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Broman Pivot Head Razor

I recently recently received an update email from the Broman team. I wanted to hear that production had completed and shipping was underway. But no. The language they used was... well... shall we say... equivocal at best.

The project appears to have been beset by delays since I subscribed in August 2018. Does anyone have any inside news?
 
I have been following this for a bit now. I did not get in on it and I don't think I ever backed a crowdfunded project before. I don't think I would unless I had a very good idea of who I was dealing with.

The most recent update posted on the Indiegogo page seemed to say they were about to ship from the factory to the warehouse, pending approval, or something like that. Really, there is no way to tell yet if you got robbed. I would dsay at this point if things don't move along in the next month or so then all is lost.
 
Someone has received theirs.


Cheers
 
Let’s say preliminary results where like its veggie preparation inspiration :)
So really interested by others experience
 

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The blades which come with the broman are these perma sharps.
So far still on the first blade which still cuts hair with some audio feedback

the first butcher job was with a gilette platinum and different soap prep as usual (teaches patience I guess) and stat probably screwed things up.

end conclusion so far
comfortable razor
Blade gives audio feedback.
Great glide and I mean really. Also makes it tricky if your prep is not good enough you might end up with a bloody mess without noticing.
No issues with body hair clogging or multi day beards it really surprises and shines on this point.
Mild (between genesis and core)
Easy blade loading
Razo is nice and heavy my questions about the longevity of the plastic head/cap remains . OTOH great glide
Not a sleep auto mode razor it can bite! So I keep my core for that.
The head is wide with lots of head side of the blade means a bit awkward under your nose. An r48 is easier for this. This is also because the blade itselve has a huge guard compared to any razor!

The tilt head loosens up in use I would prefer a bit more spring feedback.

design wise it is a potato peeler. A nice one though would not mind a fixed blade one in the kitchen drawer!

in the end it is a keeper.
 

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Something else you can do with a broman which is not advised with an r48 (which should use broken blades and therefore have two different sides) you can flip the blade and squeeze more shaves out of it. But the Perma sharp is starting to wear a bit down. Still no weepers etc. This morning shave with cold water.
 
Yesterday, I received my Broman and this morning I had my first shave with it. I am not familiar with the Perma-sharp blades that came with it, and do not know if they are a good blade. Upon opening the blade wrapper, I noticed wax dots that left a "gunky" residue on the blade and paper wrapper. This was a turn-off and I decided to not use the Perma-sharp blades. Instead I snapped a Personna Lab Blue blade in half and used that for my first shave.

Examining the razor, it is a fairly straight-forward design. Simply flip the top-cap up, insert a blade, and flip the top-cap down. The razor stand is injected molded plastic and the hinge will eventually break off. Allowing the blades to be stored inside the razor stand is clever, however, the space is too narrow to store several full-size DE blades. The full-size DE blades will fit diagonally which limits the number that may be stored. An improvement in the design would be to position the hole where the razor is inserted to one side of the case. This would allow about 25 DE blades to be stored inside without increasing the thickness of the stand. The travel pouch appears to be pleather and a straight-forward design with a tongue that tucks inside the pouch.

For my first shave, I used the Personna Lab Blue (snapped in half). Holding the razor is intuitive and I noticed there is a comfortable place for my index finger to rest on the back of the handle. First pass was with the grain, second pass across the grain, and third pass against the grain. I agree with Ivo4u2 on the following points;
  1. Shaving under the nose is challenging because the blade guard is fairly large (distance between the blade edge and the bottom of the guard is approx. 5mm).
  2. The razor rinses very easily and there were no clogging issues. Rinsing frequently kept the shave smooth.
  3. The hinge could use a bit more resistance in the spring.
  4. It's a keeper
My first shave was smooth, easy, and I did not get any weepers. I would say somewhere between a DFS and BBS shave. I am certain my technique will improve and so will my results. I can easily see me tossing this razor in a travel bag or gym bag for a quick, no-fuss shave.

It took longer than expected for Broman to deliver on their crowd-funded campaign, but I applaud their perseverance and commitment to the project. Is this razor a game-changer? No, but for Broman it is a good beginning and lays a foundation in which to build. There are only a few razors that have a pivoting head and use a DE blade. For Broman to bring this to the marketplace is a wonderful achievement and gives wet-shavers another option. For someone transitioning from cartridges it would be an ideal razor because it is simple to use.
 
Welcome to the club
The globby perma sharps are not bad though they get better after the first or second shave.
 

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Thoughts on the Broman vs OneBlade vs Leaf? Just ordered a OneBlade Core and a Leaf to compare those for myself. Planning to head shave, which I think changes the requirements a bit as a DE can sometimes be more challenging
 
Thoughts on the Broman vs OneBlade vs Leaf? Just ordered a OneBlade Core and a Leaf to compare those for myself. Planning to head shave, which I think changes the requirements a bit as a DE can sometimes be more challenging
I’ve not used the leaf but am very familiar with the Core.
First is blades’s longevity. Core uses Feathers. 2 shaves at best 3 for me. I’m now on my 3rd shave with Broman‘s blade. No sign of needing a change of blade.
Second is price of blades. Feathers are about AUD$1 per blade. Broman, I am told will take any DE blade halved. Blades will be cheaper for Broman.
Third both are mild. I might get a weeper once every 10 shaves with Core. Never a nick. I’ve had one small weeper with B. Seems comparable.
Fourth both BBS after good prep and 3 passes. My beard is medium/thick
Fifthly I enjoy both. Simple razors to use without much thought. Easy shaving.
 
After a month of broman and also using bic crome and gsb in it it wins from my oneblade core on most points
Glides better, comfy
Audio feedback
No clogger for body hair
Cheap blades with choice And longevity (5 shaves a blade)
More effective (even better as my r50)

Just one one point with a core I would dare to shave drunk it is that idiot proof for me. With broman I can not!
Blade loading is easier on a oneblade.

Bigger under your nose as a oneblade due to safety bar

Have fun
 
I, too, would be interested in this for head-shaving. I have neither the patience nor the skill to use a straight, shavette, standard DE or SE. I have tried the Leaf for that and made a bloody mess of my head. I have not tried the Oneblade Core or Hybrid, nor do I intend to, because the blades are far too expensive for me to use in that way. Currently I use a Harry's for the head, which is far more cost-effective than most cartridges, but it's still pricey and clogs. I'm hoping this might be a permanent, cost-effective solution for me. Anybody used it on his head yet?
 
Uh on a lower part of my anatomy and it did not clogg nor castrate. But it is more tricky as oneblade core.
And the first time with broman made a mess of my face also. Since then I learned and it handles fine.
So handle with care please.
 
I, too, would be interested in this for head-shaving. I have neither the patience nor the skill to use a straight, shavette, standard DE or SE. I have tried the Leaf for that and made a bloody mess of my head. I have not tried the Oneblade Core or Hybrid, nor do I intend to, because the blades are far too expensive for me to use in that way. Currently I use a Harry's for the head, which is far more cost-effective than most cartridges, but it's still pricey and clogs. I'm hoping this might be a permanent, cost-effective solution for me. Anybody used it on his head yet?
Hobart, I am not a head shaver. Can’t help you with that. However there has been no suggestion of clogging for me on my face shave. I did not have any face calving experience as Ivo did, if that is any comfort. I’ve shaved with it a few times and had mildness all the way.
Cheers
 
So does this use standard DE Blades? - The pictures show two add'l holes in the Perma-Sharps which come with it, hence, I ask.

I see you compare it to a OB Core, but what about the Hybrid or Genesis? - One of my gripes on the Core from a couple years ago, was it didn't glide as well as my DE razors, however, the metal head Hybrid and Genesis glide much better, and are comparable, with a good lather. (The original Core was also way too mild to get a BBS shave with, at least for me, but having tried a Hybrid last year on sale, I ended up also buying a Genesis at 50% off in November, which shaves oh so much closer than the original Core. (They're now on the 3rd revision of the Core, V2.0, if the quick second was V1.1).
 
The broman uses standard de blades broken in half (currently using some bic chromes, but had some gilettes silver blues and the original perma sharps).
I have got oneblade genesis and core 1 in my opinion it glides better as the genesis and it gives me a more comfortable shave as the genesis. Not Per se a closer one but they are close. Though that partly depends on the used blade in the broman So using a feather or Kai might give it more edge.
Blade life compared to a oneblade is great i can get approx 2*5 shaves from a single de blade.
If I shave with a core I will have a stubble around 16:00, with broman and genesis not.
Hope this helps
 
Has anyone received the Broman and realize it isn't for them? It's been 50:50 for me on crowd funding so I don't do it very often - still waiting on an indiegogo from 2 years ago [emoji2357]. I've debated on ordering one to try out but thought I'd ask the forum before doing so. Cheers all. [emoji106]

Josh

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
I see you compare it to a OB Core, but what about the Hybrid or Genesis? - One of my gripes on the Core from a couple years ago, was it didn't glide as well as my DE razors, however, the metal head Hybrid and Genesis glide much better, and are comparable, with a good lather. (The original Core was also way too mild to get a BBS shave with, at least for me, but having tried a Hybrid last year on sale, I ended up also buying a Genesis at 50% off in November, which shaves oh so much closer than the original Core. (They're now on the 3rd revision of the Core, V2.0, if the quick second was V1.1).

For some reason I find the Hybrid occasionally bites me. I have had no such difficulty with the Genesis. To my mind there is no doubt the Genesis gives a closer shave than the Core. Even so, the Core gives a reasonable shave and the Hybrid a bit better than that.

I find the Broman gives a marginally better shave than the Core but not as good as the Genesis.

I normally use T0BS or Trumpers. I don’t notice any difference in glide for the OB razors.

There are two things I find mildly irritating about the Broman. After completing a stroke there is an audible loud click. It doesn’t seem to happen in any other pivoting head razor I use. My OCD doesn’t like it.

The second is, after a stroke of the razor, soap remains on my face. If you look at the most recent YouTube video put out by Broman, the same happens to that bloke. I am used to remaining soap as an indication I have not dialled in a DE razor well enough. The soap shows I have not properly shaved the area where the soap is left over. That is not the case with the Broman. What it means is, I think, the soap is on the trailing edge of the head and is left after the razor has passed by and cut the stubble.

Cheers
 
Has anyone received the Broman and realize it isn't for them? It's been 50:50 for me on crowd funding so I don't do it very often - still waiting on an indiegogo from 2 years ago [emoji2357]. I've debated on ordering one to try out but thought I'd ask the forum before doing so. Cheers all. [emoji106]

Josh

Sent from my LYA-L29 using Tapatalk

Hins

I enjoy shaving with it. It is a simple no thought shave. I will keep it in my rotation. Comparable to a Core.

Cheers
 
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