Favorite razors with BUILT IN ANGLES?

[MrFritz]

I'm assuming (probably incorrectly) that the Henson is the king of razors with built in angles.
I mostly use a Gillette Fatboy or Slim, but there are times I just like using one where I don't have to focus, like for my daily work shaves.
Lately I have discovered the awesomeness of the Schick Krona, and I'm using an NOS one I bought on ebay.
I started thinking about other built in razors that I have versus what I still want to try.

The ones I enjoy:

1. Henson ( I have all three in aluminum and + and ++ in Titanium)
2. Leaf Thorn and Twig.
3. Original Leaf (the one I shave my head with, I guess that counts as built in LOL. Still gives great face shaves)
4. Schick Injectors. (Haven't used them in a while, but love the adjustable especially)
5. Schick Krona - this one is built in, but not as much as the Henson. Gives room to work with, just wish it was a bit less mild.
6. The original Broman. Unfortunately the newer version was not so great for me.

I've heard there are others, like the Winning razor.
If you have something to recommend - I've had a bad case of RAD since 2006 LOL

 

[DesertIguana]

Plus Uno for Yates.

Stainless Winning Safety Razor - Yates Precision Manufacturing, LLC

**Important Note** This is now a pre-order of sorts. We decided to leave this open to alleviate any frustration due to missing out on drops and to help our international customers. With that being said, these razors will now carry a standard lead time of 1-3 weeks, with the possibility of it...

yatesprecision.com

 

[spacemonkey42]

Hensons are the best of this type and you already know this, owning all of them. The aggressive will shave at multiple angles.

The Yates Winning is good, but not as good as the Henson.

The Blackbird has a built in angle, but it did not agree with me at all.

 

[MrFritz]

I forgot about the Parker Solo Edge until I saw it a few minutes ago.
Was using it for a while when it came out.
Haven't lately.

 

[StewB]

To bring a different perspective, the Henson is the worst of these for me in terms of shave performance. I have the initial Winning (originally sold by Wet Shaving Club, designed and manufactured by Yates) and I like it better than the Hensons. (I haven't tried the updated Winning; some say the updated version is even better than the original.)

The Blackbird is easily the most efficient razor of these, but not as intuitive for me to use. It does have a head design that suggests a preferred angle (somewhat shallow), but some have reported success using it at a steep angle. Because of this I don't consider the Blackbird similar to the Hensons or the Winning.

 

[MrFritz]

I might have to look into the Winning razor.
Seems to be hit or miss and I'm always hoping for a hit.
The Blackbird sounds like a no up front.

 

[thombrogan]

The Travel Raptor SE by @SlimGem . Place GEM against face and shave.

The Micromatic series by GEM. Place the cap flat on face and shave.

 

[MrFritz]

I forgot about the GEMs.
I kept getting razor bumps from them, though I'm pretty sure it was the blade and my technique causing it and not the razor.
Haven't heard of the Travel Raptor.
Cool name!

 

[StewB]

Lots of people love the Henson. I don't care for the light weight, and for me it just isn't that efficient (the +++ is the only Henson that approaches acceptable efficiency for me). It also needs some pressure, which (IMO) encourages a bad DE shaving habit. But who knows, you may love the Henson!

For me the Blackbird is kind of in a different category altogether; I don't really consider it to be like the Winning or Henson. It's a very high quality and high performance tool that has (at least for me) a bit of a learning curve. Once you get the hang of it, though, the Blackbird can give excellent results.

 

[Filudo]

For me: Henson +++, works for every 1-2 days growth.....just average shaves; BUT for 3+ days of growth....it is useless.....it chokes , fills up w cut hairs, slides and doesn't shave......

 

[gdawg55]

Blackbird, Yates, and Henson for me.

 

[JCinPA]

This is a very YMMV type of activity, but my suspicion is that those who don't care for the Henson IF they are using medium-type razors like the DE89/R89 or 34C did not give it enough time.

People often make a judgment about a razor or a product without really getting to know it. The AL13++ is different enough, in weight, getting the angle right, that it takes a while to dial it in. I also think the handle is too long, I used an EJ-DE89 handle with mine and much prefer it that way.

Long story short, after about 3-4 weeks of daily use, I am getting effortless, super-comfortable, BBS shaves without touchup every day with it. The normal effort I used to put into a daily shave with a 34C, but significantly closer and more comfortable. Same time and number of strokes. My first week wasn't this way.

The Henson AL13++ is an amazing razor, unless you need the +++ and currently find a DE89 or 34C too mild for you, I suggest you give it a solid week of daily use before judging it. I have about 13 years in this game and maybe a dozen razors, and the Henson is remarkable. Of course you may not like it, but you should not make a snap judgment about it, give is a little practice. I bet your evaluation changes.

 

[1e4]

Karve Bison. It has some neat design features and performs better than the Henson for me. For example, the head had grooves that help it move more smoothly on the face than the Henson, and the handle and head together are weighted in a way that helps it feel and perform like a heavier razor, offsetting some of the downsides to aluminum.

 

[MrFritz]

Karve Bison. It has some neat design features and performs better than the Henson for me. For example, the head had grooves that help it move more smoothly on the face than the Henson, and the handle and head together are weighted in a way that helps it feel and perform like a heavier razor, offsetting some of the downsides to aluminum.

I didn't know about this razor. Thanks!

 

[Filudo]

This is a very YMMV type of activity, but my suspicion is that those who don't care for the Henson IF they are using medium-type razors like the DE89/R89 or 34C did not give it enough time.

People often make a judgment about a razor or a product without really getting to know it. The AL13++ is different enough, in weight, getting the angle right, that it takes a while to dial it in. I also think the handle is too long, I used an EJ-DE89 handle with mine and much prefer it that way.

Long story short, after about 3-4 weeks of daily use, I am getting effortless, super-comfortable, BBS shaves without touchup every day with it. The normal effort I used to put into a daily shave with a 34C, but significantly closer and more comfortable. Same time and number of strokes. My first week wasn't this way.

The Henson AL13++ is an amazing razor, unless you need the +++ and currently find a DE89 or 34C too mild for you, I suggest you give it a solid week of daily use before judging it. I have about 13 years in this game and maybe a dozen razors, and the Henson is remarkable. Of course you may not like it, but you should not make a snap judgment about it, give is a little practice. I bet your evaluation changes.

In my case, this theory does not apply. When I got it, I thought I had found my favorite razor to shave my head.... until I tried w 3 days growth and then one time face w 4 days growth.... it did NOT shave.....well it shaved some in some parts....skipped others, so the result was worse than not shaving. I have not experienced this with any of the other DE's I have (from the cheapest to the most expensive). And before someone says: it's the prep, the lather.....; I used the same as usual. And I did extra passes w the Henson....still not good enough , then had to do a final pass with a Lupo OC.
To put in prospective it's like trying to shave 3-4 day growth with a cartridge razor.....(for my results)

 

[StewB]

My experience with the Henson was somewhat similar, although I'm not a head shaver. The + and ++ were not nearly efficient enough. The +++ reached acceptable efficiency (although not quite to the performance of the v1 Winning). I also don't like the light weight or the long handle. With so many other choices that are better (for me), I moved on.

I'm glad the Henson is a good razor for so many; that's great! I've said before that I'm glad their marketing strategy is targeted at cartridge razor shavers because it raises awareness of the advantages of using a DE (even though I think their claims about aerospace engineering, etc. making their razor shave better than everyone else's razor are a bit silly). My recommendation to those who haven't tried the Henson is to take these claims with a couple pounds of salt. It may be that the Henson works really well for you. If so, great! If not, you're not the only one. Use what works for you and enjoy your shaves.

 

[Lil Cooties]

No experience with other fixed angle razors, but I like and get good results with my Winning, feels efficient enough for me.

 

[Psychtec]

I agree with everything above said about SE GEM razors. This includes Ever Ready, and Star. Easy to use and maneuver.

 

[Old Hippie]

I have the Focus Slim Al 1/2DE shavette, which has angle guides.

O.H.

 

[MrFritz]

I have the Focus Slim Al 1/2DE shavette, which has angle guides.

O.H.

Wow I had no idea that such a thing existed.
I have never had good luck with a shavette.
Maybe this would change things.