Although I was perfectly content with my razor lineup, a little over a month ago I got a serious case of RAD and started looking for a new something to play around with. Timeless is a brand that I've always read positive reviews about, but never actually purchased because I thought the bulky head would make it difficult to hit certain trouble areas. When I found out about the new "Slim" options, I decided to pull the trigger and give it a shot. Fast forward to today, after many many hours of research and reading reviews and opinions, I've now tried several of the Timeless offerings and wanted to put together my thoughts currently, as well as add to this thread into the future as I plan to experiment with others. Through doing so much research, I realized there is a ton of great information and comparisons out there, but not a single thread that puts it all together in one convenient place. So, hopefully other members can also chime in here and we can have a single resource that will make it easier to answer questions about the various Timeless razors and options.
Here's what I've tried from Timeless so far:
-Titanium Slim OC, matte finish (head only).
-Titanium .95 OC and .68 OC, polished finish (complete Ti razor).
-SS .68 OC, polished finish (head only).
A bit of background for context and the "YMMV" factor: I have been wet shaving with DEs for about 7 years now and have owned/used most of the common zamak (Muhle, Merkur, Parker, PAA, etc.) and several higher-end machined razors (Wolfman WR1 in 2 blade gaps, ATT, Rex Envoy, Charcoal Goods Gen1/Gen2/Lvl2/Lvl3/OC/SB, Razorock stainless BBS, Razorock Game Changer (every version and gap offered), Razorock Lupo DLC/.72/.95/DC, Rockwell 6S). I'm by no means an expert but I do have a little bit of a baseline for comparison. My preferences tend to favor OC razors due to my beard type, so if given an option I usually choose OC over SB.
I am from Italian descent, so I have fairly coarse hair with fast growth. I also have sensitive skin to the point that I no longer use scented soaps. My hair also grows in relatively flat against my skin, especially so on my neck, where my beard grows all the way down past my Adam's apple. Prior to wet shaving, I had to shave in the shower even when using carts to avoid irritation. I'm also in the Army, so I have no choice but to shave daily and look presentable basically at all times. All of these factors combine to create a perfect storm that makes shaving not ideal compared to most, but I feel it's important to understand my perspective in order to understand my opinions.
Onto the razors:
I started out with the Titanium Slim OC head in matte finish. I liked the lower profile design of the baseplate which was previously a concern for me with the standard plate designs Timeless offered. I also went with the matte because I prefer the more subtle "industrial" look to it. I did a lot of research about whether or not the finish impacts the feel of the razor, because I wasn't a huge fan of the DLC finish on the Lupo razor and felt it added a sensation of drag while shaving. Most of the comments I read stated that there is no difference in feel between matte and polished. Unfortunately, my experience was different and the matte finish very much felt similar to my previous opinion of the DLC Lupo. The difference is not night and day, but noticeable enough to be a distractor for me. Otherwise, the Ti Slim offered a very efficient shave. It has some blade feel to it but does not feel menacing as long as you keep the angle correct. The slimmer head design is basically in line with most of the other DE razors on the market in terms of profile height, so no issues with maneuverability. I knew this would be a bit too much razor for me to use daily, but it certainly peaked my interest in Timeless and based on other reviews and opinions I decided to place an order for a full Ti .95 OC.
Within a week of first trying the slim, I received a full Titanium .95 OC razor in polished finish. I went with another titanium because I was looking for a departure from the various other SS and brass razors I've used in the past. Compared to the Ti slim, the .95 OC felt a bit smoother, but I personally suspected this was more the result of the polished finish compared to the matte finish. I did some experimenting with swapping the top caps and shaving half of my face with each razor, and for me this was enough to confirm that I personally feel like the polished finish offers a smoother sensation against the skin than the matte finish. There is probably not enough difference to really impact the shave, but this is one of those personal preference things and I greatly prefer the feel of the polished finish even though the matte looks more appealing. Other than the finish, I could not detect a huge difference in the way the razors feel during the shave. They have a similar level of blade feel and similar results as far as efficiency and closeness are concerned. I think you probably get a slightly smaller shave angle window with the slim due to the smaller gap, but overall these 2 razors are not night and day different as you might think. There might be a certain level of placebo comfort that using the .95 provides, but I didn't find either of these razors to be harsh or rough. Shave results were about on par with both. If I were in the market for a razor with this level of efficiency, I'd probably opt for the slim version in a polished finish due to the lower profile design.
I used the Ti .95 OC for about a week and was getting really good results, but I still felt like I was missing something. With Ti being lighter weight, and at the recommendation of several users on the forum, I tried applying a little bit of pressure to see if it produced any different results. Using this technique I was able to get slightly closer shaves, but at the expense of a bit of comfort. I have no doubt this was "user error", and I'm sure with more time working at this I would have been able to figure out the perfect balance. However, as someone who shaves early in the morning every day I don't usually like to over-think what I'm doing. And, I've also had similar issues when trying to use aluminum razors in the past, I believe it has to do with the thickness of my hair and not having enough weight to really work as efficiently as possible to get through the stubble. So within the span of a little over 2 weeks, I placed my third order from Timeless and decided to try the Ti .68 OC baseplate and also ordered a .68 OC plate and top cap in SS. I wanted to see if the extra heft of the SS would help, but also wanted to try the .68 Ti plate to see if it was easier to manage the extra pressure without sacrificing comfort.
When the new items arrived I first wanted to try the Titanium .68 OC because I really want a Ti razor to work out being the unique material that it is. Surprisingly, I did get better results with the .68 plate than I got with the .95 plate. My definition of "better" is in terms of my personal needs, which is a close and comfortable shave that gets me through the day to the next morning. I almost never get more than 6-8 hours before I can really start to feel stubble coming back in, so for me chasing a daily BBS is counterproductive. That being said, the Ti .68 OC with a 3-pass shave produced wonderfully close and comfortable results. I have never minded blade feel in a razor, but I found the .68 to have significantly less than the .95, which translates for me into a slightly smoother and more forgiving, carefree shave. Almost exactly what I'm looking for in a daily driver. After the first shave I knew I prefer the .68 to the .95 gap. Paired with a sharp blade, my preference being Astra SP, I think most people who shave daily would be very pleased with the performance of the .68 gap.
Although I really liked the new Ti .68 plate, after a few days I decided to give the Stainless Steel .68 OC head a chance. I paired it with a titanium handle to keep the overall weight down and to give it a slight head-heavy balance which is what I prefer. I'm not joking when I say that within the first stroke, I immediately realized this razor is something special. After the first shave I knew with 100% certainty that this would be my new daily shaver. As much as I loved the Ti design, the stainless steel version literally outperforms in every metric other than the cool factor. The extra mass and density of SS just helps it to plow right through my coarse stubble, without having to add any pressure, and absorb every possible chance of a snag or tug. This results in the absolute smoothest and most comfortable feeling razor I've ever used. When I say smooth here, I'm not talking about friction against the face as previously discussed in terms of the finish. I'm talking about smoothness of action, the razor just takes hair off without feeling like it's doing anything at all. Even with a .68 blade gap, it has to be among the most efficient shavers out there with neutral blade exposure, and without any compromise in comfort or a feeling like you're at risk of it biting. After several more shaves, I can't over emphasize how impressed I am with this razor. This is easily my favorite and will be my new daily razor until something else comes along to bump it from that spot.
Anyways, I know this was long and wordy but those are my initial impressions and experience thus far using Timeless razors. Please let me know if anyone has any questions I may be able to answer, and please chime in with your own experiences and preferences. In the future I plan on revisiting the Slim design, but going with SS and polished finish instead of the matte titanium. But I already know that would be a razor for occasional use and not a daily driver. Although it took a bit of trial and error (such is the wet shaving life), I'm fairly confident that the SS .68 OC will be the only razor I use for quite some time.
On a side note, Etherea is quite possibly my new favorite scent. Check it out if you haven't, both my wife and I are really enjoying the scent of the AS splash.
Here's what I've tried from Timeless so far:
-Titanium Slim OC, matte finish (head only).
-Titanium .95 OC and .68 OC, polished finish (complete Ti razor).
-SS .68 OC, polished finish (head only).
A bit of background for context and the "YMMV" factor: I have been wet shaving with DEs for about 7 years now and have owned/used most of the common zamak (Muhle, Merkur, Parker, PAA, etc.) and several higher-end machined razors (Wolfman WR1 in 2 blade gaps, ATT, Rex Envoy, Charcoal Goods Gen1/Gen2/Lvl2/Lvl3/OC/SB, Razorock stainless BBS, Razorock Game Changer (every version and gap offered), Razorock Lupo DLC/.72/.95/DC, Rockwell 6S). I'm by no means an expert but I do have a little bit of a baseline for comparison. My preferences tend to favor OC razors due to my beard type, so if given an option I usually choose OC over SB.
I am from Italian descent, so I have fairly coarse hair with fast growth. I also have sensitive skin to the point that I no longer use scented soaps. My hair also grows in relatively flat against my skin, especially so on my neck, where my beard grows all the way down past my Adam's apple. Prior to wet shaving, I had to shave in the shower even when using carts to avoid irritation. I'm also in the Army, so I have no choice but to shave daily and look presentable basically at all times. All of these factors combine to create a perfect storm that makes shaving not ideal compared to most, but I feel it's important to understand my perspective in order to understand my opinions.
Onto the razors:
I started out with the Titanium Slim OC head in matte finish. I liked the lower profile design of the baseplate which was previously a concern for me with the standard plate designs Timeless offered. I also went with the matte because I prefer the more subtle "industrial" look to it. I did a lot of research about whether or not the finish impacts the feel of the razor, because I wasn't a huge fan of the DLC finish on the Lupo razor and felt it added a sensation of drag while shaving. Most of the comments I read stated that there is no difference in feel between matte and polished. Unfortunately, my experience was different and the matte finish very much felt similar to my previous opinion of the DLC Lupo. The difference is not night and day, but noticeable enough to be a distractor for me. Otherwise, the Ti Slim offered a very efficient shave. It has some blade feel to it but does not feel menacing as long as you keep the angle correct. The slimmer head design is basically in line with most of the other DE razors on the market in terms of profile height, so no issues with maneuverability. I knew this would be a bit too much razor for me to use daily, but it certainly peaked my interest in Timeless and based on other reviews and opinions I decided to place an order for a full Ti .95 OC.
Within a week of first trying the slim, I received a full Titanium .95 OC razor in polished finish. I went with another titanium because I was looking for a departure from the various other SS and brass razors I've used in the past. Compared to the Ti slim, the .95 OC felt a bit smoother, but I personally suspected this was more the result of the polished finish compared to the matte finish. I did some experimenting with swapping the top caps and shaving half of my face with each razor, and for me this was enough to confirm that I personally feel like the polished finish offers a smoother sensation against the skin than the matte finish. There is probably not enough difference to really impact the shave, but this is one of those personal preference things and I greatly prefer the feel of the polished finish even though the matte looks more appealing. Other than the finish, I could not detect a huge difference in the way the razors feel during the shave. They have a similar level of blade feel and similar results as far as efficiency and closeness are concerned. I think you probably get a slightly smaller shave angle window with the slim due to the smaller gap, but overall these 2 razors are not night and day different as you might think. There might be a certain level of placebo comfort that using the .95 provides, but I didn't find either of these razors to be harsh or rough. Shave results were about on par with both. If I were in the market for a razor with this level of efficiency, I'd probably opt for the slim version in a polished finish due to the lower profile design.
I used the Ti .95 OC for about a week and was getting really good results, but I still felt like I was missing something. With Ti being lighter weight, and at the recommendation of several users on the forum, I tried applying a little bit of pressure to see if it produced any different results. Using this technique I was able to get slightly closer shaves, but at the expense of a bit of comfort. I have no doubt this was "user error", and I'm sure with more time working at this I would have been able to figure out the perfect balance. However, as someone who shaves early in the morning every day I don't usually like to over-think what I'm doing. And, I've also had similar issues when trying to use aluminum razors in the past, I believe it has to do with the thickness of my hair and not having enough weight to really work as efficiently as possible to get through the stubble. So within the span of a little over 2 weeks, I placed my third order from Timeless and decided to try the Ti .68 OC baseplate and also ordered a .68 OC plate and top cap in SS. I wanted to see if the extra heft of the SS would help, but also wanted to try the .68 Ti plate to see if it was easier to manage the extra pressure without sacrificing comfort.
When the new items arrived I first wanted to try the Titanium .68 OC because I really want a Ti razor to work out being the unique material that it is. Surprisingly, I did get better results with the .68 plate than I got with the .95 plate. My definition of "better" is in terms of my personal needs, which is a close and comfortable shave that gets me through the day to the next morning. I almost never get more than 6-8 hours before I can really start to feel stubble coming back in, so for me chasing a daily BBS is counterproductive. That being said, the Ti .68 OC with a 3-pass shave produced wonderfully close and comfortable results. I have never minded blade feel in a razor, but I found the .68 to have significantly less than the .95, which translates for me into a slightly smoother and more forgiving, carefree shave. Almost exactly what I'm looking for in a daily driver. After the first shave I knew I prefer the .68 to the .95 gap. Paired with a sharp blade, my preference being Astra SP, I think most people who shave daily would be very pleased with the performance of the .68 gap.
Although I really liked the new Ti .68 plate, after a few days I decided to give the Stainless Steel .68 OC head a chance. I paired it with a titanium handle to keep the overall weight down and to give it a slight head-heavy balance which is what I prefer. I'm not joking when I say that within the first stroke, I immediately realized this razor is something special. After the first shave I knew with 100% certainty that this would be my new daily shaver. As much as I loved the Ti design, the stainless steel version literally outperforms in every metric other than the cool factor. The extra mass and density of SS just helps it to plow right through my coarse stubble, without having to add any pressure, and absorb every possible chance of a snag or tug. This results in the absolute smoothest and most comfortable feeling razor I've ever used. When I say smooth here, I'm not talking about friction against the face as previously discussed in terms of the finish. I'm talking about smoothness of action, the razor just takes hair off without feeling like it's doing anything at all. Even with a .68 blade gap, it has to be among the most efficient shavers out there with neutral blade exposure, and without any compromise in comfort or a feeling like you're at risk of it biting. After several more shaves, I can't over emphasize how impressed I am with this razor. This is easily my favorite and will be my new daily razor until something else comes along to bump it from that spot.
Anyways, I know this was long and wordy but those are my initial impressions and experience thus far using Timeless razors. Please let me know if anyone has any questions I may be able to answer, and please chime in with your own experiences and preferences. In the future I plan on revisiting the Slim design, but going with SS and polished finish instead of the matte titanium. But I already know that would be a razor for occasional use and not a daily driver. Although it took a bit of trial and error (such is the wet shaving life), I'm fairly confident that the SS .68 OC will be the only razor I use for quite some time.
On a side note, Etherea is quite possibly my new favorite scent. Check it out if you haven't, both my wife and I are really enjoying the scent of the AS splash.
