Paradigm 17-4 SS Razor

I also notice a certain roughness the Gem blade has compared to AC blades and especially so, compared to the Proline P-30.

I picked up my 17-4 today and shaved as soon as I got home. I have to say, the results leave me somewhat... perplexed. I would say the razor has quite a bit of blade feel which I was not expecting based on the experience of others. Using it today, the razor it closest reminded me of is the ATT R1. It was maybe a bit more mild, but I wouldn't say by much.

The end result of my first experience was a very small nick on my chin, and what I would classify as a rather harsh shave. Granted, this was my second day shaving in a row which I normally don't do, but I figured with all the fanfare for this razor has received it would be able to handle it.

Am I missing something? Have any other 17-4 owners run into a similar experience initially?

The one thing I have discovered about my own YMMV is that my skin doesn't do well with razors that don't hold the blade rigidly. Do any other 17-4 owners perceive it to be quite audible or have some blade chatter?

I picked up my 17-4 today and shaved as soon as I got home. I have to say, the results leave me somewhat... perplexed. I would say the razor has quite a bit of blade feel which I was not expecting based on the experience of others. Using it today, the razor it closest reminded me of is the ATT R1. It was maybe a bit more mild, but I wouldn't say by much.

The end result of my first experience was a very small nick on my chin, and what I would classify as a rather harsh shave. Granted, this was my second day shaving in a row which I normally don't do, but I figured with all the fanfare for this razor has received it would be able to handle it.

Am I missing something? Have any other 17-4 owners run into a similar experience initially?

The one thing I have discovered about my own YMMV is that my skin doesn't do well with razors that don't hold the blade rigidly. Do any other 17-4 owners perceive it to be quite audible or have some blade chatter?

I’m surprised to hear this, Chris. Is the R1 the razor you usually use? I find the 17-4 to be the mildest razor I have that can also deliver a close shave. It’s certainly a lot milder than my ATT H2. Are you using a relatively shallow angle? And minimizing the pressure? All I can suggest is don’t give up—this thing is wondrous (to me).

I picked up my 17-4 today and shaved as soon as I got home. I have to say, the results leave me somewhat... perplexed. I would say the razor has quite a bit of blade feel which I was not expecting based on the experience of others. Using it today, the razor it closest reminded me of is the ATT R1. It was maybe a bit more mild, but I wouldn't say by much.

The end result of my first experience was a very small nick on my chin, and what I would classify as a rather harsh shave. Granted, this was my second day shaving in a row which I normally don't do, but I figured with all the fanfare for this razor has received it would be able to handle it.

Am I missing something? Have any other 17-4 owners run into a similar experience initially?  

The one thing I have discovered about my own YMMV is that my skin doesn't do well with razors that don't hold the blade rigidly. Do any other 17-4 owners perceive it to be quite audible or have some blade chatter?

I can answer for blade chatter: that blade is locked down tight. Poor shaves with this razor are nearly always the result of too much pressure. Try to use next to none, and see if that doesn't help. The razor is sneaky in that it fools you into thinking it is mild. It's not. The result can be almost subconscious switching to greater pressure.

Also, try not switching up your routine for a bit. If you are an every other day guy, leave it that way, at least until you get a feel for the razor.

I tend to favor SE razors because the blade is more rigid and does a better job for me in certain areas where inevitably most de razors fail me. I have no such issue with the 17-4 which I can only attribute to how tightly locked down the blade is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

RE: handles not fitting...

I haven't shaved with mine yet. It's still NOS but I just tried numerous handles and they all fit fine. That includes my Wolfmans, Timeless in both Titanium and Bronze and others. Looks to be standard threading...

CCity I don't use the R1 regularly because I don't get great results with it. My "go-to" razors would be the Timeless .95 OC, the Rockwell 6S on plate 5, the iKon Shavecraft 101, and the SS Colonial General. Since this was my first shave with the 17-4, I very well could have used too much pressure. I definitely could have used too steep an angle, and in fact that seems like the most likely culprit based on the results I had. Like Andy mentioned, I probably should have stuck to my regular routine as well instead of changing it up for the first shave. I'm encouraged by your (and everyone else's) overwhelmingly positive opinion of this razor.

Paradigm Shaveware I'll definitely stick with it, but not before taking a day off this time. I probably let my excitement get the better of me and I should have waited until tomorrow before shaving with the 17-4 for the first time since that's what I normally do. Maybe my excitement resulted in some bad technique on my part as well. I expected mild, and maybe I subconsciously used too much pressure as a result.

One thing I will say, is that this razor is stunning. Of the more expensive razors I have tried (Timeless .68 SB & .95 OC, ATT R1, Barbaros TR2, Wolfman Guerrilla), the 17-4 is by far the best looking. It is absolutely stunning. I love the handle, and the finish is impeccable. I immediately texted a picture to a friend of mine and his response was fitting, "Damn, that looks sexy!"

I'll use it over the next couple weeks and report back once I can spend some time figuring out the right angle/pressure combination and once I have settled down and stuck to my regular routine instead of jumping the gun to get a shave in before my skin could handle it.

Beautiful handle

The only rough shave I have had with the 17-4 was with a Nacet blade. I switched it out to a polsilver and was back to super smooth and efficient