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Ikon Tech vs. Ikon Standard

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).

20200201_191039.jpg20200201_191129.jpg

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.
 
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).

View attachment 1059349View attachment 1059350

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.
Right on! Thanks Elvis for that comparison of the two. I'm really glad you have this opportunity to use the Ikon Tech and I'm looking forward to your thoughts after more time with it.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
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).

View attachment 1059349View attachment 1059350

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.

@Elvis Outlander - Great review and comparison!

Now I have to locate an Ikon Tech. ;)
 
Thank you very much for the comparison! I have the Tech and it's among my favouite razors, the feeling of the skin sag in the gap you described is spot on! Always wonderd how it compares to Standard.
 
Glad you were able to get your hands on the tech!
Thanks! I am really liking it. I have been shaving with it for 8 days now. Two were half shaves with it due to the side by side.

The Tech works just fine as a daily shaver, but I am noticing it really likes very light pressure and it likes really slick soap. Slick soap is a must for the Tech in my opinion. I have only tried Feathers, but it likes them a lot. The wide effective guard span makes it to where it goes from little blade feel to a lot of blade feel with somewhat subtle changes in pressure (like a sports car with sensitive steering). The Ikon Standard has a little wider range of pressures that work well. I still think I like how the Standard gives me more room to vary the pressure to dial in the blade feel more precisely and get just what I want. I have a feeling that as my skill improves, I may start to drift to something less aggressive than the Standard even (and these may not be my preferred razors long term).

One thing I notice is that for me, neither one feels as harsh as a 2013 R41, but both are more efficient. There are a few aggressive razors that don't have as good of blade support and really feel more harsh to me than what other people experience. I was a little worried about the Tech being in this group given the distance the top cap extends past the base support, but so far it doesn't have that odd harshness. The base support is a little wider, and I think the blade being more curved also helps make the blade more rigid. I know that some people don't need or crave the rigidity that I do (YMMV), and these may not be a good choice if you prefer some float in the blade.

Was wondering if anyone else has tried both razors to comment??
 
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After using the Ikon Tech for a week and half, I went back to do another "head to head" tonight. Not much has changed.

1. Ikon Tech is definitely more aggressive than the Standard--by a decent margin.
2. For me, the added aggression did not result in improved closeness or fewer strokes. The Standard is more efficient than Fatip MK1, and R41--definitely not mild. While the Tech may bring added efficiency to some who need it, I am not one of them. The Standard does well enough for me. I may even try to improve technique and work to something less aggressive than the Standard over time.
3. It was so nice go back to the Standard for half of my face tonight. Kind of felt like broke-in sneakers. Tomorrow's shave will be a full shave with the Standard, and I am looking forward to it.
4. The fit and blade alignment are better with the Standard.
5. The Ikon Tech really makes you be on your game with your Lather. I have definitely found which soaps I really like (and excluded some) in the process.
6. I could use the Ikon Tech a a daily shaver, but would not want to when the Standard is available.

I think in terms what I compare other razors to in the near future, the Standard will be. . . . well, my standard.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
After using the Ikon Tech for a week and half, I went back to do another "head to head" tonight. Not much has changed.

1. Ikon Tech is definitely more aggressive than the Standard--by a decent margin.
2. For me, the added aggression did not result in improved closeness or fewer strokes. The Standard is more efficient than Fatip MK1, and R41--definitely not mild. While the Tech may bring added efficiency to some who need it, I am not one of them. The Standard does well enough for me. I may even try to improve technique and work to something less aggressive than the Standard over time.
3. It was so nice go back to the Standard for half of my face tonight. Kind of felt like broke-in sneakers. Tomorrow's shave will be a full shave with the Standard, and I am looking forward to it.
4. The fit and blade alignment are better with the Standard.
5. The Ikon Tech really makes you be on your game with your Lather. I have definitely found which soaps I really like (and excluded some) in the process.
6. I could use the Ikon Tech a a daily shaver, but would not want to when the Standard is available.

I think in terms what I compare other razors to in the near future, the Standard will be. . . . well, my standard.

The Ikon B1 Standard is one of those razors that seems to fly under the radar. It's definitely, in my opinion, one of the best aggressive razors out there.

YMMV. :)
 
After using the Ikon Tech for a week and half, I went back to do another "head to head" tonight. Not much has changed.

1. Ikon Tech is definitely more aggressive than the Standard--by a decent margin.
2. For me, the added aggression did not result in improved closeness or fewer strokes. The Standard is more efficient than Fatip MK1, and R41--definitely not mild. While the Tech may bring added efficiency to some who need it, I am not one of them. The Standard does well enough for me. I may even try to improve technique and work to something less aggressive than the Standard over time.
3. It was so nice go back to the Standard for half of my face tonight. Kind of felt like broke-in sneakers. Tomorrow's shave will be a full shave with the Standard, and I am looking forward to it.
4. The fit and blade alignment are better with the Standard.
5. The Ikon Tech really makes you be on your game with your Lather. I have definitely found which soaps I really like (and excluded some) in the process.
6. I could use the Ikon Tech a a daily shaver, but would not want to when the Standard is available.

I think in terms what I compare other razors to in the near future, the Standard will be. . . . well, my standard.
Very interesting. This sort of puts my question I to perspective. When is enough aggressiveness/efficiency plenty or to no benefit. I've been going to more and more aggressive razors and last night I was thinking hmm we need a standard not to much but not to mild. Sounds like this Standard razor is that fit for you between these two razors.
Sorry about the rambling part of this. You've put this into words that do make sense though, thanks for this comparison
 
After using the Ikon Tech for a week and half, I went back to do another "head to head" tonight. Not much has changed.

1. Ikon Tech is definitely more aggressive than the Standard--by a decent margin.
2. For me, the added aggression did not result in improved closeness or fewer strokes. The Standard is more efficient than Fatip MK1, and R41--definitely not mild. While the Tech may bring added efficiency to some who need it, I am not one of them. The Standard does well enough for me. I may even try to improve technique and work to something less aggressive than the Standard over time.
3. It was so nice go back to the Standard for half of my face tonight. Kind of felt like broke-in sneakers. Tomorrow's shave will be a full shave with the Standard, and I am looking forward to it.
4. The fit and blade alignment are better with the Standard.
5. The Ikon Tech really makes you be on your game with your Lather. I have definitely found which soaps I really like (and excluded some) in the process.
6. I could use the Ikon Tech a a daily shaver, but would not want to when the Standard is available.

I think in terms what I compare other razors to in the near future, the Standard will be. . . . well, my standard.

Just tried iKon B1 Standard and have to say I agree with most points here. Less harsh-feeling on the face than Tech, but not much less efficient after three passes. Definitely less tugging than Tech. And it kind of feels safer to use. With Tech I always have to be on my toes, while Standard feels much more like an autopilot razor. It's also more efficient than R41, with much less blade feel. Definitely a keeper.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Just tried iKon B1 Standard and have to say I agree with most points here. Less harsh-feeling on the face than Tech, but not much less efficient after three passes. Definitely less tugging than Tech. And it kind of feels safer to use. With Tech I always have to be on my toes, while Standard feels much more like an autopilot razor. It's also more efficient than R41, with much less blade feel. Definitely a keeper.

Agree with your comments on the Ikon B1 Standard and also that the Ikon B1 Standard is a keeper. It definitely has a place in my Den. :cool:
 
Pasted here from the main iKon thread, may be useful for the users trying to decide between these two razors:

I just noticed that B1 Standard has four notches on the corners of the base plate and four corresponding protrusions on the top cap. I imagine the effect of these contributes to the chatter reduction of the blade in a slant-like manner, torquing the blade at the corners. Very cool.
 
Thanks! I am really liking it. I have been shaving with it for 8 days now. Two were half shaves with it due to the side by side.

The Tech works just fine as a daily shaver, but I am noticing it really likes very light pressure and it likes really slick soap. Slick soap is a must for the Tech in my opinion. I have only tried Feathers, but it likes them a lot. The wide effective guard span makes it to where it goes from little blade feel to a lot of blade feel with somewhat subtle changes in pressure (like a sports car with sensitive steering). The Ikon Standard has a little wider range of pressures that work well. I still think I like how the Standard gives me more room to vary the pressure to dial in the blade feel more precisely and get just what I want. I have a feeling that as my skill improves, I may start to drift to something less aggressive than the Standard even (and these may not be my preferred razors long term).

One thing I notice is that for me, neither one feels as harsh as a 2013 R41, but both are more efficient. There are a few aggressive razors that don't have as good of blade support and really feel more harsh to me than what other people experience. I was a little worried about the Tech being in this group given the distance the top cap extends past the base support, but so far it doesn't have that odd harshness. The base support is a little wider, and I think the blade being more curved also helps make the blade more rigid. I know that some people don't need or crave the rigidity that I do (YMMV), and these may not be a good choice if you prefer some float in the blade.

Was wondering if anyone else has tried both razors to comment??
I have the Mühle R41 2013 and the Ikon 104 tech .

The Ikon gains first place for me - a smoother shave and less harsh compared to the R41.One individual I know tried 17 different blades with the tech and preferred the Teflon coated ones.

Personally, I agree with him .Also, I agree with your comments regarding the tech .
 
Very informative posting. Is it just me or has Ikon gone silent lately? Are they still producing?
I purchased two Ikon items in the last two months .

In Europe where I am currently they distribute via two Italian wholesalers/stores.

They also sell via their web site and eBay from what I am told .
 
Pasted here from the main iKon thread, may be useful for the users trying to decide between these two razors:

I just noticed that B1 Standard has four notches on the corners of the base plate and four corresponding protrusions on the top cap. I imagine the effect of these contributes to the chatter reduction of the blade in a slant-like manner, torquing the blade at the corners. Very cool.
Kinda like the Gillette Tech design right?
 
I would be very surprised if the Tek (their spelling, not mine) was actually anyone's favorite razor. It's VERY aggressive, and not terribly efficient considering its aggressive nature - other razors do better with less aggression, and I love aggression. I used one as a daily driver for a while sometime between 2014 and, say, 2016 because I was a glutton for punishment (just kidding, I was trying to really hone my technique), but that sucked and I'm better having left it behind. My technique did improve though.

I bought another one in 2021 because its aluminum and my older one had sustained some minor damage, and it was a ton more aggressive and less efficient than my previous one. I still have both, and the newer one is crap, while the older one is tolerable with a good technique and a very cushioned lather.

You can easily squeeze a better shave out of an R41 than you can a Tek, anyone using a Tek for anything other than temporary amusement is just asking for trouble. I feel like folks would be better off using a straight.
 
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