August 28, 2015
Adjustable August
30-Day Focus - Gillette Adjustable Slim / Fatboy
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Morning shave
Hot Shower
Soap: Arko (homemade travel stick)
Brush: Butterscotch Fauxmere 24mm synthetic
Razor: Gillette Slim AND Fatboy
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
After Shave: Proraso Green
No touch-up or repeat strokes. This is as much about technique as it is about finding the best settings on the razor for me.
30-Day Assessment
This month has gone by so quickly as I've tried to learn the Slim and attempt the same with the FB. I've gotten very nice shaves all month. I began with the Slim and moved up to 9 within about two weeks. Began the same process with the Fatboy. Ran up to 7 within a few shaves and realized my focus had become a race to 9. It told me that I could shave with this equipment, but I wasn’t learning anything.
I reconsidered my process in an attempt to discern a difference between the Slim and FB.
I locked in all the variables, including blades, and fixed on setting number 7 on both. I then spent a week alternating between the two razors after every second shave. I still couldn’t tell any difference to the shave!
I devised one last attempt - I divided my face into halves (left side, right side) and spent two shaves (yesterday and today) using one razor on one side of my face for both passes (WTG and ATG) and the other razor on the opposite side, splitting the face right down the middle. I even alternated strokes/razors - i.e. cheek on one side with one razor, then cheek on the other with the other razor; jawline one side and then jawline on the other, etc. I even switched them around the next day so I didn't just do cross-body strokes with just one razor.
Bizarre? Probably. But it was my last gasp to use my novice abilities to assess these razors against each other. Not that its a competition. I’m just trying to see if I can tell a difference.
The easy differences are obvious - length and weight - one shorter and heavier, the other taller and lighter. In my mind, those lend themselves to the personal preferences of the user.
If I dedicated more time to the side-by-side shave approach, I might come up with more specific technical differences. I will admit that the user may get a better shave from one or the other IF they have a distinct preference for the size / weight issue - since the user MUST adjust their technique (pressure, stroke length, etc.) to the individual attributes.
I could not discern a specific preferred blade angle difference for the most efficient shave. They seemed to be the same - requiring me to ride the cap on both.
One very minor difference that I ‘think’ I experienced. I do not know if the height of the doors/cap are different or if it was just technique, but…
I have a mustache, but trim the upper part of it on the left and right side to have a clean, visual line on the top of the mustache. In my two side-by-side shaves, there was a slight difference in getting the Slim into that narrow area between the nose and the ‘stache. But for me, this would hardly cause me to choose one over the other.
I haven’t read any comparisons, but
I think it comes down to a height and weight issue - that is preferred by the user. I do not subscribe to the idea that the physical differences between the two cause one to be “better” than the other. It just provides choice between, or preferences as a user i.e - “I want a longer handle because I want a more maneuverable shave” or “I want a heavier razor so I can use less pressure.”
These are preferences, in my opinion, that lend themselves to the user, but do not cause a better or worse shave IF you have your technique down.
Enjoy your shave folks, I enjoy being here with you all!
Looking forward to next month.
Cheers!
RT
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