Lets Talk Adjustables

[Clouds]

The purpose of the thread is to talk Adjustables.

I intend the first post to be an index.

INDEX
Apollo Mikron - Page 3
Archdale - Page 11
Barbaros & Rocnel Adjustable - Page 3
Bates Razor with Stropper - Page 13
Berkeley Custom Shaver - This Page
Bohin - Page 5
Brillant - Page 6
Darwin Adjustable - Page 8
Darwin Popular - Page 13
Davis Rythmic Razor - Page 4
Denali - Page 13
Eclipse Red Ring - This Page
Erfa Rasant - This Page
Famex - This Page
Gibbs 15/17 Reglable - Page 9
Gibbs 15 Aluminium - Page 8
Gibbs Ref 9 - Page 8
Gillette Bottom Dial - Page 3
Gillette Fatboy - Page 2
Gillette Franken-Adjustable - Page 13
Gillette Slim - Page 4
Gillette Super Adjustable 84 - Page 4
Gillette Super Adjustable 109 (Metal Base) - Page 4
Gillette Super Adjustable 109 (Plastic Base) - Page 5
Gillette Toggle - Page 3
Grath Adjustable (Wedge Blade) - Page 12
Hospital XOXO - Page 5
iKon El Jefe - Page 7
Ideal (USSR) - Page 10
Indiana - Page 3
Janus Toggle - Page 5
Just Rasoir - Page 6
KrtTyk - Page 6
Le Coq (Licence Palmer) - Page 2
L'Essor Le Supreme - Page 6
M.Peroni - Page 9
Maravilla Basculante - Page 8
Merkur Futur - Page 8
Merkur Progress - Page 2
Merkur Progress - Mergress - Page 3
Merkur Progress 580 - Page 13
Merkur Progress - 800 Series (830) - Page 13
Merkur Vision - Page 7
Myatt Adjustable - Page 10
Pal SE Injector - Page 7
Palmera No 7 - Page 5
Parker Injector - Page 11
Parker Variant - Page 6
Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Ascension - This Page
Pacific Model 100 - Page 2
Pearl Flexi - Page 10
Razzia - Page 9
Revelation - Page 11
Rex Ambassador - Page 5
Rocnel Sailor 1 - Page 6
Rocnel Sailor 2019 - Page 8
Rocnel Sailor 2020 - Page 11
Rocnel Sailor 2021 - Page 13
Rockwell 6S - Page 2
Rockwell Model T - Page 7
Rubin (USSR) - This Page
Schick Krona Adjustable - Page 2
Schick Type M Injector - Page 4
Schick Type M Injector "Shut-able" - Page 10
Segal Adjustable - Page 9
Snmirn - Page 10
Strivel Adjustable - Page 11
Superman - Page 8
Taiga Adjustable - Page 4
Tatara Muramasa - Page 12
Triton R3 - Page 6
Vikings Blade - Emperor - Page 9
Vikings Blade - Meiji - Page 8
Volcanic Tilt Adjustable - This Page
Walbusch B5 - Page 7
Wizamet W-10 - Page 9
Wizamet W-11 - Page 4
Yaqi Adjustable - Page 12
Young Any Angle - Page 12

[Clouds]

The Eclipse Red ring

Its still considered a Classic. Patented in the early 1930's, it comes from a time when British manufacturing was amongs't the best. Suffice to say that it had a number of innovative features when it was introduced, namely the head design and the magnet in the base. The head is a Hybrid OC/SB. The magnet in the base is there to pick up wet, slippery blades and probably is what its most well known for.

Most owners love them BUT this is another razor that I have never managed to figure out and again one that I seldom reach for. From what I have read online, they were designed to be used with thicker 3-hole blades. If you are not searching for a BBS they make great everyday shavers, but true adjustables they are not - JMHO and YMMV.

SOTD200506.jpg

[Clouds]

The Berkeley Custom Shaver

According to Waits:
The Trade Mark was filed on 26 January 1937. It's a double Edge razor with ribbed guard, blades stored in the handle and a knob that controls blade exposure. Versions are Red, Black or White (Ivory).

It comes in a very well made little wooden box, complete with little finger joints. Definitely not something that you would see today. The insert is cardboard.

Onto the razor itself:

Lets start at the top with the scalloped head. They probably thought that it would leave a thin layer of soap to help with slickness while you shaved. I personally wouldn't buy that but it sure looks nice.

Moving to the bottom plate. The "Custom" adjustability comes from a piece of spring steel (read shim) that is riveted to the bottom plate. Its the same system that is used in the various "XOXO" razors, which would make sense as one of them were sold under the Berkeley brand. Such a simple system yet it works surprisingly well.

On to the handle. The top "silver" part forms part of the bottom plate and is cast so hazarding a guess, it would be Zinc.
The bottom part of the handle is plastic and as you can see by the bottom image, it's hollow, allowing you to store spare blades in it. It has a center shaft that extends through the bottom to a marked plastic dial. All in all an ingenious little system!

It takes standard DE blades so no need for me to do any modifying on this one.

How does it shave?
Once you get around the odd feeling that you are shaving with a block, it gives an excellent shave.

Berkeley Shaver.jpg

[Clouds]

Volcanic Tilt Adjustable

First thing that I have to say - How's the styling of that handle!!!

I can't find much info on this. Its another Tiltable head razor. It has a stud through the head that swivels. That in turn goes through the base-plate which has a half-spherical section that allows you to tighten the handle up. Its was made in France probably in the 1920's.

How does it shave: Extremely well with deceivingly very little blade feel.

SOTD200507.jpg

[Clouds]

Famex

Made in France, this dates back to the early 30's. There are two versions - see image below, a 7tooth and a 13tooth. The 7tooth is supposed to be the more aggressive of the two but I've found the opposite. The 13tooth gives me a BBS with two passes.

Looking at the patent drawings, it looks like the 13tooth is the earlier patent. From the drawing of the 7tooth head it would appear that it was to be use the opposite way with the cage opening at the bottom. I've never used it this way, but will do so next time that i use it.

Adjusting it: When you tighten the handle it flexes the cage and thus adjusts the gap and the angle, but it also tends to bow so I am not really convinced on the effectiveness of it as an adjustable. Repeatability of a setting is also difficult as there is no scale anywhere.

Famex - Both.jpg

Famex Patents.JPG

[RiverValleyTrading]

This is a very interesting design. Does more teeth make any difference to the shave?

[Clouds]

This is a very interesting design. Does more teeth make any difference to the shave?

Everything else remaining the same - I doubt that it would.
After looking at the patents, I don't think that the 7tooth was actually meant to be adjustable??

[Clouds]

Rubin

Rubin is Russian for Ruby. I don't know too much about this razor except for the fact that it's "Cold War" Soviet made and clearly a copy of a Super Adjustable 109 with the plastic base plate. The best way that I can describe its is that its a "rough around the edges" Gillette SA 109. Its handle is also aluminium but a looser fit and the doors don't open as wide

Everything tightens up and adjusts as it should and it's shave is similar to the SA109 except that I use 1 setting less.

[RiverValleyTrading]

Rubin

Rubin is Russian for Ruby. I don't know too much about this razor except for the fact that it's "Cold War" Soviet made and clearly a copy of a Super Adjustable 109 with the plastic base plate. The best way that I can describe its is that its a "rough around the edges" Gillette SA 109. Its handle is also aluminium but a looser fit and the doors don't open as wide

Everything tightens up and adjusts as it should and it's shave is similar to the SA109 except that I use 1 setting less.

That's a very intersting razor. The cold war led to some interesting manufacturing and engineering in Russia.

[Clouds]

That's a very intersting razor. The cold war led to some interesting manufacturing and engineering in Russia.

Very much so, Necessity is the mother of invention RVT. They were ostracized by the West and had similar needs and wants as the rest of us, so plans had to be made.

Gillette as a company were ultra aggressive on anybody who they thought represented a threat to their income. It would have been interesting to be a fly on the wall of the board meeting when they saw the razor for the first time.

[Jacquers]

Although it isn't really an adjustable the Old Type's instructions show you how to use it as one. Without something to lock it into a setting I wouldn't recommend it. You could shim it though to change the shave.

OT Instructions.jpeg

[Clouds]

Although it isn't really an adjustable the Old Type's instructions show you how to use it as one. Without something to lock it into a setting I wouldn't recommend it. You could shim it though to change the shave.

Based on the same advert, I initially had an Old Type planned but changed my mind. Like you its not something that I would recommend.
Todays SOTD is based on the same principle.

[Clouds]

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Ascension

The Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (mouthful) Ascension is a modernized version of the Grand Shave King. The initial idea of the topcap is to hold water and thus giving extra lubrication. I can't say that I feel any difference.

When you put the blade in and tighten it up it gives the blade some pretty serious curvature. Loosening the handle a little changes the blade gap and angle with the blade acting as its own spring. It doesn't get much use in my rotation, but when I do use it I keep it pretty tight. At its price point it's great value and an excellent shaver but marketing it as an adjustable - really...

[RiverValleyTrading]

Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements Ascension

The Phoenix Artisan Accoutrements (mouthful) Ascension is a modernized version of the Grand Shave King. The initial idea of the topcap is to hold water and thus giving extra lubrication. I can't say that I feel any difference.

When you put the blade in and tighten it up it gives the blade some pretty serious curvature. Loosening the handle a little changes the blade gap and angle with the blade acting as its own spring. It doesn't get much use in my rotation, but when I do use it I keep it pretty tight. At its price point it's great value and an excellent shaver but marketing it as an adjustable - really...

I alwyas thought the main idea behind this head desing was to increase lather flow.

Regarding the loosening of the handle to 'adjust' the aggression, this was fairly common practice back in the day. Vene the Muhle pmphlet that comes with their safety razors mentions this. It is a bit dangerous though, not recommened for newer shavers.

[dini]

That Famex looks very aggressive , Like remove a layer of skin aggressive .

Thanks for all these detailed write ups , Clouds . Very informative .

[Clouds]

I alwyas thought the main idea behind this head desing was to increase lather flow.

Regarding the loosening of the handle to 'adjust' the aggression, this was fairly common practice back in the day. Vene the Muhle pmphlet that comes with their safety razors mentions this. It is a bit dangerous though, not recommened for newer shavers.

I also did but did some Googling. The Grand Shave Kings patent mentions holding water and thus giving extra lubrication.

Just my opinion here on loosening the plate and adjustables.
Loosening up a blade does not make a razor adjustable. A true adjustable must have some mechanism to "clamp" the blade and at the same time increase the gap, otherwise its not an adjustable. The Red Ring is a very good razor as is this one - but they are not adjustables.

That Famex looks very aggressive , Like remove a layer of skin aggressive .

Thanks for all these detailed write ups , Clouds . Very informative .

Firstly - thanks for the feedback Dini...

The 7tooth is pretty mild. I'm more careful with the 13tooth version.
I was actually looking at the 7tooth version, the handle that came with it and the patent. I'm not sure how they are supposed to work together. There is no way that they are going to fit together like the image and I have been assured that its the correct handle!!

[Clouds]

Erfa Rasant

The Erfa Rasant comes from the German Democratic Republic. Visually they look rough and ready, no-nonsense razors. Looking at them, they have been heavily influenced by the Apollo / Merkur Progress and they operate in the same way.

The Hex handle one is the older version. The top is cast in Zinc, the top cap is chrome plated, the adjusting plate is a dull aluminium look finish and the bottom plate is finished in what looks like a hammered paint finish but actually feels smooth. It has holes in the bottom of the lather channels. The handle is cast and finished in the same finish as the bottom plate and the twist knob looks like it could be stainless steel.

The round handle version is the later version. The head is the same arrangement as the older version but they changed the geometry of the topcap. There are no holes in this ones lather channels (same as the Progress). The handle is aluminium and the twist-knob is plastic, I guess in order to cut costs. There is a generation between the first and middle - It has the lather holes of the first generation and the handle of the middle one.

How do they shave: Somewhere between a DFS and a BBS. I found them similar with the newer version edging it very slightly. I believe that some blade experimentation will be in order.

EDIT:
I've added a third version, which I believe to be the last version and updated the picture.

Erfa 3 Gens.jpg

[RiverValleyTrading]

Erfa Rasant

The Erfa Rasant comes from the German Democratic Republic. Visually they look rough and ready, no-nonsense razors. Looking at them, they have been heavily influenced by the Apollo / Merkur Progress and they operate in the same way.

The Hex handle one is the older version. The top is cast in Zinc, the top cap is chrome plated, the adjusting plate is a dull aluminium look finish and the bottom plate is finished in what looks like a hammered paint finish but actually feels smooth. It has holes in the bottom of the lather channels. The handle is cast and finished in the same finish as the bottom plate and the twist knob looks like it could be stainless steel.

The round handle version is the later version. The head is the same arrangement as the older version but they changed the geometry of the topcap. There are no holes in this ones lather channels (same as the Progress). The handle is aluminium and the twist-knob is plastic, I guess in order to cut costs.

How do they shave: Somewhere between a DFS and a BBS. I found them similar with the newer version edging it very slightly. I believe that some blade experimentation will be in order.

Very cool East German razor. It's always funny how most coountries with the word Democratic in the name are not really democratic.

[Clouds]

Very cool East German razor. It's always funny how most coountries with the word Democratic in the name are not really democratic.

I'm not sure where the image went RVT so I uploaded it again. We had family friends that escaped from the DDR.

[RiverValleyTrading]

Very cool East German razor. It's always funny how most coountries with the word Democratic in the name are not really democratic.

I'm not sure where the image went RVT so I uploaded it again. We had family friends that escaped from the DDR.

Very cool pictures. You can definutely see the Merkur Progress infleunce in the head design.

Just a small aside:
The Cold war GDR era was a crazy time. Families were split up, many died trying to escape. The Berlin wall also brought the world to the brink of thermonuclear catastrophe.

When I visited Germany, the thing that struck me most was the reason for the split was purely based on political ideology. This was no ethnic, religous, or racial divide. It was absolutely insane (to me) that politicians could inlfuence the lives of people to that extent.