gillette NEW head today and I found myself asking if there are people who do not like it? Honestly I am starting to think I do not like open comb razors. I have a Senator and Old Type head (mounted on a custom handle) and find both to be good razors, but nothing amazing. This NEW also offered a good close shave, but honestly I think I enjoy shaving with my recently acquired Merkur HD more.

There is something about the teeth and allowing the blade to come into more direct contact with the skin that I think puts these off for me. For the most part my NEW shave was great, but I did notice it wasn't as smooth over my neck. It kind of reminded me of using a SE GEM razor, where just the slightest mistake would leave nicks. With most safety bar DE razors I find you can almost be careless (I try not to be) and the shave still comes out virtually flawless.

This NEW will definitely stay in my collection permanently (for the uniqueness of design), but I am not sure how much use it will get. I'm going to switch on and off with it over the next week and see what I think.

[mmack66]

If I haven't shaved for about 3 days, it shaves great. But I wouldn't be able to use one as a daily shaver. I only use Red IP's though, maybe a different blade would work better in the NEW. I would like to try a Senator some day. Are you saying they aren't all that?

[D.Irving79]

looking back i dont think i am. to me theyre morbidly obese old types.

[Magicpixie]

I'm not a fan of the New (there, I said it!). When it comes to open combs I prefer the Merkur or the New Improved.

[arghblech]

I like my NEW but it can really be dangerous around the edges of my goatee. I never knew the safety bar meant safer for goatees!

[Shave Cat]

I know this has been answered before, but it's a simple question. Is the New head the one with the blade gap or the one where the blade rests on the comb?

-Clarke

[Bertilak]

I know this has been answered before, but it's a simple question. Is the New head the one with the blade gap or the one where the blade rests on the comb?

-Clarke

With gap. See picture. Old on left; NEW on right. Both open comb.

The NEW is my favorite configuration.

EDIT: I think that is actually a NEW Improved on the right. You can just see one of the alignment pins. I prefer the alignment configuration that uses a horizontal bar and I think that may be the only difference between the NEW Improved and the NEW. I think the actual cap/blade/guard configuration is the same. The NEW is actually newer than the NEW Improved. Confusing. Perhaps Magicpixie can shed more light.

[soapbox]

My NEW open comb shaves really well, and I've run a lot of blades through it. To me it's fairly "blade-agnostic" (compared to other razors that really benefit from certain blades, like a Blue Tip with a Feather). I'm not well-versed in open combs (the NEW is my only one) but at least this particular model treats me well.

[Magicpixie]

From memory the Merkur and Improved rest on the comb while the New has the 'coathanger' profile. I'll check this evening (unless someone else wants to weigh in).

[niknak]

First shave with my re-plated New head this AM. Really enjoyed it actually.

I will need to do something about the super-slippery handle though.

Some little niks (esp. under nose and neck), but not bad for a first go with a fairly aggressive razor...

[Magicpixie]

From memory the Merkur and Improved rest on the comb while the New has the 'coathanger' profile. I'll check this evening (unless someone else wants to weigh in).

I think you're right Bob; the New has a more pronounced 'coat-hanger' look than the Improved.

[sphiny]

I found the NEW shaves I had to be uncomfortable......due both to the blade exposure and the feeling of the teeth on my face.

Oddly enough, I can shave with a Slant and get minimal/no irritation (DFS, still not BBS), but the NEW tore me up. It wasn't really "razor burn" so to speak, but just an uncomfortable, rough feeling to my face during the shave.

I sold my NEW.

[ratcheer]

I had my first shave with a Gillette NEW head today and I found myself asking if there are people who do not like it?

I shaved with my NEW for a week, a couple of weeks ago. I got quite a few nicks and it left my skin feeling irritated even where it did not nick it. Needless to say, I didn't like it very much at all.

From now on, my NEW is strictly a collector's item.

Tim

[Gruder]

Classic YMMV. I heart the NEW.

[VR6ofpain]

It wasn't really "razor burn" so to speak, but just an uncomfortable, rough feeling to my face during the shave.
You put this perfectly. I didn't have burn or nicks, just felt a little raw after the shave. Going to give it more tries. The razor is a keeper either way. I think in nickel it looks too cool.

[cooncatbob]

NEWs can be blade sensitive.
I like a Derby in mine, a Feather's a bit too much blade.

[FLTiger]

Hm, I've been thinking about trying one of those comb style Merkurs, but I'm getting such good performance from my Injector now....


(compared to other razors that really benefit from certain blades, like a Blue Tip with a Feather).

Funny, I arrived at that same conclusion. A Feather shaved like a champ in a Blue Tip, but was overly harsh in a Red Tip. Likewise, a Red Personna that shaved like a rough piece of metal cut from a soda can in the Blue Tip performed admirably in a regular SS. Apparently not just my mileage varies. :001_smile

[soapbox]

Hm, I've been thinking about trying one of those comb style Merkurs, but I'm getting such good performance from my Injector now....



Funny, I arrived at that same conclusion. A Feather shaved like a champ in a Blue Tip, but was overly harsh in a Red Tip. Likewise, a Red Personna that shaved like a rough piece of metal cut from a soda can in the Blue Tip performed admirably in a regular SS. Apparently not just my mileage varies. :001_smile

There was a thread a while back in which someone suggested that the series of combinations is even more galactic in scope than we think, since the number of combinations of razors and blades, while huge, is also subject to the combinations of razors, blades...and faces. Oy.

However, I do think that there's more truth out there than this "throw up your hands" mentality: I recently added the 1948-1950 SS back into my rotation, despite a normal preference for more aggressive razors. The Derby that behaved so nicely in my NEW didn't shave very close in the milder SS, and the extra passes and touchup work required gave me some razor burn.

Just like the Feather in a Blue tip, I put a KAI in the ND SS this morning with much better results.

[norman931]

There are several varieties of the NEW head, and some, such as the Deluxe and English razors, are more aggressive due to a larger blade gap. My favorite is the late 30s common bar handle with the shorter teeth. That one is almost as gentle as a Tech, while shaving almost as close as a straight. All of the NEWs do require more caution while shaving; if you skate it across your face like a Mach3, it will bite.

[cactusbrush]

My daily razor is a custom turned brass handle from cooncatbob, one of the deeply textured ones that resemble a barberpole, and a replated NEW head. The plating makes the head very smooth and it glides across the face. I like the longer and heavier handle, and the fact it does not slip. I have used the Red Personnas, Derby Extra, green Gillette 7 o'clocks, and Polsilvers with great success.

[Doublefelix]

I absolutely hated the new at first... Hated it

But I had to keep up with it, and i will say that it is my favorite.

The funny thing is for me it really is blade sensitive. A merkur isn't sharp enough. A feather or a NOS wilks "light brigade" is too sharp. A derby is perfect and i look and feel like there was never any hair growing at all with no evidence of shaving.

But when it is bad, It is bad.

BTW, all of my news tend to shave the same. with the blades doing the same thing in all. some are long tooth, my favorite is the silver short tooth common bar.

I thought at first it was angle, or technique. i was trying sharp and less sharp blades and the wilks pretty much are the cat's meow in anything else i put them in. middle of the road for this one is the only one that works. I dont like the red personna's, but they work in this for me also.

Lately i have been using the HD because i can't let myself not master anything i get. The HD seems to do well with anything, but not great with any.

It really is a mileage thing.

[braxis]

My daily razor is a custom turned brass handle from cooncatbob, one of the deeply textured ones that resemble a barberpole, and a replated NEW head. The plating makes the head very smooth and it glides across the face. I like the longer and heavier handle, and the fact it does not slip. I have used the Red Personnas, Derby Extra, green Gillette 7 o'clocks, and Polsilvers with great success.


How do you go about get the razor replated?

[VR6ofpain]

My daily razor is a custom turned brass handle from cooncatbob, one of the deeply textured ones that resemble a barberpole, and a replated NEW head. The plating makes the head very smooth and it glides across the face. I like the longer and heavier handle, and the fact it does not slip. I have used the Red Personnas, Derby Extra, green Gillette 7 o'clocks, and Polsilvers with great success.
You must post pictures. Bob's work is amazing. I'm going to put my nickel NEW head on one of this HD "Tech style" handles I purchased from him. The handle alone feels as if it weighs more than a Fatboy...and that is without a head mounted.

[Clonakilty]

This is quite interesting for me. I've only just started DE shaving and my only razor is a New (long tooth model). It is rough on my skin and leaves the shave a little rough on my neck. It's getting better, though, so I'm going to stick with it. But it sounds like I might be having an easier time learning on an HD or something.

[GardenWeasel]

My custom from cooncatbob arrived yesterday - New head and a custom handle, all nickel plated and looking newer than new (no pun intended).
Absolutely beautiful razor, and this morning a shave that truly surprised me! I've been openly vocal about the Merkur 11C being the best I've tried. But if my first shave is a sample, this custom may be THE ONE!!

[Bertilak]

But it sounds like I might be having an easier time learning on an HD or something.

Not likely.

If you are new at this it will just take a little practice. You have one of the best razors ever made and I recommend it for beginners and old hands alike. That's not to say there aren't other great razors that some people like even more but we are moving into the realm of personal choice. The point is you don't have some sort of lemon or tricky razor to deal with.

Concentrate on proper blade angle and no pressure against the skin.

To get good blade angle you want to be very close to the smallest blade angle where you can still get the razor to touch the skin. Assuming you are shaving your cheek, hold the razor with the handle horizontal and slowly lower the handle taking trial strokes. You will feel and hear when the blade starts cutting whiskers. This is about the proper angle, maybe just a bit steeper (handle lowered the tiniest bit more). Istill do this every time out of habit, much like a golfer takes trial swings before committing himself to the real thing. It kinda wakes up your muscle memory.

[akhorosh]

I like to shave with New and especially with New Improved.
I am getting really bad shave with Old, because it has flat head geometry which does not protect my face well during shaving.

[Tinkerputzer]

When I first started DE shaving I leaned on a NEW. It is a great razor for the beginner and someone with experience too. Now a days I'll take a NEW Improved over a NEW any day.

[TomcatPC]

My first Double Edge Safety Razor was my Gillette 1948-1950 Super Speed, which I first started DE Shaving with. I think it is a fairly "forgiving" DE Razor, it is my everyday normal razor.

A while later I found a Gillette NEW, and for the longest time, every time I shaved with it, I drew blood LOL. But, just in the last month or so, I have been having another go at shaving with it, and have been doing a lot better. I do think it is a bit more "aggressive and less forgiving" than my Super Speed, but with some practice, it is turning out to be more "user friendly".

Odds are that I will keep my Super Speed as my daily razor, but will work in my two NEW razors into rotation from time to time.
Mark