My first shave with a slim adjustable

I just used my Gillette Slim Adjustable for the first time. It was quite dirty, as a lot of old soap residue was in the knurling but I soaked it last night in Dawn liquid dish detergent and then I sprayed it with Scrubbing Bubbles. This took the black inlay off the numbers. After it was clean I loaded a Astra SP, lathered up some Proraso, set the razor to # 2 and went to it.
I thought it went well. It was a smooth shave. Perhaps not as close as I expected but I was nervous to crank the dial on my first attempt.

 

Your doing it the correct way. Adjust upwards one number at a time. Take your time, enjoy the shave!

 

Very cool. Just take it up a notch a day until you find your sweet spot. Also, I understand that Sharpie makes a paint marker that will restore those numbers.

 

Thanks. I will see if I can find one. I really had no choice. It needed a cleaning in the worst way.

 

@Spud , this is what Jim is talking about.

http://www.sharpie.com/enUS/Pages/oil-based-paint-marker.aspx

Try looking up local craft stores, they should carry it or something similar.

 

Thanks for that. We have an arts & crafts store in town. I'll try to find this. The inlay came off so easy, I suspect it was not the original paint.

 

Spud you are doing fine. The Slim is my go to razor when I get into issues with other razors. Enjoy the Slim!

 

That slim looks nice. I just repainted the numbers on my Black Beauty, using the paint and swipe method. It worked great. This is the thread with some options http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/what-i-used-to-repaint-adjustable-numbers.40174/#post-718543

 

Congrats Spud! You will like the Slim the more you use it.

Bob

 

Spud, you're doing OK. Although YMMV I tend to do my first WTG pass on a higher number like 7 or 8. Then I dial it down to 3 or 4 to do the XTG and ATG passes. Seems to work for me. Once you get used to it, don't be afraid of the higher settings. I found that when I try to shave only on a milder setting I tend to "overwork" the shave and end up irritating my face. You'll like the Slim.

 

I also started at # 2 but I now use #7. Don't rush it

 

Glad you had a good first shave with the slim. I really enjoy the slim but it still suprises me that the best setting for me is only on 3.

 

I perform the whole shave on 3. I like my shaves but I might go a bit higher

 

Thanks for that. I had to resist the urge to go over the same area several times. I will turn it up one next shave

 

I'll see how # 3 works for me next time.

 

That's why I don't believe the advice to start real low with an adjustable is always correct since the need to keep going over some areas can lead to irritation. A higher, more efficient setting can alleviate that.

 

I think I started on a 4 and ended up on 8&9. Set it at a 5 for my head with lab. I have pretty much given up on the old adjustables because of the issue with skewed guard bars. If you ever have that problem send it out to get fixed.

 

Congrats on the slim! they are one of the best shavers to have in your rotation.

 

I love my slim, had always wanted one. It lived up to my expectations and is a large part of why I love shaving now.

 

Very nice, enjoy your shave