At long last I think I’ve found the answer to the question of iKon 102 clogging. I was mystified by the complaints I read, since I have never experienced any clogging at all. I thought of several possible causes of the clogging that some have reported: dry lather, hard water, using shave oil, shaving extremely long stubble. Yesterday in an exchange with a redditor on Wicked Edge, I think I nailed it: the 102 is prone to clog for men whose beards are quite thick and dense and who do not shave every day or two. If a guy with dense, thick stubble shaves a four-day growth with the 102, the razor will clog.
It’s common for tools to be suited to particular purposes: we have framing hammers and finish hammers, rip saws and crosscut saws, wide chisels and narrow chisels, fore planes and smoothing planes, luxury sedans and Formula 1 racers. The 102 is a great choice for a daily shaver, and also works well for shaving a multiday stubble on men with normal or light beards. It clogs when men with dense beards shave a multi-day stubble, so it seems logical in that situation to do a first pass with a razor that doesn’t clog. The Merkur Progress, for example, seems immune to clogging and since it’s adjustable, a higher setting can be used for longer stubble; or—at considerably less cost—an efficient and comfortable open-comb razor like the RazoRock Old Type or the Maggard V2OC could be used for the first pass, since open comb razors are not so prone to clogging (which is irrelevant for men who shave every day or two but important for those who shave only every week or two).
Bruce Everiss uses a different razor for each pass to optimize the match between razor and stubble length. He describes that method in three posts: first post, second post, and third post. It’s worth noting that each of the three razors are kept loaded with a blade and ready to go: on finishing a pass, you rinse the razor as usual and put it down, pick up the brush and apply lather for the next pass, and pick up the appropriate razor for the next pass. Thus it takes no more work or time than using the same razor for all three passes. (I mention this because some have the idea that they must transfer the blade from one razor to the next as they go. Not only is this unnecessary, it is undesirable for two reasons: first, blades should be handled as little as possible (normally, you touch the blade only twice: once when you load the razor with the blade and once when you remove the blade to discard it); and second, the brand of blade that works well in one razor may not work well in another. Three different razors may well use three different brands of blades.
Now I know to recommend the (wonderful) iKon 102 specifically to men who shave every day or two (or who have normal or light beards), and to mention that the 102 doesn’t work so well for men with dense, thick stubble who shave infrequently—at least it would not be a good choice for the first pass.
You can read the exchange on reddit. The above summary of findings covers the essential content. Obviously having to deal with clogs makes the shave inefficient and also seems to be hard on the razor. (I have used a 102 for some years and have had zero problems with the threads, though of course I do have quite a few razors in rotation so I don’t use it daily. However, some do use the 102 daily and I’ve not heard reports of problems from them.)
In recognition of finally settling this problem, I brought out the 102 for today’s shave. Prep was done with the Kent Infinity brush, a very nice little synthetic, and Meißner Tremonia’s Strong ‘n Scottish shaving soap, which Maggard Razors describes as “Masculine, strong and incredibly intense. Plenty of genuine Scotch whisky, pure sheep wool fat with the peaty-smoky fragrance of burnt oak.”
The 102 did a superb job: simply wiping away the stubble and, of course, no clogging at all: I shaved yesterday, plus my beard is of normal density. No nicks or burn—the 102 is extremely comfortable and not inclined to nick—but a BBS result without effort.
A splash of Bulgari served as an aftershave, and I’m ready for the day.
Filed under: Shaving
