Luc shaving journal

[Luc]

Notes for shave 2. I used 4 for pass 1 and 2. I’ve set the dial on 3 for the last pass. Very smooth shave on 4. The blade is noisier compared to 3.

I flipped the blade to ensure a proper alignment but I don’t think this razor has alignment issues. I noticed the glue spots in the cap and the audible click was probably the blade falling in place as it was stuck in the cap. I put the glue spots down this time.

I turned it up to 5 for tomorrow.

 

[rockviper]

...I turned it up to 5 for tomorrow.

 

[Luc]

So, I looked at pushing the razor to 12 (instead of 6) but I don’t want to do that. There’s a way to reassemble the razor to have a larger gap than what you are supposed to.

Anyways, I did 5-4-3 tonight. Very nice but 5 feels like the limit for me. I will try 6 to be sure tomorrow and dial it down if required.

The blade didn’t feel as smooth on 5. Maybe it will be better on 4.5!

So far, the experience is very positive with this Futur clone. I like it but I don’t know if I will like it enough to make it a regular. The adjustment part is another variable that I can throw in the shave!

I will also try the other way around 3-2-1 to see how smooth it can go. So far, I got BBS shaves out of that razor.

 

[cranewarrior]

So, I looked at pushing the razor to 12 (instead of 6) but I don’t want to do that. There’s a way to reassemble the razor to have a larger gap than what you are supposed to.

Anyways, I did 5-4-3 tonight. Very nice but 5 feels like the limit for me. I will try 6 to be sure tomorrow and dial it down if required.

The blade didn’t feel as smooth on 5. Maybe it will be better on 4.5!

So far, the experience is very positive with this Futur clone. I like it but I don’t know if I will like it enough to make it a regular. The adjustment part is another variable that I can throw in the shave!

I will also try the other way around 3-2-1 to see how smooth it can go. So far, I got BBS shaves out of that razor.

@Luc Did you ever try the other Futur clones like the Ming Shi or QShave? I rather like the Ming Shi in my hand. Still haven't used it yet.

 

[Luc]

@Luc Did you ever try the other Futur clones like the Ming Shi or QShave? I rather like the Ming Shi in my hand. Still haven't used it yet.

No, I only had a Gillette black handle before(15+ years ago) and did not like it. I found that setting the blade gap was just a thing where you could do that (or not). In the end, I'm more on autopilot when I use my Merkur 38c. I guess that's why I prefer it.

The difference with the Futur (well, that clone really), is the smoothness. The Gillette black handle wasn't that smooth. I guess that's why I didn't like it that much. This is the first adjustable razor that I tried and liked. I also have a Gillette Slim to try.

 

[Luc]

Shave #4 was completed yesterday afternoon.

I did 6 - 4.5 - 3. Now, 6 was not as bad as I was expecting as the blade felt firm (little chat) but I could feel the blade a lot. I managed to shave off something that started bleeding but nothing major (I made it until the morning!).

Anyway, 6 might not be for me but it worked well. I will try the 3 - 2 - 1 tonight and see how I go. Since it will be shave #5 tonight, I'm not sure if it will work that well with the milder setting.

 

[Luc]

Shave 5 completed using 3-2-1.

On 1, on side felt more aggressive but I didn’t feel that on 3 and up. The blade was stuck in the cap when I opened it. It’s back in now and I will recheck on 1 tomorrow.

In the end, 3 and 4 are best for me in this razor.

 

[Luc]

Last shave with the Futur clone. There’s something with the alignment. The razor is usable but one side is more aggressive. I might try a blade like the Dorco Titan since they don’t have glue spots.

It might help (or not). I will move to the next razor tomorrow.

 

[Luc]

The next razor is a Parker 99R with an Astra Superior Platinum.

Now, let me tell you a story (I guess we all love a good story, right?).

Parker razors are not new on the market. They had QC control issues a while ago and I did not pay much attention to them. One day, I'm doing my hoarder browsing on the online shaving shops and I see a lot of different Parker models.

I think it's probably not that bad now if they sell a bunch of different models. They are not very expensive either, around the same price range as Merkur(general rule of thumb). So, I start looking for reviews. To my surprise, I don't see that many. Here's a summary of what I could find, the head is the same regardless of the handle. The blade angle is drastically different and they are heavy (most of them).

Since I couldn't find many reviews, I decided to do things differently and ask someone who uses one regularly. I searched Parker SOTD on B&B. We have one member who posted around 95% of Parker+SOTD on B&B. So I PM'd @bazza1 about his Parker razors. @bazza1 was extremely helpful with his comments and answered all my questions. A huge thank you for your help!

Parker might be more aggressive than what I usually use but I am still curious to try one (now I have 2). Both are TTO, not my first choice (I prefer 3 pieces) but I will try them. I will report back when the shave is completed tonight.

 

[Luc]

Parker 99r shave 1 completed. I have to admit that it was a very nice shave.

The razor is comparable to my Merkur 38c in terms of weight. It’s probably a hair more aggressive. It’s really not overly aggressive.

When I’m done experimenting with my blades, I will need to use the Parker! Like the Henson razor, it’s a nice discovery.

 

[rockviper]

You make it through the deluge okay, @Luc?

 

[Luc]

You make it through the deluge okay, @Luc?

Yeah, no worries. I got nothing on my street.

A lot of people around me don’t have power. There’s also a few floods and some streets are closed.

I also saw a few that have a foot of water in their basement.

On top, at 2:51am, the city sent an alert to everyone who registered with them that we need to boil water!

 

[Luc]

4 shaves have been done with the Parker 99r so far. Excellent shaves, smoother than I thought. I will probably look at getting the Parker model that I wanted and I will see that I do with the ones I have(TTO models). I always prefer a 3 pieces razor but the 99r is great. Hopefully, the 3 pieces models do not have any alignment issues. I guess that's a gamble every time I buy a 3 pieces razor.

 

[Luc]

Parker 99r is now done (Astra SP 7 shaves). Very good razor, I liked it! Not as much as the Henson (who's playing favorites now?) but enough to keep it until I find a better Parker! That's if I find one of course... I need to try the other one later on.

Next is the Merkur 34c with a fresh Astra SP blade for tonight. Since the head is similar (the same?) than my Merkur 38c, I'm expecting it to perform the same way!

 

[Luc]

Shave 1 done with the Merkur 34c + Astra SP.

The 34c feels a lot like the Merkur 38c but it’s not the same. I find the 38c more efficient overall.

I like the 34c to go xtg and atg. It feels so light compared to the 38c! I am looking forward to the next 6 shaves!

 

[rockviper]

Handle length and weight do make a difference, even if we're not aware of the angle getting changed.

 

[Luc]

Shave #5 completed yesterday with the Merkur HD (34c) and Astra SP.

This is a breeze to use. I got BBS shaves from it so far. I don't think it's going to change for the last 2 shaves. I still prefer my Merkur 38c but the 34c is still a very good razor.

 

[Luc]

Shaves with Merkur 34C are completed! Very nice razor, I will return to it eventually.

Tonight, Parker 22r with a fresh Astra SP blade


I might need new reading glasses. The blade seemed uneven when I did the bird-eye-view test. More later.

 

[Luc]

Shave 1 done and my fear is real. One side is more aggressive compared to the other one. I flipped the blade to simulate a blade change and I will see tomorrow. I still got a BBS shave

 

[Luc]

I tried the Speed Square trick to see if the handle is 90 degrees compared to the head. I placed the baseplate flush against the edge of my desk and drew a line on a piece of paper following the handle. I did that on both the short and long sides of the baseplate. It came out straight. So, head vs handle, it's ok.

I now took a picture of what I'm seeing on top and the left side is more exposed compared to the right side. The blade exposure (either side) doesn't seem straight from the top corner to the bottom corner either. The right door seems crooked against the left door.


I don't have any resistance when I open or close the doors. The doors do not fully open using the dial. I need to manually push them apart to get the blade in (they are maybe 80% opened).

I probably won't go 7 shaves with it but I will try it again tonight.