The purpose of this review is to provide a direct comparison of two very similar, yet different razors from the Timeless Razor Company. I hope it will help others choose what might be best for them. All razors and parts were purchased with my own funds. I was not asked by the company to provide a review and my thoughts are my own.
The review covers the following razor configurations in both Stainless Steel and Titanium:
· Timeless Stainless Steel .95 blade gap safety bar AKA "Timeless SS .95 SB”
· Timeless Titanium .95 blade gap safety bar AKA “Timeless Ti .95 SB”
· Timeless Titanium .68 blade gap safety bar AKA “Timeless Ti .68 SB”
Timeless razor, based in North Royalton, Ohio, designs and manufactures their own razors in house using their own machine shop equipment. They take pride in sourcing all materials in the USA from the metals used to the foam inserts used in shipping, even the blue towels that carry their name. Today, they produce three razors using three materials. Bronze, Stainless Steel and Titanium. The SS and Ti razors carry the same design while the bronze is entirely different.
Over the course of approximately 30 days, each configuration was tested using one shaving “kit” to keep variables the same, consisting of the following:
· B&M Vespers soap (Excelsior Base) with matching aftershave
· Yaqi Professional 26mm synthetic brush with red marble handle
· Wizamet Polsilver blades each used 5 times and discarded
I shaved 25 times in various configurations as follows and in this order:
· Five shaves with the SS .95 SB and 85mm “dimple handle” weighing 80g (total razor weight 131.5g)
· Five shaves with the Ti .95 SB and standard handle (total razor weight 76g)
· Five shaves shaving ½ of my face with each .95 gap razor to complete side by side comparison
· Five shaves with the Ti .68 SB gap
· Five shaves with the SS .95 SB 85mm “barber pole” handle weighing 85.5g (total razor weight 137g)
Before sharing my thoughts on the shaves, I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself to provide context. I feel it’s important to understand each reviewers background, facial hair type, prior razor preference etc. in order to get the most from the review.
I’ve been wet shaving for about two years now. I know a little but appreciate I’m not an expert. My facial hair is dark, and I have a fairly thick, course beard. I’m a daily, nighttime shaver, and my skin isn’t overly sensitive. My shaves are always three passes, WTG, XTG and ATG with light touch ups as needed afterwards. I prefer sharp blades such as Feather, Polsilver, Astra SP, Gillette Silver Blue. Problem areas of my face to get BBS smooth or go ATG are my upper lip and the right side of my neck. I often face lather but did bowl lathering for the majority of shaves with this review. A few of my favorite razors include the Merkur 34C, Fatip Grande, Gillette Fat Boy, Aristocrat, Slim, Old Type, and my favorite being the Rockwell 6S. For those of you who have tried the 6S, I’ll base some of my comparisons in the Timeless razors to the different 6S plates. My best shaves come from the 6S on plate 5.
Lastly, this was not my first Timeless purchase. I previously owned the Bronze in both SB and OC. Frankly, it did not suit me as a razor. A beautiful piece, it simply didn’t give me decent shaves without irritation.
The Razors:
Pricing:
As configured, the polished stainless steel razor I purchased totaled $255, including the stand. They can be had for as little as $180 for a SB in matte finish. More for polished, and more for scalloped, open, or dual combs.
The Titanium model totaled $265 including the stand. Subtract $40 without the stand, add money for scalloped or open comb baseplates and cap.
Packaging:
Each razor comes neatly packaged in a quality box containing foam inserts which hold the razor and parts safely and securely. It is even packaged with a bow tied around it. Everything about it feels premium from the moment you hold it.
Fit/Finish:
My choice for the review was the Stainless Steel in “polished” and the Ti in “matte” finish. When ordering you have the option of choosing the SS in either polished or matte. Timeless on their website explains that polished is susceptible to scratches and blemishes over time, while matte is more durable. The only choice in Titanium is matte. Each razor looks very different as you can see from the pictures. The SS looks absolutely stunning. There are visible tool marks on the handles, but it’s mostly unnoticeable. The head and baseplate are shined to an absolute mirror finish. The underside of the cap is not polished, as to keep tolerances tight. It is hidden while shaving and would be unnecessary to polish in my opinion. The Titanium has an industrial look that when paired with the polished SS initially leaves a bit to be desired. However, the look has grown on me. It looks wonderful sitting on the counter. The appearance is very similar to the Rockwell 6S, however, there is not a blemish anywhere to be found. You can absolutely see and appreciate the difference between a precision CNC machined item and a MIM casted item as the Rockwell is. There was, however, a blemish in the dimple handle for the SS. I’ll explain further below.
Design:
Both the SS and Ti share identical head designs, with each having a choice between .68 and .95 blade gaps. Personally, I think comparing razors by blade gaps is a fruitless effort. Angle, design, weight, blade rigidity etc. all play an important roll, and comparing gaps between manufacturers or even within is a challenge. For example, many folks assume the .38 Bronze is much too mild for them as they compare the .68 or .95 in Ti and SS versions. As Timeless themselves explains, it’s impossible to compare that way as the designs are completely different. I’ve owned a Bronze. It shaves much closer to the .68 and avoiding it because of the number on the page would be a mistake. Same should be said for comparing something like a Game Changer to Timeless. Finally, the razors head has two large posts that hold the blade snugly and provide absolutely perfect blade alignment each and every time. The head torques the blade and clamps it very close to the edge, providing for a very “rigid” design that I feel is critically important and often overlooked. There are also large “rinse out” channels to catch lather and whiskers.
Shaves and Performance:
SS .95SB
The first five shaves were completed with the SS .95 SB. Due to the weight being 131.5g, it was a natural place to start as I transitioned away from my also-heavy daily driver, the Rockwell 6S. The first shave was on day and a half growth, a half day longer than usual. The razor was smooth and proved to be much more efficient than the Rockwell 6S (even a 6 plate) without being “aggressive”. There was limited blade feel (my preference) and the shave resulted in 95% BBS with a three-pass shave. My “problem areas” were mowed down with ease, likely a result of the design and rigidity of the blade. Despite the blade gap carrying a fairly high number, I never felt like the blade would hurt me. There were only a couple of minor cuts during my five shaves, all the result of my own error. My face remained smooth for approximately 15-18 hours and my dark beard wasn’t as visible as normal during this time. Shave two was interesting. Typically, my worst shaves come after a great one. I shave daily, so sometimes the next shave can be pretty rough with less growth and when the hair isn’t fully through the follicles. The result of shave two was similar to shave one. Nearly perfect. That was an even better test. Ranking each shave, if the first two shaves were a “10”, I’d rank shaves 3-5 as an “8”. Great results, not perfect.
Ti .95SB
Next up was the Titanium .95 SB, weighting in at 76g. That’s a big difference. In my hand, it felt more like a toy than a precision shaving instrument. Regardless, the fit/finish exuded “quality”. Each and every shave 1-5 was excellent. There are some differences here that are important to note. First, the .95 Ti feels less “aggressive” than the .95 SS. I say this, even though the SS really doesn’t feel “aggressive” to begin with. When reading other reviews, you’ll find descriptions of the Ti being “softer”. I agree with that and I think that’s what’s going on here. The Ti was slightly less efficient than the SS likely due to weight, but the difference in weight leads to a softer feel on the face. That lack of weight lead to a lot of confidence when using the razor. Like the SS, I never felt as though it would bite me, and it never really did. It felt as if I could throw it around my face without worry. And I did for the most part. It’s a very nice razor and a great shave every time. Relating back to my Rockwell once again, the feel was more like a 4 plate, but once again with vastly improved efficiency in removing hair.
Side by Side: SS .95 and Ti .95
The next five shaves were completed by shaving half my face with each razor. It was a humbling experience, with the first couple resulting in weeper/cut or two. User error. I’m the kind of guy who has trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. Switching between razors mid-stream with this much weight difference proved challenging at first. Nonetheless, on shaves 3-5 I settled down and essentially got equal results from the razors. Which is to say excellent. Head to head shaves did firm up my suspicion of a bit higher level of aggression and efficiency in the SS vs. the Ti. The results in the shaves were the same, but the routes of getting there were a bit different.
Ti .68 SB
Next I used the Titanium .68. This was certainly the smoothest shave of all. No blade feel whatsoever and while the efficiency wasn’t equal to the .95, it was adequate for my beard. A three pass shave resulted in a tad more clean up, but the BBS finish was nearly equal to it’s .95 counterparts. The difference came after 12 hours or so when more hair was visible, and the growth after 24 hours was more pronounced. This was expected of a smaller blade gap and consistent with my other mild shavers such as the Merkur 34C or the Rockwell on plate 3. Overall, the .68 is a keeper none the less as it’s adequate, gives irritation free shaves, and is just the ticket for daily shaving. It’ll be nice to have on hand for those days where I do a bit “too much” the shave before. This would not be something I would enjoy using on three day growth, but it’s adequate and enjoyable for daily shaves on my beard.
Back to the SS .95 SB
Finally, I moved back to the SS .95 SB and this time switched out the dimple handle for the barber pole one. There is a slight difference in weight due to the removal of material by partially drilling holes to create the dimple. The difference though was barely discernable in my hand and the shave was not affected by the difference. There would, however, have been a noticeable difference between the 85mm handles and the 100mm. I personally am not a long handle kind of guy, and I believe the added weight on the SS would be unwelcome and could also alter the center of balance. I believe that balance to be perfect with the 85mm handle. The reason this handle was ordered at all was due to the fact the original dimple handle had a “burr” where one of the holes were drilled a bit close together, leading to a rough spot on the handle that caught my finger a bit. It would have been perfectly acceptable to me, but for the price paid I really wanted perfection, which leads me to the customer service section further below.
Miscellaneous thought:
While all razors were “smooth” in use, I found something interested occurred amongst all: The residual slickness of my soap was not good. Despite using an excellent soap, Vespers, the razors seemed to remove most or all of the soap during initial passes, making buffing or additional strokes difficult without relathering. After the initial 15 shaves, I tried the razors with other soaps known to have excellent residual slickness, such as Haslinger Schafmilch and received similar results. The Haslinger was better than the Vespers, but I consider it to be absolute top tier in residual glide. This is something to keep in mind when using these razors for the first time. Your soaps that you knew well yesterday, simply may not perform the same for you today.
Customer Service:
A quick call to Matt at Timeless had the issue with the dimpled handle resolved quickly. He simply had me order a new handle of my choice and included a return shipping label. The new barber pole handle arrived in two days and included an added bonus of a Timeless blue towel ($11 value on the website). It was unnecessary, completely unexpected, and greatly appreciated. Very impressed by this level of service. Coupled with the 30 day “try it and return it if you want to” policy, this is a company you can feel comfortable doing business with. There is no mention on their website about warranty, but I have no doubt they would take care of a customer years down the road. I would also imagine these guys will be around for awhile. What good is a quote “lifetime” warranty from a company that may not be around in a few years. You can probably think of some of those.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this review was to help others decide which razor might suit them best, SS or Ti. Honestly, when I made the purchase of both razors, I assumed one would be going back to Timeless in the end. Ultimately, they both will stay, and will always have a place in my den. It’s a lot of money. Owning both is completely unnecessary. Owning either in my opinion will give outstanding shaves. But for me they are different enough that it makes sense to keep both around. The virtues are different. The results are the same, excellent shaves with zero irritation. The SS polished is a beautiful razor likely only rivaled by Wolfman in appearance. It requires a light touch. The Ti has a utilitarian look that will appeal to others and has a “softer” feel. The light, slow touch required by the SS does not apply. A guy feels like he can throw it around the face J-hooking with reckless abandon. But please, don’t let the .95 gap scare you off, especially in the safety bar version. If the design suits you as well as it did me, the choice comes down to weight, looks, and choices (the Ti only comes in one handle and not polished).
Best of luck and enjoy!
John
The review covers the following razor configurations in both Stainless Steel and Titanium:
· Timeless Stainless Steel .95 blade gap safety bar AKA "Timeless SS .95 SB”
· Timeless Titanium .95 blade gap safety bar AKA “Timeless Ti .95 SB”
· Timeless Titanium .68 blade gap safety bar AKA “Timeless Ti .68 SB”
Timeless razor, based in North Royalton, Ohio, designs and manufactures their own razors in house using their own machine shop equipment. They take pride in sourcing all materials in the USA from the metals used to the foam inserts used in shipping, even the blue towels that carry their name. Today, they produce three razors using three materials. Bronze, Stainless Steel and Titanium. The SS and Ti razors carry the same design while the bronze is entirely different.
Over the course of approximately 30 days, each configuration was tested using one shaving “kit” to keep variables the same, consisting of the following:
· B&M Vespers soap (Excelsior Base) with matching aftershave
· Yaqi Professional 26mm synthetic brush with red marble handle
· Wizamet Polsilver blades each used 5 times and discarded
I shaved 25 times in various configurations as follows and in this order:
· Five shaves with the SS .95 SB and 85mm “dimple handle” weighing 80g (total razor weight 131.5g)
· Five shaves with the Ti .95 SB and standard handle (total razor weight 76g)
· Five shaves shaving ½ of my face with each .95 gap razor to complete side by side comparison
· Five shaves with the Ti .68 SB gap
· Five shaves with the SS .95 SB 85mm “barber pole” handle weighing 85.5g (total razor weight 137g)
Before sharing my thoughts on the shaves, I’d like to tell you a little bit about myself to provide context. I feel it’s important to understand each reviewers background, facial hair type, prior razor preference etc. in order to get the most from the review.
I’ve been wet shaving for about two years now. I know a little but appreciate I’m not an expert. My facial hair is dark, and I have a fairly thick, course beard. I’m a daily, nighttime shaver, and my skin isn’t overly sensitive. My shaves are always three passes, WTG, XTG and ATG with light touch ups as needed afterwards. I prefer sharp blades such as Feather, Polsilver, Astra SP, Gillette Silver Blue. Problem areas of my face to get BBS smooth or go ATG are my upper lip and the right side of my neck. I often face lather but did bowl lathering for the majority of shaves with this review. A few of my favorite razors include the Merkur 34C, Fatip Grande, Gillette Fat Boy, Aristocrat, Slim, Old Type, and my favorite being the Rockwell 6S. For those of you who have tried the 6S, I’ll base some of my comparisons in the Timeless razors to the different 6S plates. My best shaves come from the 6S on plate 5.
Lastly, this was not my first Timeless purchase. I previously owned the Bronze in both SB and OC. Frankly, it did not suit me as a razor. A beautiful piece, it simply didn’t give me decent shaves without irritation.
The Razors:
Pricing:
As configured, the polished stainless steel razor I purchased totaled $255, including the stand. They can be had for as little as $180 for a SB in matte finish. More for polished, and more for scalloped, open, or dual combs.
The Titanium model totaled $265 including the stand. Subtract $40 without the stand, add money for scalloped or open comb baseplates and cap.
Packaging:
Each razor comes neatly packaged in a quality box containing foam inserts which hold the razor and parts safely and securely. It is even packaged with a bow tied around it. Everything about it feels premium from the moment you hold it.
Fit/Finish:
My choice for the review was the Stainless Steel in “polished” and the Ti in “matte” finish. When ordering you have the option of choosing the SS in either polished or matte. Timeless on their website explains that polished is susceptible to scratches and blemishes over time, while matte is more durable. The only choice in Titanium is matte. Each razor looks very different as you can see from the pictures. The SS looks absolutely stunning. There are visible tool marks on the handles, but it’s mostly unnoticeable. The head and baseplate are shined to an absolute mirror finish. The underside of the cap is not polished, as to keep tolerances tight. It is hidden while shaving and would be unnecessary to polish in my opinion. The Titanium has an industrial look that when paired with the polished SS initially leaves a bit to be desired. However, the look has grown on me. It looks wonderful sitting on the counter. The appearance is very similar to the Rockwell 6S, however, there is not a blemish anywhere to be found. You can absolutely see and appreciate the difference between a precision CNC machined item and a MIM casted item as the Rockwell is. There was, however, a blemish in the dimple handle for the SS. I’ll explain further below.
Design:
Both the SS and Ti share identical head designs, with each having a choice between .68 and .95 blade gaps. Personally, I think comparing razors by blade gaps is a fruitless effort. Angle, design, weight, blade rigidity etc. all play an important roll, and comparing gaps between manufacturers or even within is a challenge. For example, many folks assume the .38 Bronze is much too mild for them as they compare the .68 or .95 in Ti and SS versions. As Timeless themselves explains, it’s impossible to compare that way as the designs are completely different. I’ve owned a Bronze. It shaves much closer to the .68 and avoiding it because of the number on the page would be a mistake. Same should be said for comparing something like a Game Changer to Timeless. Finally, the razors head has two large posts that hold the blade snugly and provide absolutely perfect blade alignment each and every time. The head torques the blade and clamps it very close to the edge, providing for a very “rigid” design that I feel is critically important and often overlooked. There are also large “rinse out” channels to catch lather and whiskers.
Shaves and Performance:
SS .95SB
The first five shaves were completed with the SS .95 SB. Due to the weight being 131.5g, it was a natural place to start as I transitioned away from my also-heavy daily driver, the Rockwell 6S. The first shave was on day and a half growth, a half day longer than usual. The razor was smooth and proved to be much more efficient than the Rockwell 6S (even a 6 plate) without being “aggressive”. There was limited blade feel (my preference) and the shave resulted in 95% BBS with a three-pass shave. My “problem areas” were mowed down with ease, likely a result of the design and rigidity of the blade. Despite the blade gap carrying a fairly high number, I never felt like the blade would hurt me. There were only a couple of minor cuts during my five shaves, all the result of my own error. My face remained smooth for approximately 15-18 hours and my dark beard wasn’t as visible as normal during this time. Shave two was interesting. Typically, my worst shaves come after a great one. I shave daily, so sometimes the next shave can be pretty rough with less growth and when the hair isn’t fully through the follicles. The result of shave two was similar to shave one. Nearly perfect. That was an even better test. Ranking each shave, if the first two shaves were a “10”, I’d rank shaves 3-5 as an “8”. Great results, not perfect.
Ti .95SB
Next up was the Titanium .95 SB, weighting in at 76g. That’s a big difference. In my hand, it felt more like a toy than a precision shaving instrument. Regardless, the fit/finish exuded “quality”. Each and every shave 1-5 was excellent. There are some differences here that are important to note. First, the .95 Ti feels less “aggressive” than the .95 SS. I say this, even though the SS really doesn’t feel “aggressive” to begin with. When reading other reviews, you’ll find descriptions of the Ti being “softer”. I agree with that and I think that’s what’s going on here. The Ti was slightly less efficient than the SS likely due to weight, but the difference in weight leads to a softer feel on the face. That lack of weight lead to a lot of confidence when using the razor. Like the SS, I never felt as though it would bite me, and it never really did. It felt as if I could throw it around my face without worry. And I did for the most part. It’s a very nice razor and a great shave every time. Relating back to my Rockwell once again, the feel was more like a 4 plate, but once again with vastly improved efficiency in removing hair.
Side by Side: SS .95 and Ti .95
The next five shaves were completed by shaving half my face with each razor. It was a humbling experience, with the first couple resulting in weeper/cut or two. User error. I’m the kind of guy who has trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time. Switching between razors mid-stream with this much weight difference proved challenging at first. Nonetheless, on shaves 3-5 I settled down and essentially got equal results from the razors. Which is to say excellent. Head to head shaves did firm up my suspicion of a bit higher level of aggression and efficiency in the SS vs. the Ti. The results in the shaves were the same, but the routes of getting there were a bit different.
Ti .68 SB
Next I used the Titanium .68. This was certainly the smoothest shave of all. No blade feel whatsoever and while the efficiency wasn’t equal to the .95, it was adequate for my beard. A three pass shave resulted in a tad more clean up, but the BBS finish was nearly equal to it’s .95 counterparts. The difference came after 12 hours or so when more hair was visible, and the growth after 24 hours was more pronounced. This was expected of a smaller blade gap and consistent with my other mild shavers such as the Merkur 34C or the Rockwell on plate 3. Overall, the .68 is a keeper none the less as it’s adequate, gives irritation free shaves, and is just the ticket for daily shaving. It’ll be nice to have on hand for those days where I do a bit “too much” the shave before. This would not be something I would enjoy using on three day growth, but it’s adequate and enjoyable for daily shaves on my beard.
Back to the SS .95 SB
Finally, I moved back to the SS .95 SB and this time switched out the dimple handle for the barber pole one. There is a slight difference in weight due to the removal of material by partially drilling holes to create the dimple. The difference though was barely discernable in my hand and the shave was not affected by the difference. There would, however, have been a noticeable difference between the 85mm handles and the 100mm. I personally am not a long handle kind of guy, and I believe the added weight on the SS would be unwelcome and could also alter the center of balance. I believe that balance to be perfect with the 85mm handle. The reason this handle was ordered at all was due to the fact the original dimple handle had a “burr” where one of the holes were drilled a bit close together, leading to a rough spot on the handle that caught my finger a bit. It would have been perfectly acceptable to me, but for the price paid I really wanted perfection, which leads me to the customer service section further below.
Miscellaneous thought:
While all razors were “smooth” in use, I found something interested occurred amongst all: The residual slickness of my soap was not good. Despite using an excellent soap, Vespers, the razors seemed to remove most or all of the soap during initial passes, making buffing or additional strokes difficult without relathering. After the initial 15 shaves, I tried the razors with other soaps known to have excellent residual slickness, such as Haslinger Schafmilch and received similar results. The Haslinger was better than the Vespers, but I consider it to be absolute top tier in residual glide. This is something to keep in mind when using these razors for the first time. Your soaps that you knew well yesterday, simply may not perform the same for you today.
Customer Service:
A quick call to Matt at Timeless had the issue with the dimpled handle resolved quickly. He simply had me order a new handle of my choice and included a return shipping label. The new barber pole handle arrived in two days and included an added bonus of a Timeless blue towel ($11 value on the website). It was unnecessary, completely unexpected, and greatly appreciated. Very impressed by this level of service. Coupled with the 30 day “try it and return it if you want to” policy, this is a company you can feel comfortable doing business with. There is no mention on their website about warranty, but I have no doubt they would take care of a customer years down the road. I would also imagine these guys will be around for awhile. What good is a quote “lifetime” warranty from a company that may not be around in a few years. You can probably think of some of those.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this review was to help others decide which razor might suit them best, SS or Ti. Honestly, when I made the purchase of both razors, I assumed one would be going back to Timeless in the end. Ultimately, they both will stay, and will always have a place in my den. It’s a lot of money. Owning both is completely unnecessary. Owning either in my opinion will give outstanding shaves. But for me they are different enough that it makes sense to keep both around. The virtues are different. The results are the same, excellent shaves with zero irritation. The SS polished is a beautiful razor likely only rivaled by Wolfman in appearance. It requires a light touch. The Ti has a utilitarian look that will appeal to others and has a “softer” feel. The light, slow touch required by the SS does not apply. A guy feels like he can throw it around the face J-hooking with reckless abandon. But please, don’t let the .95 gap scare you off, especially in the safety bar version. If the design suits you as well as it did me, the choice comes down to weight, looks, and choices (the Ti only comes in one handle and not polished).
Best of luck and enjoy!
John