What are the benefits of an adjustable razor? I currently own a Merkur 33c. I have still yet to get that smooth shave on my neck as my growth is horizontal left to right. I was thinking of buying an adjustable only as I am desperate to sort my neck out and I am looking at all options. Just for information I have been wet shaving for 12 months and do 4 passes 1 wtg, 2across tg and 1 against tg. And oh boy does the last one feel rough. I need a smooth neck as I wear a collar and tie for work. If it isn't smooth my shirt really rubs my neck. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Oh, I use Proraso cream and feather blades. Thanks in anticipation.
The advantages of an adjustable razor is that it allows you to change the aggressiveness of the razor, kinda like having several razors in one. Some folks set their adjustables on one setting and leave it there, never to be moved again, while others change the aggressiveness with each pass depending on the direction they are shaving. This thread gives you a sampling of how some set their Gillette adjustables.
I was never able to get my neck BBS until I discovered Slant Bars. If you've never tried on it may be worth a try. YMMV but it worked for me. My first one was the modern Merkur-it works as well as my vintage ones.
It may not be the razor but skin prep. A shaving oil of one variety or the hot towel prep may give your skin the protection it needs to hold up to four passes. I have barbed wire beard and prepping seems to make a difference. I have used Proraso pre shaving cream, Musgo Real oil soap, Nivea Creme, Ems preshave oil, and they help me. I am guessing with oil a well lubricated and protected skin makes it more resistant to the abrasion of the razor. The hot towel prep seems to soften skin and beard making the beard easier to cut. Also one voice in wetshaving noted that over the long haul he found Feathers beat up his face, using Feathers mysel several times a week I believe that may be accurate. He switched blades. I have a Progress, Slim Adj, and Fatboy, I really don't see any difference in terms of shave between them and nonadjs but on that YMMV .
There are very few vintage razors I've met that I haven't liked. My favorites are the Gillette Slim and Super Adjustables. That said, I'm just about as happy with most of my non-adjustable vintage razors. A kind soul recently sent me a Schick adjustable injector. That little beast is really the bomb. I can dial it down to a mild enough shave to get BBS everywhere without a bit of razor burn. It's quickly moving to the front of the lineup. So yeah, adjustables can be great, but they're not a neccessity. As Bill said, they're kind of like having several razors in one. Still, great shaves are possible without an adjustment.
I say perfect it with the merkur, and check out some new maneuvers and or prep tactics before exploring the adjustable.
My two new favorite razors are both adjustable. The Slim and an Injector. Since getting these my others have seen little use.
Aside from the ability to change the blade gap, the design of he Futur is different from the fixed Merkur you are currently using. Unlike the Gillette adjustables and the Progress which basically are adjustable versions of other razors made by their respective companies, the Futur is unique within the Merkur line. eric.
Grey Duster Two thoughts; You might try substituting another WTG pass for one of the XTG passes. A little more reduction before you go XTG may help. A bar guard razor, with or without the adjustable feature, is still a bar guard razor and still shaves like one. If you've got a stiff, heavy beard (and it sounds like you do!) an open comb razor might be the ticket. Best Regards goshawk
Tom pretty much nails it right there. Also if you haven't watched Mantic's:"The 10 minute Traditional Shave" video,(its in the Shave School Section) check it out. It's fun to watch and very informative. I've used DE razors on and off since the mid 60's and just seeing his razor angle, I realized mine had gotten sloppy, I tightened it up and shaves improved 100% over-night...Little things do mean alot...Check it out... As far as razors go, I've been in love with the Gillette Slim since the 60's, and I have a beautiful specimen these days that I look forward to using each morning...But just recently I've shaved with a $5 Ming-Shi TTO (a Chinese Super-Speed knock-off) and got great effortless shaves with that as well. So as long as you have a great razor, matched with the right blade, then it's pretty much up to, Prep, lather, angle, blade/razor combination... But the question was Adjustable or not...well I have gotten great shaves on every setting on my Slim, which means I could be very happy with a Super-Speed, or the Ming-Shi for that matter...
I have a Futur, and also use Proraso pre and cream and a Feather blade. For me, the allure of the Futur (aside from the design, which I really like) is the ability to fine-tune the aggressiveness, and once I found the "sweet-spot", leave it there. If you get the Futur (it has a much wider latitude of adjustment than the Progress), start at 1, and work your way up. There are no prizes for starting at 6!!!!!
After fussing around with several different DE razors, I finally settled on a Gillette Slim Adjustable set at about "7" or "8". The advantage was that I could switch from a milder or more aggressive setting until I found the setting that gives me the closest shave. Otherwise, I could have wasted alot of money buying several different razors looking for the right one. The Slim Adj. gives you that without breaking the bank.
