Okay, I got out the the other blade and threw it into the Durham Duplex this morning. It ended up being much better than the first one.
For a razor with serious blade reveal, it ended up bring fairly mild, if a bit rough feeling. Four passes, and I'm not quite as smooth as I'm used to. Still diddling with the angle though. I'll probably give it another run tomorrow. Aside from the angle, the extra wide blade makes it nigh impossible to go straight across the lower neck, just like a straight razor. So daily driver it will never be. Just one more curiosity satisfied.
For lather, a puck of TOBS lime. Hard soap, not cream. In a minion tub, because...why the hell not? And some Stirling glacial lime AS to finish it off with a freeze.
View attachment 194727
As for the first blade? I took the razor apart to change blades, and I found:
View attachment 194728
Yikes! I didn't realize that these are carbon steel. I'd have taken it out right away if I'd known. But that could account for it being awful from the word go. Carbon steel, of unknown age, not in original packaging. (Other than the paper sleeve.) Lesson learned.
Click to expand...