Good and interesting comments. Your key proviso is "if you don't shave daily ...." That's key at least for someone like me without a very heavy beard. Mild daily shaving seems to be the sweet spot for many vintage razors and their modern clones, and the basic Merkur 33 and 34 designs have changed little in at least 70 years. But I've found that shaving only once or twice a week greatly changes the equation. Suddenly something that was much too aggressive for daily use becomes smooth and comfortable. With all the young fellows today sporting their artfully trimmed "stubble beards", the heavy-bearded types who never looked completely clean shaven in the old days (remember Richard Nixon?) and guys like me who have abandoned daily shaving for whatever reason, I'm not surprised more aggressive designs have come to the fore.
Your Smoothest and Most Efficient Razors
- Thread starter Steve_in_CT
- Start date
I’m digging the EJ 3one6 at the moment. I have the full stainless and now this beauty. Wonderful shaver and a deal if you purchase from Connaught.
Congrats, what a Beaut! Digging that orange color.
At the top of my rotation was the Tatara Nodachi SB, SS until I received the Tatara Nodachi SB, Ti. I have some razors that are smoother and some that are more efficient, but none that combine smoothness and efficiency better than these Tataras.
Hi
Can I assume that your post means that Gillette New short comb is your choice in terms of efficiency and smoothness balance among all vintage Gillettes?
Have you considered slim adjustable or fatboy when selecting?
I just wanna know what is the best option in vintage Gillette in terms of efficiency so I can try it.
Regards
To this day I was thinking mellon is a model by Yaqi. From your post I assumed that mellon is a type of head, double open comb maybe.
Thanks
Yates 921 Ti EH scalloped.
I have a few Yaqi Mellons and a copper one - I like them all to be honest - just gotta take your time and wangle the angle.
It's all technique, technique, technique, practice, practice, practice, practice.
I can get good results from a $3-$5 razor and a $100 is just better finished and better balanced - I think a lot of people just go on lucks, other peoples reviews and perceived reputation.
A lot of my razors are unbranded and they're mostly fine and probably made in the same factories as some big name razors - that's globalism!
I have family in china, have lived in Hong Kong and Macau for fifteen years plus I know Chinese businessmen in my local chamber of Commerce so I could get any Chinese razor I want - even bespoke ones from a Chinese artisan which I am going to get commissioned for my sixtieth.
Yep a Mellon is a doubled edge open comb based on the SLOC - self lubricating open comb.
Favourite one - erm they're all good but the Ascension is great and the copper Yaqi is a bit more manageable because it's lighter.
Yep Mellon is just a shape of DOC head - a few companies make them.
If you're just curious and want to try one get a Yaqi zamac Mellon head and screw it on your favourite handle - less than ten bucks!
Joseph Mellon patented The Grand Shave King and most every modern Double Open Comb is based on it.
Sorry, piping in here. These last five months I've been working through groups of vintage razors pretty seriously, a lot of Gillettes. I have the three Gillette adjustables, I haven't used them a whole ton. I recently had a good round with the long and short comb Gillette New, and Gillette Old before that. Yeah, I found the Old and New to be very balanced, I really liked them. The Short Comb maybe more than the Long Comb, and maybe the Old more than the New. But that's me. I'll have to shave with them more. And I want to get back to the Adjustables too. I have a Gillette Diplomat that is also very balanced, and my Red Tip too. I may prefer these two to the Adjustables as well.
You're so right eSteve stick with one type of Gillette for a week or two for example then your technique develops and will be transferable to other razors making you more versatile, efficient and especially consistent.
The muscle memory will come so you don't have to concentrate so hard every time you shave making it faster and more enjoyable because you have made the process more second nature; then you can go on autopilot like driving or improvised instrument playing.
In the past I only had budget, old and inefficient razors but eventually I made them work for me and got the maximum potential performance out of them because it was all I could afford at the time.
You are so right. I'm new to wet shaving. Now I have Rockwell 6c, Fatip picollo and RR german 37 slant. While I haven't had enough time to test all of them enough, I have 4 vintage razors coming from ebay and trying to find a way to buy a Karve CB. These are all happening while I'm financially broke and struggle to survive. It's not very hard to understand that I'm totally wrong. Even I had no financial problem, it's more logical to examine and enjoy any razor enough before moving to the next razor.
+1 on the Blutt 1.20, really surprising how smooth that razor is considering the gap.
I'd also suggest the PILS 101NE. Not everyone loves them, but I've been super impressed with mine in the couple of weeks I've had it. Paired with an Astra SP it provides as smooth a shave as anything I've come across. Probably a hair less efficient than the Blutt, though.
Same for me these days. BB Ti standard plate and the Timeless Ti .95. Light touch. 3 passes, nirvana.
Thanks. Yeah, I'd say that having the patience to keep using unglamorous or mild razors has worked for me; and then having the confidence to start working more efficient razors. I've tried to keep it simple and not get confused with lots of different soap and blades, etc. But, as you say, now that the process has become more second nature I find I'm starting to think more about these other things.
I'm certainly on the austerity program now. Regardless of that, yeah, I'm going to make the tools work. Cheers.
Amen brother. Keep at it.
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