Gillette Slim '66 vs. Gillette Slim '63...Why do my two razors shave so differently?

Gentlemen,

This is the first thread I've started on this site and I apologize if this has been covered before. My go to razor is a '66 Slim Adjustable. I load it with an Astra SP several times weekly and it works great. I've used it daily for over a year and love it.

I just bought a '63 Slim on the B/S/T the other day in hopes of getting the same results. I'm not. To me it seems more rigid, less responsive and I get nicked more.

I've got a year or two of DE under my belt and I'm a pretty decent shaver. Tabac soap is my gold standard and I've never had a bad shave with it until now. Several ingrown hairs also.

Is this all in my head? Both razors are functionally sound. Both open and close properly and both adjust like they're supposed to. I'm stumped here and would like to know what experience others have had.

Thanks,

Don

Sometimes Slims have bent guard bars or the adjustments don't work properly. Have you made sure that the razor is mechanically perfect?

Interesting. I have several Slims of different date codes. A couple feel a little different when adjusting and opening, but they all shave the same.

I'll +1 to the bent bars theory.

Is the head cockeyed, maybe? Off kilter in some way?

kingfisher said:

Sometimes Slims have bent guard bars or the adjustments don't work properly. Have you made sure that the razor is mechanically perfect?

Click to expand...

+2

You know what your problem is? You need another Slim! Imagine a 7-day set just like the straight razor guys. Seriously though, if it's not an obvious mechanical defect it might just be the quality control on the offending razor. It could be why it was for sale on the BST.

Placebo effect?

Had a similar experience. My 66 shaves like a dream, but my 65 K3 (birth-quarter razor) was nicking the heck out of my face. I knew something felt different but couldn't put my finger on it. Finally realized the blade gap was bigger on one side. So when dialed up to my usual 7 it felt more like a 9 on that side.

I have two '64 Super Speeds, and one shaves better than the other. The one that doesn't shave as nicely looks better.

I've looked at both of them under a large articulating magnifying glass we have at work (we do some component repair), and there aren't any obvious differences. Weird.

Now I'm nervous about getting a good looking SS in the mail. It would be cool if they came out with a razor that had different colored horizontal lines on it that you could load up and easily see if the exposure was the same. Sort of a test blade.

I have a 64, 66, 67. The 66 shaves better than the 64. Have not tried the 67 yet. I guess 66 was a good year for the slim .