I think that is the same thing that is going on with the shake sharp razors and is why so many people compare them to injectors. The shake sharp has an idiot-resistant (nothing is idiot-proof) shaving angle built into the head design.
I think I may be just enough idiot to make me simply irresistible. Hmm, that actually didn't make as much sense as I thought it was going to make. Ah, well. [clicks Post Reply anyway]
Don't worry, Steve! idiocy suits you just fine! Besides, it makes me feel comfotable to be amongst equals...
Looks remarkably well made. If it were open comb, one with a fully functional sharpening feature might well put it in the top 5 best thought-out razors ever....even without open comb, it might still be.
I have a match to your gold-tone, tho' my case looks to have a bit more wear. They clean up nicely, using Armor-All wipes. Shaving is extremely pleasant. I think the comparisons you cite are fair- I just recently tried one of the Schick magazine-repeaters. The Shake Sharp falls between the Injector(close)and a Super Speed (passable), but not up to a Wilkinson Empire or Rapide. I haven't found any instructions for it, but I suspect that if you flipped the blade over, after each shave, then turned the unused edge outward when the in-use edge would no longer perform, it might be possible to extend the shave-life of the blades a fair bit. Personally, I have too many choices, and get bored without some variety, so I'm probably not the one to do a 14-30 day performance challenge, but...
I've used a De Haven "shake to sharpen" razor model before. Luckily it came with a NOS blade so I could use it. Unfortunately, the "shake to sharpen" didn't sharpen at all.
It is no secret that the De Haven razors are a failed razor design. A razor that does not work well, requiring a sharpening compound to be combined with the hone and a proprietary blade resulted in the De Haven's downfall. The only thing the De Haven has in common with the Shake Sharp is the "shake to sharpen" feature. The Shake Sharp design improvements (compared to the earlier De Haven razors) include a diamond dust impregnated hone, requiring no compound and only occasional cleaning, and the ability to use current production DE blades. Those two improvements combined with a very well designed head and shaving angle and balance, have resulted in a very nice shaving razor. I have not used it enough to determine if the sharpening mechanism actually works, because I've been trying a variety of blades with it to find the one that works best. To date, I've used it with vintage Gillette super blues, Astras, Wilkinson Swords, Polsilvers and Feathers. Ironically, I think the smoothest shave I got was with the Wilkinson's, though each blade performed exceptionally well.
Hi guys! Yesterday the Shake Sharp Razor arrived ( together with the 5scond sharpener and an enveloppe stuffed with Gillette Blue blades! Some blades got unstuck in the mail, so I'll glue 'em back before I will send them to the next victim). I had to restrain myself to wait until today for the first test ride... So today was the first day of a fourteen day trial. The balance is a bit different from my other razors. The handle is lighter than the head. Guess it will take a bit of time to get used to. Had a great shave, though. Close to BBS. Just along the jawline some stubble persisted. Now let's see how the shaking sharpening system holds out. The sharpening system is a breeze. Flip/shake forward: the hone glides out. Flip/shake backward: the hone glides back. Repeat. (dunno how often). Guess I'll shake three times after each shave. Since I've got a 14 days window and the razor exposes only one side of the blade, I'll be using just that one side of the DE blade. That way I'll know soon enough if the sharpening system does any good. Courious if it'll work? You bet ya! I'll be back...
I flip the blade over after every shave so the edge wears evenly. Not sure if it makes a difference though. I mainly use the shake sharpen feature as an extractor during the shave to remove soap and stubble from the bottom of the blade. What blades are you using with the razor? Edit: Never mind, I saw it the SoS of the day. Gillette Super Blue blade.
Good idea to flip the blade over! Today's shave was a bit more rough. It lead me to a BBS, though. Only change was the soap: QED Wild Rose today in stead of the DVH stick. I think it was a more agressive shave than with my Gem OCMM, but I've never had trouble with that one. How (non) agressive do you find the Shakey, Ryan? What I definately do like, is the sound of the whiskers being mowed. It is not unlike an SE razor. Nice and loud! More fun tomorrow!
I find it to be a mild shaver. As long as the head plate of the razor is touching the face, it is a very nice mild shave. When you tilt the head away from the face, it starts showing some teeth and you get the loud feedback from the blade. I think that is why you get conflicting reports from both those who find it mild and those who find it uber-aggressive. Most people are not used to shaving with the top plate of the razor actually touching the face. If you read my earlier observations, this is what I was talking about when I said that "the correct shaving angle is built in," or words to that effect. When the shave starts to feel rough, it might be a good time to see how well the self sharpening feature works.
3rd shave today (friday). Changed my angle. Smoother shave! Not BBS-wise, but less agressive. After the shave I gaveit about 3 shakes and flipped the blade. See what tomorrow brings...
4th & 5th shave: (sat&sun) Outstanding shaves. Not only do I flip the blade between shaves, I give it 3 shakes between passes as well. So not only after the shave. That is the nice thing about this razor: you can sharpen it during the shave. If Wednessday's shave is still as good as this one, I'll change blade & razor and start testing the 5 second sharpener!
6th & 7th shave (mon&tue) What can I say? Still going strong using one single egde of the DE blade (Gillette Super Blue). Today was a straight BBS. I could get used to that. Nah. Joking. But the razor is great!
Wednesday 8 days of sharp shaving. Verdict: great razor! The sharpening system works (for me). I like the fact that you can shrpen your blade while shaving. Well, not actually while shaving, but in between strokes. The balance is somewhat different than my other razors, but I could get used to that. I guess it isn't going to be my favourite razor, though, but if I come accross a reasonably priced one, I will not hesitate!
Thursday and friday So: over to the 5 Second Sharpener. I picked up a vintage blade (Punktal, the three holed kind of blade). It is really thin (0.06 mm in stead of the usual 0.08 mm). It almost feels like a scrap of paper! I gave the blade 5 seconds before the first shave and after each shave, so it s ready for the next day. Only outstanding shaves so far!
