Next Step & what was yours

Wow! This is great guys. I can understand the urge to buy more than one razor, I am tempted to buy two razors one being a vintage the other either a mildly aggressive open comb(if there is one) or a slant but both need to be highly efficient as i have a course beard.

I started with a feather popular, very mild shaver.  I knew I liked the DE shaving, and I knew my cartridge razor was a done deal. This was after about two months after I had started DE shaving.  

I wanted a razor that would last a lifetime so I went out looking for a solid stainless steel razor.  I had considered a feather AS-D2, however, upon researching it, I found that it was about the same aggressiveness and the Popular.  I felt like I wanted something more, I ended up getting a ATT S2 on ebay at a great price.  

The jump up in aggressiveness was more than a few notches, however, after the learning curve I am very happy I made the choice.  I believe it made me learn to shave faster and better than if I had stuck to a very mild razor, as there is "feedback", if you know what I mean, when one is not doing things properly.  At the moment this is the only razor I own, and I use it daily.  I have a S1 plate for it, that I picked up a little later, but I like the open comb better and feel like it gives a smoother more efficient shave.  

I haven't used the S1 plate in a while and will probably let it go at some point.  I plan on picking up a Wolfman when my number comes up and give that a try.  The winner of that contest will be my keeper.  

Hi Heavies let me know when you decide to let the S1 plate go. I might be interested. Cheers

Hi to all. My first DE razor was Bluebeards Revenge scimitar and want to go to next step. As a newbie I have been looking on the forum, reviews on websites as to my next choice of razor. I was wondering what your first razor was and how long it took you too go to the next step & what razor did you choose and what influenced you buy them. Cheers

My first DE was an Edwin Jagger DE89 and I spent 8 months learning technique etc. After that I bought a Merkur 39C and then I got RAD, SAD and BAD!

My only gear for the first 8 months was my DE89, Body Shop maca root shaving cream and a Men-U boar brush.

Freddy, I agree about the Fatboy. When I was using adjustables I used the Fatboy once or twice and preferred the Slim.

And yet, there are folks who swear by the Fat Boy, Brian.  It could come down to so many things, even the shape of an individual face and jawline with the shape of the head of a particular razor.  While I still keep my FB close at hand, I may use it once a year, and then only to see if I am missing something.  I never am.

I haven't tried a slim yet, so I cannot compare it to the Fatboy.  I don't shave under my nose or on my chin, so I suspect the head shape would not be a big deal for me.

Are there any other characteristics of the Slim that make it distinct?

For me it wasn't so much the handle of the Fatboy. But if you compare the heads of the Slim and Fatboy the Fatboy is marginally thicker. I feel that during the shave and I never even compared them before the shave. But after I had to to figure out what was going on. I notice the same slight thickness increase in head increase with the Gillettes post '21 and I far prefer the pre-'21 razors. The pre-'21 razors are like a sports car as compared to a van. Sorry, but that's the best comparison I can come up with. The Fatboy and Slim felt somewhat the same; the Fatboy felt somewhat like a club on my face.

It gave me a good shave; it was just the feel of it in use. If I had never used a Slim the Fatboy would have been fine.

Thanks for sharing your perspectives. I think you are right about not knowing until trying both. I suspect you may not like the Futur for the same reasons.

Hi all haven't been around much,been busy. My next step is the ATT kronos handle with a Edwin Jagger head. I saw this handle on ebay at a bargain price so got it. It had a few marks on its satin finish so I got my mate to polish up and wow its nice and shining & matches the Edwin Jagger head. This combo works for me since I have been getting better shaves, may be the extra weight helps. The ATT handle workmanship is impressive, so I have decided to save up for a ATT S1 or the S2 head. Hope you all been well & having great shaves.

My first razor was my dad's Gillette Tech from the late '30s. I still have it. My second razor was a Slim that I bought from the drugstore on the corner. I was young and dumb, and didn't understand the adjustment feature, so I cranked it up to 9 and tore my face all up. Went to a Norelco electric for a while. Then I bought myself a Schick Krona and just a few years ago it finally wore out. I still have the Slim and the Krona. That was all before I discovered the shaving forums. That's when it got all complicated. Today the best DE razors are the 1930's Darwin Deluxe stainless and the 2014 Mongoose, followed very closely by the short handle Gillette Super Adjustable (set on 9) and the Red Tip. The straight razors are a whole other story, and I love them too.

The Kronos is a great handle and agree the ATT quality is top notch!

I rarely use my 89 head lately but do find it is a MUCH better shave with a heavier handle and I typically throw a Weber bulldog on!

Good on finding what works and would love some pics of you polished Kronos!

Hi kwsher, I will sort out some photos for you. Cheers
L.Clint

The Fatboy never worked too well under my nose, where the Slim excelled due to it's narrower head. Sad to say I sold all my adjustable DE's when I switched over to adjustable injectors, now I'm back to DE's. I'm on the lookout for a nice 1965 Slim, with or without the case.

Clayton