"Review" of STAR 1912 style SE razor

I just received my "New" STAR 1912 style Single Edged razor in the mail yesterday. I used it this-afternoon before going to work (12 Hr Night Shift).

Here are my impressions: (OBVIOUSLY, this is from MY perspective only Gents)

1. Razor Looks cool - Could stand to have some engraving and re-plating to dress it up a bit
2. Razor feels nice to shave with - Awkward at begining of shave, pretty comfy by the end
3. SE Blade marked GEM on the spine - Had to wrestle it out of the cardboard wrap :-/
4. Did NOT cut myself and die - Did get minor case of razor bumps and red "Pulled Skin" on the neck (Using my regular "Bluebeards" OR "Dreadnaught" shave cream)
5. Shave was not as close as I usually get with Weishi Black Chrome TTO with a Dorco DE blade or my old Gillette 1930 Ball End Tech Set with Wilkinson Sword Blade or Dorco blade
6. Seemed to drag a bit more than the other razors I've used but that MAY POSSIBLY (as if) have been my technique. hahahaha
7. Glad I bought it and happy to have it in my small and "In Use" collection

 

It may have seemed to drag because the blade angle was too high. With the SE, the head should be almost lying flat on your face, it's a different angle than a DE. I have to consciously think about the blade angle when I switch between DE's and SE's

 

Thanks for the "Good Oil" Erik. I will actually try again and lay that baby down nearly flat and see what I can do as soon as the pesky whiskers pop up again in a day or so. When it comes to errors on my part it seems that the word Possible should read Probable

 

Erik gave some good advice.

I see you are more familiar with Weishi and the Ball End Tech, and seem to get good shaves from them. Both of these razors are know for being pretty mild. The 1912 is much more aggressive by comparison. Actually among the SEs, I find the 1912 to give me a rougher shave than the Gem MicroMatic Open Comb, which many will say is one of the most aggressive razors out there.

All that being said, once you get the angle right and make your emphasis on NO PRESSURE (especially with SEs), you'll find you've got a very decent razor there that many around here think of very highly.

 

Thanks Steve, I will add your knowledge to Erik's sage advice on my next attempt and see if I can get an "A" in listening skills. No pressure, Low angle and I am assuming, lots of lovely lather.
I am aware that many see the Ball End Techs and Weishi s to be a mild shave and I would agree, especially since all of the razors I currently have are closed comb heads (even the 1930s Tech Set I have which apparently SHOULD have had an open comb base-plate).
It may not be "Pretty" but I love this razor for some unknown reason
Would I be right in assuming that with an open comb, these two razors go from mild to wild? OK maybe not WILD, Maybe just more aggressive.??????
In any case thank you all for your patient and considered advice.

 

No, just because a razor has an open comb does not automatically mean it is more aggressive than a razor with a straight guard bar. All razors are different, just the way it is. I have a couple of open comb razors that are milder than some of my straight bar razors. Aggression of a razor is dependent on the gap, not the bar being open or solid.

 

BTW swarden43 (or other Mods) how does a "New Member" become labeled as a "Member" or "Well-Known Member" or anything really?
I can't find a sticky or thread that describes the way one can progress through the levels in the forum. I did find the list of trophies one can earn, if one is clever enough and does not *&^% people off

 

What you see under a person's name is called a "Custom Title" (CT) and they change automatically with the number of posts you make, and I'm not sure what those numbers are. Some CTs are based on what someone may have said or done, thus becoming "worthy" of a truly custom CT. Those can only be changed by JoAnna (queen of blades) or Sparky, our super admin. CTs are not something you ask for, but something bestowed upon you by recommendation of a fellow TSD member.

 

Check this out for more info on Custom Titles ---> *click*

 

I am an SE fanatic, I use some version the majority of the time, and in my not so humble opinion the 1912 is the best razor ever designed. You didn't really say exactly which blade you used other than it had GEM on the spine and had the cardborad blade protetcor. Some hardware store SE blades match that description and really aren't sharp enough to shave with. Where did you get the blade, and what kind of package was it in? This guide may help a little.

http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/a-small-guide-to-single-edge-blades.28037/

 

Nice pick-up there Tom, I don't know what kind of GEM blade it is because I got one blade with the razor which I brought on Ebay from the US of A. It was just a blade in a cardboard wrapper (kinda naked huh?) The guy I bought it from seemed to have lots of good info and was very helpful, so I don't think he knew nothing about SE shaving. I suppose I did ASSUME that it was a GEM blade made for shaving. I loved your post that you attached above. EXCELLENT info. I'll try to get another DECENT blade before the next shave so I can eliminate one more variable, cause I love the look and feel of the STAR SE 1912 , I really WANT to have this operating as one of my few often used razors for the next 20 - 30 years.
Thank you

 

This is a COOL post.

 

Congrats on your successful first SE shave.. ...The Gem or Star 1912 is a really nice SE razor....While they do take a tiny amount of time to get used to,once your technique is on the're "Great" shavers..If you get a chance in the future you should try my favorite SE the EverReady 1924 "shovelhead"...A good blade will make alot of difference in your shave , I use a(made for shaving) Gem SS blade myself...
Two more things I'd like to tell you:
1) The thread size on most,but not all 1912 handles is 10/32, so if you get a 10/32 set screw you can use many/most 3 piece DE handles on your 1912 for a little variety. I've used Gillette, Star,Durham Duplex, and Weber among others...
2) You can use a shim(old DE blade with the edge bevel flattened/removed) under your blade to increase blade gap and so aggression..Start with one shim then you can experiment with different numbers of shims if you want to up the razor's aggresiveness even more.."BEWARE" shims "DO NOT" work well with TTO type razors(Fat Boys,SuperSpeeds,Weishi,etc) the shim will tend to make the doors want to bind....

 

Thanks heaps for that 178-Bplatoon, that is some great info. I do tend to like modifying things and this would be a non-

 

That is non-destructive way to mod my gear

 

Nice to see you like the STAR 1912 as well. It's a joy to use and always delivers.