I have recently acquired the ATT SE1 through the BST forums here and have been using it for the past week. This is my first SE razor so I wasn't sure what to expect - I thought that I would put a few things in a post on the off chance that it may be useful for someone who is debating trying one. Obviously all of this is just my opinion and other experiences will differ! I have never written a review before so please be nice…
A little about me - I have been DE shaving for about 8/9 years now and have mostly been using a Muhle R89 Grande as my daily razor (with MWF in a mug). Really there was no need for me to look for a replacement as it's a great razor but I fancied a change - ideally something that gave a closer shave with a bit less work.
Having run out of my stash of the old Super Iridium blades, I found myself back on TSR reading up on blades, soaps (big fan of the SV soaps) and razors and it has lead to a bit of spending!
Other razors I have tried in the past are:
The Muhle R41 (2013) - I have come back to this one a few times but never stick with it as I just find it too harsh for everyday use.
An ATT R1 - recently bought on the BST forums and with a GSB blade I find this gives a great shave.
Straights - last used a few years ago! I love the idea and the shave is amazingly close but just not practical first thing in the morning. I stopped enjoying them in the end.
I have been debating an SE and when the ATT SE1 came up on the BST I couldn't resist - having read that some people consider SE razors to sit somewhere between a DE and a Straight I was intrigued.
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I have paired the SE1 head with a Colossus handle (taken from my R1), which is heavy but I like the feel of it - for me it balances well. I have added a few pictures at the end showing the SE razor and handle and then have put an R1 with a Kronos handle next to it for comparison. The Kronos feels a little small in the hand for me but perhaps it's just not what I'm used to.
For the choice of blade I went with the Kai Titan Mild Pink - having read other opinions this sounded like a good one to start with, the Feathers (and others) being an option later.
On to the shave…
The short summary is that I can't believe how easy this razor/blade combination is to use - exceptionally smooth and very efficient!
I generally look to do 2 passes WTG and then XTG - then touch ups usually under my chin/jaw as (that's) a bit awkward. (ATG just doesn't work for me and my skin never thanks me for trying). This has given me a great result - not BBS but very close to it. Certainly good enough for a daily shave.
The blade doesn't really feel that exposed to me and whilst you can definitely hear it cutting I don't get that feel of ‘blade on face' in the way that I had with the R1 (and too much so with the R41). The cutting sound is a little more muted compared to the 'ping' you get with the R1.
I had no trouble with a few days growth after the weekend and there was no tugging with the blade at all. With DE blades, I find a lot of blades tug on my top lip and chin as that hair is a little more coarse - GSB, Kai and Feathers are ok, Astras definitely aren't. By comparison, the SE1/Kai Pink is effortless and much more pleasant to use. I have now had 6 shaves with the original blade and haven't noticed a drop off in ‘finish' - not sure how many more to expect but I'm really impressed so far. I seem to be finding that the shave ‘lasts' a bit longer than the result I was getting with the ATT R1 DE - somehow it just feels smoother and closer for the same effort.
- - - - - -
To finish, I really can't recommend this razor enough - if you are on the fence then definitely give it a go. Yes, it's on the expensive side but I see this as my daily choice of razor for a very long time to come and absolutely worth the cost - it's incredibly easy to use and gives a really close comfortable shave.
If you got this far, thanks for reading!
A little about me - I have been DE shaving for about 8/9 years now and have mostly been using a Muhle R89 Grande as my daily razor (with MWF in a mug). Really there was no need for me to look for a replacement as it's a great razor but I fancied a change - ideally something that gave a closer shave with a bit less work.
Having run out of my stash of the old Super Iridium blades, I found myself back on TSR reading up on blades, soaps (big fan of the SV soaps) and razors and it has lead to a bit of spending!
Other razors I have tried in the past are:
The Muhle R41 (2013) - I have come back to this one a few times but never stick with it as I just find it too harsh for everyday use.
An ATT R1 - recently bought on the BST forums and with a GSB blade I find this gives a great shave.
Straights - last used a few years ago! I love the idea and the shave is amazingly close but just not practical first thing in the morning. I stopped enjoying them in the end.
I have been debating an SE and when the ATT SE1 came up on the BST I couldn't resist - having read that some people consider SE razors to sit somewhere between a DE and a Straight I was intrigued.
- - - - - -
I have paired the SE1 head with a Colossus handle (taken from my R1), which is heavy but I like the feel of it - for me it balances well. I have added a few pictures at the end showing the SE razor and handle and then have put an R1 with a Kronos handle next to it for comparison. The Kronos feels a little small in the hand for me but perhaps it's just not what I'm used to.
For the choice of blade I went with the Kai Titan Mild Pink - having read other opinions this sounded like a good one to start with, the Feathers (and others) being an option later.
On to the shave…
The short summary is that I can't believe how easy this razor/blade combination is to use - exceptionally smooth and very efficient!
I generally look to do 2 passes WTG and then XTG - then touch ups usually under my chin/jaw as (that's) a bit awkward. (ATG just doesn't work for me and my skin never thanks me for trying). This has given me a great result - not BBS but very close to it. Certainly good enough for a daily shave.
The blade doesn't really feel that exposed to me and whilst you can definitely hear it cutting I don't get that feel of ‘blade on face' in the way that I had with the R1 (and too much so with the R41). The cutting sound is a little more muted compared to the 'ping' you get with the R1.
I had no trouble with a few days growth after the weekend and there was no tugging with the blade at all. With DE blades, I find a lot of blades tug on my top lip and chin as that hair is a little more coarse - GSB, Kai and Feathers are ok, Astras definitely aren't. By comparison, the SE1/Kai Pink is effortless and much more pleasant to use. I have now had 6 shaves with the original blade and haven't noticed a drop off in ‘finish' - not sure how many more to expect but I'm really impressed so far. I seem to be finding that the shave ‘lasts' a bit longer than the result I was getting with the ATT R1 DE - somehow it just feels smoother and closer for the same effort.
- - - - - -
To finish, I really can't recommend this razor enough - if you are on the fence then definitely give it a go. Yes, it's on the expensive side but I see this as my daily choice of razor for a very long time to come and absolutely worth the cost - it's incredibly easy to use and gives a really close comfortable shave.
If you got this far, thanks for reading!
