Timeless Bronze or Karve CB Brass (Which should I buy)?

[LRod]

If anyone has followed my DE journey since I started, you'll notice that most of my purchases have been hardware.
I'm not a software guy, I've found that I'm happy with the soaps that I have and have dialed it down to TOBS & Proraso. I'm picky with scents (I like straight up scents like Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Lavender etc..). So those 2 brands have been perfect in performance, scent & cost for me! I've even dialed down my blades to Bic, Feather and sometimes Astor Green + my brushes to Razorock Plissoft & Simpsons Trafalgar's. (I've also got a Yaqi and a Vie-Long!)

What I'm crazy about though is razors!
So far I have or (had) Merkur 23C, 33C, Futur (sold), Parker 97R, Variant (sold), The "Winning" razor, Pearl Flexi, Razorock Lupo aluminum and Lupo .72, Feather Popular and a Yaqi Slant. This has all been acquired in a period of about 5 months!
And my goal is more and progressively looking at the upper echelon of razors!

So right now I'm researching between the Timeless Bronze or the Karve CB Brass (C or D) plates. (I want a razor with a metal like Brass or Bronze look)
I obviously like smooth but also some aggressiveness & some blade feel in my daily shaves. I'm not an ATG shaver, just WTG and XTG with 2 passes total. With that I get a DFS all the time with most razor/blade combos. So far the #1 by a long mile is the Lupo .72, #2 is the Lupo aluminum and #3 is the Pearl Flexi!

I know the Timeless is different than the Karve so what would make you choose one over the other (price aside)?
I've read that the Timeless Bronze has a .38mm blade gap but it means nothing on that razor. Apparently the head design & positive
blade exposure make it much more efficient/aggressive than one would think. And The Karve is supposed to be just an overall great razor.
I'm open to other similar suggestions as well, maybe some other brass or bronze razors that I haven't seen!
Another thing, I don't want vintage or used! I like buying modern razors and new only!
Please don't tell me "just buy both" because I probably would, LOL!!
I'm sure eventually I'll buy both but I have to keep my wife happy as well by balancing my purchases!
Anyways, what are your thoughts?

LRod

 

[gdawg55]

Since I didn't like the Karve CB razor I would steer you towards the Timeless bronze. It's the only Timeless razor that I got good shaves with.....and I've tried them all. It's a really good razor. If you like Karve then I would suggest the Overlander. Much better razor for me than the CB.

 

[MountainBear]

Charcoal Goods/Charcoal Razor has brass in production. Torpedo and arrow are solid handles; the rest of the line up was historically solid but has been changed to hollow handles. They moved from WA to OR and have gone through some changes. Stinger and hammered - pure razor porn. (I have dropped the maze as razor porn - I don’t think the current generation does the historical one justice. The old one was a looker.). CG and Karve have sold copper in the past. That is what I long for. Timeless is a great looking bronze razor.

Copper Carbon - I should have gone for it when they were around for less than an hour recently. Could not justify the cost and did not know which plate to get. I hope they come back around as well. Carbon had an interesting brass and copper razor on their web page recently. Price was unobtainable for me. Must have been made after the Gophers got eliminated in the Frozen Four.

 

[ewk]

For pure aesthetics you are looking at my two favorites. For me, the D plate is the sweet spot on the Karve; C is not efficient enough for me. The Karve is butter smooth, and beautiful. I do not have the budget for a Timeless SS or bronze, so I cannot compare. I do have the Timeless aluminum, which I enjoy very much. There is more blade feel and efficiency in the Timeless aluminum, but it is probably apples to oranges compared to the other Timeless offerings. I believe it is a safe bet for you to with either one. And you will likely end up with the other eventually

 

[TheBurgh]

If you like Karve then I would suggest the Overlander.

Ditto.

 

[LRod]

Since I didn't like the Karve CB razor I would steer you towards the Timeless bronze. It's the only Timeless razor that I got good shaves with.....and I've tried them all. It's a really good razor. If you like Karve then I would suggest the Overlander. Much better razor for me than the CB.

You didn't like the Karve and the only Timeless you liked is the bronze?
That's something I haven't read yet!
I've read mostly praises over both. I'd love to hear what you didn't like about both?
And why you'd pefer the Overlander?
Aesthetically I don't really like the Overlander. The handle looks weird to me.

 

[slim6596]

I’m going to follow this conversation because I’m very interested in the Timeless bronze (but I’m looking at the open comb version).

 

[LRod]

I’m going to follow this conversation because I’m very interested in the Timeless bronze (but I’m looking at the open comb version).

I've read most of the threads here that talk about the Timeless bronze and apparently the open comb is totally different. Very very agressive from descriptions of people that have used it. But that might be exactly what you seek!

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

I find it kind of funny how, all the sudden, it feels like everybody at B&B wants to get a Timeless Titanium razor. HEHE Well, LRod, you know, if you get one, were gonna want to see lots of pics, and hear your feedback on how much you like the razor. So I wish you good luck on your journey, hoping it will be timeless. <<<--- You see what I did there? Oh yes, I said it, bazinga!

 

[LRod]

I find it kind of funny how, all the sudden, it feels like everybody at B&B wants to get a Timeless Titanium razor. HEHE Well, LRod, you know, if you get one, were gonna want to see lots of pics, and hear your feedback on how much you like the razor. So I wish you good luck on your journey, hoping it will be timeless. <<<--- You see what I did there? Oh yes, I said it, bazinga!

Maybe not!
I can always "Karve" my face if I get the other one.
See what i did there? Lol!!

Anyhow, if I get the Timeless it'll be Bronze. Titanium will probably come at a later time!

 

[gdawg55]

You didn't like the Karve and the only Timeless you liked is the bronze?
That's something I haven't read yet!
I've read mostly praises over both. I'd love to hear what you didn't like about both?
And why you'd pefer the Overlander?
Aesthetically I don't really like the Overlander. The handle looks weird to me.

The Karve CB (had B, C, and D plates) never provided a comfortable shave for me. It likes a shallow angle and I'm a more steep angle shaver. The Overlander is much better for steep angle shaving and provides very close, comfortable shaves. One of my favorites at the moment.

I should have said the Timeless Bronze provided the best shave for me out of all the Timeless razors I owned....68, 95, Slim. Timeless razors are super smooth, but I never found them overly efficient compared to my other razors. Nice, high quality gear, just didn't provide what I was looking for in daily shaves.

 

[Felix G]

I've read most of the threads here that talk about the Timeless bronze and apparently the open comb is totally different. Very very agressive from descriptions of people that have used it. But that might be exactly what you seek!

You are absolutely right. Bronze and stainless heads are completely different. The bronze is much more aggressive.

 

[Rob72]

With the caveat that I have not used a Timeless:

If you like an "aggressive" feel, you may want to step up to plates E-G for the Karve. I have the brass SB set, A-G, and they are all excellent performers (for me), but I typically run the G. You do have to be cautious, but it is not "nerve wracking" by any means. For a mindless, comfortable and efficient shave, C-E, toothy & efficient F&G. For a Tech-mild shave, with better than Tech efficiency: A&B.

 

[tehnothing]

I have the Karve CB in G SB and F OC. I also have both OC and SB for the Bronze Timeless. The Timeless is pretty. The Karve is a good shaver.

 

[Rob72]

I have the Karve CB in G SB and F OC. I also have both OC and SB for the Bronze Timeless. The Timeless is pretty. The Karve is a good shaver.

 

[gpjoe]

I haven't used any razors that I would classify as agressive, so my limited experience includes a couple recommended "beginner" razors (Merkur 34c and EJ DE89), some vintage Gillette Techs, a Feather ASD2, and a Razorock Game Changer 68P.

When I decided that I needed a brass razor, I chose the Karve Overlander and it has not disappointed. It is wonderfully machined, heavy, and a mild and comfortable shaver, which is exactly what I wanted...and quite a bargain at under 100 bucks.

 

[LRod]

When I decided that I needed a brass razor, I chose the Karve Overlander and it has not disappointed. It is wonderfully machined, heavy, and a mild and comfortable shaver, which is exactly what I wanted...and quite a bargain at under 100 bucks.

I don't like a couple things about the Overlander:
1. The handle to me is not very pretty. It looks too vintage and I like something more modern.
2. I use a Lupo .72 and from the head design I see on the Overlander and the blade gap/exposure, it seems like they are both very similar. I'm afraid I'll be getting something that would be to similar in performance as compared to the Lupo. I like buying razors that will be different enough to change up my daily shaves.
3. I like the idea of different plate options on the Christopher Bradley model which doesn't exist on the Overlander.

The timeless bronze (my other possible option) does not have interchangeable plates but it's bronze + the blade gap is .38 and it's got positive blade exposure. Those things alone make it very different than the Lupo.

 

[Rhody]

Since I haven’t seen the correct answer I’ll post it now. Both. Get both.
The timeless oc was way too much for me. It cut me when I looked at it. The sb is aggressive but not a psycho killer. It also has a short thick handle. The karve has the longer option if you care about that. And is a slim handle. Karve obviously has the plate selection. Timeless has a buy try return system. Both are fantastic in terms of build and quality but I’d give the edge to timeless there.

 

[LRod]

Since I haven’t seen the correct answer I’ll post it now. Both. Get both.
The timeless oc was way too much for me. It cut me when I looked at it. The sb is aggressive but not a psycho killer. It also has a short thick handle. The karve has the longer option if you care about that. And is a slim handle. Karve obviously has the plate selection. Timeless has a buy try return system. Both are fantastic in terms of build and quality but I’d give the edge to timeless there.

I'd love both, Lol!!
I remember reading your experience with the Bronze OC. Scary!! Lol!
But yes, the more tame SB version might be the one. Now that you mention it, I might not like the Karve handle. I like thicker handles in a mid size length. We'll see!

 

[ClumsyBull]

I’m going to follow this conversation because I’m very interested in the Timeless bronze (but I’m looking at the open comb version).

Hi there, the Timeless Bronze Open Comb razor is quite a beast. I rate it around the same in terms of aggression as the Muhle R41, so you should be one who likes the blade feel in order to enjoy it fully. It is a supremely efficient razor, but it can feel a little bitey and is very easy to overshave with. But if you can live with it or you enjoy a high blade feel shave, this is a marvelous razor.