For my next shave I'll be using a Gillette Super Adjustable for the first time. This will be the first time I've used an adjustable razor. What sort of strategy is suggested to determine what setting to use? Do I start low and work my way up? Do I use different settings for different passes? Or do I just pick something in the middle, use it for a few shaves then adjust as needed?
I don't know if I would suggest it Pat but when I got my adjustable I stated with it cranked up to 9 and worked my way back to where I found comfortable a 7. I do like an aggressive razor.
I started my fatboy on 3 and have worked my way up to 6 which seems to be just about right. of course if you prefer a fairly aggressive razor to begin with you might want to start higher like 4 or 5.
The 3 is a good place to start and is about equal to a speed.. Oh and..remember to open the doors before adjusting...
What have you used in the past? Were they mild or aggressive razors. Knowing this will make the decision of where to set your slim easier. I started with my "Black Beauty" set on 3 and worked my way up to 9 and have not changed it since. The decision is up to you, trust your instincts, and make sure you open the silo doors before you adjust the settings.
I like the SA on 7 for the 1st pass. 5 for the second. and three for the finish and buffing. I though would recommend starting at 3 and working my way up.
It all depends on what you have used before. 9 is a little less agressive than some of the Merkurs out there, 7 is about equal to a red tip super speed, 3 a regular super speed, and 1 or 2 for a blue tip. Like the others have said, start on 3 and work your way up (or down) to what feels best for you. Never, ever, adjust the settings with the silo doors closed, it's a good way to break your razor.
My idea of why you have an adjustable: A. to shave closely and comfortably you need to on your 1st WTG pass knock down as much hair as possible as comfortably as you can. An Adjustable will allow you to use a setting of 2 or 3 on your 1st pass which allows you to do this. B.Now that you have less hair to deal with you can increase the setting to 4 or 5. This will cut closer and because there's less hair there's less discomfort. C. Once done with the second WTG pass you can go to the 3rd pass with the a higher setting at ATG. D.done.
My fatboy was my first DE razor, and I've been using it about two months. I worked my way up to seven and I've been using six mostly.
Do you guys find you use different settings for different blades? I finally figured that out. I was playing with the settings and almost didnt' buy it because it would get pretty stuff when getting past 7. Then I realized what I was doing wrong.
Most of the time I use my 38M, which I find to be just right for me. I like my tech, though it's a very mild razor. I think I'd like to start with something close to the 38M
The early super speeds were very mild shavers. When most people refer to a super speed's agressiveness being about a three on an adjustable, they are talking about the flare tip SS's made from the early 60's through the 80's. The adjustables were created because Gillette finally realized that everyone's face was not the same, and some people need mild razors and some need agressive ones. Rather than continuing to make three seperate razors for the "mild, normal, and heavy" beard growth crowd, they came out with an adjustable razor. A fact that Gillette, sadly, seems to have forgotten in modern times. If Gillette really wanted to one-up Schick or vice-versa, they would make a modern adjustable cartridge razor that would let you engage 2, 4 or 6 blades depending on how heavy your beard was.
I started out at 4 and that worked really well but left just a touch of stubble here and there. I run with 4 for a couple more shaves then work my way up. Do you guys use different settings for different blades, or once you find your setting, that's it?
