Injector Razor Guru . . .

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by ThePossum, Dec 28, 2009.

  1. ThePossum

    ThePossum Member

    Okay, someone on TSD is a guru when it comes to injector razors. I am considering looking for a vintage injector and would like some advice on what to get and just how easy it is to get some decent (I emphasize decent) injector blades.
     
  2. Dridecker

    Dridecker Sherlock

    How aggressive do you want the razor to be? Early Type E and G's are pretty aggressive, while the later models are tamed down quite a bit. I don't get along with aggressive razors at all, but the E Type is my favorite, I could never get a good shave from the later milder Types for some reason.

    Now shortly, I expect Martin to come through and give his experiences, which are markedly different than mine. I know he hates the early Types, and loves the later Types.

    If OTOH, you just want to test drive one or two first, I would be willing to loan you a couple of different Types to try if you like.

    I have found the CVS house brand injector blades to be fine for me, but if you want some Ted Pella's the TSD store is going to be offering them pretty soon, as is BullGoose Shaving.
     
  3. Slivovitz

    Slivovitz Well-Known Member

    Not a "guru", but I have an L1, I2, and G1, and have been shaving with them in alteration for the past 10 days. I have to say that I have been getting great shaves.

    The G1 is supposedly more aggressive than the L types, and you can see that is more blade exposed, but when it comes to the actual shave, I can't say it feels much different to me.

    The I2 has the hydro magic lever which easily loosens up the blade compartment to make it easier to rinse it out. Some of the earlier models, like the G type, have a lever which moves to the side and let you open everything up for cleaning. Actually getting it to move can be kind of hard, though. I did this when I first got my G1, and cleaned a lot of gunk out of there, but I don't think I'll do it again if I can avoid it. Some of the later ones are darn near impossible to open up, but there are still tricks for cleaning them.

    A lot of injectors seem to show up on eBay in unopened original packages, but the problem is that they usually go for very high prices that way. Probably being bought by collectors who will keep them in the package and stick them on a display shelf. Big waste, IMHO. You can get used injectors pretty cheap, though, and after a cleaning they'll be good to go.

    I can get 11 packs of blades at my local CVS. The price comes to about 48ยข a blade including sales tax. They work fine for me, but the magazine doesn't line up quite right with the razor, and I have to twist it gently. Other people have commented on this.

    Schick brand blades are still being made. You can get them on Amazon, and they qualify toward free shipping. More expensive than the CVS ones. If Bullgoose and the TSD store are going to offer the Pellas, I may get some there. I already got one package from another source, but so far have only used the CVS ones.
     
  4. Hi there Bill,

    That's good and accurate advice you gave about the performance of the various types. Of course, the results may vary juuust a tiny bit between members. Yep, you got my druthers right also. Those early ones are little bloodsucking vampire razors.......heh.

    Well Bryce, I wouldn't call myself an injector expert, although I've used most of em that were made. Even had one as my daily shaver for 6 months before switching to a DE type. Maybe I can add a thought or two about injectors, even though a few members have already provided valuable advice.

    If you KNOW you get along well with fairly aggressive DE razors, then the early models should be fine. Otherwise, you run the risk of a pretty uncomfortable shave. Those early types pack a punch, and the blade gap is frightening........heh.

    With any injector, you're gonna have to bear down a bit sometimes. It weighs very little and assistance is occasionally needed to keep the thing from skipping. It'll take you 3-4 shaves to figure it out, so don't be discouraged. Believe me, an injector can provide an excellent shave, but you have to learn a little different technique to suit it.

    The 'J' and 'L' types will shave about the same, since the heads are a similar design and the handles are about the same length. Those are the ones I prefer, as Bill mentioned. My favorite injector would be the 'M' adjustable type. I'd set the thing to #3 and leave it there............just as I do my Fatboy. It has a nice handle design, and that adjuster really does work.

    Blades.........sigh. I used some NOS ones not available anymore, so I can't recommend those to you. There are supposed to be some vintage types that sometimes show up for sale, but you'd have to do a search for those posts. Can't recall which old ones were the best. I do know the old Personna '74' Tungsten blades have gotten excellent reviews from members, and those do show up occasionally for sale.

    Otherwise, the Schick blades aren't bad............make sure they're the ones made in China and NOT Germany. You may have decent luck with the Pella or CVS ones but you'd have to try em to find out.

    I think giving the injector a try is worth the effort. It's a different sorta shave, using a much stiffer blade. Pretty interesting actually.

    Ok, I think my fingers need to rest.......heh. I hope some part of this post helped somehow.

    Martin

    Oh crap..........I'm sorry Chris isn't around anymore. He was the member who knew more about injectors than me. Oh well, maybe he'll read this and chime in sometime. I miss that guy.
     

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