first run with an Injector

iancevans · Post by **iancevans** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:31 am

So I finally got around to ordering some blades (from Ted Pella) for the 1940s Schick Injector I inherited from my grandfather. I cleaned the razor up last night and gave it a whirl this morning. After reading all of the positive things folks have had to say about it, I was excited to give it a spin.

It felt awful! The blade felt dull and tugged terribly. I even nicked myself on the neck, and nicks are not something I'm used to. I had a great lather of the sort that usually gives me cushy shaves with my SuperSpeed loaded with a Feather blade.

After the first horrifying pass I wanted to put the razor away, but I decided to give it first another WTG pass and then an XTG pass to see if it would do better once the stubble was mowed down a bit. It did better on these passes, but it still wasn't *good*. My shave is tolerably close, but my face is way too irritated for my liking.

Do any Injector users have any thoughts on this? Are there sharper blades I might buy? Maybe I just got a bum blade? Maybe I should give the Featherjector a try... I want to like this razor!

I'm going back to the Super Speed for now.

paperpundit · Post by **paperpundit** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:53 am

hmmm...Gordon might be the best one to answer this post, but from my experience, each injector shaves a little differently, for some reason. I have some that are really aggressive while others, that look pretty much the same, are tame.

That being said, sounds like you might have a bad blade. I'd try swapping it out, or even buying the lousy CVS ones, just to give another type a try.

Taffa · Post by **Taffa** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:56 am

Hi,i dont have used Ted Pella blades but i can say that injector in particular is very harsh in the skin i have two of them but i dont use it anymore now, i use a 1980 model and a Type O very both very comfortable in the skin.Regards,Eddie

fn2shave · Post by **fn2shave** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:46 pm

I have a 70s adjustable injector and I don`t find it less comfortable than a DE. I used schick blades which were ok. I tried the feather blades-featherjector-which were too harsh for me. So I am giving my injector a rest.

iancevans · Post by **iancevans** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 12:47 pm

Thanks for the replies. That's interesting to hear that some Injectors are aggressive--the stuff I had read made them seem gentle.

Knowing this, I'll load a fresh blade and try experimenting with blade angle and technique.

paperpundit · Post by **paperpundit** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:15 pm

Hello again, Ian,

I'll clarify it a little. I own four of them...two 40s, a late 60s, and an 80s. In general, the older the injector, the harsher the shave...

That said, my favorite is a 40s model that shaves like a dream.

Remember to keep the head flat, like a cartridge razor, and, in some cases, a little skin stretching (just check out a straight razor video) will help for sure.

L. Martino · Post by **L. Martino** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:27 pm

iancevans wrote:Thanks for the replies. That's interesting to hear that some Injectors are aggressive--the stuff I had read made them seem gentle.

Knowing this, I'll load a fresh blade and try experimenting with blade angle and technique.

Hi Ian,
I ran the injector route, from the E and G types ( which I believe you're using now) through the J,L,M, and adjustable model. Those first two were by far the most aggressive and gave me the roughest ride. Take a look at how much of a gap between the safety bar and blade. No idea what that setting would be on an adjustable DE razor, but I'd guess it would be a big number.
The later models have a different design to their heads, with much less of a gap. Helps make em smoother and MUCH easier to get an excellent shave with. This has been my own experience, and was able to get a truly BBS shave with them after a few things were resolved.
First, I'd suggest you put a 'wanted to buy' post for a newer type injector. Should be under $20 for one in nice shape. Then, you need to try other blades besides the Pella's. I'm not saying they're bad blades.......not at all. Many members love em, but they might not be right for YOU. Yeah, that's where the YMMV thingy comes in. You need to find the one that works best on your face and YES, they will perform differently on each person. Main thing though is to try another type of injector. You'll find that might make a world of difference right there.
I can tell you that if you decide on making an injector your razor of choice and are motivated towards that goal, excellent shaves can result in a short time. There IS a learning curve to em though.....you have to pay attention since it's a naked blade you're using with no lube strips. You can also hurt yourself if the lather and technique isn't right, even if the razor and blade match up with your face well.
I really enjoyed using an injector for 6 months before finally ending up using a DE only now. They are also an excellent razor to help bridge the DE mentality about reduction and going slow, if (when) you get around to that.
Anyway, there's lots of members here who have gone through what you are at the moment, and don't worry about the support you might need.
Good luck with that,
Martin
Oh........Ian? I just read another post of yours and I see you already use a DE. Ok then, you already have the lather and reduction thing down. Knowing that, I'd ESPECIALLY try another injector like a J,L or M. Hehe, I'm also smiling because I'm sure your very familiar with the YMMV deal about blades.