Hi everyone, This is my first post, new member. Decided to expand my horizons into better safety razors. I have been using (don't laugh) Schick Injectors for quite a while. Thinking about trying a double edge razor. Actually have two questions, would it be a good idea to start with an adjustable at first ? Noticed I can pick up a (vintage now) Gillette double edge adjustable off Ebay, maybe one of these would be good to start my learning ? Bob
Welcome! Don't laugh, there are several folks on here who are injector crazy and prefer them to DEs. But to get to your question, sure, any of the stuff you find on eBay should do you well as far as vintage Gillette adjustables, as long as they aren't gunky or messed up. Be careful that the description reads that it is in good working order, etc. Also, they get a lot of love on the bay right now too and most of them are STOOOOOPID expensive. But deals can be had. I have a Slim Adjustable and would offer up the advice that if you just got one (or more ) of the non-adjustable razors at first, you'd find out whether you want to stick with your injectors. I think adjustability is over rated. You'll find the setting you like and stick with it making it no longer adjustable, but you'll certain pay the difference. Antique shops and flea markets can be extremely rewarding and you can find adjustables there too and normally for far less than eBay.
True that! I have a bunch of them and love them all. Yep. Yalp. Righty O', Rooty Tooty Fresh And Frooty Mang. I have a Merkur Progress that is left on 5+ specifically for this reason. I have had Slims and Fat Boy's and kept the Progress over them because I think it is more aggressive. One day I will try the black handle super adjustable though, just to say I have. Fere Shere Ya'll. You could post a WTB here on as well. Heck, if I had any left I would give you one.
I am with Bob on this one. I had a couple adjustable razors and ended up getting rid of them all. Too much opportunity to look for answers by tweaking the razor rather then your technique. My thought would be to get a non adjustable first and cement your technique for a few months. When you are getting awesome shaves with the razor, then get an adjustable and use it to get the most out of your shave. All this means nothing if you happen to run into a nice looking adjustable at a flea market for just a couple bucks. If it works grab it.
:sihns011 If you get the chance to snag a good, clean, and cheap ANYTHING, grab it and anything else like it. Then you can try it and if you don't like it, BST it away on here or sell it on the bay.
Normally, I try to talk newbies out of an adjustable just for the simple fact that it adds more variables into learning proper technique, but since you've been using injectors for years, I imagine you've learned how to keep a razor at the proper cutting angle. Like the others have said, most people leave an adjustable set at a one setting, but it isn't unheard of for some shavers to change the setting depending upon the direction of the pass they are doing. For an experienced wetshaver like yourself, the nice thing about using an adjustable is that you can dial in the amount of aggressiveness you want rather than buying and using a D/E and finding out it doesn't work for you, then having to go on the hunt for a different one. Of course due to different head shapes and angles between makes and brands, you always run the risk that you may never find an adjustable that works well for you, as they will all be larger than the injector you have been using. Enjoy the hunt, and keep us informed as to what you end up choosing!
No laughter here. As one of the local injector fanatics, these are my favorites. I prefer them to DE. What kind do you have? Not that there's anything wrong with that. And it looks like you already have an offer of a good one.
My Eversharp-Schick I2 ROCKS !!! The only laughter from here is from the pleasure I get from the great shaves I consistantly receive everytime I use it... But I do love my '52 Black-Tip Super-Speed aswell as my '65 Slim Adjustable. So I see nothing wrong with having both DE and Injectors...I'm glad I don't have to pick one of my DE's over the other. I like having the ability to adjust to make certain blades easier to use, or to deal with special circumstances, and the Slim is a beautiful razor aswell...Although my Super-Speed always seems to deliever great shaves. It's like an extension of my hand and it's very intuitive, and seems to adjust itself to different circumstances...The Schick is the easiest of the three to acheive greatness with, but with proper technique they all can deliever stellar results, and the DEs do have such a large selection of blades to choose from...Thats the point infavor of the DE's; blade availability...I can imagine a time when I have a favorite Schick and no blades, I can't see that happening with DE's in our lifetime...Note to self...Stock-pile injectors...
I agree. I think the SS is a good choice to start learning the DE technique with. It's forgiving enough to learn with, yet agressive enough so that you may not grow out of it. (I also have a 52 Black Tip. Quality Razor!) The adjustables are great also, but I think they cost more than a SS in good shape would. I also use injectors. Love them, but as said above, good blades can be expensive and seem to be getting hard to find. I've never tried the Pellas, but if they are any good I suspect they will be around for a while as they are used in disection tools. I found a dollar store that had 11 blade packs for a dollar. They were ASRs branded "Longs Drug". They are the same blade I was buying at CVS. I bought 50 of them and a week later broke my Schick Dial. It figures. Alan
I have three Schick injector razors, non adjustable type. I tried an adjustable and it didn't work out for me. You mentioned you broke the dial on your Schick injector so it must be an adjustable ? If I still had mine I would send it to you. You would think I could find the perfect setting for the best shave with the adjustable but never could find the "sweet spot" setting. I get a closer, smoother shave with the regular Schick injectors. Yes the blades are getting harder to find, I see the genuine Schick injector blades on Ebay described as vintage and collector quality so I guess they are collectors items now .......
I don't think adjustability is overrated. I started out with a Gillette Slim on 2 and worked my way up as I got better.
