Adjustable or Not?

I've spent days researching here and perusing the bay and many online shops and of course by now I've confused myself even more. Its time to get back to basics. I've narrowed my first DE Razor down to a vintage Gillette TTO, and I was considering an adjustable such as the Slim or Fatboy. I am wondering if that may just complicate the learning curve of wet shaving. Maybe I would be better off taking the adjust ability out of it and stick with a non adjustable model like the Super Speed.

Your opinions would be greatly appreciated, What say you?

You get 9 razors with a Slim (love mine). Start at a mild setting (1 thru 3) and work on your technique. If you're getting great shaves you're done. If you want to experiment dial it up and try to find your sweet spot. Mine is 6. At 6 ... no irritation. At 7 ... Some minor irritation.

I started on an antique store Fatboy, not planned just a happy accident. I don't feel it hindered me in anyway. I have since collected several vintage Gillettes, I really feel you can't go wrong with any adjustable, Super Speed, Tech, or even a NEW. I say get what speaks to you and you can find a good deal on. Chances are you will eventually have at least a few anyway. Good luck and have fun picking one out.

I'd go adjustable. It doesn't complicate things at all. Just pick a setting, use it, and only change if you feel you need to. Enjoy.

Adjustable is fine, use a low number to start so the blade isn't too aggressively positioned, and use the same number for a number of shaves so you get use to your own technique and the razor it's self. Limiting your variables when you are starting is the key to learning. If you change things too often you may not be able to figure out what is the problem variable. That being said my second razor is a '55 super-speed. And I honestly love it more then my starter razor. Much more mild even with a more aggressive blade.

Good advice, above. I am a big fan of adjustables. As said above, the FB or Slim is like having 9 razors in one.

ackvil said:

Good advice, above. I am a big fan of adjustables. As said above, the FB or Slim is like having 9 razors in one.

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This ...

You can't go wrong. If I had to have just one it would be the Fatboy. But, who is going to live with just one !

If there is a second razor after the first it doesn't matter much... My favorites are my Slim and Aristocrat Jr. would love to find a Fatboy or Aristocrat one day.

You can't go wrong with an adjustable. If this is your first razor, however, you should spend some time thinking about new vs. vintage.

It sounds like the adjustables win. I wasn't sure if it would be easier without having to worry about the "perfect" setting but I understand the pick one and try it for a few days before making changes. Now the fun can begin, time to find the right one...

speedwell said:

You can't go wrong with an adjustable. If this is your first razor, however, you should spend some time thinking about new vs. vintage.

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I have spent a great amount of time kicking around the old vs new, the nostalgia behind a vintage razor is just too much to resist. My father probably learned to shave on a DE, I remember him using them when I was young. I remember as a child playing with them, opening and closing them by twisting the handle. Those were probably just tossed in the trash by the late seventies or early eighties.

My preference is the long handled Super adjustable. i learned to shave using that and this site has helped me get better at the use of the settings. As has been stated, you get multiple razors in one adjustable. Depending on personal preference, the Fatboy vs. Slim grudge match in january showed that there really isn't much difference between the two (the main comment that led to a Fatboy victory was that the grip felt better).

Enjoy your adjustable journey. They are my favorite.

G2No said:

You get 9 razors with a Slim (love mine). Start at a mild setting (1 thru 3) and work on your technique. If you're getting great shaves you're done. If you want to experiment dial it up and try to find your sweet spot. Mine is 6. At 6 ... no irritation. At 7 ... Some minor irritation.

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speedwell said:

You can't go wrong with an adjustable. If this is your first razor, however, you should spend some time thinking about new vs. vintage.

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+1

My first and only razor is a Gillette Super Adjustable. I use different settings on my face(5) and neck(2 or 3). I've also found that different blades work better for me at different settings. It gives you more options. That said, if you are learning pick a mild setting and stick to it till you are comfortable and then move up till you reach the nexus of close and irritation free.

I wrote this a while back:
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-Beauty-compared-with-a-Parker-96R?highlight=

And for me, it's still true.

I find my adjustable to just not give me the right "experience", the blades stick too much out and resonates when I use it, regardless of the setting.

It's not that it's a bad razor, but I just find to have more trouble with it than I have with my daily.

I also tried all the settings, and never found one that really proved to be enough of a difference to be worth while.

I'm happy to have it, just to have a "classic".

My very first razor was a Super Adjustable. It was new, not vintage. Now it is vintage and I am vintage, too. I mostly use straights but I have a few DEs, all vintage Gillete, and the only non adjustable I have is a 48-50 Aristocrat. I love adjustables, especially Gillette adjustables, and I highly recommend one for anybody getting started with DE. You can't outgrow it. You never need to get another razor just because your skill level has improved or you want something more intense.

Adjustability does not have to be an issue with learning. Just set it on 2 and forget it for the first month. Pretend its not even there.

My preference is my 61 Adjustable Aristocrat. It is a Slim, just gold plated. Somehow it does seem to shave just a little smoother than the Slim, maybe just because I know it cost more haha. These are not as cheap or easy to come by as the Big Three: Slim, FatBoy, and Super Adjustable. I recommend those three, in that order, as first DE razors. All are good, and its not written in stone that any one is better than the other two. Subjective. YMMV.

BSAGuy said:

I'd go adjustable. It doesn't complicate things at all. Just pick a setting, use it, and only change if you feel you need to. Enjoy.

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+1

Merkur Progress.

If you get tired of looking at it, you can then start customizing it

speedwell said:

You can't go wrong with an adjustable. If this is your first razor, however, you should spend some time thinking about new vs. vintage.

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+2