Post by drumzalot on Mar 13, 2015 12:54:12 GMT -6
One of the better known wet shaving oddities is the Kriss Kross Stropper. The unique device promised to cut the cost of razor blades down. The stropper would (allegedly) keep a razor blade sharp and ready for many shaves.
What would make a great companion to the Kriss Kross stropper? The Kriss Kross safety razor of course! This particular razor is not hard to find. There are two variants of this razor. The Kriss Kross razor was manufactured by the Rhodes Mfg Company. The version below is stamped “Pat. July 31, 1926.” Note the variation on the handle styles.
The Kriss Kross Safety Razor
This is the version that I own and will review. Most of you have seen these models before. I am sure there are a good number of wet shavers who own one. Still, I figured why not give it the spotlight? The head design is different from the version above and it's stamped “Pat No 1592540 St. Louis.” The Kriss Kross has good heft weighing 55 grams. .
This is one of the best handles that I have seen and used. A thick sturdy handle with an excellent knurling pattern. I highly doubt that this razor will slip with wet soapy hands! IMO the handle is not too short nor too long it's just right.
You can rotate the head to the right or left. Now you can shave with your single edge razor like you would a straight (sort of).
Loading A Razor Blade
The Kriss Kross does use proprietary blades. The K Kross blades are smaller then standard GEM blades, they are also bigger then injector blades. So where does this leave the Kriss Kross razor in the blade department? A GEM blade sticks out too far. You can mod a Gem blade by reducing it's size, this does take a bit of work though. When it comes to adding size to a blade, I have been very successful with plastic strips.
The head of the Kriss Kross clamps the blade down to secure it in place. At first I shaved with the Kriss Kross paired with an injector blade. Unfortunately, the injector blade did move slightly back during the shave. I am aware that for some of you the injector blade (in your K Kross) might not move back.
Modding A Blade
I am not satisfied with hoping that the injector blade doesn't move back. I decided to mod the blade in the same way I did my Unsinger razor. I did not have an original blade as a guide, this posed no problem. The pictures below are detailed so that not one step is missing. The mod seems tedious but it's very easy. The end result is a Kriss Kross that will accept an injector blade … which does NOT move back during the shave!
The Shave Review
For those who own this model, I am certain you will disagree with my review. The Kriss Kross felt like a very watered down ER 1914, it also feels like a 1914 injector hybrid. I am not a fan of razors with a lot of blade exposure. These type of razors tug and pull during the shave, the Kriss Kross did slightly do that. I am aware that everyone's hair and skin type is different, these two factors are probably the cause of the pulling and tugging.
The Kriss Kross also shaved a tad rough. The injector blade that I used was new. I tested the razor doing my standard three pass shave. I fidgeted a bit trying to find the right angle, I mainly kept the razor's head flat on my skin. The Kriss Kross is a razor that I will use again once in a long while.
For every positive characteristic it has a slightly negative one. A good shaver with a rough feel. It gave me a close shave but with some pulling and tugging. I have to stress that the handle is phenomenal! The Kriss Kross might not be great but it's a good average shaver.
What would make a great companion to the Kriss Kross stropper? The Kriss Kross safety razor of course! This particular razor is not hard to find. There are two variants of this razor. The Kriss Kross razor was manufactured by the Rhodes Mfg Company. The version below is stamped “Pat. July 31, 1926.” Note the variation on the handle styles.
The Kriss Kross Safety Razor
This is the version that I own and will review. Most of you have seen these models before. I am sure there are a good number of wet shavers who own one. Still, I figured why not give it the spotlight? The head design is different from the version above and it's stamped “Pat No 1592540 St. Louis.” The Kriss Kross has good heft weighing 55 grams. .
This is one of the best handles that I have seen and used. A thick sturdy handle with an excellent knurling pattern. I highly doubt that this razor will slip with wet soapy hands! IMO the handle is not too short nor too long it's just right.
You can rotate the head to the right or left. Now you can shave with your single edge razor like you would a straight (sort of).
Loading A Razor Blade
The Kriss Kross does use proprietary blades. The K Kross blades are smaller then standard GEM blades, they are also bigger then injector blades. So where does this leave the Kriss Kross razor in the blade department? A GEM blade sticks out too far. You can mod a Gem blade by reducing it's size, this does take a bit of work though. When it comes to adding size to a blade, I have been very successful with plastic strips.
The head of the Kriss Kross clamps the blade down to secure it in place. At first I shaved with the Kriss Kross paired with an injector blade. Unfortunately, the injector blade did move slightly back during the shave. I am aware that for some of you the injector blade (in your K Kross) might not move back.
Modding A Blade
I am not satisfied with hoping that the injector blade doesn't move back. I decided to mod the blade in the same way I did my Unsinger razor. I did not have an original blade as a guide, this posed no problem. The pictures below are detailed so that not one step is missing. The mod seems tedious but it's very easy. The end result is a Kriss Kross that will accept an injector blade … which does NOT move back during the shave!
The Shave Review
For those who own this model, I am certain you will disagree with my review. The Kriss Kross felt like a very watered down ER 1914, it also feels like a 1914 injector hybrid. I am not a fan of razors with a lot of blade exposure. These type of razors tug and pull during the shave, the Kriss Kross did slightly do that. I am aware that everyone's hair and skin type is different, these two factors are probably the cause of the pulling and tugging.
The Kriss Kross also shaved a tad rough. The injector blade that I used was new. I tested the razor doing my standard three pass shave. I fidgeted a bit trying to find the right angle, I mainly kept the razor's head flat on my skin. The Kriss Kross is a razor that I will use again once in a long while.
For every positive characteristic it has a slightly negative one. A good shaver with a rough feel. It gave me a close shave but with some pulling and tugging. I have to stress that the handle is phenomenal! The Kriss Kross might not be great but it's a good average shaver.