I ordered one of the first of the Variants in black. Two things struck me. The exposure was uneven and after a few uses the black finish began to flake off. Kudos to Super Safety Razors for doing a full replacement with the new black finish (which is more of a gunmetal than a black). Blade exposure and finish fixed, but I would think the blade exposure issue might be something to look out for when purchasing one of these. The adjustment is solid, a big improvement over the loose adjustment for the Progress, the Variants older brother. I also like the weight and length of the Variant as compared to the short handled Progress I have. I have heard of some switch the Progress top cap onto the Variant for a better shave. My experience was it was not a good fit. Of the new adjustables I've tried, the Variant comes in a distant third to the Rex Ambassador and the Rockwell Model T. I'm not including the Rockwell 6 series since it cannot be adjusted while shaving.