Dual head, twin blade DE razor from Russia

Did you try it with a single blade?

No, I haven't tried it with a single blade. As I own quite e few very nice and well performing normal DE razors I don't see the point (for me) to do so.

Haegar said:

No, I haven't tried it with a single blade. As I own quite e few very nice and well performing normal DE razors I don't see the point (for me) to do so.

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Well, I thought I shouldn't be so selfish but rather sacrifice one shave in the name of science and research. So I gave this morning my two 4-edge capable Russians a spin:



I loaded both razors with brand new Astra SP blades, started with the double blade razor (SB side) on the left cheek and everything went as usual with this razor, one pass with the grain does a fair deal of the whole job, another one against the grain already does the rest and attempts to go BBS are futile as the blade no longer gets to the stubbles (no sound to be heard anymore).

The right razor on the right cheek with only one blade loaded is a whole different story though. The pass with the grain is loud, rough, unpleasant and does not seem to impress a lot most of the whiskers. Needless to say that I finished the shave with the left, double bladed razor! My guess is that the lower blade is not supported firmly enough by only the separating steel sheet without the upper blade and that the resulting vibration of the blade impedes proper performance.

Haegar said:

I bought these (travel kit and OC/SB head version) in November 2013. Both heads needed tweaking (filing off 1/10 mm of the post in order the split upper blade would fit properly).

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Today I had another look at what I had done to those razors, and rather than 1/10 mm I had filed off about half a millimeter:





This was necessary because apparently the post is not perfectly centered, and in order the upper blade (halves) would sit properly in the aligning corner recesses of the cap:



Maybe not all of these razors need tinkering, but without doing so on mine one upper blade half would have sat somehow crooked in the razor, rendering it more or less useless.

Thanks for the sacrificial shave my friend. Looking at the blade exposure the edge lays a bit deep as in a cart and I assume it will require pressure to get anywhere near close.

Are the travel handle and case suitable for other heads? Even for just that purpose it would be a bargain.

The shave was less sacrificial as I thought it would be. Due to the non-BBS performance I could shave a second time in the evening using my trusty Single Ring.

I think you are spot on with your remark regarding pressure.

Using the box and handle together with another head as a travel kit is not a bad idea, but keep in mind that the original head is very thick/high, and "normal" heads will not sit firmly in the box without some improvised padding. Also, the head (teeth or SB) will touch the handle pieces which will leave scratches (knurled metal rubbing on polished metal) if not separated by a piece of cloth or so.

The handle, including the knurled nut will fit on M5-threaded head posts, and it even fits on my ABC head (old type). It also fits at least on some newer Gillette Techs (the pot metal ones like Travel Techs from the sixties and later), and hey, it even fits the Fatip Grande head! But it does not fit the older Techs (brass cap, Gold Tech and so), it does not fit the Gillette New, and although the threading fits the Weber head the knurled nut can not be used on it as it does not go between its two silly transverse struts.

BTW, the OC side (not the travel version though), due to its completely different geometry gives a slightly closer shave, not bat after all. If I'll ever use the travel kit, I'll probably combine it with the OC/SB 4-edged head.

Thanks for investigating!

You're welcome. It has been fun.

Last night I shaved with this razor for the first time using a Feather (fourth shave but cut in half for this razor) and a Voskhod (fourth shave) and to me it did a DFS. I like it. Good use for a Feather after 3 shaves or a brand new Bluebird.

I have just bought one of these things - looks like the Personna double double edge.
Has anyone tried it with a single blade? Is that possible, or would there be too much chatter?

I didn't even know these existed! They aren't for me, but it's still a cool little cutter.

Kreator82 said:

I didn't even know these existed! They aren't for me, but it's still a cool little cutter.

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Me neither. Mine arivved ten minutes ago and I'm fiddling with it for a Saturday lunchtime shave.

I've got the travel version of the razor, it's got a closed comb instead of a dual comb
It shaves ok with just 1 blade and fits into a tiny little case

Lord Fatboy said:

Me neither. Mine arivved ten minutes ago and I'm fiddling with it for a Saturday lunchtime shave.

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Well hopefully it shaves well.

Unusual for sure!! Thanks for sharing.

adamchur said:

I've got the travel version of the razor, it's got a closed comb instead of a dual comb
It shaves ok with just 1 blade and fits into a tiny little case
View attachment 673740View attachment 673742View attachment 673744View attachment 673745

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It looks great. Like shaving in Lost in Space, Solaris or From Russia with Love I'm still playing with the blade sharpener package that arrived yesterday, so have only given it a quick look over, but I suspect it would work in a single blade config with a "thicker" blade, like Rapira Swedish. Someone suggested that the Saiver razors were for vets or medical purposes (like the old Souplex OCs were), but that seems unlikely, as much as I'd love - the night before an operation - a nurse to say to me "Would you prefer the open comb or the safety bar?"