I Think I’ve Found the One for Me

[Snail]

I've been DE shaving on and off for a few years now.

Only ever had one razor and that was the Merkur 34C HD.

I struggled to find the right blade combination to get a close shave with no irritation. I have settled on the perma sharp as my go to blade, in rotation with polsilver and feather.

However, even with the above blades, I found that I could never get an absolutely great shave with no irritation. My beard is coarse and my neck area sensitive. I usually did one WTG pass and maybe a XTG pass. I got a good shave, not great, and I had some irritation. Some days none, other days moderate. I found that the Merkur struggled with more than a couple days of growth, especially around my chin area where my beard is at its thickest.

I decided to get a new razor. After quite a bit of research and forum surfing, I went with the Ikon Shavecraft 7 piece set from Connaught. Thought it would give me the chance to try different styles of head.

I saw that the Ikon Tech 104 was meant to be a very aggressive razor with some struggling to get a long with it.

Out of sheer curiosity to see what the difference was between a very aggressive razor and the Merkur 34C ,which I understand is quite mild, the first shave with the set tonight was with the Tech.

Loaded the Tech with a perma sharp blade. The usual hot water prep with poraso sensitive pre-shave cream and wickham's 1912 Cashmere soap.

Instantly I felt the difference between the two razors and what an agressive razor felt like. I discovered the true meaning of no pressure when shaving. After I found the right angle and took my time, I was rewarded with a single WTG pass that was the closest and smoothest shave I have ever had.

I'll give the Ikon 101-103 heads a try to see what result I get with them. If the Tech continues to give me incredible shaves in one pass, the other heads in the set will get very limited use.

 

[Bizzyberry]

I've been DE shaving on and off for a few years now.

Only ever had one razor and that was the Merkur 34C HD.

I struggled to find the right blade combination to get a close shave with no irritation. I have settled on the perma sharp as my go to blade, in rotation with polsilver and feather.

However, even with the above blades, I found that I could never get an absolutely great shave with no irritation. My beard is coarse and my neck area sensitive. I usually did one WTG pass and maybe a XTG pass. I got a good shave, not great, and I had some irritation. Some days none, other days moderate. I found that the Merkur struggled with more than a couple days of growth, especially around my chin area where my beard is at its thickest.

I decided to get a new razor. After quite a bit of research and forum surfing, I went with the Ikon Shavecraft 7 piece set from Connaught. Thought it would give me the chance to try different styles of head.

I saw that the Ikon Tech 104 was meant to be a very aggressive razor with some struggling to get a long with it.

Out of sheer curiosity to see what the difference was between a very aggressive razor and the Merkur 34C ,which I understand is quite mild, the first shave with the set tonight was with the Tech.

Loaded the Tech with a perma sharp blade. The usual hot water prep with poraso sensitive pre-shave cream and wickham's 1912 Cashmere soap.

Instantly I felt the difference between the two razors and what an agressive razor felt like. I discovered the true meaning of no pressure when shaving. After I found the right angle and took my time, I was rewarded with a single WTG pass that was the closest and smoothest shave I have ever had.

I'll give the Ikon 101-103 heads a try to see what result I get with them. If the Tech continues to give me incredible shaves in one pass, the other heads in the set will get very limited use.

I have the 6 piece (X3 Head + 101 & 104 base plates) and I have since added the 103 and SBS heads. My favourites are the 101 and the SBS, the 101 usually needs 3 passes and SBS and 104 only need 2. I like the 104 but it really is the most aggressive DE I own, keep a super light touch and it gives a super close shave. I used the 101 today with a Racer (Lord) Platinum blade it tooks 3 passes but it was super smooth and no irritation.

I am sure you will enjoy trying the rest of the 7 piece set. I have not tried the 102 head, my set did not have this so I would be keen to know how this compares to the rest of the heads/plates. My 6 piece set had the X3 which gives inconsistent results for me, when it works well it is great but usually it fails to deliver a shave as good as the other iKon heads I have.

 

[Jel999]

I have the 101 head & it's super mild ( ridiculously so ) but gives a beautiful shave. It's a work of art, beautifully made. It's so nice when you find a razor that is perfect for you, for me it's my ATT R1 that I use 90% of the time.

 

[Glenn Booth]

That's really interested me, as I've had similar experience with the 34C - decent shaves, but not great. I've been on the lookout for an upgrade and you may have pointed me in the right direction!

Having said that, I recently finished with my first Rubie blade in the 34c and I got 3 very good shaves, so I may be starting to unlock the secrets of success with it.

 

[Snail]

It makes it a lot easier to apply zero pressure with the Ikon razor since I find it quite a lot heavier than the Merkur.

I also find the slightly longer handle on the Ikon (bulldog II handle) to fit my hands much better.

 

[Snail]

I have the 101 head & it's super mild ( ridiculously so ) but gives a beautiful shave. It's a work of art, beautifully made. It's so nice when you find a razor that is perfect for you, for me it's my ATT R1 that I use 90% of the time.

Just gave the 101 a one pass WTG shave to give it a try. Complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of aggressiveness compared to the 104 Tech.

Even compared to the Merkur 34C, the 101 is a lot milder. However, I found that the 101 still gave a better shave than the Merkur and seemed to be able to cut through the two days worth of stubble better than my Merkur used too. This time I went with a polsilver blade instead of the perma sharp. I also went with MWF soap.

On a side note, I have recently moved from quite a soft water area to a hard water area. I really struggled to get a good lather on the MFW. My other soaps have been fine.

 

[Eeyore68]

I have the 102, but decided that it is too mild for me. It is well made, and looks very nice, but I love a razor with a bit more "bite".

--
Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.

 

[Snail]

I have the 102, but decided that it is too mild for me. It is well made, and looks very nice, but I love a razor with a bit more "bite".

--
Pitralon forever - Real pens have a nib - If it doesn't tick, it's not a watch.

I just finished giving the 102 a try.

Normally, I would never shave on consecutive days as I would get quite bad irritation. However, I have been so pleased with how good and irritation free shaves that I've had with the Tech and 101, I decided to give it a try.

I found the 102 to be more efficient than the 101, but quite a bit less smooth.

Maybe it's because it's my first try with a slant, but I really struggled to get the right shave angle and found that it tugged on the hairs quite often.

I expected quite a quick and smooth shave since I only had 1 day worth of growth, but I ended up a bit disappointed with the 102. I did end up with some irritation as well.

Despite the dissapointment, I still had a better and nicer shave with the 102 than I used to with the Merkur.