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The Vector is Blacklands best razor.

During the prior 30-40 days, I have been enjoying my Lather Catcher Journey rotation (no DE's or other SE's in the rotation). Last Thursday was my last shave since I did not have a face to face meeting scheduled until the following Wed. I decided to give my face a 3 day shave rest which ended up a 5-day rest. Tonight I decided to bring out my Vector since it had been a while since I last took it for a spin and I thought that it would be a good test for my Vector OC. With a significant 5 day growth, I loaded up a Proline 30 blade with the Vector OC. I have several Vector posts on B&B praising the Vector and tonight is more of the same. I am convinced that the Vector is the top dog at Blackland. I have owned the Bird, the Sabre, and the Dart, and they are all great razors but the shave tonight sealed the deal. My first pass with the OC base set me up for an easy second pass with the SB base. Five days of growth and I only needed 2 passes and a good clean-up and I am close shaved enough to skip a shave day. The Vector has always been a superior razor for my jawline and neck. If you venture out to acquire a Vector get both plates. The OC base provides slightly more blade feel but it mows down whiskers and sets you up for fewer passes. The SB base is silky smooth and comfy. If you shave every day or have a light beard then the SB base is all you need. By the way, the Vector is a great head shaver too. Like others here on B&B I move many razors in and out of the den and can own up to 30 vintage razors and a couple of modern razors in any given month. As good as the Vector is it will not motivate me to curtail my hobby for now but if I could only have one razor the Vector might be the one.
 
@DaveHStone As if I didn't need more enabling... I can't wait to get the Hawk but I read this... it's like many people's grail razor. Have you got your yet?

I wonder how it compares to the Hawk doing full face shaves on coarse stubble.
 
@DaveHStone As if I didn't need more enabling... I can't wait to get the Hawk but I read this... it's like many people's grail razor. Have you got your yet?

I wonder how it compares to the Hawk doing full face shaves on coarse stubble.
Hi @JohnPS, no I haven't, as I haven't ordered it yet. Not sure I will. I'm still considering it TBH.

The thing is that ordering the Vector from US and importing it into EU (where I live) is costly business. With shipping and import duties, I can end up paying north of $400US and that's a lot of money for a razor.

Another alternative is getting it from a retailer that carries it here in Europe... these are few and far between. I've found one online store in Germany that carries both polished and machined version of Vector, but it's out of stock. Found another two retailers in UK, but they don't have it with a stand, just the razor...

So, for the time being, I am sticking with the Hawk, as it is a FANTAASTIC razor.
 
Hi @JohnPS, no I haven't, as I haven't ordered it yet. Not sure I will. I'm still considering it TBH.

The thing is that ordering the Vector from US and importing it into EU (where I live) is costly business. With shipping and import duties, I can end up paying north of $400US and that's a lot of money for a razor.

Another alternative is getting it from a retailer that carries it here in Europe... these are few and far between. I've found one online store in Germany that carries both polished and machined version of Vector, but it's out of stock. Found another two retailers in UK, but they don't have it with a stand, just the razor...

So, for the time being, I am sticking with the Hawk, as it is a FANTAASTIC razor.

I honestly am very excited to try the hawk. What blades have you used in it so far in the Hawk and how you found them? I think it's parallel topic to this razor and as they take the same blades as the Vector don't they? (I don't want to hijack) I would also like to know what blades that the OPs author prefers in the Vector @NoScrubs? Thank you.

Yes the cost of the vector is very high and especially if you want the stand. I don't like that it's made out of 303 steel as it is such a well regarded razor. If I buy another razor, it won't be until next year and this is top on my list at the moment as in no.1. I have too many razors already and need to off load many of them before considering this. After reading the OPs experience, it seems to hit the mark. I have very cheap razors that I enjoy too but love trying new things.
 
I honestly am very excited to try the hawk. What blades have you used in it so far in the Hawk and how you found them? I think it's parallel topic to this razor and as they take the same blades as the Vector don't they? (I don't want to hijack) I would also like to know what blades that the OPs author prefers in the Vector @NoScrubs? Thank you.

Yes the cost of the vector is very high and especially if you want the stand. I don't like that it's made out of 303 steel as it is such a well regarded razor. If I buy another razor, it won't be until next year and this is top on my list at the moment as in no.1. I have too many razors already and need to off load many of them before considering this. After reading the OPs experience, it seems to hit the mark. I have very cheap razors that I enjoy too but love trying new things.
I hope you'll like it! 😀

I have been using 2 blades:

Feather Professional
Feather Professional Super

With Pro, I'd rate the Hawk a 5 on a 1-10 aggressiveness / mildness scale. With Super I'd bump that to say 6-6.5. So, it is more of a subtle difference.

Both blades are fantastic. I like ultra-sharp and am a firm believer in "the sharper the blade, the better the shave" principle. I prefer using mild razor, where the aggressiveness is determined by the head geometry - blade gap and exposure, rather than dull blade. Hawk nails it for me, as both the blade gap and exposure are fairly small.

As someone who has managed to get the software and brushes sorted out, as well as blades, Vector perhaps remains the one piece of shaving gear yet to be acquired before I can say "I've got my desert island set-up". So, I'll probably get it when/if it gets back in stock with one of the EU-based retailers.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
During the prior 30-40 days, I have been enjoying my Lather Catcher Journey rotation (no DE's or other SE's in the rotation). Last Thursday was my last shave since I did not have a face to face meeting scheduled until the following Wed. I decided to give my face a 3 day shave rest which ended up a 5-day rest. Tonight I decided to bring out my Vector since it had been a while since I last took it for a spin and I thought that it would be a good test for my Vector OC. With a significant 5 day growth, I loaded up a Proline 30 blade with the Vector OC. I have several Vector posts on B&B praising the Vector and tonight is more of the same. I am convinced that the Vector is the top dog at Blackland. I have owned the Bird, the Sabre, and the Dart, and they are all great razors but the shave tonight sealed the deal. My first pass with the OC base set me up for an easy second pass with the SB base. Five days of growth and I only needed 2 passes and a good clean-up and I am close shaved enough to skip a shave day. The Vector has always been a superior razor for my jawline and neck. If you venture out to acquire a Vector get both plates. The OC base provides slightly more blade feel but it mows down whiskers and sets you up for fewer passes. The SB base is silky smooth and comfy. If you shave every day or have a light beard then the SB base is all you need. By the way, the Vector is a great head shaver too. Like others here on B&B I move many razors in and out of the den and can own up to 30 vintage razors and a couple of modern razors in any given month. As good as the Vector is it will not motivate me to curtail my hobby for now but if I could only have one razor the Vector might be the one.

Big +1 to your comments. 👍

Nimble, maneuverable and ever so smooth, the Vector (with both plates) is right up there with anything in my Den and, indeed, could easily be my 'Desert Island' razor - it is that good. :thumbup:

YMMV :)
 
I've had my Vector for a year now and couldn't agree more. It's the reason I am rarely interested in new razors (of any format) anymore. In fact, I am totally "over" SS DE razors in particular. I wouldn't mind getting a smooth DE daily razor made out of titanium, however. Though given the proclivity of artisans catering to the "MOAR efficiency!" cries form the hardcore enthusiasts, I'm not expecting that to happen anytime soon. Then again, I could possibly get such an animal once H&SCo. release their ti N075 in the next couple months. But given that'll likely cost north of $500.....that's a giant NOPE.
 
Vector shave today was great! I have the closed comb plate, and it was pleasant, easy and a delight. This was probably the fifth time I've used the Vector in the two years I've had it. Mostly, I shave with a SR, lately various Artist Clubs. But, I do like that there are more blade choices for these holders than there are for the Gems, et al.

PXL_20210210_191634679.jpg
 
I have never used any other Blackland razor, but it’s hard for me to believe any are better than the Vector! The bbs shave I get every time and the maneuverability of the razor checks all my boxes for an excellent high quality razor!
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Tough to beat the shave, honestly, but it can be bested in other areas.

Vector Ti is also coming soon so maybe that will do the trick.

A Vector Ti will definitely be on my list! :)

I am really interested to see what else you have in mind to improve the Vector. It is the most nimble and maneuverable razor in my Den. Plus, between the OC & SB plates and the variety of AC blades, I can fine tune the efficiency and face feel to suit my requirements for each shave.

Quite a razor! :)
 
I've had my Vector for a year now and couldn't agree more. It's the reason I am rarely interested in new razors (of any format) anymore. In fact, I am totally "over" SS DE razors in particular. I wouldn't mind getting a smooth DE daily razor made out of titanium, however. Though given the proclivity of artisans catering to the "MOAR efficiency!" cries form the hardcore enthusiasts, I'm not expecting that to happen anytime soon. Then again, I could possibly get such an animal once H&SCo. release their ti N075 in the next couple months. But given that'll likely cost north of $500.....that's a giant NOPE.

Have you looked into the titanium Timeless .68 razor? It's a great shaver, WAY under $500, and not aggressive at all. It's my daily and I can't imagine a better razor.
 
Have you looked into the titanium Timeless .68 razor? It's a great shaver, WAY under $500, and not aggressive at all. It's my daily and I can't imagine a better razor.
I once owned 3 different, complete .68 SS Timeless razors (don't judge, hahahahaha); sold the last one ~14 months ago. Great razors, for sure, but the Vector has ruined me when it comes to bulky razor heads...I need something slimmer, lower profile. Considered their new slim baseplate setup in titanium, but after a nice convo w/ Matt @ Timeless, have concluded it's 99.9% likely to be waaay too aggressive for me to use daily.
 
I once owned 3 different, complete .68 SS Timeless razors (don't judge, hahahahaha); sold the last one ~14 months ago. Great razors, for sure, but the Vector has ruined me when it comes to bulky razor heads...I need something slimmer, lower profile. Considered their new slim baseplate setup in titanium, but after a nice convo w/ Matt @ Timeless, have concluded it's 99.9% likely to be waaay too aggressive for me to use daily.

Yeah the Vector definitely blows the Timeless out of the water when it comes to having a slim head. Luckily I've never had an issue with the Timeless and getting to all parts of my face. Best of luck in your search for a titanium DE razor.
 
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