Someone on Wicked Edge was considering the Axwell razor, and one user strongly advised him against it, saying that the Axwell was made of plastic and zinc alloy. I do not believe that information can possibly be correct. The Axwell head is too thin for zinc alloy and also strong. I think it has to be stamped steel, with some sort of coating. And the handle is far heavier than plastic—and you can see the metal of the threads if you look inside the handle. Some weights:
Bakelite plastic slant: total weight 18g.
Axwell razor: total weight 60g, and the handle by itself is 43g.
I decided to do a comparison shave, using both the Axwell and the Parker 92R. But first, the prep.
I’ve been using my mix of Clearly Natural Vitamin E glycerin hand soap and emu oil (a ratio of 1 oz of soap mixed with 1 tsp of emu oil, so 12 oz (3/4 c) gets mixed with 12 tsp (4 Tbsp). Today I switched to my former mix of Dr. Bronner’s liquid Castile soap and emu oil (same ratio). I have to say that the Dr. Bronner mix seems slicker and better. I will use up the Clearly Natural mix, but from then on, it’s Dr. Bronner’s for me.
But first comes the prep. The Tcheon Fung Sing is an artisanal Italian shaving soap and quite good. BullgooseShaving.com sells it and has it in stock. The lather was instant and thick, the little Omega 11047 boar+badger doing a fine job. Because of the boar content, I do wet this brush well before I shower so it’s suitable after shower.
The Parker 92R is head-heavy, but that’s not really a problem. The two have a different feel because of the Parker’s more massive head, and I quickly realized that I should have put the same blade in both. The Parker was gliding through the stubble, and after the shave I discovered why: it holds one of my few remaining Astra Keramik Platinum blades. (Does anyone have a stash of those to sell?)
The Axwell did quite a good job, but its Gillette Thin blade was no match for the Keramik Platinum. Still, using the razors alternately, I got a very fine shave, and both razors are good. I would say the 92R is somewhat better, not based on the blade but based on the weight distribution: a straight-bar razor’s cutting action improves with added head mass.
A good splash of Stetson Classic and the day begins.
Filed under: Shaving
