05-12-2012, 07:35 AM
This morning I did my first shave with the Tradere razor. From the blog post:
This is an impressive razor. I don’t want to say much until I have had more experience with it—one shave in, I don’t feel I really know the razor yet—but no nicks and a very good shave. It’s quite a well-made razor, and I like the cap treatment a lot: it has the end-cover style of cap (cf. Pils, iKon), but the end covers are grooved, a nice touch. The studs holding the blade in place are assertive and I don’t think a wandering blade will be a problem. The head design is somewhat similar to the bluff-front design of the Pils and iKon, but not quite, and of course the open-comb is distinctive.
I’ll be using this more. It’s a good razor, that’s already evident.
This is an impressive razor. I don’t want to say much until I have had more experience with it—one shave in, I don’t feel I really know the razor yet—but no nicks and a very good shave. It’s quite a well-made razor, and I like the cap treatment a lot: it has the end-cover style of cap (cf. Pils, iKon), but the end covers are grooved, a nice touch. The studs holding the blade in place are assertive and I don’t think a wandering blade will be a problem. The head design is somewhat similar to the bluff-front design of the Pils and iKon, but not quite, and of course the open-comb is distinctive.
I’ll be using this more. It’s a good razor, that’s already evident.
05-12-2012, 08:34 AM
(05-12-2012, 08:24 AM)Leisureguy Wrote: I'll shave with it a lot next week, trying different blades and lathers. Those I'll probably blog.
I'll be sure to check your blog.
I'm still trying to get my hands on a copy of your book, it's been proving difficult doing it from Australia (can you recommend a vendor?)
05-12-2012, 09:27 AM
Australians and Canadians are pretty much limited to getting the Kindle edition of the book from Amazon.com; Amazon.com also sells the hard-copy, but shipping costs are high, whereas the Kindle comes immediately---and you do not have to have a Kindle to read it: Amazon supports a "Cloud Reader" that works through your browser, and there are free Kindle-reader apps for iPhone, smartphones, and iPad. (Only the Kindle version is available from Amazon.co.uk, .de, .es, .fr, and .it, but they do indeed offer that version.)
05-12-2012, 09:30 AM
(05-12-2012, 09:27 AM)Leisureguy Wrote: Australians and Canadians are pretty much limited to getting the Kindle edition of the book from Amazon.com; Amazon.com also sells the hard-copy, but shipping costs are high, whereas the Kindle comes immediately---and you do not have to have a Kindle to read it: Amazon supports a "Cloud Reader" that works through your browser, and there are free Kindle-reader apps for iPhone, smartphones, and iPad. (Only the Kindle version is available from Amazon.co.uk, .de, .es, .fr, and .it, but they do indeed offer that version.)
My wife loves reading on her iPad. Good thing for us as she devours a bookcase load of books on a weekly basis. I prefer the more traditional hard copy, I'll keep searching...
07-06-2012, 06:16 AM
Another shave with the Tradere today, after a layoff for a while. It had seemed sort of harsh and nick-prone, but today I took a hint from mpperry and tried it using a VERY shallow angle, and that went quite well. Some razors seem to fit my "natural angle" (if there is such a thing)---for example, the Weber felt totally right from the start---and some I had to learn (or be taught) the correct angle, and Tradere falls into this class (as did the Apollo Mikron: it took me quite a few shaves to learn that razor).
But this morning's shave was quite different from previous shaves: much easier and did not seem (as had some earlier shaves) as though I were skating on thin ice. It was a comfortable shave and a very smooth shave. I did have to consciously keep the angle shallow: it's not my natural angle, I suppose, and/or the razor head does not provide good guidance. But now that I've found the knack, I imagine a few more shaves will cement the technique so that when I pick up the Tradere, I go automatically into Tradere mode, as I do now with the Apollo Mikron.
This makes me wonder whether I could have learned the 2011 Mühle R41 open comb, but I don't know about that one... But the Tradere is now back in regular rotation. I think the layoff may have helped: William James wrote that we learn to bicycle in the winter and ice-skate in the summer---that is, that the time we take a break is when the skills come together so that when we resume, we find we've got it.
But this morning's shave was quite different from previous shaves: much easier and did not seem (as had some earlier shaves) as though I were skating on thin ice. It was a comfortable shave and a very smooth shave. I did have to consciously keep the angle shallow: it's not my natural angle, I suppose, and/or the razor head does not provide good guidance. But now that I've found the knack, I imagine a few more shaves will cement the technique so that when I pick up the Tradere, I go automatically into Tradere mode, as I do now with the Apollo Mikron.
This makes me wonder whether I could have learned the 2011 Mühle R41 open comb, but I don't know about that one... But the Tradere is now back in regular rotation. I think the layoff may have helped: William James wrote that we learn to bicycle in the winter and ice-skate in the summer---that is, that the time we take a break is when the skills come together so that when we resume, we find we've got it.
07-06-2012, 07:32 AM
Very interesting. It seems that people are finding the way to get good shaves with the Tradere yet some, including myself still have issues with the Feather or an Ikon variation.
(The Feather certainly being the opposite end of the spectrum aggression wise).
I've tried this shallow angle with the Ikon and it does indeed work better but still, it hasn't completely solved my problems. Maybe I need to concentrate further on the angle.
The Feather, after 30 or so shaves, still eludes me no matter what angle I try.
Anyway, Michael, I think that you, along with the others who have reported finally taming this razor.
I look forward to pulling the trigger on a piece of shaving art that is ultimately very shave worthy as well.
(The Feather certainly being the opposite end of the spectrum aggression wise).
I've tried this shallow angle with the Ikon and it does indeed work better but still, it hasn't completely solved my problems. Maybe I need to concentrate further on the angle.
The Feather, after 30 or so shaves, still eludes me no matter what angle I try.
Anyway, Michael, I think that you, along with the others who have reported finally taming this razor.
I look forward to pulling the trigger on a piece of shaving art that is ultimately very shave worthy as well.
07-06-2012, 07:48 AM
Interesting: as a YMMV thing on razors, the iKon razors (after version 1.0) have been extremely comfortable for me. I've never had a problem. Perhaps that head fits my "natural" angle, whereas the Tradere and the 2011 R41 do not. The Feather also has been no problem for me.
Shaving: the ultimate mystery.
Shaving: the ultimate mystery.
07-06-2012, 07:53 AM
(07-06-2012, 06:16 AM)Leisureguy Wrote: Another shave with the Tradere today, after a layoff for a while...
Hi Michael
After speaking with you the other day (always a pleasure) it's nice to see you gave the Tadere another go and experienced a better shave with it than previously...
Side note, based on reading this yesterday, Super good lather from Strop Shoppe soap, I've ordered some of their shaving soaps to try.
Take care, Mike
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