Injector & SE Party !!!

Schick I1 w/NOS Schick Injector Twin blade (9)
Plisson Synthetic brush
Chiseled Face Groomatorium Cedar & Spice Soap and AS

I've been using this razor/blade combo for the past 9 days. The shaves with the twin blade are still pretty decent, perfectly acceptable, but no longer dazzling. In the future I'll probably toss the blade after a week. Time to take a break from injectors.

--Bob

 

January 29, 2016
30-day focus with my Schick Type C1 - The Simplified Schick Automatic Razor.

Shave 20

Razor: Schick Type C1
Blade: NOS Schick Twin Injector 1973 (5)
Soap: La Toja
Brush: Rubberset 300N Nylon Brown/Amber Lucite



Last shave of the workweek while away at a business retreat.

Haven't reported on the shaves in a few days, but all of them have been with the Twin blade and have been similar - very close shaves. So close that it requires a light touch with a deliberate pace. I've found that I cannot safely rush a shave with this blade. Which may not make it ideal for this razor on the road where I seem to be a bit more rushed to get out the door.

But anytime you have the ability to take your time and mind your technique — this is a great combo.

Will look to do a final report this weekend on all the blades I've used.

Cheers
RT

 

You must you have Nuts like a Brass Monkey with that weather there....My thoughts exactly Vince..It is a Great Combo for Sure but it does demand that extra focus which aint a bad thing cause when you are using a Combo that doesn't demand that same focus you will Feel as Free as the Wind...Great write up by the Way..

Billy..

 

Looks like Vince was "Shaving on thin Ice" with that Twin Blade in his C2 this morning.....

 

.....what weather are you getting in Scotland these days?....I would think some of those Brass Monkey Danglies you were referencing might be in order fer yer own dreich morn ootside..... What say ye?

 

Well..Its been unusually mild for January on the South West of Scotland..Real unusual I mean..Its been really mild all winter so far..Further up North is always I bit more snow but its nothing really..The Dampness is the Killer on the West Coast..There are all these stories about the hard & brave Highlander's..Not to take anything away from them but the Scots from the Southern Uplands/Highlands were far Harder..

They had the dampness, Romans, English/Brits, & the Vikings to ward off for hundreds of years before that Mob up the road lifted a sword..The Southern Highlands was the buffer zone between Scotland & England just like Poland between Eastern & Western Europe..William Wallace came from around here in the True Scottish Southern Highlands..I have lived & worked all over Scotland & Scandinavia & the Ice & the Snow is far healthier than the Dampness of the Southern West Coast of Scotland..

Billy..

 

Sneek peek of tomorrow's likely shave. New acquisition.

 

Nice One Karl..Those early Black Handles just Ooze so much Sex Appeal..

Billy..

 

One more for good measure - first acquisition of 2016...



Can you tell I'm pretty jazzed about this "hen's tooth?"

 

Naw ..Not Really...

Billy..

 

What the heck. I realized I have an early morning and won't get back until late so I went ahead and had a late shave tonight. I scrounged up a used modified feather for the black handled early E2 and started my routine.

There is something about those first few strokes with a new razor that are always a bit magical. This one seemed to whisper as she moved across my face. So lightly did it glide that I wasn't sure it was actually shaving. Keeping it light with just enough angle was like being shaved by an angel, just a soft caress as the whiskers were wiped away. As I reached the thicker areas of my beard the feedback became more audible and I wished I had the luxury of time to take it slower and pay more attention to that sweet spot of the early going. But morning approaches quickly so I kept up a steady pace. A little too much angle and the feather became a bit harsh, enough to nudge me back into form. Excellent first pass reduction. Second pass would have been an acceptable shave. Third pass just left some wet touch up areas. This was one of those shaves where I chased every slightest evidence of stubble I could find. The black handled beauty had worked her magic and I just wanted it to last. No nicks, no cuts, no weepers.

Conclusion? The early type E2s are fantastic shavers and the black handle on this one makes it just that much more enjoyable. With a modified feather I think you have to be more mindful of technique but you are rewarded with an exceptionally smooth shave when you do.

T&H Ultimate Comfort PSO
Castle Forbes Lavender Shave Cream
T&H Wellington Super Badger
Black Handled Early Type E2
Modified Feather Professional Blade (3)
T&H Classic After Shave Balm



Happy shaving - Karl

 

Sounds to me like you need to take this razor and find a secluded beach where you two can get an all over tan.....
That was a pretty erotic shave....We should save this post til after midnight... I'm not going to ask WHAT she seemed to whisper as she.....Whew! Someone turn on the AC! And find me a black handle E2!!!!!

 

Yeah, and this was the censored version...

 

Great write up Karl..The Feather Pro works Real well in the Type E 2 for sure..It just demand more focus is all..I thnk a common mistake of folks is that they fall into the Rabbit Hole of being too familiar with a particular Razot & Blade Conbo and don't change their technique when using Crazy Sharp blade like the Pro...That's like shooting a .45 Calibre Pistol the same way you would a 9mm Pistol..Too much recoil or too much blade..A very sharp blade like a big calibre round is not for everybody either..That's a real Sexy lookin E 2 by the way..

Billy..

 

SOTD January 30, 2016
First time to the injector party!

Prep: Warm shower
Blade: Schick injector
Razor: Schick Eversharp G1 injector
Brush: Trader Joe's synthetic
Lather: Soap Commander Vision
Post: Witch hazel splash spritzed with Fine Platinum, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, XTG, touch-up

First foray with the Schick Injector razor, circa early 1950s. It's a really neat razor! It's lightweight but easily maneuverable. I found the Schick blade to be pretty sharp. I tried to use as little pressure as possible, per @twhite's instructions. That really helped. I used even less pressure than with my DE razor. I was a little apprehensive about using this razor since I'm new to DE razors and had been using the same razor for the past month in a technique focus. However those fears quickly subsided and I glided right through the Soap Commander lather and on to a great shave. Overall I really enjoyed using this razor and will look forward to using it in the future! I'll do my best to post in this thread when I use it.

Two passes for as close to DFS as I've been. I hope you all have a great weekend!

 

Nice write up and welcome to the party.

 

Cue slow background music

 

I've heard great things about it! Glad to hear there are other options for blades as well! Shave on my friend and enjoy yourself

 

Today's shave: C. V. Heljestrand razor & wedge blade, Chiseled Face Groomatorium Sherlock soap applied with a Plisson synthetic brush, finished with English Leather aftershave.

After 9 days with a Schick I1 loaded with a twin blade I wanted a break from injectors (while sticking with single edge, of course) and the C. V. Heljestrand is about as different as can be from an injector (or anything else, for that matter).

I don't know how many shaves I've put on this blade since I honed it - at least a dozen - but it is still wicked sharp and smooth as can be.

I ended up with a touch of irritation in one spot - I think using the Schick for over a week has caused me to get a little careless, as it is very forgiving. The CVH, not so much. Still, nothing a little balm couldn't fix, and a great shave overall.

--Bob

 

January 2016

RECAP
30-day focus with my Schick Type C1 - The Simplified Schick Automatic Razor.
I tested 6 different injector blades this month with the C1, that I hope will serve as my travel razor.



Blades used:
Schick - China
Schick Platinum - Holland
Personna 74* (1970s)
Schick Plus Platinum - US (1980-ish?)
Feather Pro (Artist Club) Cut down to fit the C1.
Schick Twin Injector (1973) Just thin enough to fit the C1.

First about the Schick Type C1. (YMMV)

Like most any razor, once you get the angle right (extremely shallow) and get used to its handling (square body, slick-when-wet sides) this razor will give very good to great shaves with almost any blade as it did in my focus. A very light touch (no pressure!) and maintaining the razor head flat against the face are the keys to a great shave with the C1. I’ve had more shaves that resulted in 1-pass shaves, due the previous day's great shave, than I’ve ever had.

Also, I insert blades manually into the razor head. This razor was made before the injector pack with the ‘key’ were invented, so you cannot load them like other razors. The razor has its own “repeater loading” feature for blade loading, but i do not use that either.

Limitations for loading aside, the C1 gives great shaves and will work for me as an excellent travel razor, though probably not as an everyday razor.

Blades

Schick - China (A ‘Chick’ blade as it is referred to)
In my beginner’s foray into injector shaving, this is my go to, journeyman blade. It just works. - and they're still being made! In the C1 they do the job really well.

Schick Platinum - Holland
Very sharp blade compared to the Chick. Took a bit of time to get used to the sharpness, especially around my chin, in order to find the right approach. Technique focus and a slick, hydrated soap really helps with this blade.

Schick Plus Platinum - US (1980-ish?)
This blade started me down the path of perfect (for me) shaves. Close, smooth, comfortable and sharp, this blade led to shaves that were so good that the following day’s shave became a one-pass ATG shave that just repeated with the next day’s shave. I don’t know if it was the sharpest blade in the trials, but this one may become the regular blade for me with this razor.

Personna 74* (1970s)
This blade appears to have achieved legendary status with injector experts. Now I know why. Very sharp and very smooth, this blade gave me as good a shave as any other blade in the trials. Extremely pricey however - if one has any luck in finding them! But the legendary reputation has as much to do with the longevity of each blade. Some people report a single blade lasting an entire month of shaves. Having found a pack that includes 11 blades I certainly look forward to testing this claim. Even so, considering its price, rarity and with so many other great blades available - I’ll probably not get a second pack.

Feather Pro (Artist Club) - Cut down to fit the C1.
Or the FergieFeather as I call it, having got the idea from @Billyfergie
Yowzer! this is one sharp blade! Even though I had gotten used to a Feather AC Pro in a Mongoose, as well as the unusual blade angle for the C1 - this blade requires laser-focus and does not have much blade angle forgiveness. If you can maintain strict focus and blade angle, this blade will give excellent shaves on a daily basis. I will need much more practice with it and will do that as I test this blade in other razors as well. *NOTE: it requires a sharp and strong metal cutter in order to cut the AC blades to injector length.

Schick Twin Injector (1973)
The wider and thicker twin blade was not made for this razor, but the ‘press fit’ head on these early injectors does not require a “key’ so this blade can fit by manually loading. This blade is also wider, so the blade exposure is significantly different than using other blades in this razor. Once I got used to the blade efficiency and sharpness, I was getting daily one-pass shaves. A one-pass with some buffing on my trouble spots, rewarded me with the closest and smoothest shave since I left carts about 9 months ago. It shaves so close that it requires a light touch with a deliberate pace. I've found that I cannot safely rush a shave with this blade. Which may not make it ideal for this razor on the road where I seem to be a bit more rushed to get out the door. But anytime you have the ability to take your time and mind your technique — this is a great combo.

Conclusion
Blade preference is a YMMV issue if there ever was one. But for me, I would be comfortable using any of these blades regularly with this razor - as long as I adjust for the small differences in each.

My favorite, by only a thin margin was the Schick Plus Platinum. It’s sharpness was just enough for me, but its ease of use makes it a quick and easy shave while on the road and perhaps having to rush out of the hotel in the morning.

But for the near-term, I will probably go with the Personna 74 I used in the trials (3 shaves) just to test the longevity of the blade. Imagine going on the road for 2, 3, or 4 weeks and not having to change the blade. Tough problems to have!

Cheers!
RT