safety razors

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Zeno Marx

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I see a new Canadian company is offering stainless steel razors at quite a nice price. $99CAD, which is $75-80USD today. I'm hearing some positive feedback. I believe they offer in both stainless and brass, but the brass might have been just in the development stages. The handle only comes in one design, but it comes in a few lengths. Several base plates, from mild to aggressive. Open comb and safety bar option as well. The website is a little messy if you want to know everything about the razor, with all the available options, and company. It's pricier than the great Rockwell, but it also is made of from billet and not metal injection molding. I own a Rockwell 6S, and it is far and away my favorite razor. It not coming from billet has proven to be a non-issue.

https://karveshaving.com/

https://getrockwell.com/products/rockwell-6s
 
I have fallen off the shaving wagon, again. Going on a 7 week binge and might keep it until next summer. The items are enticing though and the collector (dark) force in me is strong.
 
Many years ago a found I nice condition old Gillette from around the 20s or 30s, paid a whopping 5 bucks for it have since then given away all my other safety razors because it is the best shaver I have ever used.
 
D.L.Ruth":0aczh4e7 said:
Many years ago a found I nice condition old Gillette from around the 20s or 30s, paid a whopping 5 bucks for it have since then given away all my other safety razors because it is the best shaver I have ever used.
I'm guessing that is a Gillette New. Funny that we have to refer to something maybe 100 years old as New, but that is what they called them. A few years ago I was given a Gillette New LC, which is for Long Comb with a barbell handle. They came with a couple different handle styles and heads. The handles weren't made particularly well, so you see a lot of them with the barrel split. Mine was split, which is why it was free, but I fixed it with J-B Weld. I like the shave I get with it. It's a bit more aggressive (more blade feel) than I prefer, but in the winter, when my skin is a little dryer and tighter, I do get in the mood for how it feels and shaves. I'm glad I have it. One thing I admire about it is the way there is zero blade play. For being mass manufactured in the 20s, the head is quite precise. A smart design that locks the blade into its spot before you even screw the razor back together. Better than some of the $100+ razors I've seen.
 
Actually, the brass Karve razors were the first ones available. By all accounts, a superb razor. The stainless steel razors are a new offering. I'm still thinking about getting one of the brass ones. I have a few of the modern DE's and they are super shavers. Combines with the right soap, and your shaves will be BBS with no irritation.
 
I regularly shave with a Merkur and a Muehle.  The Merkur is open comb, the Muehle is not.  I typically use either German made Wilkinson blades or Japanese Feather blades.  Ironically, I nick myself more with the closed comb Muehle than I do with the open comb Merkur.

I went through a period during which I shaved exclusively with straight razors but grew weary of the process.

My holy grail of razors is the Feather.  However, the price has just prevented me from ordering one.

2rney6p.jpg
 
SteveMKentucky":snf8eo66 said:
I regularly shave with a Merkur and a Muehle.  The Merkur is open comb, the Muehle is not.  I typically use either German made Wilkinson blades or Japanese Feather blades.  Ironically, I nick myself more with the closed comb Muehle than I do with the open comb Merkur.

I went through a period during which I shaved exclusively with straight razors but grew weary of the process.

My holy grail of razors is the Feather.  However, the price has just prevented me from ordering one.
As I read your post, I didn't expect to see that. The Feather is known to be such a mild razor, much more mild than the ones you're using. I see lots of them for sale on the Reddit forum because they're too mild, in fact. Not that long ago, they were at a great price point in the grand scheme of things. Now there is a decent selection of all stainless steel in the sub $125 range.
 
Zeno Marx":6uhyuz0w said:
SteveMKentucky":6uhyuz0w said:
I regularly shave with a Merkur and a Muehle.  The Merkur is open comb, the Muehle is not.  I typically use either German made Wilkinson blades or Japanese Feather blades.  Ironically, I nick myself more with the closed comb Muehle than I do with the open comb Merkur.

I went through a period during which I shaved exclusively with straight razors but grew weary of the process.

My holy grail of razors is the Feather.  However, the price has just prevented me from ordering one.
As I read your post, I didn't expect to see that.  The Feather is known to be such a mild razor, much more mild than the ones you're using.  I see lots of them for sale on the Reddit forum because they're too mild, in fact.  Not that long ago, they were at a great price point in the grand scheme of things.  Now there is a decent selection of all stainless steel in the sub $125 range.
Thanks for the comment Zeno. I didn't know it was considered a "mild" razor. That being said I thought the Feather had a blade angle different from most razors that made it a really close shaver while feeling 'mild.'

At this point perhaps I would be happiest with a Muehle R41 open comb. My only complaint with the Merkur is that the handle is far too short. The Muehle has a much better balance with the longer handle.
 
Glad to see wet shavers on this site. Here’s my SOTD. Razor is a Gillette NEW Open Comb loaded with a Gillette Silver Blue blade. Have a great shave have a great day!
 
Sorry for the double pic. Using my phone and to be brutally honest the site sucks from a phone
 
So I did order a Mühle R41 open comb and do indeed think it the ideal razor for me. It seems to have a bit different blade angle making it seem a bit less aggressive but still clearly an open comb. The greatest improvement is the longer handle and the beautiful balance. It is simply a gorgeous razor.
 
Don’t feel that way. I got my Gillette NEW Open Comb at the fleamarket for $5. And I bet it shaves better then those razors<img class="emojione" alt="?" title=":sunglasses:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/emojione/assets/png/1f60e.png?v=2.2.7"/>
 
RetLEO-07":8p76x5n9 said:
Don’t feel that way. I got my Gillette NEW Open Comb at the fleamarket for $5. And I bet it shaves better then those razors
Can't know unless you try 'em. Almost sorry to say, they all do indeed feel and shave differently. I own a Gillette New LC from the 1920s, and I like it a lot. Shaves a hell of a lot differently than all my other razors, though.
 
So now the thread gets down to personal preference.

Can a Walgreens safety razor shave well? Of course it can.

So why would anyone want a 'fancy' razor? I think it's somewhat like pipes. A Missouri Meerschaum cob can smoke mighty fine. So why would anyone buy a Dunhill, Charatan or an Ashton?

I'd argue that there is some value to inherent quality. I smoke a Missouri Meerschaum on occasion but really love the feel of a finely crafted pipe in my hand as well. It's the same with razors. Each has its own qualities. If we didn't care about the distinctions we might as well just use a modern multi-blade razor and be done with it.
 
So now the thread gets down to personal preference.

Can a Walgreens safety razor shave well? Of course it can.

So why would anyone want a 'fancy' razor? I think it's somewhat like pipes. A Missouri Meerschaum cob can smoke mighty fine. So why would anyone buy a Dunhill, Charatan or an Ashton?

I'd argue that there is some value to inherent quality. I smoke a Missouri Meerschaum on occasion but really love the feel of a finely crafted pipe in my hand as well. It's the same with razors. Each has its own qualities. If we didn't care about the distinctions we might as well just use a modern multi-blade razor and be done with it.
 
The past few years I am been deep into the wetshaving hobby.  I started with my deceased father’s Gillette Slim, just to try it all out.  What a shave!  I was hooked.

I chased vintage Gillettes, esp English Gillettes.  Then straight razors and restorations, and fine honing stones.

Then I pursued single-edge razors for awhile.  Most recently, it has been modern double-edge razors.

For 2020, I joined a shave purchase sabbatical where we swear not to buy anything shave related for a year.

Which brings me back here, for something else to focus on.

I did notice the same compulsions in both hobbies.  Hardware: pipes / razors.  Software: tobacco / soaps.  Limited editions.  Seasonal offerings.  Better to buy in bulk.  What if they stop making X?  

The nice thing about taking a break and returning to pipes is now all that tobacco I stored away is 10+ years old.  Seems to be worth a fortune as well.
 
Buy a Tatara Masamune!! They are phenomenal razors! They are all stainless steel razors, similar to a Feather Razor, with much higher shave quality and a little more expensive as well ($200+ depending on model). There are two models in the Tatara line “Tatara Masamune”, and “Tatara Nodachi”. The Tatara Masamune is an amazing comfortable BBS shaver for daily use and it can even tame the sharpest blade out there, the infamous “Feather Blade”. The Tatara Nodachi is a more aggressive version of the Masamune, and it can be tamed with smoother blades such as Wilkinson’s or Personna Blue’s. There will be a third addition coming soon which is an Patented Adjustable version. The adjustable version will combine the blade gaps of the two versions mentioned and provide a more rounded shave experience on the fly for multiple passes on various skin types. The price for the adjustable is very expensive at around $400.
My brother has a Huge shave den, with over twenty high end razors, five hundred soaps and fifty brushes, and he uses the Tatara Masamune Razor quite frequently since he tried mine for a face and head shave. If you can afford to buy a Tatara Razor, you will have a daily shaver that you look forward to using and you can pass on to your grandchildren!
 
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