Any views on 3 razors I've been considering?

Thanks all for your comments. I've considered all the evidence from this thread, other threads on the forum and other sites. Overall, the Rockwell 6S it seems to get the best reaction from users. The Rex Ambassador was always a long shot, given its price, and the Progress, while the cheapest and most available of the three, doesn't look that great with the plastic knob. I have had my name down for over 2 years for a 'Digress', but that seems to have died a death and other customised Progress versions are also difficult to track down. These push the price closer to the 6S anyway, so my decision is made: I will go for the Rockwell 6s...now all I need to do is find a vendor where they're actually in stock!:rolleyes:
Thanks again all(y)
 
I'm in a similar boat, having returned to traditional shaving recently and to double edge shaving. I'm looking at all these razors I missed while either away or ignored due to being a single edge bigot at the time.

I can't comment on the Parker, but the other two were ones I considered and talked myself out of them for the following reasons:

The Rex Ambassador (or even Envoy) was one I looked at and literally fell in love with. It's a Gibbs-alike and on the face of it, I really liked it. But, having almost pressed the button a couple of times I paused ... that logo underneath. Yak! I know, I know, I'm petty as you like, but that is one detail that would literally frustrate the heck out of me and make me hate it thereafter. It is these little details. Reviews seem divided around whether it's worth it, and for that money I could buy vintage - say, the Personna adjustable, which is (a) vintage, (b) gorgeous, (c) worth it.

The Rockwell 6S is another that I look at and pretty much read that it is the ultimate. Different heads for different blade gaps, giving more or less aggressive/efficient shaves coupled with blade choice makes for a literal infinite number of combinations. You can get it polished yourself if the raw metal is not your thing. Not readily available, when I've seen them come up second hand, I've almost jumped ... almost. Why not? Well, I read over and over and over that the #4 head is the one that folks use pretty much exclusively and if they did want to switch, it would be to the 3, which is on another baseplate, rather than being able to flip the current baseplate around. I want to shave, not take the whole storeroom with me! That, and the numbering sequence of the plates would irk me: 1/3 2/4 5/6 ... where 1/2 3/4 5/6 would have been more natural to my thinking.

When I can get the self-same shave from a PAL clone (mega-light, maybe a 1 or 2 on the Rockwell) or the '70s Tech (maybe 3 on the Rockwell) or a '30s New (4 or 5?) by adjusting the angle or weighting with my hand, I wonder if all this blade gap malarky is just hokum. And so, I talked myself out fo the Rockwell.

So, what's left? My collection of vintage razors. I like vintage. I guess I'm not one for the modern stuff.

My intention was not to sound like a complete wet blanket, but just a couple of things that have made me think twice ...
 
"I wonder if all this blade gap malarky is just hokum"

You hit the nail on the head! Shaving becomes very automated once you've done it long enough, it really doesn't matter which razor you use. If you have an OLD or a New or a Tech, or a 1912 or a Shovelhead, then you're done with razor selection, they all shave perfectly. Variety is nice, but once you walk away from the sink no one can tell which razor you used.
 
I wonder if all this blade gap malarky is just hokum.
I'm pretty sure that the blade gap makes a big difference, but only in terms of the natural angle you tend to hold a razor and the nature of your face, and of course the aggressiveness of the blade itself. I bought a coffee filter machine a few months back and it was great, until it came to getting the last cup out of the jug. To succeed, I needed to tip the jug (stainless steel vacuum pot and quite big and heavy) to such an unnatural angle that it actually felt like my wrist was going to snap. It was like a razor with too big a blade gap...I could use it but it was uncomfortable and I didn't want to have to go through a learning curve in the hope that I'd suss it out one day...I gave that machine away. I don't want to buy a razor that forces me to move away from my most instinctive natural shaving angle to get a smooth shave...hence the importance of the blade gap and angle of the blade edge.
That is an interesting observation on blade numbering...I'd like to hear from anyone who understands it.
 
I agree. No, actually, I don't disagree ... which is not the same, and here's my thinking.

Early doors, when I first came to traditional shaving, shimming was in vogue. I recall doing it ... and yes, it made a difference. Yes, the blade gap can make a difference. I say "can" and not necessarily "does". You're right @Greybeard it is about the angle.

Once I had shaved a while longer with traditional razors I gained a sort of sixth sense about how to pick up pretty much any razor and get the angle. I think what I'm doing is connecting with an angle in relation to the top cap where the blade edge is more an extension of the blade cap and takes its relationship from that, rather than taking its relationship from the guard ... where blade gap might make a difference.

I think I can say this with some confidence as there was also a trend towards what we called SEvette and DEvette razors for a short while. What are these, then? Well, you take a safety razor (any safety razor) and you snap off the guard. Gone. Now you have, quite literally, an infinite blade gap! When I shaved with a DEvette (I think it was a GIllette Tech with no guard bar), I got the self-same shave I always got.

^ Look these up. It's worth a giggle. Stunt shaving at it's best!

One of the earliest pieces of advice I got about shaving with a DE was to place it flat on your face with the handle sticking straight out perpendicular to your face. Now, lower the handle until the blade just catches. Lower a tad more and you're there - that's the angle, and that's how I approach shaving, albeit getting to that point more quickly and more naturally nowadays.

So, I rather wager that I could get the same shave from a 1 plate or a 6 plate ... but I've never tried a Rockwell 6S, so I don't actually know. And, I bet if I did own one, I'd settle on the 3 or 4 plate, because that's what folks do. What is probably for certain is that the 3-4 plate gets the shave that folks want more readily/easily than a finding that fine angle on the 1-2 plate across all contours of the face.

Put another way, where the optimal angle is not kept absolutely bob-on for the whole face and whole shave, a blade gap will fill in for technique. I guess we call this "efficiency" because we require less precision to get the same end result. Get to know a razor very well and you'll find it hard not to use that optimal angle. We gain that sense memory from repetition and something like dragging a sharp blade over your skin is a sense memory that gets learned fast!

Let none of this dissuade you from making a purchase that you want to - this is all about having fun, enjoying the gear we buy and getting a shave out it! Probably in that order, or we'd just use a Gillette Dyson Flexbomb.
 
Last edited:
You didn't sound like a @&"£ at all... Your common sense just scared the whiskers out of me! ;) The 6S does seem to get almost universal acclaim and my experience of adjustables with twisty knob things haven't been great. While the EJ89 is superb, I have this nagging feeling that I might be missing something even better...oh hang on a minute, that's sex I'm thinking of...doh!
Can I throw a curve ball and suggest the EJ 3one6 since you like your DE89 so much? Whilst I haven't tried as many razors as many others on here, I have tried both these EJs, as well as a 6C, Progress, Futur, and a few others but I always find that when I go back to the 3one6 I wonder why I bothered with the others. The other thing about adjustables is that you will probably end up settling on 1 setting, so why bother?
 
I agree. No, actually, I don't disagree ... which is not the same, and here's my thinking.

Early doors, when I first came to traditional shaving, shimming was in vogue. I recall doing it ... and yes, it made a difference. Yes, the blade gap can make a difference. I say "can" and not necessarily "does". You're right @Greybeard it is about the angle.

Once I had shaved a while longer with traditional razors I gained a sort of sixth sense about how to pick up pretty much any razor and get the angle. I think what I'm doing is connecting with an angle in relation to the top cap where the blade edge is more an extension of the blade cap and takes its relationship from that, rather than taking its relationship from the guard ... where blade gap might make a difference.

I think I can say this with some confidence as there was also a trend towards what we called SEvette and DEvette razors for a short while. What are these, then? Well, you take a safety razor (any safety razor) and you snap off the guard. Gone. Now you have, quite literally, an infinite blade gap! When I shaved with a DEvette (I think it was a GIllette Tech with no guard bar), I got the self-same shave I always got.

^ Look these up. It's worth a giggle. Stunt shaving at it's best!

One of the earliest pieces of advice I got about shaving with a DE was to place it flat on your face with the handle sticking straight out perpendicular to your face. Now, lower the handle until the blade just catches. Lower a tad more and you're there - that's the angle, and that's how I approach shaving, albeit getting to that point more quickly and more naturally nowadays.

So, I rather wager that I could get the same shave from a 1 plate or a 6 plate ... but I've never tried a Rockwell 6S, so I don't actually know. And, I bet if I did own one, I'd settle on the 3 or 4 plate, because that's what folks do. What is probably for certain is that the 3-4 plate gets the shave that folks want more readily/easily than a finding that fine angle on the 1-2 plate across all contours of the face.

Put another way, where the optimal angle is not kept absolutely bob-on for the whole face and whole shave, a blade gap will fill in for technique. I guess we call this "efficiency" because we require less precision to get the same end result. Get to know a razor very well and you'll find it hard not to use that optimal angle. We gain that sense memory from repetition and something like dragging a sharp blade over your skin is a sense memory that gets learned fast!

Let none of this dissuade you from making a purchase that you want to - this is all about having fun, enjoying the gear we buy and getting a shave out it! Probably in that order, or we'd just use a Gillette Dyson Flexbomb.

OK, now I feel like Grasshopper in the old kung fu series and your the old blind guy who could shave with a blunt machete with just three fast strokes...just tell me one thing, oh master...where do I get a Gillette Dyson Flexbomb, and does it come in titanium?:unsure:
 
Once I had shaved a while longer with traditional razors I gained a sort of sixth sense about how to pick up pretty much any razor and get the angle. I think what I'm doing is connecting with an angle in relation to the top cap where the blade edge is more an extension of the blade cap and takes its relationship from that, rather than taking its relationship from the guard ...

That's it, you shave with the cap and the blade, the guard is what makes it a safety razor.
 
It looks like you've already made up your mind, but I just wanted to add some thoughts as a relative newcomer (6 months or so DE shaving) who started with an EJ89 and recently upgraded to a Parker Variant.

The EJ89 gives a great shave and, like you I didn't need another razor but wanted some variety. I still use the EJ89 and it will become my travel razor once we get back to being able to travel.

The Parker Variant is a step up in my mind. The main differences are the variable blade gap but also the weight of the thing in the hand. I've enjoyed opening it up to 3.5 and getting a more assertive shave. Experienced shavers might not notice differences in blade gap, but as a beginner I can certainly tell when I've opened it up to a higher setting!

I also love the additional weight of the Parker over the EJ89. It's taken a bit of "relearning" the skill of shaving, especially getting the right pressure on my neck area (i.e. none!), but overall I love the additional weight in my hand.

My shaves with the Parker seem to be closer with the same number of passes (two plus touch ups) than the equivalent shave with the EJ89. However, like I say, I still go back to the EJ89 from time to time. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

I considered the Rockwell as well, so I hope you'll come back and report how you get on. And it'll be interesting to see how long it takes you to take the third step along the road to razor Nirvana. I'm sure I won't be far behind!
 
That's it, you shave with the cap and the blade, the guard is what makes it a safety razor.

For giggles, I was looking back at the SEvette (gawd, that really was daft thing to do) and found this line regarding shaving with the 1912: "You don't use the comb as a guide, more it's the top cap that should be almost flat to the face. The guard is only there to stop you ditching the blade into your face if you do get the angle wrong."
 
I was in a very similar position a while ago; owner of the EJ89 and was debating for what felt like an eternity between the Rockwell 6S and the Parker Variant.
Ended up with the 6C and have to say I was very pleased with my choice.
The transition from the EJ89 felt natural in terms of shaving technique (the Rockwell on plate 3 feels the most EJ89-like) and the plates 4-6 provide more than enough efficiency for my tastes when paired up with the right blade.
 
I've decided on the Rockwell and another bit of my logic is this: as it has 6 different options with the 3 plates, it's effectively the purchase of 6 razors, of which I only need one to work, and even at £80 odd quid, it's an equivalent of around £13 a razor. No way could I buy 6 different razors at £13 each, never mind each razor having an incremental difference in the blade position. Nope...the Rockwell it is, not changing my mind now.

Keep an eye on the BST site though a week or so after I get one (if I ever do);)
 
My twopeneth.
1. Tried a few Parker razors, OK for the money - PIF'd or moved on.
2. 6S shaved ok, mainly used on plate 3 or 4, nice to play around with trying new blades - sold on.
3. Rex Ambassador - The best build quality DE I have, infinitely adjustable, easy to refine to any blade, poor blades become usable & tames the sharpest - it will stay with me for a very long time. YMMV.
Is it worth the coin? For me - - Hell Yeah!
T
 
Back
Top Bottom