Sorry for the delay in putting my results down concerning these two razors but, I had to take care of some things on the honey do list. Got that out of the way and now I can give a bit of a detailed account on these here whisker reducers.
As the photo looks in my last post, that’s exactly what I used. I was considering of starting a new thread as a razor vs razor type thing and then just said why? I just wanted to see a razor that could shave comparably to the Gamechanger and I think there isn’t a better razor to try it with than with the Rockwell 6c with it’s multiple base plate settings.
I’m not going into specifics on each particular razor. We all know that the RR Gamechanger is made of 316 SS & the Rockwell is Chrome plated Zamak. Both are very well made as they each have precise fitment. I will say that I’m very impressed with the 6c as it’s finish and plating is of very nice quality. They are both in the $50 range, with the Gamechanger potentially costing $5 more depending on handle selection. They are both nice and shiny, how about that?
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On to the shave.
I kept the Kai blade with the Gamechanger and decided to live dangerously and use one of the Rockwell blades in the 6c. The purpose is to find a base plate with the 6c that can assimilate the shave feel of the Gamechanger and see how it would stack up performance wise. The Gamechanger was on the left and the 6c was on the right. 1 day and change worth of growth.
Pass 1 (wtg): I took the 6c and installed the Rockwell blade together with the R5 plate. If it felt to aggressive, I’d bump it down to the R4 plate. Not needed. The 6c went through the stubble with good efficiency and decent blade feel on the right side. From sideburn to neck the pass was quite smooth and you can hear the blade and razor doing its work. The Rockwell blade is not a smooth blade. Don’t get me wrong, it will cut just not as comfortable and smooth as other blades. But it finished the first pass.
The Gamechanger hit the left side with the Kai and it was immediately apparent that the Kai and GC were not taking down as much stubble as the 6c had. The blade was on its 5th shave so it struggled a bit. Didn’t pull or tug, but it obviously wasn’t as sharp as the new Rockwell blade. Completed the pass and rinsed. Yep, the 6c noticeably took down a bit more stubble than the GC. The GC had some work to do.....
Pass 2 (atg): The 6c went first and it just proceeded to reduce more stubble. Though like I said about the blade, it’s just not a smooth operator and I felt it skip on a couple of spots. But, I was at DFS with this pass so I could have stopped it there. My face though did start to feel a little bit of irritation and a tiny weeper on the neck.
The Gamechanger had a little bit more stubble to take care of and it did it very nicely on this pass. Smooth and efficient. It just glided over my face and the Kai just kept humming along. No nics, cuts, weepers or irritation. Just a real efficient pass. Quick rinse, a face feel and both sides were practically identical. DFS for sure, so I decided to get one more pass in and see if BBS was attainable.
Pass 3 (xtg): This pass is mostly just to pick up stragglers especially along my neck and throat as the hair there kind of goes every which way but down. Mostly clean up and slight buffing. The 6c finished of the right side in style with just a straggler or two on the Adam’s apple area. The R5 plate gave me a good feel for the blade and it’s efficiency was just pretty darn good and surprisingly smooth. But the blade and I were not getting along at all as my face was starting to feel a little heat half way through the final pass. I finished it with a nice smooth overall feel, but I was going to need some serious skin food on my right side. But, BBS was attained.
The GC was just as good as the 2nd pass. Smooth, quiet and deceptively efficient. The Kai lasted to the shave but is getting close to its end. No irritation at all to speak of and I ended up using it to complete minor buffing on both sides. A quick rinse and the face feel showed that they both delivered in spades. BBS on both sides with a spot that never gets there on the throat and some irritation on the right where the 6c did it’s work. Overall though a very satisfying shave.
So what do I think? Surprisingly I felt just a bit more blade feel with the 6c than I did with the GC. And perhaps just a bit more efficient too. Where I think the 6c was weak was in the blade that I used as it did not allow the razor to feel smoother. And I think with a better blade, the 6c would have taken this face off. But, as it stood the GC gave me just as good a shave with a blade that was almost done and without any type of irritation to speak off. Once I used my Humphreys and Nivea to calm the irritation, about after an hour both sides felt smooth and soft. It’s now 7:15 pm here in Jersey, and my face still feels great with just the slightest bit of early stubble showing around the jawline. The shave was at 9 am. That’s 10 hours worth of smooth feeling faceturbating. That’s not to shabby at all.
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Both are great in the hands with good balance and feel. The GC gets the nod for a lower profile head, 316 SS construction and felt gentler on the face. The 6c was just as good and is adjustable in that you can dial in a plate to your liking but, is a bit bulkier in the head, not as maneuverable and is made of Zamak with chrome plating. The GC felt smoother and deceptively efficient, while the 6c felt a tad more efficient but not as smooth as the GC. Since I think the Rockwell blade was at fault for not allowing it to be at it’s smoothest, I’m doing one more shave between the 2 with better and new blades for each.
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