Quality DE razor recommendations needed...

[alfredus]

I have tried all old ATT heads (except H2) and found the R1 very similar to WR1 standard.

The.new heads have apparently the same shave profile, just a bit wider to protect the blade and an even better finish.

The H1 for me is way to aggressive and more in the Blackbird ballpark.

Blade gap alone is nothing, you also need blade exposure and head geonwtry (shave angle) to somehow compare heads...

For me the best information is when someone who has tried a lot and likes a similar razor to what I like, compares razors...

I like mild to mid aggressive razors. Many (I believe @Errol for example and yourself @StratMan) like it a bit more aggressive.

I think there are just a few razors that come together and satisfy both groups in terms of the shaving experience...the Wolfman would be one, the BBS-1 would be even more, but I think the ATT R1 (and the old Weber) fall also in that group...they might not be as perfect, but for the price difference and availability a good compromise IMO.

But if you have the Wolfman bug...

 

[nav1]

@nav1 i completely agree with your point about finding the razor.. i actually didnt like the Rockwell at the beginning and kept going back to my DE89 until i found the sweet spot with the Rockwell. I personally felt the R5 on the rockwell was more aggressive than the D plate of the karve so it might well be the angle i shave at with the karve.. unfortunately i have run out of time and believe you need a good week or two with one razor to learn it. Regardless i dont want to go after another mid range razor, after my wolfman experience i really want that luxurious feel to my shaves so that is all i will be after from here on in


@alfredus, the wolfman proved to me that i also like low profile heads. So from your recommendations i would be discounting the timeless and looking into the ATT1 R1 & R2

@Errol and @RustyBlade i will certainly bee looking into the RAW Shaving RS-10, had a look at in online and it is a very good looking razor.

@nsavage i would love to just get a wolfman, especially since i have shaved with it and know exactly what i will get, but there's no way im gonna wait two years on a waiting list to hopefully acquire one. I would rather just wait for the exchange rate to improve and purchase from a vendor that makes their product available to those that want to buy them.




So i had a look at ATT and coudlnt find any info on R1 or R2, i could find info on a Windsor SSR1 but nothing on anything R2 so not sure if its an old design?

from what i read the Windsor cap is wider to you get no blade hang, which apparently also reduces vibration aiding in a smoother shave. The R1 base plate gives a 0.58 mm blade gap that sounds a bit mild but i understand that you shouldn't just go by blade gaps as the head design will make the gap more or less effective depending on its design.

Also comparing against the wolfman's gap of 0.61 mm, i found the aggressiveness perfect, and going just by the numbers the R1 plate on the ATT is 0.58mm which is pretty close and by the sounds of it the right plate to go for.

The H1 ATT plate has a gap of 0.91mm which is a fair bit more different.

@alfredus (or anyone) have you tried both the ATTR1 or even H1 against the wolfman if so how to they compare?

also @Errol how does the wolfman WR1-SB compare against the RAW RS-10? and have you tried the ATTR1? how does this compare with either the wolfman or the RAW?

sorry about all the questions guys, but i really do value your opinions and would love to base a purchase on this wealth of experience.

Pity you're out of time with the karve.
I have a friend that got it with the C plate and couldn't even manage a DFS but with the F plate, he's all set for razors.

I had an ATT years ago but I sold it as it wasn't smooth on the skin (it's not that the blade wasn't rigid but more I didn't like the exposure on it). Of course YMMV and all that...but the Rockwell and karve are infinitely better.

Perhaps keep patience and try for a wolfman itself in order to satisfy the desire for a high end razor. Given you tried it and loved it, why not go for it right?

 

[StratMan]

@nav1 tell you what mate.. i really loved the look (patina) and feel of the Karve.. i also loved the way it shaved was real smooth and prior to trying the wolf i was pretty much set on picking that up with the D and E plates.. so who knows i may still end up with it

until i met the wolf.. mate, class unto itself but and as good as the wolf is, there is no way in hell im going on a two year waiting list and then basically motioning twitter waiting on when we can have the opportunity to buy and then getting online immediately to fight it out.. ridiculous process and not interested

not good to hear your experiences with the ATT.. which did you get? mild, medium mild or aggressive? The thing with this hobby is the YMMV factor. It would just suck to spend so much on a recommendation only to find it aint right.. i am in no rush though, its a lot of $$ to spend and the xchange rates are rubbish so plenty of time to think about it, just wanted to get the knowledge flowing about whats out there

 

[nsavage]

@nav1 tell you what mate.. i really loved the look (patina) and feel of the Karve.. i also loved the way it shaved was real smooth and prior to trying the wolf i was pretty much set on picking that up with the D and E plates.. so who knows i may still end up with it

until i met the wolf.. mate, class unto itself but and as good as the wolf is, there is no way in hell im going on a two year waiting list and then basically motioning twitter waiting on when we can have the opportunity to buy and then getting online immediately to fight it out.. ridiculous process and not interested

not good to hear your experiences with the ATT.. which did you get? mild, medium mild or aggressive? The thing with this hobby is the YMMV factor. It would just suck to spend so much on a recommendation only to find it aint right.. i am in no rush though, its a lot of $$ to spend and the xchange rates are rubbish so plenty of time to think about it, just wanted to get the knowledge flowing about whats out there

There is no waiting list for a Wolfman, has not been for a long time. There has been talk that they will become more readily available however and I have also noted that they rent to come up on the BST at market price more regularly now.

 

[nav1]

@nav1 tell you what mate.. i really loved the look (patina) and feel of the Karve.. i also loved the way it shaved was real smooth and prior to trying the wolf i was pretty much set on picking that up with the D and E plates.. so who knows i may still end up with it

until i met the wolf.. mate, class unto itself but and as good as the wolf is, there is no way in hell im going on a two year waiting list and then basically motioning twitter waiting on when we can have the opportunity to buy and then getting online immediately to fight it out.. ridiculous process and not interested

not good to hear your experiences with the ATT.. which did you get? mild, medium mild or aggressive? The thing with this hobby is the YMMV factor. It would just suck to spend so much on a recommendation only to find it aint right.. i am in no rush though, its a lot of $$ to spend and the xchange rates are rubbish so plenty of time to think about it, just wanted to get the knowledge flowing about whats out there

How about this suggestion:

Get the karve as it'll cost about $120 with one plate or $150 with two plates. In terms of shaving, you're set with something you already know and love.
(I also love raw brass and it's a major reason I picked one up originally. If it was SS, I probably wouldn't have got a karve).

Then you can keep an eye out on a good deal on the BST of various forums.

I would say try the ATT if you're so inclined as the individual factor is too much in this hobby. Just look at how many fans there are of the voshkod blade and yet, I'm just getting past the horrible in-growns I got from using one last week!

I had the medium ATT, I think it's called the R plate. The shave was good, nothing to complain about but I didn't like the feel of it at all.

 

[58RW]

Well here's my 2 bobs worth based on the question originally asked. I have a Rockwell 6c and love it however, just got my hands on a cheap price FatBoy 61 G2 many of you are familiar with these used it today with Taylor's of Old Bond Street Grape Fruit and old favourite just acquired through Con The Stray Whisker and I have to say the Fat Boy was amazing very much missed if I be truthful.

 

[Mark1966]

Well here's my 2 bobs worth based on the question originally asked. I have a Rockwell 6c and love it however, just got my hands on a cheap price FatBoy 61 G2 many of you are familiar with these used it today with Taylor's of Old Bond Street Grape Fruit and old favourite just acquired through Con The Stray Whisker and I have to say the Fat Boy was amazing very much missed if I be truthful.

Finally!!!

About time you came back to the truth.

 

[58RW]

 

[RustyBlade]

Well here's my 2 bobs worth based on the question originally asked. I have a Rockwell 6c and love it however, just got my hands on a cheap price FatBoy 61 G2 many of you are familiar with these used it today with Taylor's of Old Bond Street Grape Fruit and old favourite just acquired through Con The Stray Whisker and I have to say the Fat Boy was amazing very much missed if I be truthful.

Finally!!!

About time you came back to the truth.

Oh but the blade tabs, oh but the cleaning of it is hard, oh some old guy died using it, oh when you drop it and it will happen the bars get bent, oh it doesn't shave like a modern engineered razor, oh they all shave differently blah blah

Look a 'vintage' Fat Boy is grand and shaves well when you get a good one and when you know what to look for. Time you do you might as well spend that money on a longer lasting razor that is perfect day one.

 

[Errol]

@nav1 i completely agree with your point about finding the razor.. i actually didnt like the Rockwell at the beginning and kept going back to my DE89 until i found the sweet spot with the Rockwell. I personally felt the R5 on the rockwell was more aggressive than the D plate of the karve so it might well be the angle i shave at with the karve.. unfortunately i have run out of time and believe you need a good week or two with one razor to learn it. Regardless i dont want to go after another mid range razor, after my wolfman experience i really want that luxurious feel to my shaves so that is all i will be after from here on in


@alfredus, the wolfman proved to me that i also like low profile heads. So from your recommendations i would be discounting the timeless and looking into the ATT1 R1 & R2

@Errol and @RustyBlade i will certainly bee looking into the RAW Shaving RS-10, had a look at in online and it is a very good looking razor.

@nsavage i would love to just get a wolfman, especially since i have shaved with it and know exactly what i will get, but there's no way im gonna wait two years on a waiting list to hopefully acquire one. I would rather just wait for the exchange rate to improve and purchase from a vendor that makes their product available to those that want to buy them.




So i had a look at ATT and coudlnt find any info on R1 or R2, i could find info on a Windsor SSR1 but nothing on anything R2 so not sure if its an old design?

from what i read the Windsor cap is wider to you get no blade hang, which apparently also reduces vibration aiding in a smoother shave. The R1 base plate gives a 0.58 mm blade gap that sounds a bit mild but i understand that you shouldn't just go by blade gaps as the head design will make the gap more or less effective depending on its design.

Also comparing against the wolfman's gap of 0.61 mm, i found the aggressiveness perfect, and going just by the numbers the R1 plate on the ATT is 0.58mm which is pretty close and by the sounds of it the right plate to go for.

The H1 ATT plate has a gap of 0.91mm which is a fair bit more different.

@alfredus (or anyone) have you tried both the ATTR1 or even H1 against the wolfman if so how to they compare?

also @Errol how does the wolfman WR1-SB compare against the RAW RS-10? and have you tried the ATTR1? how does this compare with either the wolfman or the RAW?

sorry about all the questions guys, but i really do value your opinions and would love to base a purchase on this wealth of experience.

The more I read your expectations re the narrow head the more I keep thinking the RS-10 is not going to suit you. I know of no other DE stainless steel razor that has such a low profile as the WR1. The head on the RS-10 is in the league of the Timeless. When I reviewed the WR1 .61 SB, I came away disappointed because I could not get a smooth shave. I’ve done a lot of sole searching as to why and believe I was having trouble with a brush at the time and the lather may not have been up to scratch. I’m going to do another run with it at some time, it is such a nice razor in every other way.

I’ve come up with another suggestion a little bit left of field that I think you would be content with. Blackland Vector, a SE but so trimmed down that it makes the WR1 look like a sledge hammer. Manevourable, close shave and so smooth. Just another tangle in your endeavour to identify the right razor.

 

[TomG]

If we are talking modern razors, I enjoy the Feather AS-D2 and Pils 101DE for a mild but efficient shave, and excellent finish and build quality.
For a more aggressive shave, I like the Blackbird. For me, it is not as aggressive as my ATT open comb plates, and I'm pretty much done after two passes. Both razors are also very well made.
Of the vintage razors that I have tried or own, I like the Gillette Slim and the Wilkinson Sword Sticky; both classic designs that I can rely on for a good shave.

 

[beerhog]

Am I the only one who thinks gillette razors feel cheap and tinny? They can give a good shave certainly no better than modern razors but I cant get away from how cheap and nasty they feel in the hand like a mass produced commodity.i honestly believe if they tried to market them now in the modern market they would tank in a big way, imo it's only nostalgia and relative difficulty in finding a good one that keeps them popular.

 

[58RW]

Oh but the blade tabs, oh but the cleaning of it is hard, oh some old guy died using it, oh when you drop it and it will happen the bars get bent, oh it doesn't shave like a modern engineered razor, oh they all shave differently blah blah

Look a 'vintage' Fat Boy is grand and shaves well when you get a good one and when you know what to look for. Time you do you might as well spend that money on a longer lasting razor that is perfect day one.

A guy on another forum said to me and he is right "I would leave that razor as it is...
A true workhorse, showing the battle scars and still going strong!! " & you know what he is right the mechanical and blade gap on it is perfect

 

[bald as]

Small maneuverable head, very efficient and inexpensive?
A Schick Model "G" Injector SE. Made in the '50's -- a lot of exceptional things were made back then
If you have ever used one you understand my recommendation.

how does one actually go about obtaining a Wolfman? Any time that I have been on the site, they are always sold out. What's the secret?

Wait paitiently for @alfredus to take his collection out to play, remember though he is a big guy - very big

 

[StratMan]

hi @Errol just to clarify, a head as thin as the wolfman is not essential, i still enjoy shaving with the Rockwell head so i feel a timeless will be fine as long as it shaves well (smooth and close like a wolf).

I also really liked the Karve head, which is more substantial than the wolf but less than the Rockwell. The Game Changer was even more so.

Out of the high end gear you have already mentioned what would come close to the Game Changer/ Karve heads?

 

[Errol]

hi @Errol just to clarify, a head as thin as the wolfman is not essential, i still enjoy shaving with the Rockwell head so i feel a timeless will be fine as long as it shaves well (smooth and close like a wolf).

I also really liked the Karve head, which is more substantial than the wolf but less than the Rockwell. The Game Changer was even more so.

Out of the high end gear you have already mentioned what would come close to the Game Changer/ Karve heads?

Both the AAT and Blackbird are comparable to the Karve/ Game Changer heads, width wise.

If you read my Weekly Review on the RAW RS-10 the head shown there would be fractionally wider than the Timeless.

 

[StratMan]

Both the AAT and Blackbird are comparable to the Karve/ Game Changer heads, width wise.

If you read my Weekly Review on the RAW RS-10 the head shown there would be fractionally wider than the Timeless.

i have read the whole review thread, great write up on many products.. have learnt quite a bit on a few razors in the past week, just got to think about what i want to do for a bit now.

thanks for everyone's replies to this topic

 

[Errol]

To be perfectly honest with you. Any razor you buy will be disappointing if your heart is set on a WR1. Save your pennies and get the WR1 whenever it comes along.

 

[StratMan]

@Errol i have been thinking this same thing and may well end up doing it.

It may also be that my heart is set on the wolf only because i havnt tried anything else and that razor did give me the best shave of my life to date

just need to think it through, in saying that if a wolf became available there is a very good chance i would buy it there and then

 

[EJ_DE98]

How does the Guerrilla compare to the WR1?