So I got my son a Slim and sent it off to Delta Echo to be coated. Just got it back. Have never used one of these before. Are you supposed to back it down to 1 after using it? Does it matter? Any other tips? My son just got it out of the mail box and sent this pic to me. He is a big Patriots fan. So got him this and had a custom brush made by Turn N Shave for Xmas Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've always heard to back off the pressure before changing adjustment dial. Remind him of the last quarter turn to lock things in. Other than that, enjoy.
I've heard not to change adjustment while locked down. Back off the quarter turn it takes the pressure off the mechanism.
I started it on 4, went to 5, now I keep it at 6 all the time as this is where I always get BBS shaves from it. Some people will start it out on high, then lower for the final pass, but I think most just keep it at a certain setting for all the passes. I think anywhere between 4-7 would be considered medium aggressive and fine for most people.
It really wasn't a requirement to back off the locking feature when changing the settings, but considering these razors are a bit old, it wouldn't be a bad idea to do so.
I do the same thing with my Gillette adjustables -- open the TTO mechanism slightly to loosen the doors before changing the adjustment setting on the dial. As Jim said, the Gillette manuals never suggested this, but they weren't written with a view to keeping 50-year-old razors in peak operating condition either. Regarding switching back down to "1" before putting the razor away, there is no need to do this. The adjustment mechanism isn't under any sort of increased tension at the higher numbers. Some people switch to higher or lower settings with each pass or even for different areas of the face, but I think most of us pick a comfortable setting and then forget it. I have run my razors all the way to 9, then picked 3 as my comfortable setting and am now at 4. I think Gillette used to recommend that you set the razor at the mildest setting that would give the degree of close shave you wanted; the dial is not a macho competition. And it would be good to remind your son that there is a final quarter turn of increased tension at the end of the door closing process that needs to be snugged up to "lock" the blade in place. It is impossible to harm the TTO mechanism by overtightening it so there is no need for a delicate touch when closing it. One new member here was complaining that his Fatboy gave wildly inconsistent shaves compared to his screw-together 3 piece. It turned out that he was only tightening the TTO mechanism until he started to feel resistence - like he was winding a watch and didn’t want to overstress the spring - so he was never getting the doors locked shut. When told about the quarter turn, his shaves magically improved. By the way, the razor looks fabulous! I had my grungy Gillettes coated by Delta Echo and they do a stellar job. I found that the mechanisms were much smoother after the coating and that the coating also helps the razors glide more easily on my skin. Your son is basically getting a brand-new razor there that will give a lifetime of excellent service.
Technically speaking you don’t need to loosen the doors to adjust the number dial. The method of opening the doors is just something that came about by wet shavers over the years. It was meant to be a cautionary measure. People felt that it prevented unnecessary strain on the spring. Considering that the razor is about 50 years old, people felt that it could cause the spring to break. That’s what I read and looked up. As far as setting the dial to 1 it’s not necessary and it’s the first time I’m hearing of it.
