Vintage SE Blades

I love OLD SE blades! Here are a couple of shots of my collection of "reclaimed" SE blades! They work great, and there is something inherently satisfying about using today a 'disposable" product that in some cases is pushing 100!

If you have any of these blades that you have thrown away because you thought they were useless, shame on you! The old blades are much better quality than their modern counterparts. Send them to me before you bin them!

SOTD - Reclaimed Shamrock

I've been enjoying using 'vintage' SE blades for a while now, but today I really wanted to push it. Today's blade reclaim was a rusty if unused American News Company "Shamrock - the lucky shave" blade from 1935. A basic carbon (unblued) blade with notches to fit the Micromatics. The whole process of getting this blade shave ready took about 20 minutes. Here is the process:

HONING:
25 laps 4k stone with slurry
25 laps 4k stone with water
25 laps C12k stone with slurry
50 laps C12k stone with water

STROPPING:
30 laps on shamwow
20 laps on Cr-Ox
20 laps on Fe-Ox
50 laps on newspaper
30 laps on leather.

In the GEM 1912, an incredibly smooth, comfortable, faceturbation shave in 2+ passes. This might seem a lot of trouble, but Hell I find it satisfying! FYI the only reason for the coarse/slurry honing in this case was the rust on the edge that needed removing. The good news is that once you get a blade like this shave ready, all you need to do to maintain it is strop on leather before the shave. You should be able to go a number of weeks before it will need refreshing on the pasted balsa. After that, all you need is 20 laps or so on a C12k followed by the full strop progression.

I have refreshed/reused the following brands of blades, with uniformly excellent and satisfying results:

Treet Carbon
Blue PAL
GEM Blue Star
GEM SS
Ever-Ready
Sha-ve-zee
Shamrock

Talk about stickin' it to the man! Anybody doesn't believe and has some vintage blades - send them to me, don't bin them! I'll send you one back and you can see for yourself!

DE "Technique" convention destroyed

I think this guy may be on to something here - this may be the reason that a half DE blade lasts longer in a 1912 or 1924 shovelhead than a whole DE blade lasts in any DE razor you'd care to name - it's the efficiency of the cutting angle... Experience this earth-shattering thread from B&B for yourselves:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/249569-20-Shaves-from-a-Feather-Razor-%28!-%29

All hail the mighty internet, without which we may never have learned! Everybody needs to try this - NOW.

Fresh Derby. Gillette Slim on "7". I tried this press the head into the flesh technique and GAWDAYUM! It's fucking NUTS. It throws all the conventional wisdom on its ear. I knew it was going to be something great when I saw this technique did WAY more WTG than I had ever experienced with the Slim. After 3 passes my face SQUEAKED it was so smooth!

The efficiency of the razor was exponentially increased - and ZERO IRRITATION, NICKS OR WEEPERS. Get on it, men!

UPDATE:
This technique sadly did not do well with my non-Gillette TTO razors, but I gotta say that it adds a dimension of closeness/comfort to the TTO experience. Just one more reason why everybody should own a Super Speed, 40s or Flare, made by the millions and readily available in decent shape for $10

Prep, Schmep!

I'm of the opinion that a lot of whimps and phags make a big deal about 'prep'. They put on some Yanni, light some aromatherapy candles, and go through a long and convoluted process of 'prep', in the hopeless attempt to steel their sissy selves for the blade. Give me a fucking break, people!

To the whole 'prep' issue I have 2 words - FACE LATHER. It's all the prep any man needs. I have found the results to be the same (great) even without a hot shower before the shave. It matters not how shitty and cheap your brush is - face lathering gets it done. If I'm coming out of the shower I'll do a minute on the face with the brush - if I'm coming 'dry' to the shave, maybe a couple of minutes.

It needs to be said, bowl lathering is great - if you're going to shave the fucking bowl! I scoff as you gently paint your sissy bowl lather on your delicate pantywaist skin using your $200 silvertip badger - please, that is shaving like a WO-MAN!

Seriously, if you need all these various scented candles, Wyndham Hill, potions, oils, creams, hot towels, fancy brushes/soaps/bowls/mugs/scuttles/razors/blades in order to get your fucking shave accomplished then G-d love you, but I will not!

S. Doll Simple Razor

So I was waiting in line at Mekong Rainier in Seattle and saw a box of these right before the 1st checkstand, next to the ear spoons and the like.

Jesus! The shoddiness of this thing defies belief - a piece of pressed tin and a large carbon half DE blade. I refuse to believe this thing is made in Japan in spite of what it says. If anyone can help me out with the Kanji on the back, I would be interested. This "Simple Razor" is simply terrifying - qualitywise it makes the Ali Biyikli look like a gold-washed Solingen. Safetywise, it makes the Ali seem like a Gillette Tech - check the edge-on pic and feel your sack contract...

So I stropped the hell out of it in my jeans and did a WTG with the Doll, nice and easy, and to my surprise it worked pretty well, and no nicks, weepers or burn. Not bad for $1.50, performancewise.

If any of you are man enough to attempt a complete shave with one of these, I want to hear about it!

Derby

Many HATE them, but I happen to really like Derby blades, a great all-around bargain performer. They do well on my face with every DE razor I have tried them in:
Gillette Old Type
Gibbs OC Old Type knockoff
Flare Tip Super Speed
Slim Adjustable
Lord L6 Premium
Yuma

They also do VERY well in some of the pre-micromatic SE razors, using the half DE blade mod.
I do have one gripe with the full sized ones, though - the packaging - 20 stupid little plastic boxes per 100 blades. At least for the "profesyonel" half blades, the packaging is minimal, recyclable, and/or compostable. Why don't they do 100s of the full sized blades? My guess is that the plastic is locally produced recycled refuse, and probably cheaper than dirt, but if they dropped it they would have to use a hell of a lot less cardboard...

Maybe if enough enthusiasts contact them at derby@azmusebat.com we could get them to change their pollutin' ways.

SOTD - WIN!

If you know me, you'll know that I like to mix it up a bit, and today was no exception. I wanted to take the E-R 1924 for a spin, but I didn't feel like stropping one of the vintage blades - "Tony"s half DE blade gizmo was calling, already loaded with a half Zorrik (1). Somehow, the dimensions of this particular blade holder fit perfectly in the 1924 (I have made a number of them and sadly no two are exactly alike. The shave was great, I love the 1924 head - it really gets to work! The Zorrik worked better than any available SE blade I have tried in the razor, with the added benefit of making a LOUD razor even LOUDER. That's what always bummed me out about the Gillette TTOs - the lack of adequate audible feedback. The one drawback to this particular 1924 is that it is from a travel kit so the handle is a bit short and crampy for my taste. SHAVE#3, half Zorrik - 1924 shovelhead with 1912 ornate/rope handle (it screwed right on). Thanks to the superior GEM handle, the Zorrik/shovelhead combo was superb. Incredibly close, loud, blood and trouble free! It has a reputation as a 'mild'/shitty blade, but I've liked them in everything I've put them in.

I'm going to repeat it in case anybody missed it all the other times - but the DE blade holder gimmick is so much more than a 'make-do'. It permits you to combine the superior engineering of some of the old ASR SE razors and the superior SHARPNESS, CHEAPNESS, and CONVENIENCE of readily available DE blades. I've had great shaves with modern carbon SE blades, but it took work to get them really sharp. I like using the old vintage SE blades, but those are even more of a hassle. 6 Badass shaves from one Zorrik is nothing I would try in a DE razor, but as I said, the pre-Micromatic ASR razors are simply more efficient than any Gillette DE product and you can really see it for yourself when you get a sharp blade in one! I've tried half a Feather and am now working on a Shark SS - incredible!