Unique Pass-Around of Vintage Leresche #77 Razor

[todras]

I got so excited until I saw it was a
Vintage Leresche DE

and not a
Vintage Leresche Straight.

wonderfully generous pass around. Well done

Do you only shave with straights @bald as ?

I'd like to see some pictures of your pieces sometime if you are willing, the artistry in some of the straight edge razors is astounding.

 

[bald as]

Do you only shave with straights @bald as ?

I'd like to see some pictures of your pieces sometime if you are willing, the artistry in some of the straight edge razors is astounding.

Now it is about 98% of the time with a straight as there really is nothing to give the skin care a straight offers. I have wet shaved for in excess of 45 years with all types DE, SE, Injectors and a handful of carts but everyone of them gave/give skin irritation. DE terrible - never been a fan, SE not bad - in fact very good and the Schick Injector type hardly any. A blade directly on the skin seems to offer the ultimate comfort and control. After you conquer the initial fears.
I have a very comprehensive SE collection, some wonderful injectors and one DE relegated to the back of the cupboard.
My straights are basically all salvage jobs I taught myself to hone on but recently I have collected a few nice NOS Russian straights. They are super plain, none of my razors are beauty queens but most do exactly what they were made for.

@Draco Noir has all the beauty queens A most wonderful line up of pristine blades and the skill to use them.

 

[filobiblic]

I got so excited until I saw it was a
Vintage Leresche DE

and not a
Vintage Leresche Straight.

wonderfully generous pass around. Well done

The Leresche Straight razors are beauties I believe. [emoji6]

Not bad prices either...back in the day!!! [emoji38]

 

[Mark1966]

The Leresche Straight razors are beauties you I believe. [emoji6]

Not bad prices either...back in the day!!! [emoji38]

Wow - impressive!


Hey - Happy shaving

 

[bald as]

There is one, a frameback on eBay at present which seems quite good. I have decided I don't need anymore razors so I will just look longingly

 

[Mark1966]

The
Leresche

has landed ...





Thoughts later this week (will not use tomorrow as I have an important meeting, NOT the day to experiment with a new razor!)

 

[filobiblic]

The
Leresche
has landed ...

Thoughts later this week (will not use tomorrow as I have an important meeting, NOT the day to experiment with a new razor!)

And it's off and away!

 

[FatBoy58]

PM Sent

 

[Mark1966]

OK guys, well my thoughts on the Leresche ...

Certainly looks the goods (noting that this is a hybrid!) and it is genuinely scary in appearances.

First use did catch me out a little - new razor/blade with new angles etc etc. All operator error.

Use since - this is a fairly aggressive razor, but not coarsely so like some. A more refined aggressiveness that is a little more forgiving than, say, the R41.

If I had one, I would keep it. As I don't have one, I might have to buy one ....

Thanks again to @filobiblic for trusting this to a pass around

Next?

 

[Mark1966]

Well the Leresche has left the room - now in the hands of @stillshunter - looking forward to his thoughts!

 

[stillshunter]

whoops will post my impressions shortly. Meanwhile left for it's next run with @TomG . It's gotta get to WA from near CBR so might be tomorrow?

 

[TomG]

Received it today - Cheers!

 

[alfredus]

First shave with the Leresche today and I must admit I was very surprised. I'll have to admit, that I almost dreaded this one - I kept asking myself, why I sign up for such an aggressive looking beast...my skin is in a very bad shape and even looking at it will cause it to bleed...

However the shave was a very positive surprise! Yes I did use absolute zero pressure and was super careful - but I got a very smooth shave with only 2 tiny weepers! Having said that on the other hand, it was not as close, as I would have thought...

Don't get me wrong, it was a very close shave, but I was expecting R41 territory, and it was certainly nowhere there. It was a super smooth, but I still needed my 4 passes. The last of my Mystic Water Bergamot, Cedarwood & Juniper (empty tin here) - lather was superb (picture here) - I think I even got more water in than usual and it definitely helped the razor glide over my skin with zero effort.

 

[filobiblic]

First shave with the Leresche today and I must admit I was very surprised. I'll have to admit, that I almost dreaded this one - I kept asking myself, why I sign up for such an aggressive looking beast...my skin is in a very bad shape and even looking at it will cause it to bleed...

However the shave was a very positive surprise! Yes I did use absolute zero pressure and was super careful - but I got a very smooth shave with only 2 tiny weepers! Having said that on the other hand, it was not as close, as I would have thought...

Don't get me wrong, it was a very close shave, but I was expecting R41 territory, and it was certainly nowhere there. It was a super smooth, but I still needed my 4 passes. The last of my Mystic Water Bergamot, Cedarwood & Juniper (empty tin here) - lather was superb (picture here) - I think I even got more water in than usual and it definitely helped the razor glide over my skin with zero effort.

Interesting! Well, it will be interesting to hear if you find it comfortable as a daily shave.

I also think different blades behave differently in this razor.

Thanks for trying it out and sharing your thoughts. [emoji106]

 

[TomG]

Just read the first review by the venerable @alfredus - it made me realise that I did not put my comments on the Leresche 77 in the correct thread, but jotted them down in my SOTD posts. For completeness, I have transposed relevant extracts below. (Apologies for interrupting your review period, @alfredus ).Looking forward to hearing more comments on this fascinating razor.

Shave 1
First shave with the Leresche #77 generously passed around by @filibiblic. Paired it with a NOS vintage Gillette Super Silver blade. Went slow and careful since coming from the AS-D2, which is very forgiving. The Leresche was a delight to use - it paired beautifully with the vintage blade and B&M Tallow soap for a very close shave. Whilst there was clearly more blade feel with the Leresche, it felt precise in operation and the feedback was improved compared to the AS-D2. One small nick on my chin, and a couple of weepers on the neck, all of which were quickly dismissed during the post-shave routine.

Shave 2
This was the shave I was expecting last time out. Lots of blade feel, a little razor burn, and several nicks (chin). First time I've had to reach for the alum in several months.
The scent and suds from the PAA Amber were lovely, but the slickness seemed to fade towards the end of each pass.
Wow does this razor give you a close shave.
Whilst not pictured, I applied some Thayers Super Hazel to combat the razor burn.
I'm finding it a steep learning curve to adjust to the Leresche's significant blade exposure, having used the Feather AS-D2 for the previous six months. Nothing like a sharp edge to focus one's attention on technique.

Shave 3
Last dance with the Leresche 77. For a number of reasons, I was sporting a 5 day growth for this shave. The Leresche excelled in this application, allowing the Super Silver to cleanly mow down the stubble. I focused hard on technique, having been bitten in my last shave. This time around, just beautiful. The B&M lather worked beautifully with this imposing razor. Three pass BBS - no blood, no irritation. I am under no illusions that I could reproduce this every shave, but the planets aligned for me on this one.
The Leresche 77 is a razor that commands respect. It is aggressive but precise, and tests both technique and lather quality. It has been an absolute blast to use it - thanks again to @filobiblic for this generous pass around.

 

[alfredus]

Second shave today - and the penny dropped! I now understand, why @filobiblic rates this one so high and of what other razor it reminds me of (another of @filobiblic favourites): the Eclipse Red Ring!

And yes, I regard the Leresche now also as an adjustable

And this is the whole magic to the razor: I tightened the screw today and it was a superb mild shave - yet very effective (more so than the Red Ring fully closed). I really went at it - 4 full passes and no worries at all. A very close (DFS) result - but very smooth and with zero irritation/blood. And I am sure, if you loosen the screw, you can get the aggression level, you prefer

 

[TomG]

I wish I'd paid more attention and realised it was adjustable
I still loved it.

 

[filobiblic]

Second shave today - and the penny dropped! I now understand, why @filobiblic rates this one so high and of what other razor it reminds me of (another of @filobiblic favourites): the Eclipse Red Ring!

And yes, I regard the Leresche now also as an adjustable

And this is the whole magic to the razor: I tightened the screw today and it was a superb mild shave - yet very effective (more so than the Red Ring fully closed). I really went at it - 4 full passes and no worries at all. A very close (DFS) result - but very smooth and with zero irritation/blood. And I am sure, if you loosen the screw, you can get the aggression level, you prefer

I wish I'd paid more attention and realised it was adjustable
I still loved it.

Wow! I didn't realise that!?

Glad you're enjoying it @alfredus - I also love it's design and uniqueness (hence why I also love the ERR as you point out [emoji5]).

One of my theories is that this razor works so well because of the rigidity of the blade. There are actually several unique and interesting design features of this razor (extra wide guard; safety bar is incorporated into the top cap; etc), but the fact that the handle pushes into the blade and locks it in tight making it very rigid. And my theory is that blade rigidity is a big factor in effectiveness (others being blade gap and exposure- which this also does have!). I think that it's blade rigidity (and not angle!) that makes slant razors efficient.

 

[filobiblic]

BTW the razor is still in Adelaide and will be available for those attending tomorrow's shave meet up.

After that, it's heading to Melbourne before ending in Sydney.

So if you're in either of those cities (or states!) and interested in giving it a go, read the conditions and if you agree to them -send me a PM indicating your interest. [emoji106]

 

[alfredus]

Last shave today with the Leresche - thank you again @filobiblic for this wonderful opportunity

I don't think I have a lot more to add. I didn't play around with the setting today, as I just wanted an enjoyable Sunday shave. Maybe I was a bit to confident, as I had some irritation around my neck. But the shave itself was very enjoyable and the result a very smooth DFS+

I agree with @filobiblic, that the blade rigidity is one of the most important factors in the head design of a razor. And the Leresche achieves this very well due to the curving of the blade. And this is probably the main reason, why it shaves so well. Most vintage razors have a flat(er) blade design and IMO they simply didn't have the tooling/machines back then to achieve such a high blade rigidity. Or maybe they were just designed for the thicker blades of the past?

In any case, I stand by my observation - this is definitely one of the best vintage razors I have tried so far.

Would I pick one up: sure, if I see one for a decent price

Would I actively hunt for it: probably only when I have a lot of time

Would it make it into my current top 5: probably not - the handle is just too short for my taste and I prefer heavier razors

The razor has been cleaned and is ready to be passed on - you will definitely have a great time with it