After a long search, I was given the chance to have an Ikon Tech by @Peter_A . I noted that there were no comparisons given by people who had used both the Ikon Tech and the Ikon Standard (other than briefly by one person on another forum). I was also asked to review by @Keto and @never-stop-learning . Here is my initial comparison.
I used the Ikon Tech by itself for three shaves with a Feather blade (after using the Ikon Standard with a Feather while waiting on the arrival of the Tech). After this, I did two "side-by-side" shaves alternating which side of my face each razor was used (both razors having a new Feather at the start of the first side by side).
These two razors are definitely different. The Ikon Tech is clearly more aggressive (but not harsh). The Ikon Standard is smoother. Both give equally close shaves that were really indistinguishable by alum block or by how long the BBS lasted. I am not sure if the Ikon Tech achieved the closeness in less strokes, but it was not a huge difference--they are both efficient enough. I felt quite safe with both of them and received no nicks. I actually thought the Standard may have been more efficient on the first pass, but the Tech caught back up after that.
By careful view in the hand, the blade exposure is nearly identical (even if the pictures below are not well aligned).
I don't sense any chatter on either when shaving--I am usually quite sensitive to this with something like an R41, and even the Tech is less harsh than an R41 to my face because of this, while being far more efficient. Any chatter will make razors that other people find somewhat mild feel very harsh to me (even though I find them much less efficient). I read this a lot with people who have coarse beards. For some reason, I still like my DOC Evo even though the blade hums, but that's a different story.
The real difference in Geometries between the two razors, and what I believe is the difference in face feel, is the Guard (see pictures Tech on left).
You can see that the face of the guard on the Tech is not at all parallel to the shave plane. Only the very bottom of the guard touches the skin with the Tech. There is a huge distance where the skin is suspended between the tip of the guard and the tip of the blade, and this distance is very easy to feel in comparison with the Ikon Standard. While I think the Standard has a similar guard span, you will notice that the face of the guard on the Standard is more parallel to the shave plane (and rounded instead of pointed), and there is less room for the skin to "sag" into the "gap" with the guard falling away from the shave plane more gradually as you move toward the blade tip. I am pretty sure with the Standard that the skin is touching more of the guard, and the "effective guard span", the distance between where the skin touches the guard and the tip of the blade, is smaller--less room for the skin to "sag". . . . even if the guard span measured using straight lines does not appear to be that different. Skin deforms instead of making a straight line, and the roundness vs pointy nature of the guard makes a difference.
It feels to me that there may be more skin stretching going on with the Standard due to more contact (I don't skin stretch). Build quality is better with the Standard--blade alignment is more sure.
So far, I think I prefer the Standard, but it has been in my rotation for months. I like them both though. If something more aggressive than the Standard is wanted, the Tech is a good choice (espeically if you have really coarse beard). I plan to use the Tech exclusively for a week and then go back to another "side by side". At very least, I think a prolonged run with the Tech will help my technique when using the Standard. They definitely provide nice variety while both being something I like.
I used the Ikon Tech by itself for three shaves with a Feather blade (after using the Ikon Standard with a Feather while waiting on the arrival of the Tech). After this, I did two "side-by-side" shaves alternating which side of my face each razor was used (both razors having a new Feather at the start of the first side by side).
These two razors are definitely different. The Ikon Tech is clearly more aggressive (but not harsh). The Ikon Standard is smoother. Both give equally close shaves that were really indistinguishable by alum block or by how long the BBS lasted. I am not sure if the Ikon Tech achieved the closeness in less strokes, but it was not a huge difference--they are both efficient enough. I felt quite safe with both of them and received no nicks. I actually thought the Standard may have been more efficient on the first pass, but the Tech caught back up after that.
By careful view in the hand, the blade exposure is nearly identical (even if the pictures below are not well aligned).
I don't sense any chatter on either when shaving--I am usually quite sensitive to this with something like an R41, and even the Tech is less harsh than an R41 to my face because of this, while being far more efficient. Any chatter will make razors that other people find somewhat mild feel very harsh to me (even though I find them much less efficient). I read this a lot with people who have coarse beards. For some reason, I still like my DOC Evo even though the blade hums, but that's a different story.
The real difference in Geometries between the two razors, and what I believe is the difference in face feel, is the Guard (see pictures Tech on left).
You can see that the face of the guard on the Tech is not at all parallel to the shave plane. Only the very bottom of the guard touches the skin with the Tech. There is a huge distance where the skin is suspended between the tip of the guard and the tip of the blade, and this distance is very easy to feel in comparison with the Ikon Standard. While I think the Standard has a similar guard span, you will notice that the face of the guard on the Standard is more parallel to the shave plane (and rounded instead of pointed), and there is less room for the skin to "sag" into the "gap" with the guard falling away from the shave plane more gradually as you move toward the blade tip. I am pretty sure with the Standard that the skin is touching more of the guard, and the "effective guard span", the distance between where the skin touches the guard and the tip of the blade, is smaller--less room for the skin to "sag". . . . even if the guard span measured using straight lines does not appear to be that different. Skin deforms instead of making a straight line, and the roundness vs pointy nature of the guard makes a difference.
It feels to me that there may be more skin stretching going on with the Standard due to more contact (I don't skin stretch). Build quality is better with the Standard--blade alignment is more sure.
So far, I think I prefer the Standard, but it has been in my rotation for months. I like them both though. If something more aggressive than the Standard is wanted, the Tech is a good choice (espeically if you have really coarse beard). I plan to use the Tech exclusively for a week and then go back to another "side by side". At very least, I think a prolonged run with the Tech will help my technique when using the Standard. They definitely provide nice variety while both being something I like.