Just wanted to let everyone know that I received the razor yesterday. So far I'm loving it! I'm pretty much decided already to buy one.
Will update when I get a few more days with it.
Will update when I get a few more days with it.
Lambda Athena Cap and Baseplate Pass Around
- Thread starter Wgg2017
- Start date
@ewk @shaveSymptomatic hey you two, I am glad you liked the Athena head!
Now you can go by handle or if you want a bit more efficiency without any noticeable change in smoothness, the Ares is also an option.
You can also go by material: I have the SS Athena and the Bronze Ares, now there are the usual differences, Bronze requires a bit more care/drying, but actually I find that Bronze just has the right feel and look for a Greek God(dess).
This said, I just wanted to say I still can't get the possibility of a future Ares SS out of my mind, haha...^^
I know @Sascoman prefers the Ares slightly over the Athena, but we have quite some others who rather have the Athena, which is a bit more of a looker.
There are supposedly also fitting stands planned, a very good thing, IMO. I like the luxurious box, but ultimately I want my RAZORS to be seen, not the coffin. Erm box. See the Lamba thread for silly Count Dracula jokes.
Usually my razors are way more aggressive, but these two guarantee a very good result with zero skin irritations. Granted, part of the appeal is that I as EU citizen don't have to deal with the fantasy fees put upon slightly more expensive razors when importing them from outside the EU.
So yeah, ewk and shaveSymptomatic, don't forget, there is also the Ares. Both are close enough in characteristics that you will love both for sure.
Now you can go by handle or if you want a bit more efficiency without any noticeable change in smoothness, the Ares is also an option.
You can also go by material: I have the SS Athena and the Bronze Ares, now there are the usual differences, Bronze requires a bit more care/drying, but actually I find that Bronze just has the right feel and look for a Greek God(dess).
This said, I just wanted to say I still can't get the possibility of a future Ares SS out of my mind, haha...^^
I know @Sascoman prefers the Ares slightly over the Athena, but we have quite some others who rather have the Athena, which is a bit more of a looker.
There are supposedly also fitting stands planned, a very good thing, IMO. I like the luxurious box, but ultimately I want my RAZORS to be seen, not the coffin. Erm box. See the Lamba thread for silly Count Dracula jokes.
Usually my razors are way more aggressive, but these two guarantee a very good result with zero skin irritations. Granted, part of the appeal is that I as EU citizen don't have to deal with the fantasy fees put upon slightly more expensive razors when importing them from outside the EU.
So yeah, ewk and shaveSymptomatic, don't forget, there is also the Ares. Both are close enough in characteristics that you will love both for sure.
I'm almost certainly getting both. I just have to decide on which type of metal first. I'm thinking that these razors are too beautiful to get in a metal that tarnishes. And I don't feel like polishing it every so often.@ewk @shaveSymptomatic hey you two, I am glad you liked the Athena head!
Now you can go by handle or if you want a bit more efficiency without any noticeable change in smoothness, the Ares is also an option.
You can also go by material: I have the SS Athena and the Bronze Ares, now there are the usual differences, Bronze requires a bit more care/drying, but actually I find that Bronze just has the right feel and look for a Greek God(dess).
This said, I just wanted to say I still can't get the possibility of a future Ares SS out of my mind, haha...^^
I know @Sascoman prefers the Ares slightly over the Athena, but we have quite some others who rather have the Athena, which is a bit more of a looker.
There are supposedly also fitting stands planned, a very good thing, IMO. I like the luxurious box, but ultimately I want my RAZORS to be seen, not the coffin. Erm box. See the Lamba thread for silly Count Dracula jokes.
Usually my razors are way more aggressive, but these two guarantee a very good result with zero skin irritations. Granted, part of the appeal is that I as EU citizen don't have to deal with the fantasy fees put upon slightly more expensive razors when importing them from outside the EU.
So yeah, ewk and shaveSymptomatic, don't forget, there is also the Ares. Both are close enough in characteristics that you will love both for sure.
The patina is so slow it takes months to even start. Then if you don't like it, and you probably will, you can use a product like Flitz and it easily returns the metal to its original look. Flitz is as easy as it gets. Believe me, i am really lazy. The Athena is available, get it while it is available, you won't regret it.
I realize people like the no fuss, no muss of SS... but I much prefer the look and feel of bronze.. And has been mentioned many times, the Athena doesn't show any signs of patina for months and months. I've had to touch up both my Wolfman and La Faulx razors with my final polish micro fiber towel I use with Simichrome residue.... but not the Athena.
Going to send the razor to @jesseix tomorrow. Will write a review today/tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #107
Thanks for the update @shaveSymptomatic add looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
I spent about a week with the razor and used it nearly day. I shave WTG and then ATG. The Athena is amazing! My concern was that it was going to be too mild. I shave at night, so I need the shave to last well into the following day. The Athena accomplished that. And it's so smooth, that it can easily be used daily. In fact, it's probably one of the smoothest razors I've ever used.
The aesthetics are beautiful too. Love the whole Greek theme going on. I will definitely be buying one (as well as the ares)
Thanks a lot @Wgg2017 for this!!!
The aesthetics are beautiful too. Love the whole Greek theme going on. I will definitely be buying one (as well as the ares)
Thanks a lot @Wgg2017 for this!!!
Well if any of you are still on the fence about getting an Athena, there is only 1 left per the website. FYI.
- Thread starter
- #110
Glad you enjoyed your time with the Athena! I think it’s probably the smoothest razor I’ve ever used ATG. I need a little more time with it once the pass around ends to confirm though. Very promising early on though.
Razor was scheduled to get to me today but is delayed per USPS tracking.
Damn that LA traffic…
Damn that LA traffic…
Alrighty the eagle has landed. I’m going to get right into using this tomorrow morning 
I’ve had 2 shaves with this so far, and I’m a little annoyed with myself because I know I haven’t used it under the best circumstances either time… by that, I mean that the first time I was on a phone call where I was mostly listening but talking some, so clearly not giving my full attention to the shave. And today I didn’t have a great lather because I loaded from a tiny tub that I can never load enough product from. So I’m committed to maximum effort from here on out while this is in my possession 
With that being said though, it really is an attractive razor. I’ve been using a stainless Razorock handle and I think the contrast really shows off the color and finish of the Athena. In addition to the “side jets” effect when running water through the head, I get a kick out of watching water flow out from between the teeth as well as the sides when I clean the baseplate out after the shave. Easy to tell that the tolerances and build quality are top-notch. I’ve been using an Astra SP for the first couple shaves but I plan to switch to something on the sharp end of the spectrum for later shaves.
With that being said though, it really is an attractive razor. I’ve been using a stainless Razorock handle and I think the contrast really shows off the color and finish of the Athena. In addition to the “side jets” effect when running water through the head, I get a kick out of watching water flow out from between the teeth as well as the sides when I clean the baseplate out after the shave. Easy to tell that the tolerances and build quality are top-notch. I’ve been using an Astra SP for the first couple shaves but I plan to switch to something on the sharp end of the spectrum for later shaves.
- Thread starter
- #114
I’ve had 2 shaves with this so far, and I’m a little annoyed with myself because I know I haven’t used it under the best circumstances either time… by that, I mean that the first time I was on a phone call where I was mostly listening but talking some, so clearly not giving my full attention to the shave. And today I didn’t have a great lather because I loaded from a tiny tub that I can never load enough product from. So I’m committed to maximum effort from here on out while this is in my possession
With that being said though, it really is an attractive razor. I’ve been using a stainless Razorock handle and I think the contrast really shows off the color and finish of the Athena. In addition to the “side jets” effect when running water through the head, I get a kick out of watching water flow out from between the teeth as well as the sides when I clean the baseplate out after the shave. Easy to tell that the tolerances and build quality are top-notch. I’ve been using an Astra SP for the first couple shaves but I plan to switch to something on the sharp end of the spectrum for later shaves.
At least the razor didn’t bite with less than perfect attention. Some razors would not tolerate that
First off, what a fantastic thread, and kudos to @Wgg2017 for starting this pass-around.
I don't have multi-razor experience that many here have, but I find the Overlander comparison to be quite instructive.
The Athena is certainly more efficient, but how much more is something I struggle with quantifying in a meaningful way. The bump in efficiency is certainly more than any decrease in smoothness. This is notable.
The best way I've been able to describe it is that the Overlander vs. Athena has a similar feel to swapping from a Personna PC to a Nacet in an Overlander.
There's something very attractive about this.
To my point (and about the duration of the pass-around):
This is definitely a YMMV thing (doh!). I ultimately found the Athena to be a bit "much" for my skin and technique, but this didn't reveal itself until the 3rd daily shave. This took multiple test cycles to verify.
If I were the sort who frequently swapped razors during the week, the Athena would have been a keeper. I'd pull it out once or twice a week and have some great shaves. My use pattern however is to use one razor for 5, 6 or 7 days in a row - shaving 6 days a week on average.
Putting this another way, any razor I keep, must qualify as being my one and only razor. I'm very likely in the minority in this regard, but I feel this needs to be emphasized.
In this context, the Athena begins to wear me down with progressive irritation with the 3rd successive daily shave.
It's an amazing razor, but if your leanings are toward the milder side of the spectrum (e.g. Overlander / Masamune), I caution you to get as many shaves in during your trial period as you can.
While I just parted ways with my Athena, I'm following this thread with vicarious pleasure for your explorations. The risk in my doing so is that I may well end up having seller's remorse ;-)
Oh yes ... the patina forms very slowly - at least here in dry Colorado. If your typical process involves disassrmbling, rinsing and drying after each shave, then I'd call the maintenance increase over s-s to be insignificant - a mini polishing with either toothpaste or Flitz every month or three.
... Thom
I don't have multi-razor experience that many here have, but I find the Overlander comparison to be quite instructive.
The Athena is certainly more efficient, but how much more is something I struggle with quantifying in a meaningful way. The bump in efficiency is certainly more than any decrease in smoothness. This is notable.
The best way I've been able to describe it is that the Overlander vs. Athena has a similar feel to swapping from a Personna PC to a Nacet in an Overlander.
There's something very attractive about this.
To my point (and about the duration of the pass-around):
This is definitely a YMMV thing (doh!). I ultimately found the Athena to be a bit "much" for my skin and technique, but this didn't reveal itself until the 3rd daily shave. This took multiple test cycles to verify.
If I were the sort who frequently swapped razors during the week, the Athena would have been a keeper. I'd pull it out once or twice a week and have some great shaves. My use pattern however is to use one razor for 5, 6 or 7 days in a row - shaving 6 days a week on average.
Putting this another way, any razor I keep, must qualify as being my one and only razor. I'm very likely in the minority in this regard, but I feel this needs to be emphasized.
In this context, the Athena begins to wear me down with progressive irritation with the 3rd successive daily shave.
It's an amazing razor, but if your leanings are toward the milder side of the spectrum (e.g. Overlander / Masamune), I caution you to get as many shaves in during your trial period as you can.
While I just parted ways with my Athena, I'm following this thread with vicarious pleasure for your explorations. The risk in my doing so is that I may well end up having seller's remorse ;-)
Oh yes ... the patina forms very slowly - at least here in dry Colorado. If your typical process involves disassrmbling, rinsing and drying after each shave, then I'd call the maintenance increase over s-s to be insignificant - a mini polishing with either toothpaste or Flitz every month or three.
... Thom
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