Well after a clean up of the Micrometric it got its first run today.
A very vintage SOTD
Brush: Vintage butterscotch Simpson
Soap/Cream: Vintage Yardley Shaving Soap
Razor: Personna Micrometric [6]
Blade: Personna 'Lab Blue' [1]
After-shave: Floid Vigoroso
The Micrometric cleaned up really well. There are a couple of splits starting to develop in the bakelite handle but nothing serious. The gold plating is well done and has stood the test of time.
While some may not like the bakelite handle is certainly gives a good grip. The ridges along it are pronounced and easy to hold. At 73g (with blade) and 8cm long it is very similar in size and weight to the Gillette British Aristocrat #21 or #22/66 or the US rhodium plated Executive. The bakelite handle does affect the balance with a little more weight seeming to be in the head - but it doesn't feel unbalanced.
I dialed it up to 6, the maximum, which looked like a pretty wide blade gap so I was cautious. Now there are actually two marks on the dial and the other one was on 'N' but this is certainly the greatest gap I could manage to create.
After lathering up the Yardley we were off. My initial caution was unnecessary. This is one s-m-o-o-t-h razor. I combined with a fresh Personna 'Lab Blue' which is my standard test blade (and also Personna branded!) and the combination worked well.
My standard 2 1/2 pass shave done (north -> south, then vice versa, then across the jawline) I could still feel a faint stubble when running my hand ATG up my cheeks - so I did another ATG south -> north pass just on the cheeks. The result was a truly BBS with only a couple of very minor patches where running my hand ATG I could feel anything, mainly on my neck and under teh jawline. I'm sure if I'd done a full 3 pass shave these could have been addressed.
Then the test - applied the Floid Vigoroso generously. I expect some sting but that was not to be, just the warm glow of the menthol.
Overall: An outstanding shave.
The results equally that of the Barbasol Floating head and the R41 but without the uber-aggressive fear and trepidation they bring.
The only downside I can see is that I had this dialled right up to the most aggressive setting so I'm unlikely to get a closer shave than this. By way of contrast when I use a Fatboy or Slim I don't tend to dial them right out - the results are uncomfortable and not worth the hassle. I know I will not have any problems with the Personna, it will always be smooth, but the lower settings will not get much use I suspect, at least for me.
Having said this, and conscious that I've only had one shave with one type of blade compared to the many combinations I've used with the Fatboy and Slim, the Gillette adjustables had better watch out - there could be a new King of Adjustables if the Personna keeps performing like this.
So if you see one, grab it, certainly worth a run.