Mind the Gap - Visual guide to blade gap/exposure

Hi

There is a wiki on blade gaps of various razors,however I was wondering if it may be an interesting idea to have a visual representation with people uploading pictures of the blade gaps/exposure of various razors ? This may be particularly use with adjustable razors and with for example razors like Above the Tie that come with different plates for varying degrees of blade exposure/gap, I realise that this is not the most scientific way but thought it may be fun , I know that if I want to do a comparison at home between my razors I tend to eyeball the gap/exposure

I will start this off , Ikon SB and Ikon OSS

Maybe it could help us troubleshoot some old stuff were not sure about too! I have a blue tip and fat boy that I think are messed up but can't tell why.

Thata a very good point

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but I don't think pics of that type would be all that useful. The problem is that everyone shoots from a different angle and distance, so you'll never be able to get a useful measure of gap, even as a relative comparison. In addition the gap is a meaningless measure, by itself, of how a razor will perform or feel. Now, if you can get everyone to take side-on shots like the ones in woodfluter's famous thread (see below), you might have something.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/162987-Photo-Analysis-of-Razor-Designs

Those are tough to do consistently though..believe me. I did the FB animation on the Shavewiki ( http://badgerandblade.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=226068&d=1330962134&stc=1 ), and it was a real pain (credit to MacDaddy/Porter for the final version with the corrected frame of reference).

1. Weishi - a particularly mild razor - a small blade gap combines with small blade exposure to create a mild razor
2. Gillette Old Type - No blade gap really but the ease at which the blade reaches the skin/hair due to the open comb make this a fairly moderate razor
3. Braveheart razor head on cadet handle - Huge blade gap but is not an overly aggressive razor due to comparatively small blade exposure and blade guard that extends quite far
4. Above the Tie R1 - fairly modest blade gap combined with fairly large blade exposure makes for a moderate razor
5. Slim adjustable - picture shows this on 9, small blade exposure stops this being overly aggressive even on the highest setting

shoulderpet said:

2. Gillette Old Type - No blade gap really but the ease at which the blade reaches the skin/hair due to the open comb make this a fairly moderate razor

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All razors have blade gap, and the Old Type is no exception. You may not be able to see it clearly, but it's there. And also the Old Type has the biggest blade exposure of all Gillette razors. From the ones I checked, only the NEW Deluxe head comes close.

nuclearblast said:

All razors have blade gap, and the Old Type is no exception. You may not be able to see it clearly, but it's there. And also the Old Type has the biggest blade exposure of all Gillette razors. From the ones I checked, only the NEW Deluxe head comes close.

View attachment 486933

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This is the thing we feel when shaving.

I call it 'the amount of blade the razor shows to the skin'. To my surprise Edgar manages to illustrate (again...) this central property of the razor with a picture. Well done!

As James said above pics can be deceiving. Edgars illustration of the phenomenon is clear but very hard to apply on pics from different sources.

Since I am not a mechanical guy at all I only go by what I feel. In retrospect I will have to admit that my method has lead me into interesting places but not to any clarity like in the picture.

nuclearblast said:

All razors have blade gap, and the Old Type is no exception. You may not be able to see it clearly, but it's there. And also the Old Type has the biggest blade exposure of all Gillette razors. From the ones I checked, only the NEW Deluxe head comes close.

View attachment 486933

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Yes,that is why I said that it has no gap really rather than just that it has no gap but I could have been clearer on this point. You are right about the blade exposure and that is what I wanted to show with this thread is the way that blade gap and exposure interact with each other to affect the way the razors shave

shoulderpet said:

Yes,that is why I said that it has no gap really rather than just that it has no gap but I could have been clearer on this point. You are right about the blade exposure and that is what I wanted to show with this thread is the way that blade gap and exposure interact with each other to affect the way the razors shave

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I have a couple other pics I can post. I think the easiest way to show blade gap and exposure is taking these profile pics as I did with the Single Ring, shows you the blade gap, and blade exposure. Nothing scientifically accurate of course, but a very good idea of how they differ.

blade gap originally terrified me. all those horror stories. now it is explained I am one happy boy with my razor choices. I have found that I cannot and will not shave with noise or a fan going. feel and hearing keep my face red dripping free.

nuclearblast said:

I have a couple other pics I can post. I think the easiest way to show blade gap and exposure is taking these profile pics as I did with the Single Ring, shows you the blade gap, and blade exposure. Nothing scientifically accurate of course, but a very good idea of how they differ.

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That's a great idea, thanks

So here are the other pics I have.

NEW RFB:



NEW Deluxe:



UK NEW US style:



UK NEW Flat Bottom:



And the Gardette, made in France, open comb. Awesome razor, extremely efficient ( you can see why) but very smooth. A real pleasure to use:

nuclearblast said:

So here are the other pics I have.

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This is astonishing, this is exactly what I feel on my skin with the different NEWs! Well done, again!

bosseb said:

This is astonishing, this is exactly what I feel on my skin with the different NEWs! Well done, again!

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Thanks, Bosse. The main factor is blade exposure, IMO. The blade gap doesn't differ much, the cutting angle the same. But there's clear differences when it comes to blade exposure. That is why, and quoting Jeff, "there's a NEW for everyone!"

nuclearblast said:

Thanks, Bosse. The main factor is blade exposure, IMO. The blade gap doesn't differ much, the cutting angle the same. But there's clear differences when it comes to blade exposure. That is why, and quoting Jeff, "there's a NEW for everyone!"

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The blade exposure defines the whole experience of how the razor feels on your skin IMHO. With adequate technique from the shaver this is the main difference between razors.

Jeff is quite correct about there being a NEW for everyone. I would like to extend that phrase to include the Techs. And the Aristocrats...

Now if somebody could present the differences in brushes in a similar series of pictures, that would lead to a Nobel prize!!

bosseb said:

Now if somebody could present the differences in brushes in a similar series of pictures, that would lead to a Nobel prize!!

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I think you brush guys are all crazy ... why would you guys need 30 different brushes?

But you are right about the razors ... there is definitely enough diversity to please everyone! It's fun to experiment and find what works the best!