Breakthrough with my Gillette New!

Hey gents! I hope you guys are having a great night. A little back story, Ive been DE shaving for the past few months and I've had great success! I started with a micro touch 1 and liked it so much that I wanted another DE razor but didn't know what to get next.

I had just joined B&B so I began looking for my next razor by reading reviews on here. I heard so much praise for vintage Gillette adjustables that I decided to get a Fatboy. I got a hang of it pretty quickly and liked the fatboy so much I wanted to get all of the Gillette adjustables. All three gave me amazing shaves right out of the box. I was and still am incredibly happy with them. But like everyone I got curious about other razors .

I wanted to keep it vintage because the way I see it, if they made it this far then they're worth more to me than any new models made today. Once again I was swayed by the hype and wanted to try an OC razor. since many consider the Gillette New as the best razor ever maid I pulled the trigger and snagged a short comb New off the bay.

My first shave with it felt terrible! My face was all irritated and figured the razor was too aggressive. I didn't think it could be the blade because the same blade had given me great shaves with my other 4 razors. And I figured my technique couldn't be too bad because i never got this chewed up with my other razors either.

This seemed like a great excuse to buy a long comb New so I asked on the b/s/t and one of our members came through in the clutch! Now I could really find out the problem. But like the short comb I got chewed up so I set it aside hoping it was my bad technique. I was upset because I wanted to love this razor! It looked so cool! But in the end thought at the very least I could keep it as a display razor cuz this thing is bad ***! That was weeks ago.

Then today it hit me! I had been looking at a thread about aggressive razors and how people usually throw in a mild blade to compensate for the aggressiveness. Well I had some dorco blades still left from my MT1. And while these blades suck I decided to give it a shot.

I loaded it into my long comb and bam!!! It worked! No nicks, irritation or anything! I was so excited and pumped! There's something about conquering a razor, that's been chewing you up, that makes you feel so manly! You feel like the shave gods have smiled down upon you!

Sorry for such a long winded post but I couldn't pass up a chance to tell you guys my story and I feel like no one else would understand why this got me so pumped! Don't give up on a razor right away! Keep it around and keep trying till you get a great shave!! You won't regret it!

Congrats . My LC has quickly become one off favorites. There's one on the BST, but by the time anyone reads this it will probably be gone.

Congratulations. I too have been trying to conquer the New SC. I have been using Lord Platinum that work great in my EJ. I will have to try some of the blades that came in my sample pack.

For me the Gillette New was too aggressive. Period. Then again, Gillette adjustables set on 5 or 6 are perfect.

Boge said:

For me the Gillette New was too aggressive. Period. Then again, Gillette adjustables set on 5 or 6 are perfect.

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Wow - ymmv has never been more applicable. I get great shaves from the New but a Slim on 3 kills me! I might have to try a different blade combination.................

Surprised that both the NEWs gave you grief initially but that's typically a case of YMMV. Glad though that you worked it out. Enjoy the shaves.

When you try Voskhod together with a NEW you experience a very comfortable and close shave... I find Voskhod far more smooth than Dorco.

Nice!! Congrats!! It is a great feeling. When I first started I was using a Slim for most shaves trying to master the settings and blades. I recently picked up a New and it was by far one of the smoothest shaves I've ever had. Congrats in finding what works for you. The fun part is using different razors and blade combos to see what works and with what variables. It's a never ending cycle.

Thanks for the support guys! At first I really didn't think that a simple blade change could make the difference. In all honesty I thought some of the guys on here were just too picky about the blades they used. Every blade I ever tried on my adjustables worked pretty good. But now I know it most definitely does matter! Thanks B&B for opening my eyes!

Polsilver SI blades are fantastic in the new. Then again they're probably great in every razor.

I think the hard part for me is recognizing that the NEW requires a much shallower angle than the razor I was using previously. This is especially difficult to master when going against the grain.

The NEW'S must be one of the smoothest razors around ... its in a class of its own.

The NEW (both LC & SC) are incredible razors.

Congrats on finding your sweet spot. Glad your New is working well for you.

It's my favorite razor and prized possession now. Congrats on the breakthrough sir!

Glad you solved the puzzle of the New LC! I find it does take a very different technique than most of my other more modern razors.

Best razor ever made by Gillette.

Boge said:

For me the Gillette New was too aggressive. Period. Then again, Gillette adjustables set on 5 or 6 are perfect.

Click to expand...

The NEW can take some getting used to, especially if you typically use a Fatboy or Slim. Try a shallower angle, shorter strokes, and less pressure.
... or just give up and PIF the NEW!

Interesting. I just got an OC NEW, and found it too mild with a Gillette 7 O:Clock. However, when I tried it with a Feather blade, it was just about right. I've found the Feathers too aggressive in every other razor that I've had.

Gillette Silver Blues are glass smooth for me in the NEW.

As some have said, a shallow angle and short strokes are the key to success with it.

Boge said:

For me the Gillette New was too aggressive. Period. Then again, Gillette adjustables set on 5 or 6 are perfect.

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Those are the settings I use on my Slim and Fatboy. My Super Adjustable is set on 3, I find it a little more aggressive than the other two.