Old-Type is difficult to shave with but the best post-shave BBS experience.

When shaving with Old Type, the angle is not completely intuitive when coming from modern razors. Somehow, you need to have the handle further away from the face than with other razors. The muscle memory needs to be relearned...

At least this is my experience of this razor, but probably also a YMMV thing.

 

I use my o6 Single Ring about 5 times a month it's my favorite but agree that you must be on your game. For me no pressure at all results in no irritation. It also took me awhile to find the right blade (Rapira P-Lux) as she is somewhat blade specific. All in all just a great shaver for me.

 

"What's the vector Victor?" "Eh?"
I'll stop now, before I get carried away

 

Hey,

Bookworm. You saved my face bro. Thanks!

I used the Kai blade today with my Gillette 1907 Old-Type and used the exact same patient technique and I used the exact same cross-grain stroke on my neck that I have so much trouble with in regards to irritation with the Old-Type. Now, while I still got a couple of 'creepers' (delayed tiny pin sized dots of blood) on my neck, I did NOT have the inflamed-red irritation that the other thinner blades gave me.

So, thanks Bookworm. Your blade recommendation was SPOT ON and the best advised I've gotten on this shave forum. Usually I have to figure things out for myself with trial and error and you saved me potentially months or years to get the best shave possible out of this old antique razor.

I am now going to start recommending the Kai Stainless Steel blade and it's .006 inch thickness to all Old-Type users who have irritation issues. This blade change solves the problem!

I have a similar issue with the Dave Ocean 33 razor giving me irritation. I'm going to try the Kai blade in that one too and see if it helps. If not then I will try shimming the Dave Ocean 33 razor and if that fails then it's going in the trash as it was a cheap razor anyway and a knockoff of the Joris 'Odyssey' razor. It hasn't turned out to have the fit or finish or shave quality I expected, but I will make the best of it until it becomes too ugly or until I'm unable to utilize it.

 

You're welcome. This is about the _only_ time I can see a blade making a massive difference for a razor. The razor head geometry normally makes more of a difference than the blade itself. It's simply that whacking 1/3 off of the thickness of a piece of steel is a massive change. It appears it was in 1930/1931 when they made the change, specifically because of the NEW.

http://www.mr-razor.com/Rasierklingen/Rasierklingen.htm

Now, this next part is straight physics and geometry. No technique involved.

If you compare the Blue Blade to one of the original blades on @mr-razor's site above, you'll notice that not only is it a thinner blade, they then whacked that great big line down the middle. That's the "Crap, our patent ran out!" change. What that means is that there is no longer the same amount of spring stress (torque) from side to side on the blade. (This is also what allows people to easily snap the blades in half) What this means, from a stability standpoint, is that the blade chatter is only reduced by the last point to clamp the blade _on each side_. The NEW base plate changed radically from the OLD. It wasn't just the groove for the head bar, but the geometry of the head moved a line of pressure outwards towards the edge, and away from the center.

Bulldog head - Notice that it's a smooth curve. That means it depends on the torque being close to the same across the entire length of the blade. The blade is bent evenly across the entire head by the cap. (Comments between photos)



NEW head. Notice that it is flat, then has a sudden cut just before you reach the comb. That's where the clamping force happens.



The Tech's have roughly the same base plate geometry as the NEW. (Sorry, don't have a photo handy with the base plate flipped up. I'll try to find one in my photos)


Again, this is probably the ONLY time you'll see that much of a difference. All of the razors after 1930 were designed with the thinner blades in mind. (Other than some specialty ones, like the Ronson, I suspect. Maybe I should qualify with 'From Gillette') So the differences between brands would be limited to the grind, the coating, and the alloy composition. (oh yeah. And Quality Control)

Rabidus, from B&B, is the one who brought it to my attention initially. I won't claim credit for the original idea.

I can get a good shave from an OLD, but I'm wondering how much better it'll be with the more rigid blade myself. Maybe I'll order some Kai in the next month or two.

 

Why would you want to make the Old Type MORE aggressive? It's too aggressive as it is with the thinner blades. I thought shimming was to tame it down a bit.

 

I personally wouldn't shim an Old Type myself, it's aggressive enough as it is.

 

Yup. All it takes is good technique. They give an awesome shave with out being molested....

 

Gillette suggested loosening the knob for a closer shave which is what I suppose the addition of a shim is trying to replicate.
I always prefered the thick cap old type to the earlier thin cap.

 

I wonder if that would have worked with the ball end handle.

 

I was under the impression that people shim the Old Type to make it LESS aggressive. The reason it's so aggressive is because the new blades are thinner than the OEM's back then. Attempting to make it more aggressive is crazy IMHO.

 

I think it would have a greater tendency to wobble versus a single ring, but there's one way to find out.

 

I was thinking the same. I see no reason to adjust anything on one though.

 

I think that when you shim a blade, it increases it's height, therefore increasing the blade gap and making it more aggressive.

 

Depends if you shim above or below the blade, right?

 

The old, introduced me to DE shaving after using carts. I had a good BBs first shave with it using a wilkinson blade (the only one I could find locally). It was a fine shave but with weepers. I would use it again now if I have heavy growth but with no pressure and a lot of caution. Regarding blades, I wouldn't use an extra sharp blade, that would be asking for trouble. Shimming usually makes a head more aggressive and I wonder why do it on an already aggressive razor. I used to shim my 34C but even with 5 shims it was still mild.

 

Shimming above the blade would not change anything on the blade would it?

 

Shimming is done below the blade. A shim on top wouldn't make a difference either way because the blade gap will stay the same.

 

Yup.

 

You really like razors aggressive.