ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jun 20, 2014 23:53:22 GMT -6
Marcus, I can only use Feather and modified GEM blades in my Auto-Strops and I find the VC1&2 to be nearly identical in use; more aggressive but not at all an aggressive razor. The VC 3&4 are quite a bit milder. So much so that other than keeping specimens on hand for testing I simply don't use them.
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Post by mjclark on Jun 21, 2014 4:57:47 GMT -6
It's amazing how the use of proprietary Valet blades changes the behaviour of these razors. With a Valet blade, both the VC1 and VC2 are both fiercely aggressive but I find the VC2 smoother.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2014 6:15:16 GMT -6
Using the ss Feathers exclusively, I personally rate the C-models:
VC4: My favorite (and favorite shaving razor overall). Mild, sure, but I've always considered mild vs. aggressive to be only one parameter among many contributing to the overall experience. In general, I prefer bar guards to comb guards. I get a consistently smooth, trouble free shave every time.
VC2: I choose this one when I've got 2-3 days growth. It's at the top of my "aggressive comfort" threshold. I actually like the "gate" holder. An interesting note, although I can't provide documentation: The first pictures of a Feather model I ever saw were of a VC4 clone (with the "Streamline Runnerguard"), but with the gate-type blade holder instead of the tabs. I stumbled upon it on a Japanese auction site just as the auction was about to close. I couldn't get registered with the site quickly enough to bid, and poof... it was gone. I was too addled at the time to at least save the pictures. It's an incident that still haunts me...
VC3: Again, mild. Comb guard vs bar guard so not as preferred as the VC4. When I want an early morning, no coffee yet, need to get out the door with minimal fuss shave, I instinctively reach for the VC4 instead.
VC1: More aggressive than I normally care for with the Feather blades, but I haven't bothered with the modified Gems too much.
I've picked up a boatload of NOS Valet blades over the course of my hording and it's good to see that they can be refreshed for use. I'd need to get a modern strop (first I've heard of a "Neil Miller VAS strop") because as Dick points out nearly all vintage VAS strops are a kinked up mess unless the could somehow be ironed out.
We'll have to evaluate the A- and B-models next.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jun 21, 2014 9:39:39 GMT -6
I wonder if some oil to moisten the strop, and a weight to hang from it for a time, would make the old strops useable?
FWIW, I still haven't hear back from Neil Miller. Last I knew the rumor was he had pneumonia, then he returned an e-mail of mine about Rolls strops. Now nothing again.
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Post by mjclark on Jun 21, 2014 9:43:36 GMT -6
Great summary! From your descriptions I can see why I like the VC2 so much - I am a great fan of the "aggressive+smooth" combo hence my love of the ER 1924 and the FaTip.
The excellence of the stropped NOS Valet blades has also come as a surprise - everywhere on the internet says they are unusable, yet stropped on a pasted strop my Valet blades are as smooth as 7 O'Clock Black DE blades and as sharp (if not sharper) than Feathers.
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Post by mjclark on Jun 23, 2014 12:39:51 GMT -6
The Feather Seikan Blued Carbon Steel blades arrived today. In terms of sharpness and smoothness they're a slight step down from the NOS Valet blades but they're still way ahead of anything else available and, after stropping, give a fantastic shave. My VC3 also arrived today. I'd been worried that it would be too mild for my taste but actually it's very efficient though noticeably tamer than the VC2. It's like Goldilocks and the three bears: for me the VC1 is a lot of fun but a little brutal, the VC3 is very efficient but a little tame and the VC2 is just right! I like them all. With a proprietary blade, the VC1 reminds me of the OCMM, the VC2 reminds me of the ER 1924 (ie. perfect!) and the VC3 reminds me of the 1912 or perhaps a later injector, very efficient but an extremely easy and comfortable shaver. I see why people describe the VC3 as a good daily shaver, it's tame enough for a hurried shave but still great for ATG on the top lip and chin BBS! Next stop VC4 Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk
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Post by mjclark on Jun 25, 2014 6:13:07 GMT -6
The VC4 arrived today complete with shipper, instructions, strop and cardboard dummy blade "to practice inserting the blade and stropping." Turns out this razor was made at the Gillette factory in Isleworth right next to where I went to school. And now I get it...with a proprietary blade the VC4 has perfect geometry. This was an incredibly smooth but awesomely efficient shave which was very very much like shaving with an injector. I am blown away by how good this razor is! It leaves the rougher VC1 and milder VC3 far behind but I need a shave-off with the 1924esque VC2 because that was also awesome but in a less stealthy and more gritty way. Wow! VC4 so smooth! Wow! So smooth... Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2014 8:05:47 GMT -6
The VC4 arrived today complete with shipper, instructions, strop and cardboard dummy blade "to practice inserting the blade and stropping." Turns out this razor was made at the Gillette factory in Isleworth right next to where I went to school. And now I get it...with a proprietary blade the VC4 has perfect geometry. This was an incredibly smooth but awesomely efficient shave which was very very much like shaving with an injector. I am blown away by how good this razor is! It leaves the rougher VC1 and milder VC3 far behind but I need a shave-off with the 1924esque VC2 because that was also awesome but in a less stealthy and more gritty way. Wow! VC4 so smooth! Wow! So smooth... I'm on record on a few forumses... The VC4 is my most favoritist razor.
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Post by drumzalot on Jun 25, 2014 8:10:33 GMT -6
Marcus, I have wanted to try a VC4 being that it is considered more mild then the VC1. Attaining mint Valet blades isn't easy it's why it holds me back. I'm glad that you got the carbon Feather blades and you liked them. Is there any blade out on the market that you would consider the same in sharpness equal to the carbon Feather blades?
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Post by mjclark on Jun 25, 2014 8:26:58 GMT -6
To be honest Joe, the NOS Valet blades come first, the Feather Seikan carbon come second and the rest are left far far behind. Those Feather Seikans are very easily obtained from ebay though with free worldwide shipping so I say go get 'em! And with stropping there's modern claims of 30 shaves per blade... pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=251432314086&alt=webIt is very clear now that using modded GEMs and even the stainless Feathers does the Valet a great disservice. And I'm with you on this one Mr. Flay - for today the VC4 is my very favourite razor
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Post by PJGH on Jun 25, 2014 14:32:54 GMT -6
Smooth it is, mate ... my second favourite Valet and one of my favourite non-1912 single edge shaves.
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Post by mjclark on Jul 10, 2014 1:33:52 GMT -6
Shaved with a Canadian VB1 this morning. Similar design to the VC1 but has two rollers on the bottom of the head rather than the fixed bar and, most importantly, it's adjustable. Set on maximum aggression it's slightly pokier than my VC1 and you can really feel the blade but it pulls back into a very mild razor on the lower settings. I took full advantage of the adjustable feature and set it slightly below maximum for most of the shave which gave a very aggressive but also smooth result, then I brought it back to a much milder setting for the final ATG pass on the neck. This produced an almost perfect BBS and irritation free shave. I know the first Gillettes were promoted as being adjustable by loosening the handle but that's an inexact and clumsy system which most users aren't even aware of. The Valet system on the other hand is very controllable and effective, so was this VB1 the first proper adjustable? My first ever Valet shave was a while back with a VB1 like this but with a modded GEM blade - that was an ineffective and unsatisfying experience and put me off Valets until I revisited them with the intended OEM blades. Wow what a difference! I'm really starting to love the Valet series, and the different models each perform in sufficiently different ways to warrant using all of them. The joker in the pack so far is the VC3 - like the Schick G it's very well balanced and gives a great shave but seems unremarkable when compared to the rest of the series. Perhaps it has some hidden brilliance! Next stop VB2... ...And I just saw an old advert where someone claimed to have got 8 years of shaving from 18 Valet blades. Amazing!
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Post by HoosierTrooper on Jul 11, 2014 11:51:17 GMT -6
I'm intrigued by the carbon Feather blades, since the carbon SE blades are my favorites, but a dollar a pop is more than I'm willing to pay for blades.
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Post by mjclark on Jul 11, 2014 15:40:32 GMT -6
I take your point Tom. The Feather Seikans are great blades but we've yet to determine their longevity and they're nowhere near as good as NOS Valet blades so maybe better off getting them. If only we could find a stockpile of those Valet blades and organise a group buy...
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jul 11, 2014 16:13:59 GMT -6
Precisely my concern with the Valet Tom. I had 50 SS Feathers for the Valets at one time and I won't buy more. Plus the Rolls is more than enough of me dabbling in blade maintenance. I don't need more since I didn't like even drying off the CS blades I first used in my SE razors.
(So now I have a Rolls which requires drying and stropping. Don't try to understand me. I gave up long ago! Maybe I objected to caring for a blade that cost me $.20 and was disposable. )
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