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The Tech Clone Wars

If you don't like the giant LORD stamped on the top plate, maybe this is better?
View attachment 1035727
Looks like Lord is making a Shark razor with a plain top plate ;)
That one looks a lot like the Lord L6. The L6 has a Merkur style head instead of a Tech style head and it is really a good performer. It just needs a heavier handle, such as a 3.25" stainless steel handle, and it is in the same ballpark as a basic Merkur or EJ razor for very little money.

No gigantic logo on that one, I like it. :001_cool:
 
Well Today my post war tech arrived. I used it.

Razor: Gold Gillette Post War Tech
Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
Brush: Omega 10049 Pro Boar
Pre: Proraso Green Pre-Shave Cream
Soap: Williams Mug Shaving Soap
Post: Proraso Green After-shave
Beard Balm: Proraso Cypress and Vetyver

Rating: 8.5/10 - Almost DFS, but a great smooth shave with no irritation. I was riding the top cap more and was able to get a really nice fun shave out of the Tech. It seems to be a bit better than some of the clones, but I now have a razor to do a direct head-to-head comparison. I will start that in a few days once I get through another new razor a few soaps I want to get through. Overall very please with the addition to my razor line up.

View attachment 1034866

Hope you all are getting some great shaves and that your No-Shave-November is going well.

Terrific review and nice set-up!! :a14: :a14: :a14:
 
Terrific review and nice set-up!! :a14: :a14: :a14:
Thanks. Just on a break doing some other shaving stuff right now (got a few open combs and soaps I wanted to get through), but will be doing some comparison shaves with the following razors in the near future:

Gillette Pre-war Tech
Gillette Post-war Tech
Global Shave Club Sumatra
Global Shave Club Black Tiger
Baili BT-131
MenSmell Vintage Style Razor

Should be a fun set of shaves over the next few weeks!
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Thanks. Just on a break doing some other shaving stuff right now (got a few open combs and soaps I wanted to get through), but will be doing some comparison shaves with the following razors in the near future:

Gillette Pre-war Tech
Gillette Post-war Tech
Global Shave Club Sumatra
Global Shave Club Black Tiger
Baili BT-131
MenSmell Vintage Style Razor

Should be a fun set of shaves over the next few weeks!
Excellent....be interesting to see how our opinions compare. :)
 
Razorbladesclub (on the bay) is selling Lord L122/L5 Tech clone, Rapira's Swedish Steel and Platinum Lux Tech clones and a new (?) razor called "Roman Empire Shaving Augustus" that also looks like a Tech-like model, probably a Chinese razor rebranded.
But the razors are all very cheap and the shipping is almost for free.
 
Well Today my post war tech arrived. I used it.

Razor: Gold Gillette Post War Tech
Blade: Gillette Platinum (4)
Brush: Omega 10049 Pro Boar
Pre: Proraso Green Pre-Shave Cream
Soap: Williams Mug Shaving Soap
Post: Proraso Green After-shave
Beard Balm: Proraso Cypress and Vetyver

Rating: 8.5/10 - Almost DFS, but a great smooth shave with no irritation. I was riding the top cap more and was able to get a really nice fun shave out of the Tech. It seems to be a bit better than some of the clones, but I now have a razor to do a direct head-to-head comparison. I will start that in a few days once I get through another new razor a few soaps I want to get through. Overall very please with the addition to my razor line up.

View attachment 1034866

Hope you all are getting some great shaves and that your No-Shave-November is going well.
I love the post war tech out of them all .
 
I think I may have made a mistake when I tried the Bali 171. It may have caused an unjust and unfair review. You see, I didn't like the concave handle the 171 came with so I used the handle from the Baili 131. Tonight I was comparing weights and discovered the Baili 171 handle is ~20 grams heavier than the 131 handle. This likely changed the balance point of the 171 enough to change its performance. I have concluded that my review of the 171 is null and void. Further, I will need to retest the 171 using the stock handle. I will also need to test the 131 again with the stock handle. When I used the 131 (and enjoyed it) I was using the RE replica ball end handle. The RE handle weighs in at a scant 26g.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
I think I may have made a mistake when I tried the Bali 171. It may have caused an unjust and unfair review. You see, I didn't like the concave handle the 171 came with so I used the handle from the Baili 131. Tonight I was comparing weights and discovered the Baili 171 handle is ~20 grams heavier than the 131 handle. This likely changed the balance point of the 171 enough to change its performance. I have concluded that my review of the 171 is null and void. Further, I will need to retest the 171 using the stock handle. I will also need to test the 131 again with the stock handle. When I used the 131 (and enjoyed it) I was using the RE replica ball end handle. The RE handle weighs in at a scant 26g.

When I compared the various Techs and Tech Clones, I used the same Maggard MR11 handle on all of them so I could focus on how the head shaved and zero in on differences.
 
When I compared the various Techs and Tech Clones, I used the same Maggard MR11 handle on all of them so I could focus on how the head shaved and zero in on differences.

I hated the 171 and gave it a bad review. I think I have to give it another try with the stock handle to be fair to Baili. I realize these are sub $10 razors but they may have added the heavy handle for a reason. I will post my findings.
 
I gave the Baili 171 another try today. This time I was using the handle it came with. Hot shower, Williams Mug Soap, Astra SP (3). After the first pass wtg, there was a fair amount of stubble on my chin and jaw line. Did a second pass xtg. Did a third pass on my jaw line atg. This time, it was a better experience, no weepers and I achieved a ccs good enough for Thursday at the office. I have some irritation at one corner of my mouth. I could try a Feather to see if it improves the shave but at this point, I really don't want to use the 171 again. This one just is not for me. Works great for others but for me, I much prefer the Baili 131. The Lord L122 arrived today. To my surprise, it has a plastic base. The Lord weighs in at a whopping 28 grams. Very light. The base plate of the Lord is an identical plastic clone of the Baili 131. I will most likely give the Lord a try over the weekend. Tomorrow, I will be using a Gillette Tech from the 60s for a refresher on what a genuine Tech feels like.
 
I finally shaved with my flat bottomed Tech (British), so here's the short version: a very nice razor. Smooth, efficient, comfortable. I used a Feather blade and a modern handle for grippiness.

I'll try to compare it to a pre- and post- war Tech at some point. The weight gives it a different balance (the baseplate is thicker, like a New open comb), which I like.
 
I gave the Baili 171 another try today. This time I was using the handle it came with. Hot shower, Williams Mug Soap, Astra SP (3). After the first pass wtg, there was a fair amount of stubble on my chin and jaw line. Did a second pass xtg. Did a third pass on my jaw line atg. This time, it was a better experience, no weepers and I achieved a ccs good enough for Thursday at the office. I have some irritation at one corner of my mouth. I could try a Feather to see if it improves the shave but at this point, I really don't want to use the 171 again. This one just is not for me. Works great for others but for me, I much prefer the Baili 131. The Lord L122 arrived today. To my surprise, it has a plastic base. The Lord weighs in at a whopping 28 grams. Very light. The base plate of the Lord is an identical plastic clone of the Baili 131. I will most likely give the Lord a try over the weekend. Tomorrow, I will be using a Gillette Tech from the 60s for a refresher on what a genuine Tech feels like.

I must ask, where did you buy your Lord L122?
I have read about Lord L122 with plastic baseplate, but I have never seen one.
The one I saw on RBC's eBay-site was the standard L122 and one Lord L122 with both the plastic and the standard baseplate so you can change between them.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
I finally shaved with my flat bottomed Tech (British), so here's the short version: a very nice razor. Smooth, efficient, comfortable. I used a Feather blade and a modern handle for grippiness.

I'll try to compare it to a pre- and post- war Tech at some point. The weight gives it a different balance (the baseplate is thicker, like a New open comb), which I like.

Very nice comments.

I love my Flat Bottom Tech.
 
I must ask, where did you buy your Lord L122?
I have read about Lord L122 with plastic baseplate, but I have never seen one.
The one I saw on RBC's eBay-site was the standard L122 and one Lord L122 with both the plastic and the standard baseplate so you can change between them.

I got off the "bay". The seller was out of New York.
 
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