chazt
Forum !
Since turning away from cartridge razors my primary blade format of choice has been DE. I was never bitten by the AC bug. I dabbled in GEM razors and blades for a year or two which, try as I might, just couldn’t seem to get on with, and have kept only one, a lovely MMOC complete with the black and maroon Bakelite case. Injectors though, I have a definite soft spot, having owned approximately three each of Schick Type G and Type I. One of each still remains. I have shaved with my favorite black handled Type I two or three times a month all along. It’s always a fun and refreshing shave.
Fast forward to July, 2022. The Asylum Injector, which had been talked about and alluded to for a very long time, finally saw the light of day. I’ve had seven shaves with this little marvel to date. Here are my thoughts.
For one thing it is so good looking! Holy mama, it is pretty. Sexy even. The curves, the lines, the way it feels in hand, the shave feel, yes sexy is a very good descriptor. It is by far the smoothest shaving injector I’ve used. For my beard and skin, the Asylum Injector is as efficient than the Schick Type G, and much, much smoother than the Type I. I have not used any other injector razors, vintage or modern.
My first six shaves were with the same yellow pack Schick blade. After the sixth shave I became aware of some irritation on my lower neck a few hours post shave. The previous shaves were irritation free. I binned the blade after shave six. Today, shave seven, was with a Personna blade. Tbh, the shave was not as wonderful as it was with the Chinese Schick blade. I tossed that blade after one shave. FWIW, the Personna blades were never my injector preference. I have two other varieties of injector blades to work through, so truthfully I won’t reach any long term blade conclusions for a few weeks. Still remaining to use are the Schick Proline B-20s and the Schick platinum and PTFE blades from the keyed dispenser. Lots of experimentation still to come!
My first two shaves (sChick blade) were somewhat trepidatious as this is my most aggressive razor. There are two spots on my face, one on the left cheek, one on my chin, that are prone to nicks when I use a very sharp blade with an aggressive razor. DE, GEM, injector, it doesn’t matter. I must be very careful and use negative pressure. If not blood will be drawn. Sure enough, shave one I hit the cheek spot, second shave, chin spot. Shaves three through six were drama free, with the exception of the aforementioned neck irritation. In my experience there was a brief learning curve of two to three shaves with acclimating to the razor’s characteristics.
Ergonomically, there’s a lot to like about the Asylum Injector. I find the weight and balance to be highly usable. Initial concerns that it might be too heavy we’re unfounded. Indeed, the weight and balance helps me to use the lightest touch possible. Imagine a Venn diagram of weight, balance, efficiency and smoothness. The three piece, non-injecting design works. Before my first shave I practiced taking the razor apart and putting it together sans blade. An added benefit of the design is the ability to palm strop the injector blade before installation. The Asylum Injector rests perfectly in a rounded yoke style razor stand. It’s non-scratching and convenient.
To paraphrase Humphrey B., “this is going to be a long and beautiful friendship.”
Full disclosure, I paid full retail price at BullGoose which is owned by Phil Huntsinger who also owns The Shave Nook, where I am a member of the moderation team.
Today’s SOTD pic;
Fast forward to July, 2022. The Asylum Injector, which had been talked about and alluded to for a very long time, finally saw the light of day. I’ve had seven shaves with this little marvel to date. Here are my thoughts.
For one thing it is so good looking! Holy mama, it is pretty. Sexy even. The curves, the lines, the way it feels in hand, the shave feel, yes sexy is a very good descriptor. It is by far the smoothest shaving injector I’ve used. For my beard and skin, the Asylum Injector is as efficient than the Schick Type G, and much, much smoother than the Type I. I have not used any other injector razors, vintage or modern.
My first six shaves were with the same yellow pack Schick blade. After the sixth shave I became aware of some irritation on my lower neck a few hours post shave. The previous shaves were irritation free. I binned the blade after shave six. Today, shave seven, was with a Personna blade. Tbh, the shave was not as wonderful as it was with the Chinese Schick blade. I tossed that blade after one shave. FWIW, the Personna blades were never my injector preference. I have two other varieties of injector blades to work through, so truthfully I won’t reach any long term blade conclusions for a few weeks. Still remaining to use are the Schick Proline B-20s and the Schick platinum and PTFE blades from the keyed dispenser. Lots of experimentation still to come!
My first two shaves (sChick blade) were somewhat trepidatious as this is my most aggressive razor. There are two spots on my face, one on the left cheek, one on my chin, that are prone to nicks when I use a very sharp blade with an aggressive razor. DE, GEM, injector, it doesn’t matter. I must be very careful and use negative pressure. If not blood will be drawn. Sure enough, shave one I hit the cheek spot, second shave, chin spot. Shaves three through six were drama free, with the exception of the aforementioned neck irritation. In my experience there was a brief learning curve of two to three shaves with acclimating to the razor’s characteristics.
Ergonomically, there’s a lot to like about the Asylum Injector. I find the weight and balance to be highly usable. Initial concerns that it might be too heavy we’re unfounded. Indeed, the weight and balance helps me to use the lightest touch possible. Imagine a Venn diagram of weight, balance, efficiency and smoothness. The three piece, non-injecting design works. Before my first shave I practiced taking the razor apart and putting it together sans blade. An added benefit of the design is the ability to palm strop the injector blade before installation. The Asylum Injector rests perfectly in a rounded yoke style razor stand. It’s non-scratching and convenient.
To paraphrase Humphrey B., “this is going to be a long and beautiful friendship.”
Full disclosure, I paid full retail price at BullGoose which is owned by Phil Huntsinger who also owns The Shave Nook, where I am a member of the moderation team.
Today’s SOTD pic;
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Thank you. I’ll update periodically as I rotate through the various blades.
