Henson razor opinions?

[Doc Dan]

Hi folks, I did not find exactly what I am looking for doing a search. I was thinking of getting a razor for my wife and saw an ad for the Henson AL-13.
1] What do you think of this razor? Is it nice and mild? Does it shave well?

2] I also thought of getting one of the medium versions for myself. Do they shave as well as they are hyped, or just so-so?

They are a bit odd looking, but the concept is interesting.

 

[Nehbulah]

Henson Razor Club. - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/henson-razor-club.593620/

 

[APBinNCA]

Even starting on page 40, there are people asking exactly what you are...

 

[Nehbulah]

YMMV.
But my short answer: I love mine.

 

[ewk]

The link Nehbulah provided is a wealth of opinions, largely positive. This discussion will likely get appended there too. The short version:

• Well engineered and crafted razor
• Performs with great efficiency (positive blade exposure) and very mild feel
• Some do not like the angled head; seems to "drag" or produce friction

My personal opinion: I love the Henson Al. The mild is great on my face, the medium is my go-to for head shaving. They both produce BBS shaves; there is slightly more blade feel with the medium, but both are capable of BBS. Mild will take 3 passes, medium can get you there in 2.

My wife: didn't like the Henson; she loves the Leaf. The Leaf has become my go-to head shaver, but I still love my Hensons.

 

[ylekot]

I love my AL13 Mild!

 

[Eben Stone]

What do you think of this razor?

I love my TI +++.

Is it nice and mild?

I had the medium and found it to be very mild. So yes, nice and mild.

Does it shave well?

Yes. I can easily achieve a very close and very smooth shave with either the mild or aggressive. I prefer the aggressive. No disrespect intended, but IMO, if you cannot achieve an absolutely fantastic shave with this razor your doing something incredibly wrong. I cannot imagine how it's possible to achieve a subpar shave with this razor.

Do they shave as well as they are hyped, or just so-so?

What hype? IME it walks the walk.

 

[Doc Dan]

Weird that the Henson Club did not pop up when I did a search. Thanks!

 

[Bill_G]

The link Nehbulah provided is a wealth of opinions, largely positive. This discussion will likely get appended there too.

Agree.
In fact I'm surprised this thread hasn't been moved already.

 

[Bill_G]

Weird that the Henson Club did not pop up when I did a search. Thanks!

I wish I was shocked by your statement. But I'm not. I don't own one but a lot of people here love their Henson razors. And if you buy them directly from Henson you can return it if you don't like it.

 

[Spang]

1] Is it nice and mild? Does it shave well?

Yes, and yes. The Al 13 is a super comfortable shaver but still amazingly efficient. It is by far the easiest to use DE razor I have used, and that covers a lot of razors that have come and gone in my den. The angle is virtually automatic, and the unique geometry yields a smooth and very safe shave. You would be hard pressed to cut yourself if you tried.

Another virtue: the machining and tolerances are as good as any high end razor, regardless of price. Blade clamping and alignment are perfect, which is in no small part responsible for the fine performance of the Henson. You and you wife should each have one.

 

[Doc Dan]

I use a EJ DE89 and a Game Changer .68-P daily. I wonder which one for myself?

BTW I just ordered my wife a Henson mild. Thanks for all the info on that!

 

[Adjustingtolife]

I had the aluminum medium and ti aggressive. Neither were particularly smooth or stood out. They're mild but were pretty meh

 

[Adjustingtolife]

It is very well made. No question. I just didn't find that I got that glide as I do with other razors

 

[APBinNCA]

I use a EJ DE89 and a Game Changer .68-P daily. I wonder which one for myself?

BTW I just ordered my wife a Henson mild. Thanks for all the info on that!

The medium has really little blade feel and zero chatter. The nice thing is you can actually tune the shave with what blades you use. The mild is great, but it needs the sharpest blades because it is neutral or even slightly negative depending on the blade. There is nothing to be afraid of with the medium and everything to be gained. Just don't push, there are techniques to deal with the light weight.

 

[Ivo4u2]

Great razor, excellent finish, mild shaver, build in angle of attack, coating can be sticky to the face, very light (I like heavy), needs a sharp blade, would recommend to a newb

And yes this will likely be moved to the clubs and brotherhoods dungeons

 

[Iridian]

I have the Medium. It's very mild but also very efficient, but not super efficient. A person with very sensitive skin would love it.

The handle has a pattern and has very good grip.

The shaving angle is locked down, guided by design. So you can't scrape/pick a more aggressive angle or adjust at all.

It is aluminum and therefore very light.

I don't like it. It is too much the opposite of what I normally use. It ticks all the wrong boxes for me.

But it is an extremely good razor! It always delivers a near perfect result. There is nothing to learn with it. It's extremely easy to use. Consistent A- to B+ result. So what's not to love?

It is as if you are a biker that just sits down, switches the e-bike on, tells it where to go and the rest is fully automatic.

I wouldn't get the mild one. The medium is already incredibly mild.

 

[JAHE]

The link Nehbulah provided is a wealth of opinions, largely positive. This discussion will likely get appended there too. The short version:

• Well engineered and crafted razor
• Performs with great efficiency (positive blade exposure) and very mild feel
• Some do not like the angled head; seems to "drag" or produce friction

My personal opinion: I love the Henson Al. The mild is great on my face, the medium is my go-to for head shaving. They both produce BBS shaves; there is slightly more blade feel with the medium, but both are capable of BBS. Mild will take 3 passes, medium can get you there in 2.

My wife: didn't like the Henson; she loves the Leaf. The Leaf has become my go-to head shaver, but I still love my Hensons.

I love my TI +++.


I had the medium and found it to be very mild. So yes, nice and mild.


Yes. I can easily achieve a very close and very smooth shave with either the mild or aggressive. I prefer the aggressive. No disrespect intended, but IMO, if you cannot achieve an absolutely fantastic shave with this razor your doing something incredibly wrong. I cannot imagine how it's possible to achieve a subpar shave with this razor.


What hype? IME it walks the walk.

Yes, and yes. The Al 13 is a super comfortable shaver but still amazingly efficient. It is by far the easiest to use DE razor I have used, and that covers a lot of razors that have come and gone in my den. The angle is virtually automatic, and the unique geometry yields a smooth and very safe shave. You would be hard pressed to cut yourself if you tried.

Another virtue: the machining and tolerances are as good as any high end razor, regardless of price. Blade clamping and alignment are perfect, which is in no small part responsible for the fine performance of the Henson. You and you wife should each have one.

These opinions sum up my thought exactly, well done, gents.

It's an highly enjoyable razor. I have a medium and I'm very happy with it.

I don't like it. It is too much the opposite of what I normally use.

Fair approach, too.

The fact that this razor feels kind of different to my other DE razors makes it a perfect addition to my stash. It's my preferred razor whenever I need a speedy shave.

 

[Eben Stone]

The fact that this razor feels kind of different to my other DE razors makes it a perfect addition to my stash. It's my preferred razor whenever I need a speedy shave.

Yes! ^^ this. I rotate between the Henson TI +++ and Blackland Dart. If it wasn't noticeably different I would see no point in owning one.

 

[Peterv1]

Beautifully crafted but very mild, personally I prefer something with more efficiency since less passes equals less irritation for me