Injector & SE Party !!!

The Valet AutoStrop VC1.
WOW!!!!

 

Tonight I had another go with my Rolls. The first two times I was only able to get a single pass out of it. The blade is not sharp enough for more. Today however I was able to get two passes from it.

The first pass WTG I paid special attention to keeping the angle right. I felt no tugging on my face and neck. Under my jaw (my trouble area) I had to take extreme caution. I finished the first pass with no blood. The blade felt sharp enough to try a second pass.

The second pass XTG went very well on my face. On my neck I found I had to change my direction. I usually go from Ear to Adams Apple. With the Rolls I found it cut better the opposite way. I finished the second pass with no blood and decided to stop there with the Rolls. I did a cleanup pass with my Bunny V-2 with a twin in it. I finished with a nice shave.

I cannot wait to get the Rolls blade up to snuff. I think I will really enjoy the shaves with it.

Tom

 

Going with the Mongoose tomorrow seeing I received some new Proguard blades I havent tried before.

 

SE Noob question: Does the Valet use regular SE blades our something else? I can't tell from the pics I've seen.

 

The early couple of Models can use a Gem Blade or a Feather I believe..The ones after that use the a Feather SE Blade as above..These blades were made for a Valet that the Japs Cloned...

Billy..

 

SOTD
On the road today.
Palmolive shave stick
AoS Pure Badger travel brush
Schick type G
Chick blade
MK Sport cologne
Have fun!

 

The OneBlade Razor..

Three Pass Shaving Routine...

Hot Water prep & massage with Argan Oil
OneBlade Razor (Pass Around)
Feather SE Blade
Mason Pearson Pure Badger
French Monsovan Bol Tallow soap
Thayers Original Witch Hazel

I just had the Most Comfortable All Over BBS Dolphin Smooth Shave with the OneBlade Today..The Feather Blade performs very well in this Razor..Its obvious to a Blind Man that the OneBlade has been designed around the Feather Blade..No Bones About it..I loaded a Gem blade to begin with but it doesn't click into place & when I had a shave there was clear movement with my barbed wire Whiskers..I wasn't happy with that to say the least..I suspected this would happen when I loaded it because the Gem Blade has cut outs on the side & it just doesn't get locked in the way the designers intended..

Moreover..The Feather blade even when locked down has a slight bit of play..Very small amount but its there..The blade is not rigidly held in place..I don't think it affects the shave any because of the Pivoting or Floating Head Design..The OneBlade looks Aesthetically pleasing to the eye & looks well constructed..I wont mention the Packaging because I don't bother with that Kinda Malarkey..Looks like an Indian Squaw could have perhaps made it though..

I was immediately struck by how Mild the OneBlade is..Its very Mild Indeed..The Feather blade makes up for this though because its a very sharp blade..On my First WTG Pass it reduced my 2 days of Whiskers with less efficiency than a Gem Featherweight for sure..Very comfortable though..It came to more to its own on my 2nd XTG Pass & Subsequent ATG pass & performed very well especially on the neck area..A Monkey would find it hard to get razor burn or any irritation with this razor..It is as forgiving as a Modern High End Cartridge System for Sure..This Razor is clearly designed to use a sort of even pressure on the Floating Head..Not any forward pressure but even pressure..I put an elastic band around the pivoting arm to test this & it just wouldn't remove a Darn Whisker..Its so Darn Mild..If you lock up a Modern Cart razor it wont shave worth a darn either as they are designed to use some pressure as well..

So what can I say..The OneBlade is one of the most comfortable SEs I have ever used & it offered me an All Over BBS result..Here comes the Paradox..I didn't find the OneBlade Comfortable to use..That is to say this thing is like a Mediaeval Design the way it handles during the shave..The Head is Very Clunky & Feels Very Loose Pivoting Back & Forth..Its reminded me of a Jack in the Box on a Spring..The Head can skim over your face when the angle isn't Spot On..That's not a problem once the penny drops of course but a preverbal pain in the Ass nevertheless..The design very feels very Primitive & Arcane..I found it quite an Awkward & Uncomfortable Razor to Use..There lays the Paradox..It offers a very comfortable shave but I found it very uncomfortable to use..

The OneBlade & the Feather was just so forgiving..The End Result BBS for me was Akin to a Cartridge Kinda Depth & Finish..Its a shallow BBS Result & that's Fine & Dandy of Course but its a lot less Comfortable to Shave with than a Top End Cart.Its a Mediaeval Instrument by Comparison..That's my First Impressions of the OneBlade Razor..


Billy..

 

What Billy Said.

 

Nice Dopp bag!

 

Valet AutoStrop VC4

 

Great First Thoughts. Look forward to hearing more.

I really do like the Fearher SE blades since I've been trying out the Valets. But they don't last long. I got 3 shaved out of the last one. That's not too good in my book. :-/

But they are lovely blades for the 3 shaves!! Haha

 

Yeah..I have to agree with you there..I dumped the blade there after one shave..I touched the edge & its gone..

Billy..

 

They use the Feather FHS blade, which fits 99% of them. The earlier models (VC1, VB1 and the pre-Valet models) can use a Gem blade with the spine removed and the corners clipped. This is easy to do, and takes less time than it took me to type this. Vintage NOS blades can be used, although finding one with an edge that has not deteriorated can be a challenge.

The Auto-Strops are fascinating razors and good shavers.

--Bob

 

Thank you. I like it a lot. Very nice quality.

 

Round two with the Bunny:
I changed things up a bit with the Bunny today. I wanted to try out a twin blade. One thing I can say about the Bunny is that it is like my PAL Injecto Matic or PAL Adjustable in that I think it finds a way to cut whiskers below the skin line. Really, a BBS with these razors lasts a long time.

Since there was only a light beard to work with I stayed with the Mild comb. The headline? Another super close shave with all of the face rubbing goodness that that brings. But, we all know that we learn something with every shave with a newer razor so here's my take-aways from today:

• First, the Mild is more than enough for a one day beard. In fact, I don't think I'd want to try the Notso or Wild unless I had 36 or more hours of growth. There's a good reason why the recommendation is to start with the Mild comb when you get your hands on it.
• Second, the twin did not transform the razor like I thought it might. Nothing like the difference you'll get from shaving with a Schick Type I loaded with a single Schick vs. a Twin. A nice blade combo for the Bunny without a doubt but not as transformational of an impact.
• Third, do not treat the Bunny like a Schick. The angle is different and the head is larger. I've put some pics below to try to give you a visual. I found I was prone to dropping the handle more than needed as if I were shaving with a Schick or even a PAL. It was easy to lapse into existing habits. Getting the handle up and the head more parallel makes a noticeable difference. It's worth putting some attention on this.
• Fourth, the head is larger and it can be easy to let this psych you out. It's actually very close in size to the Personna British Executive. It just takes a little getting used to if you regularly shave with a Schick or PAL. A slight bit harder under the nose but not difficult to manage.
• Fifth, the Bunny really shaves close. Yes, you've heard it before but it's worth repeating. I could easily have gotten away with a 2 pass shave and some wet touch ups. I went for three passes because I am that kind of guy. That third pass is always a little risky but I like the challenge. In this case, I did end up with a couple of small weepers on the upper lip but I am pretty certain that it was an issue with the angle I used for the underhanded ATG pass. They closed on their own and I skipped the Alum. Cold water was fine.

Like yesterday, it was like wiping the whiskers away. With the right angle and pressure you'd swear you are just brushing them off at wi

I'm going to skip shaving tomorrow so I can move up to the Notso comb with the twin blade I have loaded. Check back on Thursday to see how the Bunny works with a heavier beard. In the meantime, here are pics of today's set up and some comparisons with a Schick:

T&H Ultimate Comfort PSO
Castle Forbes Lavender Shaving Cream
T&H Wellington Super Badger
The Bunny B-V3 with Mild comb
NOS Personna II (1)
T&H Classic After Shave Balm



Notice the difference in angle...


...and the difference in the width of the head (bear in mind the blade in the Bunny is a little wider since it is a twin.)


Happy shaving - Karl

 

I'm thinking it will shave more like a repeating razor. I will find out soon. BTW nice write up Karl!

 

Absolutely. I shaved with my C3 some days ago as I recalled @Billyfergie mentioning the angle being more like a repeater. Spot on. Now you have another reason to shave with your repeater this week.

 

Just got this in today. I have a ways to go to get one of each style of Schick Injector, but I am one step closer to completing my collection of L's. The latest is the Schick Stick to go with the Easy Rider, The Championship, the Grip, the Twin, and the other various L's I have. I am wondering about the Gillette Platinum Plus blades. What kind of quality are they.

 

I just checked the razor prices from OneBlade...yikes they are pricey! I hope you bought elsewhere for much cheaper!

 

I am fortunate to have this one on a Pass Around..Its like Handling a Kitchen Implement to me..Its a bit of a Geeks Razor..

Billy..