You know when you’ve had a tough week and just want to relax or do or eat something that just brings comfort? Yeah, that’s where I was on Sunday morning.
While the Van Der Hagen was surprising in that it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d remembered, it still was a more aggressive shave week than I would normally choose for myself. So it was so nice to get back to a good, comfortable shave with the Henson.
I’ve said it before in numerous ways that the Henson just consistently delivers a reliably comfortable shave. (Okay, the shave with the Kai blade was an outlier, but otherwise, they’re just solidly comfortable.) And I’m certain that it will deliver this week, in fact, there was an audible sigh of relief when I started shaving on Sunday.
Let’s talk about the Accuforge blades, because I find them interesting. When I got them, in the first sample blade set I received, there were 5 individual blades, all wrapped in black paper with the Accuforge name in white on them, packaged in a small Ziploc bag. The rest of the tucks were just that: tucks of blades–boxes containing 5 or 10 blades. Accuforge blades don’t have anything printed on the blades themselves, and the fairly plain packaging really raised an eyebrow.
Accuforge blades are pretty much medical-grade. They’re made by AccuTec in the USA (AccuTec also makes the Personna branded blades, but those are intended more for the barber and shaving industries). And, from what I can tell, they ship in boxes of 250, so that’s why if you buy them from a shaving shop you’ll get them loose or in bags.
So how does a blade designed to make clean cuts in patients function as a razor blade? I’ve always liked the results, probably because the blade sharpness and precision is designed for medical use. In the ratings I kept with the VDH, the Accuforge rated at the top along side the Perma-Sharp and Astra Platinum. I might classify them similarly to the Feather, but that’s a comparison that I’d need to have more shaves with both to make confidently. Though the Feather provided 2 almost perfect shaves with the Henson, so we’ll have to wait and see how the Accuforge stacks up.
As I got into the week, though, I started asking myself the question: looking ahead at restocking blades and as I’m considering whether I need to try more new things or just kind of hold with what I’ve got, is the Accuforge a blade I’d restock? It’s a good blade. But probably not destined to be one of my favorites. I’d reach for the Feather, Nacet, Bic Chrome Platinum, Dorco, Perma-Sharp, and others first before I go to this one. However, it worked well, was very comfortable in the Henson, and I really had no complaints about the shaves. So it might just become one that I keep 5 or 10 blades in stock and use on an infrequent basis.
All-in-all, this was a great shave week. Every shave was comfortable. Every shave was pleasant, as noted in my shave notes in the spreadsheet (read about that here). After some challenging recent shaves, it really did just make me happy to have these shaves this week. No complaints, no discomfort, no questioning of my technique or choice of hardware. This is the kind of week we all dream of.
The Ratings
Sunday’s Shave, #165. The Proraso White Sunday with the Accuforge blade.
The setup:
- Razor: Henson AL-13 Mild
- Blade: Accuforge Super Stainless
- Pre-Shave: Proraso White Sensitive Skin pre-shave
- Brush: Proraso boar brush
- Soap/Cream/Gel: Proraso White Sensitive Skin soap
- Alum Block: Stirling Soap Co. Alum
- After Shave: Proraso White Sensitive Skin aftershave balm
If I were to have a complaint about the Henson–outside of it being a little too light, but that really isn’t a huge problem–it’s that while it’s comfortable and mild, it struggles with some blades to deliver a close shave at the same time. With more than a few blades, the Henson will leave a small amount of stubble, which I’m usually happy to live with in exchange for the sheer comfort it almost always brings.
Today’s shave was so very comfortable that it was a treat after last week. I welcomed the whole experience, including the couple of extra passes I needed to make to get the neck closer. There was blade noise, but no blade feel, even on the difficult corner of my neck where the sides meet the center strip. And this is reinforced by the almost total lack of sting from the alum block after the shave–there was a little bit on the neck just at the start, but it went away quickly.
And let me just add that with all of the experimenting of the samples, it’s also comforting to get back to the known quantity of Proraso products. I cannot say enough just how much I love the Proraso white (and now the blue as well), so it was a joy to apply the pre-shave, the soap lathered wonderfully this morning, and the balm brought comfort and moisture that my face just loves.
So while it wasn’t as close a shave as I’d like, I’m very happy with it as it was incredibly comfortable and just made me happy.
Comfort: 5.000 out of 5
Quality/Closeness: 4.500 out of 5
Overall: 4.750 out of 5
Tuesday’s Shave, #166. The Henson Accuforge Sheep shave.
The setup:
- Razor: Henson AL-13 Mild
- Blade: Accuforge Super Stainless
- Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Unscented Pre-Shave
- Brush: Omega 10019 Boar Shaving Brush
- Soap/Cream/Gel: Stirling Soap Sheep Shave Soap
- Alum Block: Stirling Soap Co. Alum
- After Shave: Barbasol 1919 After Shave Balm
Again, the Henson shines with a very comfortable shave, though one thing I’ve noticed Sunday and this morning is that there is a lot of blade noise with this shave. That noise normally denotes a higher level of blade contact with the skin, but that hasn’t translated into bad shaves. Though, full disclosure, I did nick my neck this morning. I knew I did it as soon as I made the move, and then felt it and saw some blood after that. I got lazy and started twisting the razor on my face to change directions, and that’s a no-no.
Self-inflicted mistakes aside, this was a great shave. No, not a nearly perfect shave, but one I could easily return to. I got a good, moist, thick lather from the Stirling Sheep soap and did reapply when I went back for the extra passes on my neck.
And the Barbasol 1919 balm is always pleasant. It moisturizes nicely and has a very nice scent that isn’t overpowering. When I use it, I always wonder why it is that I only come back to it about once every three weeks.
In short, this was about the same shave as Sunday. Everything performed about as expected, but needed extra passes to get closer. But I could come back to it and enjoy it again in the future.
Comfort: 5.000 out of 5
Quality/Closeness: 4.500 out of 5
Overall: 4.875 out of 5
Thursday’s Shave, #167. The Nivea shave.
The setup:
- Razor: Henson AL-13 Mild
- Blade: Accuforge Super Stainless
- Pre-Shave: Razor Emporium Unscented pre-shave
- Brush: None
- Soap/Cream/Gel: Nivea Sensitive Shave Gel
- Alum Block: Stirling Soap Co. Alum
- After Shave: Nivea Sensitive Soothing Post Shave Balm
Right out of the gate, let me say this was the best shave of the week, and while it still isn’t perfect, and has a couple stubble spots, it was a pleasant and comfortable shave that I would happily return to.
The shave gel and the pre-shave kept a good layer of lubrication on my neck for multiple passes, so I didn’t need to reapply anything, and the razor just glided smoothly across the skin. I didn’t consciously apply any additional pressure, so really the end result, I think, is about the best that I can expect from the Henson. And finishing with a with-the-grain pass seemed to just smooth things out well.
This will never get rated as a nearly perfect shave. But I’m not chasing those. As I’ve said before, I’m really out for a comfortable shave that is close enough, and that was achieved wonderfully all week.
Comfort: 5.000 out of 5
Quality/Closeness: 4.750 out of 5
Overall: 4.875 out of 5
