Okay guys: I'm looking for advice and/or opinions for picking an adjustable. A disclaimer; please shave quality only. My decision won't be based on collectible value, looks,mojo, etc. I guess the choice would be the vintage Gillettes or the Merkur family. Also, no fair saying " buy one of each" . Don't you just hate stupid rules?? I've got a birthday coming up and I won't be "allowed" a whole collection Thanks for humoring me
I've got a Merkur Progress that I am very happy with. It ain't no looker IMO, but it shaves like a dream -- not too expensive either. I do my first three passes set at 4, then dial down to minimum for the cleanup -- works like a champ!
I have a Progress and I quite like it, but for full disclosure have only had it for 1 week... I just got a Gillette slim and will post an update when I actually get it in my hands and can give a comparison. I'm sure there are many here that have both also and can chime in with more helpful insight.
have all of the gillette adjustables...they are the only DE's I use, have been looking at getting a futur recently but kind of figured that I dont really need one...so I havent used any of the merkur's to compair but love the adjustables.
Interesting topic.. I too would like to hear opinions.. I was thinking of purchasing a Gillette black beauty that is my birth year and quarter
I'm going to go a different route. How about a couple nice Gillette Super Speed's i.e. Red Tip, Flare Tip for the price of the adjustable you are interested in?
I have a red tip and I'm still learning how to shave with it .. I'm so consumed with wet shaving!!! Must conquer and master it!!!!
If you have long fingers go for a Gillette Slim or the long handle Black Beauty, if you have small hands go for a Fatboy or a regular Black Beauty. I had a Merkur Futur and found it too bulky, so I sold it a year ago and would not recommend it.
There is an Injector rabbit hole that is a serious contender ...The PAL Adjustable Injector is just well away ahead of its time & still is..The mechanism is away ahead of any DE adjustable technologies in my humble opinion...The Schick Adjustable is also a serious piece of engineering although its a lot milder than the PAL.The upshot of the Schick Adjustable is that it can also take a so called Twin blade..Its more like a Single Double twin design as one is sitting on top of the other...These are both serious whisker whacking instruments of War.. Billy..
I like that idea. Having a red tip and a silver tip could be an excellent alternative to an adjustable. The super speeds are fine razors at very affordable prices. If your heart is set on an adjustable, then the Gillette slim is the best way to go. It's an excellent razor, versatile due to all the settings and is reasonably priced.
Fatboy has been my daily driver for a couple years. I have exactly one shave under my belt with a slim. Initial impression is that the Fatboy is better balanced and the slim is slightly more aggressive. Were I forced to choose, it would be the Fatboy but both are fantastic razors and I could be happy with either.
I love using the fatboy. It's the quintessential DE TTO razor! Only issue I was thinking is that prices are out of control on fatboys. You could buy two slims for the price of one fatboy. The slim is a great razor, but I also like the fatboy more. Spyder, if price is not that much of an issue and your heart is set on an adjustable, then the Gillette fatboy is the way to go!
Funny but I was thinking that, given the prices that Red Tips are fetching, that it might be less expensive to go with a Slim Adjustable.
Yeah, red tip prices have certainly gone up recently. They're great razors and I've been focusing on mine over the last two weeks. It's a phenomenal razor. But, the price of a nice slim would be less than a nice red tip and silver tip super speed.
See, I think the only real value to an adjustable is if you have to dial it in. /duh I'm a set it and forget it kind of guy but that being said, I'm up to 7 from 5 since my technique's improved. But my Red Tip is approximately the same as my Fatboy on 7 so why not just go Red Tip? Ultimately I'm thinking my New Long Comb might have more of that Oldsmobile Toronado ride for me, so that might become my new daily driver. (As long as I can afford the gas!) The point is any number of set razors might do the trick... If you don't need to dial in your shave. Then again, I've heard from folks who fiddle with the adjustment mid-shave but that would disrupt the tranquility too much for me personally.
I have a 64 in my normal rotation and really like the close shave I can get. I don't have, nor have I ever used a Fatboy. For looks you can't beat the Red Tip. It's just darn nice looking but it's a one trip pony. But for versatility ( and looks too) the Slim would be a nice addition. The slim is less pricey than the Fatboy and seems more available.
