Injector & SE Party !!!

Today's Shave: Wednesday August 3, 2016

Le Coq Rasoir
Le Coq wedge blade, freshly honed
The Grooming Co. synthetic brush
Yeti Snot soap
Bootlegger's Arctic Lime Blast aftershave

Presenting Le Coq, the latest addition to my stable of French hoes. Oh, stop it - "Le Coq" is simply French for "The Rooster" and there is indeed a picture of a rooster on the razor.





This is a fairly conventional wedge blade razor, using spring-loaded blade holders and a spring tab to press the blade against blade stops. It weighs in at exactly 2 ounces with blade installed. This relatively light weight is due primarily to the handle, which appears to be made of solid aluminum - unusual for this type of razor. The rest of the razor is heavy nickel-plated brass, and it came with 3 blades and a very serviceable stropper handle.

I honed a blade last night. It had a couple of chips that required considerable work on the coarse DMT to get back to an unblemished edge. Fortunately it had not been honed much, so there was plenty of metal to work with. Once the chips were gone I gave it 100 laps each on the fine and extra-fine DMT before switching to film. 200 laps on 12 micron film set a nice smooth bevel, followed by 1000 laps each on 9, 3, 1, and .3 micron film. The .3 micron film produces an edge that is wicked sharp in the extreme, but can be harsh. I place a sheet of paper between the film and the marble slab I work on in an attempt to mitigate this. I finished with 60 laps on my new 30 Degree latigo strop.

This morning I had what may be the closest shave I have ever had in my life - BBS doesn't even begin to describe it. Even now, nearly 10 hours later, my face still feels pretty much BBS.

This degree of closeness came at a price. No weepers or redness, but despite my best efforts, the aftershave definitely had more than the usual bite. Is it possible for a blade to be too sharp? Or a shave to be too close? That sounds sort of like having too much money - theoretically possible, but in the real world highly unlikely. At any rate, despite the irritation it was an awesome shave. I think this blade will really settle in after a few more shaves.

--Bob

 

Great picture.

 

Awesome write up Bob.

 

Fantastic write up, but I feel like I'm being teased.

Where can I find these razors? I want one too!

 

+1 this

 

Back row: L' Essor, Le Coq Front row: L' Essor, Le Gestal Front center uncased: Le Francais

Okay, I'll reveal my secret. The best place to find these French hoe type wedge blade razor is . . .

France.

Or French eBay, to be more specific. When searching eBay, look for "rasoir" instead of razor and be sure to specify worldwide search.

This can be a bit of an adventure. Things I have learned:

• Most French sellers will ship to USA, but it can be expensive, up to 25 Euros.
• The good news (at least for American buyers) is that the Euro has been tanking against the dollar - a Euro is currently around $1.12, making for some bargains.
  
• Most listings are in French (duh!). I don't speak a word of French. The limitations of Google Translate when dealing with a subject with a specialized vocabulary quickly become evident. And sometimes hilarious.
  
• For some reason most French eBay sellers seem to think that a single blurry photo is all that is needed.
  
• It takes about 10 days for a package to make the trip from France to San Diego.

These infrequently show up on US eBay but they tend to get bid up to ridiculous prices.

--Bob

 

Thanks for the tips!

Sent from my Galaxy S6 using Tapatalk

 

I have had similar experiences buying in France. Now I know who the competition is

 

Thu. 8/4/16






Marvelous shave this morning with the PAL Injecto-Matic. First time using Valobra shave soap and I'm impressed guys. Very easy, thick, protective lather, the scent isn't great but not bad either. Three passes for a dolphin smooth finish. Have a great day folks.

 

Thanks Bob. I'll check it out!

 

I used the Gem g-bar again this morning and had a wonderful shave. Close, smooth and refreshing. After the Damaskeene, the g-bar is my favorite Gem! This razor has the weight, balance, looks and is a fantastic performer!

 

Excellent write up and information. Thanks.

 

August 4, 2016
Cobra Classic
Feather Pro (4)

​

 

Beautiful picture Clint. Those two go well together.
It's Thursday!

 

Thank you Doug. I am so ready for Friday.

Thank you Roby.

 

SOTD August 4, 2016



Blade: Chinese Schick
Razor: PAL Injectomatic (on pass-around from @twhite)
Brush: Artisan badger
Lather: Soap Commander Fortitude
Post: Witch hazel splash, Speick, Nivea sensitive balm
WTG, touch-up

Nice, smooth shave with the Injectomatic. This was my first use with this razor and it didn't disappoint. I used a light touch and tried to swipe away the lather. Speaking of lather, the Soap Commander was excellent again. Great stuff.

Have a great day!

 

I didn't realize the "Schick 66" got it's name the same way the Gillette 190 did:



And I always thought my 66 was some kind of royal special model! What a true bargin!

 

That's a nice box showing the origin of the name. The dark blue handled G4 is the one known as the 66 due to this marketing. The turquoise one in the pic is the G5 using Appleby's naming convention. http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schicktech.htm

 

Thanks again for the tips! You sir have broadened my horizons!