NOVember!!!
November 27 - Another
@Drygulch Challenge!
Razor - Chinese Double Handled Blade Clippy
Blade -
![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ftheshaveden.com%2Fforums%2Fattachments%2Fvoskhod-teflon-coated-jpg.152443%2F&hash=cfadf7b7c7b4324181c963af5048009c)
(1)
Pre-shave - Stirling Mentholated Pre-Shave Soap
Soap - Fatbac
Brush - Stirling Synthetic
Post - Alum, Styptic
Apparently, using the Aristocrat with a Voskhod wasn't risky enough for Adam. But, nothing usually is. So, he put forth the challenge today to use a modern Chinese Double Handled Blade Clippy razor with the Voskhod. What? You mean you've never heard of the modern Chinese Double Handled Blade Clippy razor? You probably have one somewhere around your house right now. No, don't look in your shaving cabinet. Try the junk drawer. Try office supplies. Yeah, we're talking about a binder clip.
Now, I have to say that at first glance this looks like a pretty ingenious way to use a blade if you were ever stranded and the world had ended and you wanted to look good for the final round of the zombie attack and had nothing except the blade and an office desk. But once you put the blade in the clip you immediately begin to notice problems. To begin with.....will it really hold the blade solidly in place under shaving conditions? Second, how much is the blade going to wobble and chatter? Third, how in the world should you grip it? Fourth, what do you do with the big lip on it that makes the Feather SS look like a wedge?
Well, we'll find out. Adam did pull off a shave with one of these back in MAYhem, and did bleed for his efforts. I'll try to avoid that. A frankenrazor like this one deserves a frankensoap to match up so I chose Fatbac. Besides, it's super slick and consistent. And, I lathered up with the pre-shave soap leaving it nice and wet for the lather to go over. I want no friction if I can get it. Finally - lathered up, Couble Handled Blade Clippy is in hand and off we go.
The immediate issue was angle. I mean instantly a problem. I was trying to hold one clip while using two fingers on top of the clip for some weight and had to play with it a lot to get the blade in position to cut. Awkward but I got a start. Started on the right cheek and loved the noise I was getting as it proved something was happening. Just couldn't get comfy with that grip so I switched. Held both ends just behind the blade. That gave me good control except for one problem. When my finger slipped into the blade that was inside the clip it caused the bottom corner to wobble just enough to dig in and...........yep.........nice little cut on the cheek. I felt it. Ouch. As in ouch. Seriously. That hurt. And, the blood began to run. Oh well, keep going. Not like I hit an artery.
I went back to the clip handle hold and kept working with it. I had found while checking the cut that I was getting good reduction before that happened. So I slowed down and just worked the right side all the way down my neck. Then the neck under my chin. Then switched to the left hand. Surprisingly, my left hand wasn't any more difficult than the right. I think my brain was giving me a break figuring that even trying this was a sign of potential therapy sessions. No more cuts during that entire first pass. I rinsed, put a little pressure on the cut and was happy to see it already sealing. Went ahead and did another pass trying some XTG. Between the XTG and more WTG I managed to get to a passable CCS. Called it good for this thing, picked up my Aristocrat and finished it off to a nice DFS with a quick pass.
This was a fun shave, although pretty tense too but probably more because of the early cut. Once I'm bleeding it's always tough to stay calm and work through the shave with something like this. But, I made it. And I have a fancy new razor to add to my den too!
As for the spin this gives Technique Trumps Tools - yes, you can use a binder clip as a razor should you need/want/have to. However, of all the things I've tried, this would be my last resort. Even the blade on a bolt was easier to control and didn't draw blood. This makes a popsicle stick razor look like a finely honed vintage straight!
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