This past month has been pretty interesting. I used the Phoenix more than any other razor, but I put it up against 4 of my 5 other DE, some of which I hadn't used in a long time. It was fun to pull those out and give them some shave time. I was also interested in what I found as I used them.
The first razor I pulled out was my '48 Gillette Milord. This was a sentimental razor for me in that it was the first razor my family gave to me. I really wanted this razor to do well in this little comparison. Unfortunately, it was not my favorite. It provided nice shaves with at least a CCS or DFS result, but it also caused some irritation on each of the 4 days I used it. The irritation wasn't horrible, but it lasted several hours, and when I was outside in the SE Texas heat and humidity, a little sweat really agitated it (even several hours later in one case). One of the areas I noticed a big difference was the audible feed back between this razor and my Phoenix. The pitch of this was a bit higher with the Milord than with the Phoenix.
The next razor up was the '58 TV Special. Of all the razors I would have almost preferred to lose in a comparison, this would have been it, primarily because it didn't have any sentimental value, and I was thinking of trading it for something else. But, this razor performed well, as always. It was smooth and provided nice CCS to DFS results. I had little to no irritation each time I used it. The feel is also so natural to me. The balance is nice with sufficient weight to make shaving fairly effortless. I really enjoyed this razor. The audible feed back was a slightly higher pitch than the Phoenix, similar to what I found with the Milord. All in all, I had a great 4 days of shaving when using this razor.
I then put the Fatboy up against the Phoenix. This was by far the most interesting of all of the comparisons. Up this this point, all the razors had been fairly mild and smooth. After a month's focus on the FB, I had found that I liked it set on 7 (seems to be a bit of a theme on this thread), so I kept it here this entire time. At this setting, the FB is more aggressive than the other razors, at least in my opinion, and I could really tell. It was the first time I had really noticed this. I always got a nice CCS or DFS out of it, and never any irritation, but it also just felt more aggressive. I would say it was like comparing a cruising sedan to a sports car. The Phoenix would be like the sedan rolling down the highway almost effortlessly, not feeling a bump in the road, and almost lulling you to sleep. The FB on the other hand would be a bit like a sports car: you can feel the bumps in the road, but you can also feel there is more there and it just wants to go. There is also a bit of the feeling that it could break loose on you, but it never really does. In some ways, I would say the FB is more fun to shave with, in that you do seem to get just more feedback from it.
The last razor was a Gillette Ball End Tech. This razor was actually similar to the TV Special. It was fairly automatic and easy going. I like the weight and balance of the TV Special better, but I realize I need to make more room in the rotation for the lowly Ball End Tech, as it really is a nice shaver. The thin head of the three piece is also nice, as it is a little easier to get into places such as just under the nose.
So all of these razors up against the Phoenix. The Phoenix is a great shaver in my opinion. I love the head design, as I get smooth, irritation free shaves. I will say I have changed the handle on it, as I felt the original handle a little light. I had a RazoRock Mission that I have since given to my son, and I took that handle and swapped with the Phoenix handle. This has made the Phoenix a better overall razor in that it added some weight and made the balance a little more to my liking. With that, I can pull this razor out and just glide through a shave. Once I got used to the streaks of lather left after I pass, I got to where I appreciated them. It allows for a little buffing without fear of retribution. This is definitely a mild shaver, but at the same time, it is efficient, resulting in CCS to DFS without much work. To anybody looking for an intro into OC razors, I would gladly recommend this one.
Which razor was the best? Well, I am honestly not sure. I can tell you that I preferred the Milord the least (sadly). I would actually probably say that I liked Fatboy the most, closely followed by the Phoenix and TV Special. I do think the FB is just more fun to use, although I do feel that it warrants a bit more attention than the Phoenix. This could easily turn into a weekend (fun) vs weekday (not always fully awake) type of thing for me when deciding what razor to use in the future. I also will make sure to work in the Ball End Tech, as it really does work well, too, and has been neglected in my Den too long.
Now on to SEptember, which I have a sneaking suspicion will just complicate my rotation up further. This has been a fun month, and I have greatly enjoyed reading all the posts and shenanigans on this thread.
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