Great write up, I look forward to your next posting.Supply Provision Single Edge - Initial impressions and shave #1
Finally. A pass around injector razor I don't already know. The second one after the wonderful PAL Injectomatic. And this time it's a rare modern one. The closest comparison I have is the Bunny V3, so that's what I'll compare it to.
First impressions
It's heavy. 108.4g - just over twice the weight of the Bunny.
It looks good. Simple and elegant lines with a lovely flawless satin finish. The head is at a slight angle to the handle, something I initially wished the Bunny had, but after more than 50 shaves I love the straight line Bunny handle.
This Single Edge comes with three plates. The 'classic' plate is already installed and I'll keep it for my first shave. The screw on the underside of the head does look a bit clunky though. It removes easily enough and then the entire head comes apart, including the blade. It's quite easy to reassemble the head (with the same or a different plate) using the same blade. This means you can install a blade without using an injector magazine. However, I would not want to change plates mid-shave, something that can be done much more easily with the Bunny V3. I must admit that I've probably done this once in 50+ shaves with the Bunny and even then I didn't see the point.
To see how injecting blades from a magazine works I take my magazine of dulled "blank" blades. Mostly it works OK, but on one occasion the new blade started being injected above the old one, not pushing it out. Something I do not want to do with a precious Chinese Schick blade, so I decide to inject one into an empty head for my first shave.
Having done this with ease, we come to....
Shave #1
Oh, the tragedy! My last shave with Truefitt&Hill lavender shaving cream I'm afraid. I love that scent and I'm almost out. Truefitt&Hill in their definitely finite wisdom have decided to discontinue this lovely scent and I'll keep the last bits in the pot as a scent sample until I find something that smells exactly the same and works as well. For a reasonable price.
- Truefitt&Hill Lavender shaving cream
- ↪MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
- ↪Supply Provision Single Edge
- ↪Chinese Schick blade (1)
- Alum block
- ↪Cella Eau De Lavande
On to the shave! It's a pass around, so for a level playing field I do a four pass WTG/XTG/GTX/ATG shave. The angle is easy to find - think vintage Schick injector. It is heavy though. Much heavier than any other injector razor I have tried, including the metal early Schick repeaters. Luckily the handle is not slippery, despite being smooth.
Apart from the weight the shave is what I expect from a fresh Chinese Schick blade. No incidents, no tugging. A very sharp, yet smooth blade. Fast forward and after four passes there are one or two places where I need a little clean-up. Not quite as close as I'd expect from the Bunny V3.
Then again, the alum block and ASL have no complaints whatsoever. The overall result is a very close skin-friendly shave, but it didn't last as long as others.
Most of the razor cleans nicely after the shave, except for the underside of the head, but that's an issue for most injectors. At least you can completely disassemble this one for a good clean.
Tomorrow I might use the more aggressive plate - I don't think I need the razor any milder. I also want to try the razor with a Personna blade, as that's what it ships with. A shave-off with the Bunny V3 is mandatory later on.
TBC...
After playing around with it I found the classic plate to be the best for me, a good balance of sharp and smooth.Shave #3
- Castle Forbes Lavender
- ↪MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
- ↪Supply Provision Single Edge - Mild plate
- ↪Chinese Schick blade (3)
- Alum block
- ↪Cella Eau De Lavande
I need to use my Castle Forbes more often. They all smell great and perform as well as anything else. I had forgotten how little you actually need and overdid it. With the big MÜHLE brush I got so much lather that after four passes I had enough lather left for another four. Easily. My favourite scent is the Lime, but it's one of the few soaps I managed to finish. I miss it, but I'm not buying any more soaps or creams until I have finished a few more. Not this year then.
I changed plates on the Single Edge again. Today I'm trying the 'Mild' plate. Changing plates while keeping the blade is still too fiddly for my liking.
The 'Mild' plate is 'Mild' with a capital M. I like 'em mild, but that's too mild even for me. It's so mild that I'm tempted to apply pressure. Except I don't. You know my mantra: NO PRESSURE. On the positive side there is no chance whatsoever that I'll nick myself. On the negative side, there is a little bit of sandpaper stubble left in places even after four passes. It's way milder than a Schick Adjustable on '1'. It makes a Feather AS-D2 feel aggressive. In a word - it's Mild. Too mild even for my liking. The alum block might as well been a piece of marble - it thinks I didn't have a shave at all. The Cella Eau de Lavande contains quite a bit of alcohol, but there is very little sting.
Now that I have tried all three plates I can say that they do make a difference. The plates on the Bunny V3 are all very similar on my face and give the same result, but with the Single Edge you do have a real choice. That's a good thing, but from now on I will stick with the 'Classic' plate. I suits me best.
TBC...
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