First shave with ER 1914.

BigBoar

BigBoar

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Telford
Chad has kindly loaned me a 1914 and GEM blade.

So tonight I loaded it up and covered my face in MWF.

In the hand it felt too small for me, getting a good grip on the teeny tiny handle was tricky, but I managed in the end. The cutting angle was instinctive, and boy does it cut!

This thing shaves deep, deeper than anything I've tried, including straights and some very aggressive de's.

After the first pass my face felt like I'd been shaved by a bead blaster, it was bbs but sore, cold water splash followed by old spice sorted this out (after the Home Alone scream moment)

I'm glad I've tried it, but I doubt I'll step over to the dark side anytime soon!

Greg.
 
BigBoar said:
Chad has kindly loaned me a 1914 and GEM blade.

So tonight I loaded it up and covered my face in MWF.

In the hand it felt too small for me, getting a good grip on the teeny tiny handle was tricky, but I managed in the end. The cutting angle was instinctive, and boy does it cut!

This thing shaves deep, deeper than anything I've tried, including straights and some very aggressive de's.

After the first pass my face felt like I'd been shaved by a bead blaster, it was bbs but sore, cold water splash followed by old spice sorted this out (after the Home Alone scream moment)

I'm glad I've tried it, but I doubt I'll step over to the dark side anytime soon!

Greg.
Click to expand...
Greg,
Maybe you should have tried the 1912 First. I like the 1914, and it takes me more than
one pass to get a good shave, maybe you pushed it too hard.
Mike B
 
I don't know the 1914 as I only have tried a 1912 for the first time this week but although the start was not good (blade didn't agree with me, got myself some GEM's now) I'm definitely stepping over to the dark side. I've been shaving for 40+ years with straights and DE's but I really like the shaves I get from a SE. Even the smallest bits of hair in trouble spots are gone.

Maybe you should give it some time, if I went by the impression the first shave give me I would have given up, now I'm glad I didn't.
 
Be careful with the 1914's. The small prongs that keep the blade in place have a tendency to be broken, rusted off or just not there! Can be a real safety problem. Guess they didn't plan on them being around for 100 yrs!
 
Sore face, but the angle was intuitive? I have to suggest that maybe you found your own angle, not the razor's angle. It's much shallower than you think, cap close to your skin.

Give it another go ...

The advice to try a 1912 is sage advice indeed. You've gone straight for the "red tip" when really the "tech" might have been a better starting point. Good on you for trying, though. When you've got some hairs on your chest, see how the 1924 feels :D

The great thing about these razors is that there are so many in such great condition for 80, 90 and 100 years old and cost so little, certainly more so than Gillette of that era.
 
The razor head was virtually at right angles to my face, soreness lasted about a minute straight after the shave. I'll definitely give it another try, do they all shave this deep?!
 
... as in cap flat to face? That's correct. Lighten up, maybe?

I think it is fair to say that SEs from the GEM & ASR stable do indeed shave close. Single pass is not unheard of, and as you found out yourself, these razors don't skip over those little recesses that need a second pass with a DE. The 1914 does shave closer than the 1912 in my estimation and the 1924 more so. Personally, I put the 1914 as my favourite (post-1912), although shave more regularly with a 1912.

Give your face a little break and I have an inkling the next go will be better ...
 
BigBoar said:
My main issue was the handle, my preferred size is 110mm.

This razor of chads is in mint working order.
Click to expand...

I don't find the 1914 much different to the 1912. Could it be that the razor's so light you compensated by applying too much pressure? Could also have been a dodgy blade; that happened to me once.
Like others have suggested it'd say give it a few more tries, the shallower the angle the less that blade is going to scrape.

There's always the choice of adapting your own SE razors to DE handles...
e7ddeeb2-69a1-470f-a9c4-9c371cf6505f_zpsff7fa727.jpg


7d6545d1-b6c0-4b39-8781-f5d56ac4289b_zps968acde7.jpg
 
Snuff said:
I don't know the 1914 as I only have tried a 1912 for the first time this week but although the start was not good (blade didn't agree with me, got myself some GEM's now) I'm definitely stepping over to the dark side. I've been shaving for 40+ years with straights and DE's but I really like the shaves I get from a SE. Even the smallest bits of hair in trouble spots are gone.

Maybe you should give it some time, if I went by the impression the first shave give me I would have given up, now I'm glad I didn't.
Click to expand...

BigBoar said:
My main issue was the handle, my preferred size is 110mm.

This razor of chads is in mint working order.
Click to expand...
I use Futur and LH Progress, I hold the 1914 just below Head,and it works fine. As everyone says, take your time, it is worth it.
 
fancontroller said:
Could it be that the razor's so light you compensated by applying too much pressure? Could also have been a dodgy blade; that happened to me once.
Click to expand...

It could definitely be too much pressure. I reckon the blade is fine, most likely my technique is a bit dodgy!

I was expecting the shave to be more similar to a DE than a straight. And if I compare my first SE shave to my first straight shave the results are astounding.
 
fancontroller said:
BigBoar said:
My main issue was the handle, my preferred size is 110mm.

This razor of chads is in mint working order.
Click to expand...

I don't find the 1914 much different to the 1912. Could it be that the razor's so light you compensated by applying too much pressure? Could also have been a dodgy blade; that happened to me once.
Like others have suggested it'd say give it a few more tries, the shallower the angle the less that blade is going to scrape.

There's always the choice of adapting your own SE razors to DE handles...
e7ddeeb2-69a1-470f-a9c4-9c371cf6505f_zpsff7fa727.jpg


7d6545d1-b6c0-4b39-8781-f5d56ac4289b_zps968acde7.jpg
Click to expand...

I also have a 1914. Which razor did you take that second handle from? Amazing!
 
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