Safety Razor of the Month, July 2016 - Schick Krona

Last night, I had my first shave with a Krona. The one I bought is the metal tipped version, mechanically solid but a bit brassed, weight comparable to a Super Speed despite the plastic handle and a fair bit longer to boot. I found myself idly wondering about 3d printing up some replacement plastic handles for those. I loaded it up with a new Med Prep blade and whipped up some good TOBS Shaving Shop lather.

All in all, it turned out very nicely. No irritation, nicks, cuts, weepers or missing bits. The shave was pretty close too, though I did have to vary the head/blade angle from my usual Gillette positioning. I find it to be a touch more aggressive than my usual 40s Super Speed, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself. I initially thought that the longer handle would be a hindrance, but it didn't turn out that way at all. It's a solid addition to the lineup.

I picked up two Kronas in June, a silver tip with plain doors and a black tip with Schick and Krona engraved on the doors. I shaved with the silver tip for the first time this last Saturday. It was a good shave. I am looking forward to getting the other one cleaned and trying some different blades in them.

So far I think they are easily as good as Super Speeds from the same era(s).

The Schick Krona was made circa 1959 to circa 1976, though there is some dispute as to the dates. They require the sharpest blade in your arsenal. I like Feather blades in mine. I view the Schick Krona as an upscale and improved Tech. There are about 5 variants, though the differences are VERY minor, such as where the name Schick was engraved, was the twist knob plastic or metal, and that kind of thing.

Used One of My Schick Knona's For Today's Shave.
Nice Mild Razor And My Choice For A Hot Muggy Summer Day.

I still want to see one of those gold plated Kronas ... [emoji14] [emoji106]

nuclearblast said:

I still want to see one of those gold plated Kronas ...

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Here you go Edgar. Please excuse the interloper in the picture ;-)

rudyt said:

Here you go Edgar. Please excuse the interloper in the picture ;-)

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Hey, what's that on the left?

TobyC said:

Hey, what's that on the left?

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It's a no-name Barbasol clone with a Bakelite handle ... the normal one, not the "floating head" version. They're awesome shavers, smooth and efficient, and almost always sell for dirt cheap. Real Barbasols are pricy.

Opinions are mixed on whether this is a mild razor or an aggressive one. This B&B thread is particularly entertaining:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/167088-Barbasol-Razor

rudyt said:

Here you go Edgar. Please excuse the interloper in the picture ;-)

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Beautiful! Thank you! [emoji6] [emoji106]

rudyt said:

It's a no-name Barbasol clone with a Bakelite handle ... the normal one, not the "floating head" version. They're awesome shavers, smooth and efficient, and almost always sell for dirt cheap. Real Barbasols are pricy.

Opinions are mixed on whether this is a mild razor or an aggressive one. This B&B thread is particularly entertaining:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/167088-Barbasol-Razor

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Cool, I like it!

Thanks!

We need a current Barbasol razor thread!

Razor of the month!!!???

nuclearblast said:

Beautiful! Thank you!

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Here's an all-Krona family portrait.

rudyt said:

Here's an all-Krona family portrait.

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Very nice, Rudy! Thanks for sharing with us. [emoji6] [emoji106]

OK, here's a Krona story.

When I first found B&B, back in March of 2009, I just wanted a better shaving cream. As you can imagine, I got into creams first, then soaps, and of course, ADs. But I was still shaving with a cartridge razor.

I tried DEs a couple of times, first with a SS, but always went back to my cartridges. At one point I was convinced that the whole idea that people on this forum were actually shaving every day with a DE was a hoax.

There was a guy on the forum at the time who suggested first pass with a cartridge, and then an XTG pass with a mild DE such as a Krona. Since I had a Krona sitting around, I started shaving that way. I shaved that way every day for about two months. The XTG pass with that Krona was so easy and smooth that one day I just thought to myself "If this Krona works so well for the second pass, why aren't I using it for the first pass, too?" and that was that. The very next day I shaved with the Krona instead of the cartridge razor.

I've been shaving with DEs ever since.

I bought a lot of four broken Kronas off the bay. Testing out a service from a shipping forwarder. If they arrive I'll see if they can be fixed and used, otherwise one or more might go to a friend who is a collector.

Moorhsum said:

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Beautiful Kronas!

nuclearblast said:

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As an engineer, I have to say this is absolutely beautiful!!!

I just had my first Krona shave

It's a nice mild, yet effective razor. No nicks or cuts. Perfect newbie razor or daily shaver. Very easy and comfortable to use. I'm a Gillette fan, but I think the Krona is an improvement on the design. I can see why so many people like Kronas.