I've used the Red Ring twice now.
It's an interesting razor.
First use:
I used one of the provided Gillette Stainless blades. The blade performs well. Suitably sharp which is a big issue I have with many blades; but rarely Gillette. I would happily continue to use them.
Even though the RR is tipped as an adjustable, for this shave I just kept it on its tightest setting which makes closest to a traditional open-comb. Something akin to a Gillette Old... But far more advanced.
I had about 5 days growth, but the hair offered practically no resistance at all. I think I could have waited another week and it wouldn't have made any difference.
This is quite an aggressive & efficient razor, even on its lowest setting. I could never use this guy more than every-other day. He gives a silky-smooth shave after just two passes. But, it takes **juuuust** enough of my skin off that I am aware of it and dare not take it further. And, yes, I'm trying to apply zero pressure.
You never forget the seriousness of this razor. There is ample blade-feel that never goes away. But, there is also a rare sophistication to it. I really like it. And, if it were priced (far) more reasonably, I would likely buy one.
Second Use:
3-4 days after the previous shave, I decided to test the "adjustability" aspect of the razor.
The razor normally sits on the first-bar setting on the knob. I turned this to the third-bar and raised the head to eye-height so that I could see what the mechanism was doing.
It looks simple. Increasing the aggressiveness just slightly raises the top-cap. Then, the blade naturally tries to straighten itself, which results in more blade exposure and a shallower angle. This would sound like the blade wouldn't be held tightly enough. But, the cone-shaped pillars seem to do a reasonable job of keeping it together. My biggest concern was that there is no "click" system and the knob seems to turn quite easily during use... But it didn't affect the shave.
The shave was *very* aggressive. Heaps and heaps of blade-feel. But, not quite the scariness of an R41. It was far more refined.
I won't make a habit of using this setting. But, it gave a crazy-close shave. Fully BBS and, surprisingly, less irritation than I was expecting. But I'll probably be a bit raw tomorrow.
I wound it back to its lowest setting for my second (final) pass. But, even that didn't stop me from slicing-off the top of a mole I have above my lip (think Cindy Crawford). But, at least, it was quick and clean. The alum fixed in it 20 seconds.
This shave just reinforced my thoughts from my previous shave.
This is a very sophisticated razor - especially given the vintage. Very close shaves and if I had thicker skin, I would use it regularly.
This razor is nothing like any other razor I've tried. And I love it.