Adjustable? No thanks.

A doubt pervades me every time I see recommending the Merkur Progress a neophyte.
Even worse with less balanced adjustable razor.

This doubt derives from my experience.
I had them, appreciated and sold them.
All, except the Merkur Futur that I don't use for its aggressiveness ... but I admire it as a design object.

At the beginning they are comfortable and bewitching.
You still don't know your preferences, maybe the technique is still unripe, the idea of having so many options, the undoubted charm of some vintage models (for me in descending order ... Gibbs Reglable # 17, Gillette Toggle, Fatboy , Black Beauty Super-109, Slim).

But over time, you understand that performance is related to geometry.
As the gap increases the arch should increase, and since it is impossible for now what increases is the exposure ... then the positive asset, that is the sensation (feedback) of the blade on the skin.

Not to mention the rigidity of the blade, produced only with fixed mechanisms (not movable) that support it strongly on both sides.
All at the expense of comfort.

The refinement of one's perceptions and preferences also plays an important role.
Today I know my ideal razor.
I'm not looking for alternatives that are too far away.

So personally I don't recommend an adjustable.
But above all I do not recommend it to a person with little experience.
I find it much more useful to concentrate one's efforts on a single razor, possibly balanced, for the time necessary (a few dozen shaves, better every day) to refine the technique and consistently achieve a good result.
Only then can you choose an alternative, in a more conscious way.


What is your experience about?
Here a poll to see how average of us use adjustable razor.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ubZ2jV...j4XeFTs38Q

Enjoy. 

Absolutely 100% agreed on all accounts. Much like the automotive electronic adj suspension which in nearly all cases is simply metal shavings being activated magnetically to alter the flow of fluid through automotive suspension - just nuts to introduce impurities into the dampers when a properly tuned nonadjustable suspension would be so much better and less expensive or even having manually adjustable dampers in various phases and speeds of adjustment.

I like my Rex Ambassador, I get my best shaves with it. Doesn’t work for some people but it does for me.

Edit OP to add a poll.
At the moment, 83 users.
Let's add some numbers ...

Most of my razors are adjustable. The fact that I mainly use them on the same settings doesn't change the fact that they still give me some of my best shaves.

I do agree about not recommending them as starter razors. I always recommend them as second razors.

IMHO, the point is ... why to use an adjustable with a fixed setting instead of a classic one?
Here is an example of my experience.
https://damnfineshave.com/thread-rex-amb...#pid314170

An adjustable is nice for men whose life is not static. Things change, and for some, they change monthly, or even more frequently. If you're locked into a set routine because your station in life permits it, congrats. Some men, however, have different needs, and assuming adjustables are "set it & forget it" for all is simply incorrect.

... and assuming adjustables are "set it & forget it" for all is simply incorrect.

+1

I do have the 3 Gillette's, BB, Slim. Fatboy and on all I used a fixed setting.

Only on my Futur I may sometimes use the decreasing technique for the 3/4th clean up pass, sometimes.

It's never set on stone.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

IMHO, the point is ... why to use an adjustable with a fixed setting instead of a classic one?
Here is an example of my experience.
https://damnfineshave.com/thread-rex-amb...#pid314170

Because some of us get better shaves from our adjustables in fixed positions than we are able to get from any fixed geometry razors we've tried.