The Pils is by far my favourite razor so I can't wait to hear what you think of it when you shave with it. Hope you enjoy using it as much as you do unboxing it.
Had my first shave with the Pils 101NE today. First impressions; - Very heavy - almost too heavy? I'm still probably comparing it to the Schick Krona so I will see how the weight of the razor feels closer to the end of the week. - Surprisingly mild - almost impossible to nick myself - but at the same time an efficient shave - The razor oozes 'quality'. Amazing design. After my normal two passes I did notice a surprising amount of stubble in some places - under my chin and nose that required me to do some clean-up passes. Once again it's the first time with the razor - and today was 2.5 days of stubble to shave off - so I will see how it behaves throughout the week. Day one summary: Very (too?) heavy, fantastic build quality and look, gave a great shave but required a clean-up pass. One really neat thing about the head design is that the blade lies completely flat inside the head and once loaded the head completely covers the ends of the blade - you only see the two edges you shave with.
does the heaviness equate to quietness? was the missed stubble in areas where the size of the head could contribute? do you dislike the blade tabs when they stick out? does the lack of knurling make it slick?
Great questions - unfortunately some of my answers might be less stellar/insightful though; 1) does the heaviness equate to quietness? I'm not sure if it equates to heaviness but it is a rather 'quiet' razor - not a lot of audible feedback. Maybe it's due to the blade being almost completely sealed inside the head. 2) was the missed stubble in areas where the size of the head could contribute? Under the nose I think it might have been - but under the chin the size of the head should not have played a role. I am for now taking it down to me being completely new to the razor and having used the lighter Schick Krona right before it. I will pay attention to these two areas during the rest of the week to see if the razor does a good job cleaning them up. 3) do you dislike the blade tabs when they stick out? I actually don't have a strong preference but since this is the first razor I've owned where the blade tabs are completely inside the head of the razor I think it was more of a novel realization to me. I like the design quite a bit. (I believe some Ikon razors also have the tabs inside of the head?). 4) does the lack of knurling make it slick? Great question and one I forgot to address - I never had the razor 'slip' in my hands even though my hands got wet but there was absolutely a feeling of the handle not being as 'grippy' as a well knurled handle. Hopefully the rest of the week will be telling if this ends up being an issue [for me] or not.
They don't - the head design on the Tradere also keeps the tabs inside of the head. Slightly different design but with the same result.
I'm sure you'll know more in a few shaves. basic gut, do you feel a) enthused, to learn a great new tool b)so-so, just another shaver, which is no small feat in your all-star lineup c) disappointed, not living up to its rep.
I agree, things are bound to change throughout the week as I learn/get used to the razor - it normally takes me 2-3 shaves before I feel 'comfortable'. a) enthused, to learn a great new tool Very much so - the razor instills a lot of curiosity/desire just lying there on the shelf. It truly is a piece of art. b)so-so, just another shaver, which is no small feat in your all-star lineup This one is hard after one shave but so far the best I can do is "Not as impressive as the first time I used the Tradere". When I used the Tradere - even the very first time I felt it was an amazing razor - albeit a bit heavy. When I used the Pils the first time today I thought it was 'great' but the heavens didn't quite part in the same way. c) disappointed, not living up to its rep Also super hard to answer with one shave under my belt. Gut-feel: Maybe a bit. It's gorgeous, feels amazing in your hand and built like a tank - but the shave didn't quite part the clouds for me. I think part of that is because I was a bit distracted by how heavy it was. I am really looking forward to exploring it this week - and I will try to answer the same questions in a week and see if my answers are the same
I had two and I still think it is, probably, the most beautifully-crafted DE razor I have tried! However, the razor just wasn't for me; too top-heavy and a tad mild for me. I wouldn't mind trying it, again, but I just won't spend that kind of money. Enjoy the rest of your shaves!
It was indeed surprisingly mild - not that I mind a milder razor from time to time (I love my Bluetip for instance) but for some reason I thought it was going to be more aggressive than it was
Second shave with the Pils today. Pros: Love the look and feel of the razor. It ended up giving a good shave. Getting used to the weight and top-heaviness of the razor. Cons: It is still surprisingly mild to the point that I, again, after my two regular passes felt that there were enough stubble left to justify a clean-up pass Handle 'feels' slippery - by 'feel' I mean that it hasn't actually slipped in my hand yet but it feels like it could at any time. I am tempted to switch out the Astra SP to maybe a Feather blade tomorrow.
Switching to a Feather or something along those lines might be the ticket. I find I like the sharper blades in a milder razor.
Persona Lab Blue, Gillette 7 o'clock black or yellow are ones I have tried. I found all sharper than an Astra SP but not quite at the Feather level. Again everyone is different.
YMMV, but I would also put GSB's and Sputnik blades into this category. I have specifically been finding that the Sputniks give a new life to my "too mild" razors. The Feather may be a perfect blade as well. They are much less demanding of perfect technique in mild razors (again, for me...YMMV)
Thanks, out of those I got GSB and Gillette 7 O'Clock so I might try one of those before I go to Feather.
The craftsmanship looks flawless! But that head looks huge! I wonder how it shaves, please do comment on that when you take her to town
Third day shaving report Had my third day with the razor today and this time I decided to go full out and switch the blade to a Feather as I've felt that the razor was a bit too much on the mild side with the Astra SP blade. Unfortunately it didn't change too much. Even after being extra mindful about the area under my chin I still ended up with some stubble there - as well as just under my nose. I've used a number of razors that have been able to clear those areas with no to little effort so it comes down to two possibilities now; a) The razor really is this mild, and/or b) I still have to adjust to the head and the fact that the blade lies flat. I have a couple of more days to use it but for now I will be completely honest, which I always try to be in these 'mini reviews', in that I think the razor is a bit of a disappointment to me when it comes to how efficient it is. I don't mind mild but I also expect a mild razor to be able to give me a perfectly smooth shave. I am however not disappointed in the design/build/look/feel of the razor itself - it's stunning. However, at the end of the day I'd like for it to be more than a pretty $170 razor on a shelf. I'd say as pretty as it is....it's dangerously close to not making the cut for razors that I will keep and that makes part of me cry inside a bit. We shall see.
Fourth day shaving report After three days 0f the razor leaving a bit of stubble and having tried it with an Astra SP blade as well as a Feather blade I get the suggestion from "Mr Pils" - @Slow Joe to try it with a Voskhod. So, I do just that this morning and load a fresh Voskhod into the razor and go to work. I'll be..... Something is different. It feels 'smoother' and for some reason the audible feedback is a bit more noticeable. I complete my two passes - WTG and ATG - and run my hands over my face. Much improved! There are some pockets of minor stubble left but compared to the other days this is an improvement by leaps and bounds. Had this been my first shave with the razor my initial reactions to it would had been much different. Since I detected a change in the audible feedback I am actually thinking that the change also has to do with me finally, after 3-4 shaves, having 'dialed in' how to angle the head w/ its flat blade in a way that gets closer to optimize how it performs. Rather excited about this change and will tomorrow, sadly on the last day I'm putting the Pils to use for now, use that same Voskhod and see what one more day of practice can result in. Not bad at all!
