"Just pain and blood and razor burn": The First Month of Weckoning has come and passed; An Analysis of Gore and Announcement of Winner(s)
The Days of Weckoning have concluded; August brought 31 days of danger, blood, bitching and moaning, optimism, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment (typically in that order) and we are delighted to announce the results, but first, a few impressions:
14 daring souls embarked on the adventure of Austere Weckoning and 12 brave competitors made it through the ordeal with all 31 days djudged as valid by the GEM Djustice Eld, Semaj "the Gavel" 3000, or myself.
The distinguished new members of the Weckonista faction are:
u/jwoods23
u/putneycj
u/Absenth
u/Environmental-Gap380
u/Eructate
u/gcgallant
u/Old_Hiker
u/OnionMiasma
u/Priusaurus
u/souleater7173
u/EldrormR (not eligible for GC)
u/djundjila (not eligible for GC)
All these Masters of the Weck are now eligible to proudly display the 🎩Weckonista🧐 flair, but there can only be one winner of the main prize in this Weckstravaganza, and the lucky individual is 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 u/OnionMiasma!
To assuage conspiracy-minded folks; the random drawing was done using the fair and reproducible PIF winner evaluation script I wrote during LatherBot's sabbatical to choose among candidates in a non-sus manner.
It's not difficult as far as open blades go IMO, might even be easier to learn than straights (shorter blade, and much better glide if you use Kismet blades).
But it remains an open blade 🩸🩸🩸
I remember struggling a lot, too when I started out 😅
I used the Weck with a Kismet blade. I had only used a Weck once before. For me it was an easy month. I agree with @djundjila@sub.wetshaving.social that it might be easier than a straight so long as your technique maintains a very low cutting angle. The Kismet blade is magic. I see no reason to use anything else.
I've used a few cheap disposable straights, or the ones with disposable blades, are these much different to the ones you just snap a DE in half and pop it in?
Oh yes, much different. The hair shaper blade is much sturdier than the half-DE blade. It's similar to an injector or Artist Club blade, but with a much higher profile, so they don't need a clamping mechanism that holds the blade near the cutting edge like the modern Artist Club and injector Shavettes.
As a result, the hair shaper blades allows for designs that allow you to use the full range of angles that a hollow ground would without the flimsiness of half-DE shavettes. The blade is firm like fixed blade without the angle constraints of Artist Club shavettes. Really it's the best disposable open blade razor design I have experienced.
Just make sure to stay away from Personna hair shaper blades. They feel scrapy