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Blackland Blackbird worth it?

Interesting. I'm thinking about getting a Blackbird and/or Wolfman WR2 (1.25 or more) at some point. Which one is better though?
Tough one. I have the Blackbird but no Wolfman. The Bird shaves so well I'm not sure if the extra cost of the Wolf would be justified.....but who am I kidding....there's no justifying in this hobby...haha. I hear folks say the Wolfman razors are super smooth for their large blade gaps with little blade feel. The Blackbird has a relatively small blade gap with a blade forward design so you definitely get some blade feel....but I kinda like that. I've come to like razors that bend the blade over more than most....this design works really well for me and my shaving style....Blackbird, Yates, Henson, etc.
 
Tough one. I have the Blackbird but no Wolfman. The Bird shaves so well I'm not sure if the extra cost of the Wolf would be justified.....but who am I kidding....there's no justifying in this hobby...haha. I hear folks say the Wolfman razors are super smooth for their large blade gaps with little blade feel. The Blackbird has a relatively small blade gap with a blade forward design so you definitely get some blade feel....but I kinda like that. I've come to like razors that bend the blade over more than most....this design works really well for me and my shaving style....Blackbird, Yates, Henson, etc.

True, the price for both razors and especially for the Wolfman is a bit too high, but I have lots of vintage blades that I might trade for one or perhaps both razors.
 
So is there a big difference besides the weight between the SS and Ti Blackbirds?
I have never shaved with the SS Blackbird but do own the Ti Blackbird so can't speak to differences in those, but I have shaved with both versions of the SS Timeless .95DC SB/OC and can say that I never really found any particular difference between them other than weight and that was very, very minimal to me!! If I had to pinpoint any other difference it would be that I am one of those shavers that has a tendency to use a little pressure sometimes in some spots like on my neck because of the contours and the weight of the SS maybe led to a little irritation as opposed to the Titanium...

I ended up choosing the Ti95DC because it just had a better feel in the overall shave in being more comfortable, easier to maneuver around, and just felt more comfortable overall. I used the Ti95DC for almost 3yrs exclusively waiting for Blackland to release the Ti Blackbird and in just about 8-9 months it has become my #1 razor that I gravitate to when I'm gonna shave!! I am very happy with the Ti95DC and the Ti Blackbird being my only 2 razors for a very long time to come and that's ok with me today!!

Do yourself a favor and at least give the Blackbird a try, worst case scenario is it doesn't work out for you and Shane has a 30 day money back guarantee that makes it risk free!! You won't be disappointed!!
 
I have never shaved with the SS Blackbird but do own the Ti Blackbird so can't speak to differences in those, but I have shaved with both versions of the SS Timeless .95DC SB/OC and can say that I never really found any particular difference between them other than weight and that was very, very minimal to me!! If I had to pinpoint any other difference it would be that I am one of those shavers that has a tendency to use a little pressure sometimes in some spots like on my neck because of the contours and the weight of the SS maybe led to a little irritation as opposed to the Titanium...

I ended up choosing the Ti95DC because it just had a better feel in the overall shave in being more comfortable, easier to maneuver around, and just felt more comfortable overall. I used the Ti95DC for almost 3yrs exclusively waiting for Blackland to release the Ti Blackbird and in just about 8-9 months it has become my #1 razor that I gravitate to when I'm gonna shave!! I am very happy with the Ti95DC and the Ti Blackbird being my only 2 razors for a very long time to come and that's ok with me today!!

Do yourself a favor and at least give the Blackbird a try, worst case scenario is it doesn't work out for you and Shane has a 30 day money back guarantee that makes it risk free!! You won't be disappointed!!
Definitely worth a try. In my opinion this is a case of YMMV. I personally have the TI Polished Blackbird and just recently got the TI .95 SB polished. I am a little let down with the timeless. I find the blackbird to shave better. It feels more maneuverable and nimble. A little more blade feel too but a great audible feedback which I like. Both have outstanding fit, finish, and aesthetics. The timeless is definitely a smooth shaver but the head is too large in my opinion and I thought the standard 85mm handle to not provide enough grip when wet as well. I think it really depends on blade feel preference.

Not the throw a wrench in your purchase but I also have a CG LVL 2 that I find a very nice compromise between blackbird and timeless. It's very smooth with just a hair more blade feel than the TI.95 and a nice audible feedback still.
 
What are the other razors in your starting rotation if I may inquire?
I have the following razors in my den, and I consider my RAD to be cured (as of now):

Parker Variant Adjustable (Travel razor)
RazoRock Game Changer 84 Open Comb (Main)
RazoRock Wunderbar Slant (Main)
Blackland Blackbird SS Open Comb (Main)
Feather Artist Club Kamisori style razor (Unique for me)
 

Iridian

Cool and slimy
just recently got the TI .95 SB polished. I am a little let down with the timeless. I find the blackbird to shave better.
I second this. For me the .5 Slim OC plate was the salvation. I also second the issue of heavy handle and lack of grip with polished surface. It depends on the shape/model of the handle, but you might like the Ti Crown handle. And yeah, a pity it's not available in steel, only titanium. My Slim head is polished steel. 😐

Some people find the .95 and the .5 Slim equally effective. I don't think so, the .5 Slim is not nearly as smooth, but much more effective. For me, as usual.

For what it is worth, the Blackbird could use a dual comb. It's OC is very effective, but requires riding the cap lot to be smooth, which is not my habit, I "sit at the bar".
 
Definitely worth a try. In my opinion this is a case of YMMV. I personally have the TI Polished Blackbird and just recently got the TI .95 SB polished. I am a little let down with the timeless. I find the blackbird to shave better. It feels more maneuverable and nimble. A little more blade feel too but a great audible feedback which I like. Both have outstanding fit, finish, and aesthetics. The timeless is definitely a smooth shaver but the head is too large in my opinion and I thought the standard 85mm handle to not provide enough grip when wet as well. I think it really depends on blade feel preference.

Not the throw a wrench in your purchase but I also have a CG LVL 2 that I find a very nice compromise between blackbird and timeless. It's very smooth with just a hair more blade feel than the TI.95 and a nice audible feedback still.
I agree with you that the Timeless isn't as efficient but I find it more comfortable to use, even the open comb side, than the Blackbird. The only reason I kept the Ti95DC was that I'd used the razor successfully for almost 3yrs and it is an auto-pilot razor for me that gets me a 15hr+ BBS in 2.5 passes. I'm sure I will get there with the Ti Blackbird with more use and as I said I reach for the Ti Bird for 90%+ of my shaves right now but its nice to have such a great backup razor at the same time!!

As to the handles I personally find both the Timeless and Blackbird handles to be two of the best handles I've ever used and never had a problem with either one slipping or felt like its going to slip due to my being slightly OCD and keep my hands as dry as possible during a shave which has helped tremendously!!
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
@Iridian , I broke out my stainless Blackbird OC last night and used it steep start to finish and it was a lot smoother than when I used to use its cap for guidance. I hold the handle at the furthest end from the head and that seemed to help a lot.
 
@Iridian , I broke out my stainless Blackbird OC last night and used it steep start to finish and it was a lot smoother than when I used to use its cap for guidance. I hold the handle at the furthest end from the head and that seemed to help a lot.
I'm confused. What you describe is a shallow angle. When the handle close to face it is a steep angle. Correct me if I wrong.
 
Definitely worth a try. In my opinion this is a case of YMMV. I personally have the TI Polished Blackbird and just recently got the TI .95 SB polished. I am a little let down with the timeless. I find the blackbird to shave better. It feels more maneuverable and nimble. A little more blade feel too but a great audible feedback which I like. Both have outstanding fit, finish, and aesthetics. The timeless is definitely a smooth shaver but the head is too large in my opinion and I thought the standard 85mm handle to not provide enough grip when wet as well. I think it really depends on blade feel preference.

Not the throw a wrench in your purchase but I also have a CG LVL 2 that I find a very nice compromise between blackbird and timeless. It's very smooth with just a hair more blade feel than the TI.95 and a nice audible feedback still.
CG Gen 2 or Gen 3?
 
Tough one. I have the Blackbird but no Wolfman. The Bird shaves so well I'm not sure if the extra cost of the Wolf would be justified.....but who am I kidding....there's no justifying in this hobby...haha. I hear folks say the Wolfman razors are super smooth for their large blade gaps with little blade feel. The Blackbird has a relatively small blade gap with a blade forward design so you definitely get some blade feel....but I kinda like that. I've come to like razors that bend the blade over more than most....this design works really well for me and my shaving style....Blackbird, Yates, Henson, etc.
I have owned 3 different Wolfman razors. They are all sold so the Blackbird and the Vector have plenty of space.
 
I second this. For me the .5 Slim OC plate was the salvation. I also second the issue of heavy handle and lack of grip with polished surface. It depends on the shape/model of the handle, but you might like the Ti Crown handle. And yeah, a pity it's not available in steel, only titanium. My Slim head is polished steel. 😐

Some people find the .95 and the .5 Slim equally effective. I don't think so, the .5 Slim is not nearly as smooth, but much more effective. For me, as usual.

For what it is worth, the Blackbird could use a dual comb. It's OC is very effective, but requires riding the cap lot to be smooth, which is not my habit, I "sit at the bar".

Do you have the sb version of the Blackbird and if you do, how do you compare it to the Greencult razor?
 
Do you have the sb version of the Blackbird and if you do, how do you compare it to the Greencult razor?
I have both. The result is the same. Perfect BBS. The shave is a little different. A Blackbird maybe a little more smooth. I will describe the Green Cult something in the middle between Blackbird and R41.
 
I have both. The result is the same. Perfect BBS. The shave is a little different. A Blackbird maybe a little more smooth. I will describe the Green Cult something in the middle between Blackbird and R41.


That's pretty much how others compare both razors - the efficiency is very close, but the Blackbird is a bit smoother. I might try the Greencult instead first, since its easier to find in Europe and also much cheaper.
 
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