p.b
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Yeah. Someone said it's a beautiful razor with an ugly blade. Hit the nail on the head.The razor looks stunning, until you put a blade in!
Yeah. Someone said it's a beautiful razor with an ugly blade. Hit the nail on the head.The razor looks stunning, until you put a blade in!
This is interesting, because I too have had a couple of days use with my new Rocnel, and have encountered the blade loading problems described. I'm also using a Personna blade from a 100 box bought from Connaught in 2014, which has been loaded, and used twice. Whilst not impossible to load, it needed some persuasion, and likewise for removal, and there was no resemblance to the slack to-and-fro in the videos. That surprised me.Andreas, I have just received my Rocnel, this morning, and although I haven't shaved with it yet, I have loaded one of the 10 supplied blades and found it to be a doddle.
This may sound a stupid question, but when loading and removing the blade, you have unscrewed the set screw enough so that the head is below the opening in the lower plate?
First shave in an hour or so, but when I loaded the blade without difficulty, yesterday, I inserted with the GEM side upwards, with the top of the head towards me. I've just removed the blade and flipped it over, to insert with the STAINLESS side upwards. Again, I had no difficulty. The blade moves fairly freely from side to side within the head and irrespective of which side up the blade is.This is interesting, because I too have had a couple of days use with my new Rocnel, and have encountered the blade loading problems described. I'm also using a Personna blade from a 100 box bought from Connaught in 2014, which has been loaded, and used twice. Whilst not impossible to load, it needed some persuasion, and likewise for removal, and there was no resemblance to the slack to-and-fro in the videos. That surprised me.
I've just now tried one of the 10 blades supplied, and the first time in, it was as loose as the videos show. But here's where it gets interesting.
If I insert the new blade with the "Gem" lettering facing forward, it's slack. If I then take it out, and try to put it in with the "Stainless" legend to front, it sticks. As advised, I'm putting the blade in at the lefthand side looking at the front of the razor.
I then repeat this load sequence using the already-used and older Gem blade, and although it's not quite as slack loading on the "Gem" side, it slides fairly easily. Turn it round, and the blighter sticks.
I can't believe that, given the precision with which this razor is machined, this is an aberration in mine alone.
I also notice that on the old blade, the two end punches to hold the spine are on the "Gem" side, but on the "Stainless" in the new blade. That would seem to rule out the punching as a cause.
I've measured the two blades with my digital vernier, in two places. First, spine vertically down above centre slot, and blade horizontally at the middle of the lefthand side slot when "Gem" faces towards me. They come out as:-
Old blade - spine 0.94mm, blade thickness 0.20mm
New blade - spine 0.95mm, blade thickness 0.21mm
i.e. the same, near enough.
I started this rather early this morning, so the little grey cells aren't up to speed as far as working out why this should be. Any answers?
Now I'm even more mystified. I've just tried this all over again, and the result is the same as before. I've also tried it with the grub screw out, and various positions up to the point when it stops against the blade, and no change there. In fact, I think I've covered most permutations.First shave in an hour or so, but when I loaded the blade without difficulty, yesterday, I inserted with the GEM side upwards, with the top of the head towards me. I've just removed the blade and flipped it over, to insert with the STAINLESS side upwards. Again, I had no difficulty. The blade moves fairly freely from side to side within the head and irrespective of which side up the blade is.
Julius Bueno de Mesquita said:...assuring a positive securing and seating of the razor blade, as hereinafter explained, regardless of possible variations in the thicknesses of the blades or irregularities which may unintentionally arise in the manufacture or assembly of the parts of the general frame.
(Patent US1,488,907.)
Looking at the two blades I've been using under magnification, it becomes evident that whilst each is slightly different in the spine to the other, the ends on the same blade also vary slightly. This is even clearer using a strong backlight to sight through the razor head with the blades in different positions, and may explain why the entry end on the "Gem" face works perfectly, and the other doesn't.The spines of GEM blades are just a piece of sheet metal crimped around a precision blade.
Have a look at this close-up image...
Don't expect them to have uniform thickness or be the same from blade to blade. Rather than blame minute variations in the Rocnel razor, just have a look at how bumpy the the blades are. A fact already known to our forefathers:
Certainly - although it's quite good actually...Can you take me off the lending list please, I was initially keen to try a modern SE razor that takes GEM's but I know this one isn't going to be for me.
Thanks
PM sentDay 8 - Shave #7
My first shave with a Treet carbon steel SE blade, so this a report on both - the razor and the blade. The blade went into the Rocnel SE-G head without a hitch, but I found out later that I was lucky. It doesn't go in easily from the other side of the head (the head is asymmetrical I'm told) and it went in less smooth from the "correct" side with the spine the other way up.
- Faena Mastic soap
- Mühle 25mm synthetic brush
- Rocnel SE-G
- Treet carbon blade (1)
- Alum block
- Tüff Sensitiv ASL
- Faena Mastic ASL
It's a summery day today, so I'll use Faena Mastic shaving soap - a Greek island holiday in a tub. Wonderful stuff.
I won't bore with details, but this was an amazing shave. I could feel the blade slice through stubble as if it were butter - only louder. The Treet blade was both fiercely sharp and wonderfully smooth. No nicks, just relentless whacking of whiskers. I so need to try this blade in a 1912. Four passes later I'm smooth as can be.
The next surprise was the alum block. It had been on the window sill in the sun all morning and it was hot. This is so weird and it took me a few seconds to figure out what was going on. There was hardly any sting from the alum.
The plan was to use Faena Mastic ASL to go with the soap. It claims to contain alcohol, but that is negligible. I wanted to know what a proper alcoholic ASL would have to say, so I picked Tüff Sensitiv (green), as it is pretty much unscented and wouldn't interfere with the mastic afterwards. Again, I was surprised by the lack of sting.
To conclude - this razor gives wonderful shaves. I'm pretty impressed. The trick is to avoid blades that don't go in smoothly. Insert them from the "correct" side and try to flip them over if they don't fit at first. Every time I did that I had a marvellous shave.
The Treet blade impressed me as well. The problem is that it is made from carbon steel and will rust if left wet in the razor. Drying the blade is a matter of seconds in a 1912, but a bit of a procedure with the Rocnel. Observation: the set screw is too long, but it won't disappear down the handle, even if you try.
I could try a Feather blade in the Rocnel, but I think the idea is misguided and I won't.
There will be another shave with the Treet tomorrow, then I will have to let go... @Looney12345, please PM me your address.
To be continued…