The Usefullness/Confusion Of Blade Gap & Blade Exposure Specs

Mike, like you I was fixated on blade gap first.  Then I discovered blade exposure.  Then I discovered blade curvature.  Thankfully I have finally assembled 8 razors which work for me though I have to adjust how I use each one slightly due to their differences.  Probably the most frustrating thing I kept hearing was a particular razor was considered "mild" to one person but "medium" or "aggressive" to another.  This was the most frustrating part and as they say YMMV - your mileage may vary.

(07-05-2022, 09:45 AM)TommyCarioca Wrote: I messaged Timeless directly to see if they would or could shed some light on the subject.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

That should be interesting, I'm curious to see what they would have to say about it.

(07-05-2022, 05:49 PM)Chappy Wrote: Mike, like you I was fixated on blade gap first.  Then I discovered blade exposure.  Then I discovered blade curvature.  Thankfully I have finally assembled 8 razors which work for me though I have to adjust how I use each one slightly due to their differences.  Probably the most frustrating thing I kept hearing was a particular razor was considered "mild" to one person but "medium" or "aggressive" to another.  This was the most frustrating part and as they say YMMV - your mileage may vary.

Yes, it is confusing when you see a razor referred to as mild or aggressive from different people. It doesn't make choosing any easier, because everybody's experience is definitely different. YMMV definitely applies in a big way. Like I mentioned some razors that I saw listed as aggressive that I didn't find to be aggressive. Now, to other people it could very likely seem very aggressive to them. At the same time what they would consider medium or perhaps aggressive might be mild for me. It's crazy! I almost long for the days when I didn't know better!

A recurring theme in my life is that I often end up back where I started having expended considerable time and money.

(07-07-2022, 10:25 AM)Uncas Wrote: A recurring theme in my life is that I often end up back where I started having expended considerable time and money.

Uncas my friend:  Are we brothers from another mother by chance?!

(07-07-2022, 04:17 PM)old school Wrote:

(07-07-2022, 10:25 AM)Uncas Wrote: A recurring theme in my life is that I often end up back where I started having expended considerable time and money.

Uncas my friend:  Are we brothers from another mother by chance?!

Perhaps, I suspect a lot of commonality from sharing the same generation. Chaucer said " the lyfe so short, the craft so long to lerne ".

the curve of the head.. is where its at. 

Look at the fatboy and a slim end to end.  On the same number setting the gap is supposed to be the same. and someone once said that the exposrue was the same. 
   Issue for me is that the skun always feels to be 3-4 numbers HIGHER then the fatboy feels during a shave. IE if both are set to 2, the slim feels like its my fatboy set to 5/6.
    Its the head shape. 

Same with the zamac travel tech heads, they are horribly thick, almost as thick as a gillette 1921-1928 ball end old type with hollow metal handle. And they have the same face feel as that old type open comb when compared to ANY of my non zamac top plates.

(07-12-2022, 09:24 PM)photoperson Wrote: the curve of the head.. is where its at. 

Look at the fatboy and a slim end to end.  On the same number setting the gap is supposed to be the same. and someone once said that the exposrue was the same. 
   Issue for me is that the skun always feels to be 3-4 numbers HIGHER then the fatboy feels during a shave. IE if both are set to 2, the slim feels like its my fatboy set to 5/6.
    Its the head shape. 

Same with the zamac travel tech heads, they are horribly thick, almost as thick as a gillette 1921-1928 ball end old type with hollow metal handle. And they have the same face feel as that old type open comb when compared to ANY of my non zamac top plates.

Yes, even though they gave specs on exposure/gap, they specified it is head geometry. I will assume curvature falls into that category. I believe there is so much more to it than just gap/exposure.

(07-13-2022, 07:06 AM)Mike Distress Wrote:

(07-12-2022, 09:24 PM)photoperson Wrote: the curve of the head.. is where its at. 

Look at the fatboy and a slim end to end.  On the same number setting the gap is supposed to be the same. and someone once said that the exposrue was the same. 
   Issue for me is that the skun always feels to be 3-4 numbers HIGHER then the fatboy feels during a shave. IE if both are set to 2, the slim feels like its my fatboy set to 5/6.
    Its the head shape. 

Same with the zamac travel tech heads, they are horribly thick, almost as thick as a gillette 1921-1928 ball end old type with hollow metal handle. And they have the same face feel as that old type open comb when compared to ANY of my non zamac top plates.

Yes, even though they gave specs on exposure/gap, they specified it is head geometry. I will assume curvature falls into that category. I believe there is so much more to it than just gap/exposure.

It is about the head shape, look at the razors side by side, end view.   

 There is so much more to do with the thickness and shape of the head then anyone actually thinks about.  In older gillette commercials they used a photo of a ruler resting on the top cap and safety bar for a reason