efsk
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Dear Readers!
I've sought long and far, but have found diddly about this particular razor.
Uncertain is what name it has: Is it Steiger Pilot or is it Pilot Steiger? I think the first, but only because it sounds better. The two words however are on the baseplate, so have to do something wth the razor.
On the topcap, two words are still readable: Made Suisse: Swissmade. Probably a word is missing there, but that has gone down the drain, together with most of the plating. Not sure if it was Nickel or Silver, don't think Chrome, some rests are still visible on the topcap and baseplate. No doubt about it being brass however. Decided against giving it a proper polishing: I like the none too Ooh! Shiny looks it has now, and I fear the "Made Suisse" on the topcap, hardly readable as it is, will disappear completely when polishing.
The razor shows its age in two ways. First, the handle. The stepped design reeks of arts&crafts/art deco era design. Also, the rounded short sides of the topcap tell us this razor was designed when the old three-hole-blades were prevalent. I'd guess 1920s, maybe early 30s.
That age is interesting because of the baseplate. Please compare that tot a baseplate belonging to a NeoRas or NeoGam or NeoLux razor. Obvious relation there. No idea what kind of relation, but that baseplate is too similar to be a coincidence.
The head has three positions: "ordinary", and two diagonal. The diagonal positions are more or less the same, which is different from other threeway adjustable angle razors.
Looking at the handle, we get to the interesting part of the razor. The topmost part is movable: it is springmounted, movable by about half a centimeter. This makes that the head can be moved from a straight to diagonal postion with half a twist of the handle, but also that the handle can be loosened almost two turns whilst the head remains solid and stable. This allows for adjusting bladegap in a precise manner, except there is no adjustment scale.
Still. Adjustment of the angle, and adjustment of aggresson. Two-dimensional adjustability. Yeah.
In the straight position, this razor is marvelous. Utterly effective, the adjustability actually starts to make sense. I can't shave with adjustable razors, slim, fatboy, mikron, they all suck in my hands. With this razor however adjusting the gap between passes made for a perfect BBS in two passes.
Putting the head in a diagonal position however, the Steiger Pilot becomes too aggressive for me. I haven't been able to find a comfortable angle yet. BBS is a given though, too bad I care more about the pleasantness of the shave.
I've sought long and far, but have found diddly about this particular razor.
Uncertain is what name it has: Is it Steiger Pilot or is it Pilot Steiger? I think the first, but only because it sounds better. The two words however are on the baseplate, so have to do something wth the razor.
On the topcap, two words are still readable: Made Suisse: Swissmade. Probably a word is missing there, but that has gone down the drain, together with most of the plating. Not sure if it was Nickel or Silver, don't think Chrome, some rests are still visible on the topcap and baseplate. No doubt about it being brass however. Decided against giving it a proper polishing: I like the none too Ooh! Shiny looks it has now, and I fear the "Made Suisse" on the topcap, hardly readable as it is, will disappear completely when polishing.
The razor shows its age in two ways. First, the handle. The stepped design reeks of arts&crafts/art deco era design. Also, the rounded short sides of the topcap tell us this razor was designed when the old three-hole-blades were prevalent. I'd guess 1920s, maybe early 30s.
That age is interesting because of the baseplate. Please compare that tot a baseplate belonging to a NeoRas or NeoGam or NeoLux razor. Obvious relation there. No idea what kind of relation, but that baseplate is too similar to be a coincidence.
The head has three positions: "ordinary", and two diagonal. The diagonal positions are more or less the same, which is different from other threeway adjustable angle razors.
Looking at the handle, we get to the interesting part of the razor. The topmost part is movable: it is springmounted, movable by about half a centimeter. This makes that the head can be moved from a straight to diagonal postion with half a twist of the handle, but also that the handle can be loosened almost two turns whilst the head remains solid and stable. This allows for adjusting bladegap in a precise manner, except there is no adjustment scale.
Still. Adjustment of the angle, and adjustment of aggresson. Two-dimensional adjustability. Yeah.
In the straight position, this razor is marvelous. Utterly effective, the adjustability actually starts to make sense. I can't shave with adjustable razors, slim, fatboy, mikron, they all suck in my hands. With this razor however adjusting the gap between passes made for a perfect BBS in two passes.
Putting the head in a diagonal position however, the Steiger Pilot becomes too aggressive for me. I haven't been able to find a comfortable angle yet. BBS is a given though, too bad I care more about the pleasantness of the shave.
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