Completed Asylum RX - Finished.

Nishy

Nishy

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3rd use with the Asylum RX last night same soap (icoloniali) and brush (Shavemac unique bulb). New blade, Feather Pro.

Firstly after doing a little bit of research I found blade loading can be done without dismantling the entire head. Probably has been mentioned before but I missed it. So now loading is much easier, just letting the bottom jaw drop before placing the blade inside the mouth and tightening the handle. Lovely. After the shave I always completely separate the heads and clean thoroughly.

Anyway the Feather Pro was definitely sharper than the Kai mild. My shaving angle also had to be slightly modified to optimise efficiency of each pass. In terms of comfort a huge difference was not apparent. The Feathers Pro was perhaps marginally smoother in this razor.
I would like to get one more shave with the pro under my belt.

Having heard great reviews of the ATT SE2 and receiving this today I will be eagerly comparing the two. Having shaved this evening with the ATT SE2 and a Feather Pro, the Asylum is more comfortable with this blade. I reserve judgement having only used the head once. However it was the closest shave I've had since using a straight razor. It's very rare that I can see no stubble and this achieved it. The a/s stung more than usual. Tomorrow I'll be trying the Asylum with a Feather Pro on one side and the SE2 with a Kai mild on the other.

One issue is the hairs just below the nostril, cannot get to these with the Asylum. The SE2 reminds me of the Timeless scalloped base. Lovely feel and feedback. Hoping the Kai mild will be gentler. Strange how the Pro blade differs between the two.
 
Mr Bigmem

Mr Bigmem

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Nishy said:
3rd use with the Asylum RX last night same soap (icoloniali) and brush (Shavemac unique bulb). New blade, Feather Pro.

Firstly after doing a little bit of research I found blade loading can be done without dismantling the entire head. Probably has been mentioned before but I missed it. So now loading is much easier, just letting the bottom jaw drop before placing the blade inside the mouth and tightening the handle. Lovely. After the shave I always completely separate the heads and clean thoroughly.

Anyway the Feather Pro was definitely sharper than the Kai mild. My shaving angle also had to be slightly modified to optimise efficiency of each pass. In terms of comfort a huge difference was not apparent. The Feathers Pro was perhaps marginally smoother in this razor.
I would like to get one more shave with the pro under my belt.

Having heard great reviews of the ATT SE2 and receiving this today I will be eagerly comparing the two. Having shaved this evening with the ATT SE2 and a Feather Pro, the Asylum is more comfortable with this blade. I reserve judgement having only used the head once. However it was the closest shave I've had since using a straight razor. It's very rare that I can see no stubble and this achieved it. The a/s stung more than usual. Tomorrow I'll be trying the Asylum with a Feather Pro on one side and the SE2 with a Kai mild on the other.

One issue is the hairs just below the nostril, cannot get to these with the Asylum. The SE2 reminds me of the Timeless scalloped base. Lovely feel and feedback. Hoping the Kai mild will be gentler. Strange how the Pro blade differs between the two.
Click to expand...
Nishy not to teach my grandmother how to suck eggs but the blade gap, the blade exposure, and the blade pitch even with microms of a change from razor to razor that appear similar will make the same blade behave differently. Then you have the difference in pre blade bar or comb on the base plate that puts the skin at different tension or pull. So really not different even with same manufacturers. Obviously unless batch variance we hope not to see the big jumps in shave with the same razor's but then again I've heard tales of micro yawn that with even the thicker AC blades makea for a wrong shave
 
Nishy

Nishy

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Mr Bigmem said:
Nishy not to teach my grandmother how to suck eggs but the blade gap, the blade exposure, and the blade pitch even with microms of a change from razor to razor that appear similar will make the same blade behave differently. Then you have the difference in pre blade bar or comb on the base plate that puts the skin at different tension or pull. So really not different even with same manufacturers. Obviously unless batch variance we hope not to see the big jumps in shave with the same razor's but then again I've heard tales of micro yawn that with even the thicker AC blades makea for a wrong shave
Click to expand...
Yep this is what my understanding is too. I knew by picking the Feather Pro, I was expecting a very sharp edge, paired with the OC plate, plenty of exposure, so it would definitely offer a lot of blade feel. If that makes sense. In the Asylum the blade is very well protected by the safety bar. Even with the Feather Pro, IMO it feels similar to that of a tech and Astra SP. Really is that smooth. It is obviously a stiffer blade though. Strangely in the Asylum I found the Kai mild to be a tad more aggressive.

Once again were dealing with less than five uses with the razors in question. So hardly concrete.

I am going to try the Kai mild in the ATT SE2 and judge this combination. All I can confirm so far is the SE2 paired with the Feather Pro is the closest shave I have got without a straight. However, the Asylum paired with the Feather Pro was much smoother than the above. Again sorry to repeat but the Asylum has had 3 uses now, the ATT was on its maiden voyage. If the Kai in the SE2 is comfortable and provides the same results (closeness and efficiency) it will save me purchasing the Asylum.

Stay tuned!
 
Nishy

Nishy

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Recovering from man flu, pretty much paracetamol v mucus so had a lie in today. Anyway just looked in the mirror and I really don't have anything to shave. I'm very impressed with the efficiency and closeness of my shave yesterday, with the SE2. Again only with certain straight razors and perhaps on perfect occasions with my Wolfman or Blackbird, do I get such close results. Fingers crossed for some stubble this evening :)
 
Mr Bigmem

Mr Bigmem

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Nishy said:
Recovering from man flu, pretty much paracetamol v mucus so had a lie in today. Anyway just looked in the mirror and I really don't have anything to shave. I'm very impressed with the efficiency and closeness of my shave yesterday, with the SE2. Again only with certain straight razors and perhaps on perfect occasions with my Wolfman or Blackbird, do I get such close results. Fingers crossed for some stubble this evening :)
Click to expand...
What do ATT and bulkgoose advocate as their choice of blades? It could just be the depth of blade is the trick and they really designed and built each for one thickness and blade angele. The cut on use blades is what makes those big changes. One blade will only shave closer if held at the right angel and closeness and your skin pulled right
 
Nishy

Nishy

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To be honest I haven't checked, my depth of research was a few youtube vids of more experienced guys to ascertain angle and reading the compatibility boundaries of the two with regards to certain blades. I'm guessing blade preference is just that but logically speaking an OC is more efficient for me so a milder blade would be justified. I actually don't pull my skin and used the ATT Bamboo handle to alleviate weight.
 
sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
We have lost Chico from the list, due to @Darkbulb induced RAD.
Good thing I'm resistant to stainless steel. :D
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Nishy

Nishy

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Ok so one more shave left before I post off the Asylum. Yesterday it was SE wars. I have recently got into bathing like a did with brushes. So whilst my bristles soaked in the bath so did my badger. See what I did. Anyhow we need a bath thread.


ATT SE v Asylum RX
Brush: Shavemac Silvertip 2 band Unique bulb (TSR LE)
Soap: icoloniali
Blade: Kai Pro Touch

Now first off the Asylum tames most blades to give a comfortable smooth shave. The ATT being an OC does not. You feel the differences in the SE blade edge to a greater degree. In further detail the Feather Pro was way too aggressive in the OC but it was extremely smooth and just increased efficiency in the Asylum.

The Kai Pro Touch was extremely smooth and mild in the OC with a decent level of efficiency. No irritation or excessive burn on applying the a/s. I will always admit to my mistakes but i'm quite certain the cutting angles were not an issue at this stage. The Asylum with this blade felt very similar to the Feather Super. So I went ahead and changed the blades in both for my second pass, to a Feather Super.

I much prefer this blade in the Asylum, it provides a more crisp feel when cutting through whiskers. Definitely not as aggressive as the Feather Pro when in the OC. However the OC better compliments the Kai Pro Touch blade IMO or at least for my favoured level of aggression.

The cutting angle of the Asylum reminds me of disposable fixed head razors, such as the Gillette or Bic brands (minus discomfort and nicks). In my Pharmacy that equates to approx 2800 disposable razors for the same price. The ATT is more of a 30 degree DE angle. Both have lovely slim profiled heads, so not cumbersome on the face at all. Under the nose, directly beneath the nostrils, the ATT is much better.

The OC given its structure allows for buffing or shaving over the same area without re-lathering as you would expect. This is definitely a useful plus point for me. Just beware as this razor is extremely efficient and irritation is just one pass away.

Getting back to the Asylum. The shave feel (IMO) is not on edge or what I like to describe as 'twitchy' or 'tentative' it is smooth. I don't feel as though I am likely to cut myself nor do I feel like I need to concentrate as hard as I should with a straight razor. Despite this the finish is class. I presume this is down to SE blades, being stiffer that the DE. After shaving with either of these I can go another day without shaving and still look presentable. Similar to straight razor shaves, the lather has to be spot on. On my second pass with a DE (my final pass) I tend to use a runnier or thinner lather to aid in providing a closer shave. I would advise against this with either of these razors. ATT OC with a Feather Pro is the closest shave I've had without a straight.

Finally I went and purchased the Asylum. Why? I don't want to be without - fear of loss got me. The shave is extremely smooth, not overly exciting. Tame blade feel regardless of selection. A very narrow change in face feel but noticeable change in efficiency. I like the cutting angle and slim head design. Balance is also very good. The ATT with the bamboo handle is top heavy which takes some getting used to. I have asked Phil at Bullgoose to double check my order as I have spoken to other owners with finish issues. Expensive? IMO yes. But I did buy one in the end, so I like it enough for the outlay.
 
sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Nico1970 said:
Andreas, unfortunately I'm going to be another faller off the list because of that damned Richard @Darkbulb :blush:

As always, many thanks for the opportunity though :notworthy:
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No worries, Martin.
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