I use DEs, Injectors, and GEM-style razors. I've never tried an AC razor. Am I missing anything? If I were to try one, is the Blackland Vector really the end-all/be-all? At $200+? Is the Yaqi knockoff even close? (Please, no whining about "we shouldn't support knockoffs." And no semantics about knockoffs vs. clones vs. copies.) Razorock Hawk? Less pricey. When you look up reviews, there are umpteen different configurations and versions of it, which makes a simple comparison complicated -- even without taking into account YMMV. And oh yea, people claim the same razor shaves very different depending on the AC blade you try. (What else is "knew"?) Is this a rabbit hole I'm better off not jumping into? Thanks.
With your collection, you certainly are not missing out on the greatest thing ever. Since you asked for opinions, I'll share my experience. When I acquired a Vector, I sold off several very nice razors because for me, it is just that good. The wider and stiffer blade makes a big difference. Because I went straight to the Vector, I have not been curious or tempted to purchase any other AC safety razor. The weight, balance, and efficiency work really well for me. I also shave the head, and it is wonderful for me. It is definitely one that I will not consider parting with, and if it came down to it, the Vector would likely be the one I would keep if I could only keep one. Like @wristwatchb , I was curious to try single blade shaving without the honing and stropping. It is amazing how many people sell off Feather AC blade holders well below retail value when you keep your eyes open. I have a Feather DX kamisori style and a foldable Feather SS. I'll be honest, it did not go well at first. I persisted for 30 days last year to gain some technique. I can now shave with one without shedding blood. My technique is not good enough to give BBS, but it really is satisfying to shave using one. One of the silly side non-consequential reasons I really like single blade shaving (including injector) is that there is only ONE blade. It does not really affect my sanity, but when DE shaving (which honestly is most of the time) I am always conscious of which side of the double edge I am using so as to wear each side as equally as possible. Not a big thing, but there it is. Now it will be a splinter in your brain when you DE shave Some day in the distant future, if I ever use all of the DE blades in my dragon's hoard, I might consider single edge only.
Thanks! Yes, I was looking into increasing variety as well as potentially getting better shaves. There's an obvious difference in increased blade thickness with an injector blade over a DE. Are ACs thicker that injector blades? Or is it just the Super Pro that is thicker? How does the thickness compare to GEM blades? I'm like that, too -- worrying that one edge is getting more use than the other. I don't rinse until both sides have lather, but it's at the end of the shave during touchups and I'm done, where I think "oops, I didn't use the opposite clean side!" Rather than starting another thread, I'll point out the obvious here. Technique really does trump tools. I've been using injectors exclusively for around 2 months, and I started to think that I might stick to them permanently and ditch DEs except on rare occasions for variety. Well, I shaved with a DE this morning and the shave was every bit as good. I think my technique just keep continuing to improve.
BTW, when I look up info on the Yaqi Romulus, I mostly get pages and pages of people fighting about buying knockoffs. My experience with Yaqi is that they make quality products. Let the leaders/lawyers of our nations duke it out if they shouldn't sell knockoffs to Americans. I'm confused by Yaqi's offerings, but I think the difference between the Romulus and Excaliber is that the latter takes standard handles. I think the Remus is the same as the Romulus but with a matte finish. Some of their offerings seems to be half-blade DEs, but they are not always clear on that.
Good thread. I’m in your position. DE, injector and Gem is it for me. I decided when the AC format was still in its infancy that I just wasn’t going to keep yet another blade type in my stash. Frankly, I’m still not interested. I have so many razors and decades worth of blades to enjoy as it is, but only one face to shave. Another blade format would just overwhelm me!
I hear ya. I feel like I've exhausted the variations in shaves among my razors, especially DEs. Of course, there are many I haven't tried, but I've tried enough to realize that even a $500 razor is probably not going to be noticeably different from what I already have. AC is a gap in the disposable blades format that I haven't tried yet. So curiosity is killing the cat.
I have three razors that take AC blades. Two Feathers DX & Folding AC. But the creme de la creme is my Cobra Classic. Fantastic design; gorgeous to look at and a magnificent shave.
If your interested in AC type razor the Razorock hawk V2 & V3 or the Yaqi Romulus are good affordable razors that give decent shaves. I also use Schick and Gem SE razors and the Gem razors are the most affordable when it comes to blades per 100 pcs , Gem only offers SS or carbon blades. I like the Gem PTFE blades myself and Schick has a few good blades offerings for their injectors. There is more selection of blades for the AC type but they are pricy IMO compared to Gem or Personna injectors blades. A nice treat for AC blades are the Kai Protouch or Feather Proguard blades if you ever decide to learn with AC Shavette type razor in the future, they prevent the blade from digging in and prevent a lot of nicks and cuts is what I found. If you get a AC SE razor that is aggressive lots of folks use the guarded blades to make a nice shave with no issues. It is hard to beat a Gem razor shave when mastered IMO, but the Yaqi Excalibur SE (chromed one) will give any razor a run for the money IMO and is the most affordable by just buying the head when on sale IMO and just use any handle you like and that works great also.
Actually, I wasn't aware (until I got all these responses) that ACs were used for straight razor shaves. I doubt I'd go that route. Cobra -- looks nice but ouch on the price! Looks like they're sold out, anyway.
Thanks. I'm well covered with GEMs, but haven't used them much, TBH. Well covered with injectors, too. If I decide to try, I'll probably consider a Yaqi or Shield offering. I still need to figure out all the differnences with gap, handles, and materials. Sometime it seems that sellers on Ali leave out the most important info you're looking for... The RR Hawk looks kinda bulky to me -- then you need to decide which version within the versions. e.g. V3 standard, etc... Stuff like that drives me crazy.
The AC razors that the blades referenced by wristwatch are Feather blades. The thing you need to notice is the blade front to back length. The pro super blades have a depth of 8.2 mm. This gives the razor it is installed in more blade exposure. Where Pro light blades have a 7.2mm depth. Causing the blade to have less exposure. I only use pro super blades but I'm not the normal shaver. I like GEM razors that I use Pessona GEM blades, and have a few different AC type razors. If you want to experiment with an AC razor I'd suggest the Razorock Blackhawk V2. I will also suggest not to use the pro super blades. Good luck. tp
Thanks. (Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.) I didn't realize there was a Blackhawk and a Hawk. Sounds like Blackhawk is aluminum. Not a big fan of aluminum razors. It's not the weight -- something about the shaving sound that I don't like too much. Are Feathers better than Kais and Schicks? I assume so. Sounds like the "Professional" blades are the way to go. So confusing that they all use "Pro" in the name. Pro-this, pro-that. Maybe it's just me, but when you are unfamilair with stuff, and you're scanning text, when you walk away only "pro" sticks in ur mind. But that's another topic for another day. Now I'm actually thinking about ACs for shavettes. lol. Everybody always jokes that razors are just blade holders -- a shavette is indeed just that! That being said, how much better is one shavette over another? EDIT: OK, some quick searches and I see that Feather AC disposable blade razors are in a different league than standard shavettes. I was at first hesitant to say "shavette", since that implies half-DE blades. Now I see that's true. Looking at Feather's offerings, it seems like one with an SS tip would be best for beginners, and those with sensitive skin. That's me on both counts. Again with terminology -- I thought SS stood for Stainless Steel...
I'm already seeing folding Feathers with SS tip, brand new, on eBay for about $40 less that the various U.S. online shaving retailers. Could they be counterfeits?
OK Maybe I can answer some of the questions. A blade type and brand is just personal preference. You really have to try each for a while to figure out what you like. For price vs use the Blackhawk v2 is aluminum, but I wouldn't discount it out of hand. A shavette is a different beast all together, so if your gonna get one, expect a steep learning curve. I bought a Stainless steel Open Comb Hawk AFTER I figure out I liked the AC type razors and blades. But those blades are quite expensive and if you don't get any better shave from an AC type razor, it's not worth getting lots of money involved. I have what I figure is a tough beard. I also have issues with tender skin and razor bumps. So I use Feather blades in my DE and AC razors. I can get 1 shave from a DE blade and 2 shaves from an AC blade. I also use what is called highly aggressive razors. So if you get a good shave from your DE, you might not see any advantage of an AC razor. If your using a Gillette super speed or a mild razor type, you'll probably be disappointed in an AC razor. Just my opinion. tp
Please forgive me, I don’t want to appear out of line by saying this. I’m not usually one to tell a guy how to spend his money. Whenever possible, I think it’s important for us as shavers to support the online shaving retailers who have helped to forge the very community that we comprise. Businesses that have been part of the fabric of this wet shave community on both sides of the Atlantic depend on our business in order to stay afloat, so they can be there for us the next time we want to try something new.
I hear ya, but I've spent my fair share of dough at the online retailers - and I'm not talking just about Aliexpress. I need to check again, but though I know the eBay seller I mentioned is in North America (I set the search parameters), I think he is a retailer. Didn't seem like someone just selling stuff he didn't want. It was brand-spanking-new. An it is online - -some prefer to use the eBay platform rather than create their own site and deal with the hassles that come part-and-parcel with it. $40 is a huge chunk of change to save on something -- close to 40% less. One of the few ways I can afford to try new stuff is to get the best possible price. I'm sure many here have that same goal. I don't, however, want to wind up getting a counterfeit. The online shaving retailers that we all know and love are not all saints, either. I won't mention which one, but I bought a new production razor from an online retailer, and it was defective on arrival. They pawned me off to the manufacturer, who honored a return-and-replace (thru the vendor), but neither the vendor nor the manufacturer would foot the bill for my return shipping. Needless to say, I won't be buying from that vendor nor the manufacturer again. As an aside, the defect was well documented across the forums, and the manufacturer was aware and made fixes for subsequent versions. Yet both the vendor and the manufacturer acted like they had never heard of the defect before. In the back and forth emails, one of them inadvertently included me on an email that stated how much the vendor was paying the manufacturer wholesale for the razor. I forgot the exact numbers, but the mark-up was huge. Huge enough that paying for my return shipping would have barely made a dent in his profit. Instead, he lost a customer. Now if that happened on eBay, I would not have had to pay for the return shipping, since it was defective. I'm not here to save the world. I'm here to enjoy the hobby, and not pay through the nose if I don't have to.
