Which is best? SE or DE? The Great 2012 Shave-Off

[Mark1966]

OK guys, since you have tried your best to entrap me to the 'Dark Side' I thought it was time to sort this out once and for all.

Thanks to Pete I have an OCMM (see how I slipped that it so casual, like an old SE pro!) so the time has come to compare how it shaves with my current DE of choice - an Eclipse Red Ring.

I loaded the RR with a new Feather and threw the GEM blade into the OCMM - very cool TTO just so you know. So we were ready, the combatants faced off on the vanity, neither willing to take a backward step:



ROUND ONE

I prepared as usual, shower then soak brush (my new MC2) and lathered up. I actually used P.160 Tipo Morbido - a fantastic soap - rather then the C&E Nomad in the pic. The Nomad just looked better

So we were ready to go. This was the first time with the OCMM so I gave it the advantage - the left side of my face. To confess it was a little brutal. Certainly strong aural feedback but I got some nicks, weepers and burn. This shaves close and in hindsight I remembered hearing that these were quite aggressive.

By contrast the RR was s-m-o-o-t-h. Very nice glide and no nicks, cuts, or burn. The second pass on the OCMM was better but still not as good as the RR.

The first pass was north to south, the second south to north. Trying to only shave half your face then changing razors makes for some tricky angles around the chin and moustache area. I didn't go truly south to north on the cheeks with the OCMM, more XTG than ATG.

Finished off with the Lucky Tiger I got this week. The scent reminds me of orange hand-cleanser. A strong orange-citrus smell, which quickly fades away. On the face it is certainly more a balm (slightly oily) than splash with aloe vera in the ingredients this is evident in the strong soothing impact - very useful after the slash and burn approach of the OCMM.

The result for round one: This was a clear victory for the DE. It had the advantage of familiarity but was certainly a much smoother and more pleasant shave with less burn and nicks. Both were certainly very smooth, close shaves. We will come back tomorrow and try again to see if with a little more practice the OCMM can strike a blow for SE razors.

Stay tuned for more...

 

[Pjotr]

You're certainly not scared of aggressive razors. I put the OCMM to my face and started crying a little bit.

 

[Mark1966]

You're certainly not scared of aggressive razors. I put the OCMM to my face and started crying a little bit.

It was pretty aggro. I still need to play with the angle I think and if I can't fine tune it I may have to do this all over again with the other GEM.

 

[pablo_h]

The MMOC is too agressive for me, suits people used to shaving with straights only IMHO.

 

[Mark1966]

ROUND TWO

It was the Cella today, using my little red tub recently refilled from a kilo brick I brought and shared with Glen. I swapped the MC for my Chubby 1 too.

I swapped sides, the Red Ring with Feather starting on the left side of my face. What can I say, it was smooth and simple, but wait, what is that - a little bleeding going on! The RR claimed that this was merely the result of irritating a cut made yesterday by the OCMM. This could be true, but the judges decided that they still have to score it as a cut.

Now to the OCMM. No pressure, no pressure, no pressure was looping around in my head. I've said this on many occasions to those starting with DE but what does it mean? The first pass, north to south, was easy, basically a very light tough to 'steer' while gravity and the weight of the OCMM did its work. But how do you have 'no pressure' going ATG south to north? Once again I tried the lightest of touches with the head of the razor merely grazing my face.

I thought that the touch of the OCMM was so light that it would not be working. But after two passes, WTG and genuinely ATG my cheeks feel unbelievably smooth! There was a nick on the chin, but this was the only one.

The result for round two: I calling it for the OCMM.

This resulted in some protest from the RR claiming that it was working under more difficult conditions, pointing out that the OCMM nick was fresh. I had to point out that maybe a certain laziness had crept in as the OCMM produced the finer shave, there were patches rubbing against the grain of the RR side where I could feel some stubble, whereas the OCMM side was all smooth, with and against the grain.

After this shock result so early in the match I'm sure that the RR will come back with more care next round. So stay tuned to see how this battle unfolds!



Is the OCMM smoking a cigarette?

 

[gthomas04]

ROUND TWO

It was the Cella today, using my little red tub recently refilled from a kilo brick I brought and shared with Glen. I swapped the MC for my Chubby 1 too.

I swapped sides, the Red Ring with Feather starting on the left side of my face. What can I say, it was smooth and simple, but wait, what is that - a little bleeding going on! The RR claimed that this was merely the result of irritating a cut made yesterday by the OCMM. This could be true, but the judges decided that they still have to score it as a cut.

Now to the OCMM. No pressure, no pressure, no pressure was looping around in my head. I've said this on many occasions to those starting with DE but what does it mean? The first pass, north to south, was easy, basically a very light tough to 'steer' while gravity and the weight of the OCMM did its work. But how do you have 'no pressure' going ATG south to north? Once again I tried the lightest of touches with the head of the razor merely grazing my face.

I thought that the touch of the OCMM was so light that it would not be working. But after two passes, WTG and genuinely ATG my cheeks feel unbelievably smooth! There was a nick on the chin, but this was the only one.

The result for round two: I calling it for the OCMM.

This resulted in some protest from the RR claiming that it was working under more difficult conditions, pointing out that the OCMM nick was fresh. I had to point out that maybe a certain laziness had crept in as the OCMM produced the finer shave, there were patches rubbing against the grain of the RR side where I could feel some stubble, whereas the OCMM side was all smooth, with and against the grain.

After this shock result so early in the match I'm sure that the RR will come back with more care next round. So stay tuned to see how this battle unfolds!



Is the OCMM smoking a cigarette?

Try the both on both sides method - first pass the SE second the DE - I find it the best of both worlds.

 

[Mark1966]

Try the both on both sides method - first pass the SE second the DE - I find it the best of both worlds.

That is a little double-minded for me You have to be on one side of the fence OR the other :laugh:

 

[gthomas04]

That is a little double-minded for me You have to be on one side of the fence OR the other :laugh:

Hang on a minute - I shave both sides of the fence with an SE then both sides with a DE - you good sir have built the fenceline down the middle of your face and decided it was an uncrossable barrier.

 

[garethm]

The result for round two: I calling it for the OCMM.

Sounds like a TKO for this round. I'm predicting a points decision in the end though.

Is anything attributable to the change of soap?

 

[Mark1966]

Hang on a minute - I shave both sides of the fence with an SE then both sides with a DE - you good sir have built the fenceline down the middle of your face and decided it was an uncrossable barrier.

Hmmm, good point! :amazed:

Sounds like a TKO for this round. I'm predicting a points decision in the end though.

Is anything attributable to the change of soap?

Shouldn't be a factor. I'm using both razors during the shave with the same prep - I think it was better technique - Round One was my first use of the OCMM

 

[Mark1966]

ROUND THREE

Being summer you can't go for too long without breaking out the Proraso - a great summer soap and a/s. I got the balm out just in case it got dirty today, but ended up using the splash, my normal summer combination - but more about that later.

The Proraso is teamed with my Semogue 1305 - another great combination. A great boar with loads of backbone.



The Red Ring was smarting after being beaten the previous day. It was Day Three with the Feather - this is the end point for many people with these blades so I was cautious, the RR shouting at me to use 'no pressure' just as I had done so successfully the previous day with the OCMM.

The OCMM meanwhile looked confident, almost cocky. It had the preferred left hand side and started the action. Once again, no pressure and a light touch.

The noise of the OCMM mowing down the stubble was again phenomenal. I have fairly thick coarse hair and it is like a chainsaw blasting through this stuff. The result though - nice, BBS and no cuts. Once again the OCMM had set the bar high.

Not to be outdone the Red Ring moved in, gliding effortlessly across my face. Smooth as silk and another BBS result after 2 1/2 passes, one WTG, one ATG and touch ups.

As I did the second pass with the Red Ring I was asking myself how am I going to judge this. They both produced such a smooth result and there were no nicks at all today. The RR was certainly more comfortable and easy to use, but that may merely be familiarity. I decided to use the Proraso splash to see if that highlighted any differences. Certainly there was a little burn but nothing major and evenly spread.

The result for round three: I'm calling this a draw.

So after three rounds the result is a tie.

I know that the fanbois on both side will not be satisfied with this result. Certainly the RR was easier for me - but I've used one more regularly. The OCMM was no more of a challenge than an aggressive DE, such as the 2011 R41, it took a little more concentration but the results speak for themselves.

What I've learnt from my brief experiences with SEs though is that everybody should give them a go - they are not that hard to use and you need not be afraid, like I was before I used one. All that I'm saying, it give SE a chance - you might be surprised like I was.

Tomorrow we will be having the last shave of this contest - and I've got something special in mind. Make sure you check back to see what weird, wacky and possible heretical approach I'm taking!

 

[gthomas04]

A great boar with loads of backbone.

!

And of course a really nice handle

 

[garethm]

Great review (again) and a good read.
Looking forward to your wacky final installment! What could you be up to? Making a lather from a bowl of Mentos? Shaving with a kitchen spatula? The mind boggles...

 

[Drubbing]

ROUND THREE

Being summer you can't go for too long without breaking out the Proraso - a great summer soap and a/s. I got the balm out just in case it got dirty today, but ended up using the splash, my normal summer combination - but more about that later.

The Proraso is teamed with my Semogue 1305 - another great combination. A great boar with loads of backbone.

I've got one of those brushes in a drawer somewhere... Nice handle if I recall.

Ahh, Proraso. I just bought my second ever tube. It lasted 2+ years, with irregular use the last 12 months or so. The menthol had muted and it was a bit firmer, but shaved as good as ever to the last squeeze. Wouldn't be without it, even after trying so much other stuff since then, same goes for the splash. That's a fair test of good gear IMO.

 

[gthomas04]

What could you be up to? The mind boggles...

The answer is quite simple - If you recall from earlier posts mark had some difficulty with dividing his face fairly inyo two halves.
Therefore one only has to work out what part of the body is already neatly divided into two to work out what the final and fairest test will be. Lotsa mirrors lotsa care and lotsa luck Mark.

 

[Mark1966]

The answer is quite simple - If you recall from earlier posts mark had some difficulty with dividing his face fairly inyo two halves.
Therefore one only has to work out what part of the body is already neatly divided into two to work out what the final and fairest test will be. Lotsa mirrors lotsa care and lotsa luck Mark.

OUCH - that ain't gonna happen!!!!!

 

[Mark1966]

ROUND FOUR

Here we are folks, the final round, at least for now.

It is another work day, so no time for mucking around. Shower, shave then out the door. This is also day four for the Feather in the Red Ring - potentially hazardous at the best of time. So you can see that I'm a thrill seeker at heart, in a rush and throwing a four day old Feather around my face mg:

So let's get into it. I'm going to start controversially:



Yes, for those that have been following closely that is the pic from the first day recycled, like I said I'm in a rush. I was also thinking about which soap to use and remembered that I'd taken a pic of the C&E Nomad but had not used it. I figured it was only fair to give it a run.

I can hear the gasps from some of you already. C&E soaps polarize people, you either love them or hate them. My wife is a big C&E fan so I tend to have received a few of their products as gifts over the years (not sure why I need some of them to be honest) so when I started DE shaving I knew it was just a matter of time. I'm just thankful that I haven't received one of their brushes, nice looking but $$$$$$!

So there we go, a controversial choice of soap. How will the OCMM stand up under this sort of pressure? Only one way to find out, I whip it out and off we go, doing my whole face, first pass, north to south with the OCMM. This did take some getting used to, doing my whole face but it did a mighty fine job.

Then it was time for the Red Ring for the second pass and touch ups. Yes, for those of you who haven't guessed I'm using the (in)famous 'Thomas Method' so dubbed by me after its most vocal proponent. In the controversial Thomas Method you do the first pass with a SE then the second past and touch ups with a DE. Claimed by supporters to be the best of both worlds and derided by critics as being so sitting on the fence that you get splinters you know where I know that it was a controversial way to finish this challenge.

The result for round four: S-M-O-O-T-H, in fact BBS.

I realise that I could get banned from shaving forums around the globe but maybe that old Aussie bugger was on to something.

Do we know which is best? Of course YMMV means that we never will. I am convinced though that part of the enjoyment of shaving nowadays is trying alternatives and savouring the moment. This daily ritual can be a enjoyable.

I'm also convinced that SEs are worth a run. One day I may even try a straight if I can learn how. Don't be afraid once you have a few shaves under your belt to be a little adventurous.

So that is it from me. I've enjoyed the ride and hope you have too.

May all your shaves be smooth, happy shaving!

 

[gthomas04]

ROUND FOUR

I realise that I could get banned from shaving forums around the globe but maybe that old Aussie bugger was on to something.

May all your shaves be smooth, happy shaving!

Well well - a minor correction that would be that Canadian/Kiwi/Aussie old bugger.
You have the address for the royalty cheques - payable to the Thomas Method inc
Glad you tried it Mark - nice to know I am not alone in my liking for this method.
Of course we all await now to see how you divide your face into thirds when you add a straight to the mix.

 

[Mark1966]

Well well - a minor correction that would be that Canadian/Kiwi/Aussie old bugger.
You have the address for the royalty cheques - payable to the Thomas Method inc
Glad you tried it Mark - nice to know I am not alone in my liking for this method.
Of course we all await now to see how you divide your face into thirds when you add a straight to the mix.

Canadian/Kiwi/Aussie - wow, what a mix. If you do something good though we claim you as our!

I think actually that I should be the one getting the cheques for promoting the Thomas Method (R) globally. See here on B&B (if you dare) and here on TSD. Note the post after mine in TSD - you are such an innovator mate!

Not sure I will try this will a straight as well, the shave off could cut something off!

 

[gthomas04]

Canadian/Kiwi/Aussie - wow, what a mix. If you do something good though we claim you as our!

What do you mean if? Isnt creating the greatest shaving method in the history of wet shaving enough?