I was backer #14 on the High Proof Razor Kickstarter campaign, and I received my razor this morning. I'm an avid user and collector of vintage razors (over 250), but this thoroughly modern (dare I say, "anti-vintage") razor piqued my interest from the first time I saw it. I could not wait to give it a try. Photos of the package (FYI) and the shave setup I used on its maiden voyage follow my impressions.
Shave setup: High Proof Razor with half of a DE American Personna blade loaded (included with the razor). Noxema as pre-shave wash. Stirling Christmas Eve soap, splash, and balm. I love the scent and performance of the Stirling products. I had never used a "new" American Personna blade, but I have a few dozen vintage versions that I've used and enjoyed.
First impressions. The razor is almost impossibly lightweight at 22 grams, but feels indestructible nonetheless. The "spring" force provided by the neodymium magnets feels uncannily the same as a mechanical spring but will never break. I'm a sucker for this type of detail. These magnets also make the razor compatible with the magnetic razor mount, another nice detail. The packaging gets the job done.
First pass WTG. This razor feels very different from almost anything that I've used before. It is extremely smooth and comfortable. The closest is the Wilkinson Bonded Blade cartridge from the early 1970s (I told you, avid collector
). As seen in the last photo, when the blade is mounted, it barely shows from the head, which presents a very large and flat surface that rides along your skin as you shave. Because of this large contact patch, blade feel is just barely present, and the razor often leaves a very slight film of lather in spots. I also found that the razor sometimes felt like it was dragging on my skin, not chattering or bouncing, just pulling my skin more than with my traditional vintage razors. On my cheeks, I went WTG and then followed immediately XTG without re-lathering. On my goatee and neck area, I just did WTG. On my moustache area, I went XTG and paid extra attention to trying to get the whiskers just outside my nostrils (they are tough to reach for any razor and particularly hard to reach with this one). I got the job done. Overall, my cheeks and moustache were DFS- and the rest of my face was SAS after the first pass--not the MOST efficient, but completely acceptable.
Second pass ATG. I re-lathered and went ATG everywhere. The razor was just as comfortable on the second pass as the first and was inspiring a lot of confidence that I could shave all day with it without irritating my skin. After the second pass, I had achieved BBS- everywhere, but I like the full BBS experience made possible by wet shaving, so I went for a third pass.
Third pass, direction as required. I used the third pass to give every part of my face the attention needed to get that BBS finish everywhere, and it worked to perfection. Count me as impressed!
Post-shave. I applied unscented Thayer's Witch Hazel immediately after my cold water rinse. I followed that with Stirling splash and then the balm, which left my face with a very comfortable warm and smooth feeling. I did notice that whiskers right at the edge of my lower lip were only DFS. I think this is a side effect of the large contact area. Sometimes, I found it a little challenging to know exactly where the blade was on my face. I did the cardinal sin of just wetting my face and touching those up and had no problems doing that. As I write this, I'm one hour post shave, and my skin feels great.
Overall impressions. This is a very nice modern interpretation of a wet shaving razor that allows you to use any DE blade that you prefer. The materials and workmanship are excellent, but not super flashy. The razor is all business. The handle feels great in my hand and the cutouts through the body create ridges that improve my grip on it. The razor inspired a lot of confidence in use and allowed me to just shave rather quickly without much concern of cuts, nicks, or irritation. I really like the functionality of the razor and will definitely use it in my rotation fairly often. I will especially reach for it if I have to shave on the second of back-to-back days (which doesn't happen that often for me). I will also reach for it if I'm in a hurry and all I need is a DFS+ or BBS- finish (only two passes needed). I also think this razor would be a superb way for anyone to start wet shaving because it is so forgiving and has superficial similarities to cartridge razors because of the pivoting head. I recommend it without reservation. This is great work from the guys at High Proof Razor Company.
Shave setup: High Proof Razor with half of a DE American Personna blade loaded (included with the razor). Noxema as pre-shave wash. Stirling Christmas Eve soap, splash, and balm. I love the scent and performance of the Stirling products. I had never used a "new" American Personna blade, but I have a few dozen vintage versions that I've used and enjoyed.
First impressions. The razor is almost impossibly lightweight at 22 grams, but feels indestructible nonetheless. The "spring" force provided by the neodymium magnets feels uncannily the same as a mechanical spring but will never break. I'm a sucker for this type of detail. These magnets also make the razor compatible with the magnetic razor mount, another nice detail. The packaging gets the job done.
First pass WTG. This razor feels very different from almost anything that I've used before. It is extremely smooth and comfortable. The closest is the Wilkinson Bonded Blade cartridge from the early 1970s (I told you, avid collector
). As seen in the last photo, when the blade is mounted, it barely shows from the head, which presents a very large and flat surface that rides along your skin as you shave. Because of this large contact patch, blade feel is just barely present, and the razor often leaves a very slight film of lather in spots. I also found that the razor sometimes felt like it was dragging on my skin, not chattering or bouncing, just pulling my skin more than with my traditional vintage razors. On my cheeks, I went WTG and then followed immediately XTG without re-lathering. On my goatee and neck area, I just did WTG. On my moustache area, I went XTG and paid extra attention to trying to get the whiskers just outside my nostrils (they are tough to reach for any razor and particularly hard to reach with this one). I got the job done. Overall, my cheeks and moustache were DFS- and the rest of my face was SAS after the first pass--not the MOST efficient, but completely acceptable.Second pass ATG. I re-lathered and went ATG everywhere. The razor was just as comfortable on the second pass as the first and was inspiring a lot of confidence that I could shave all day with it without irritating my skin. After the second pass, I had achieved BBS- everywhere, but I like the full BBS experience made possible by wet shaving, so I went for a third pass.
Third pass, direction as required. I used the third pass to give every part of my face the attention needed to get that BBS finish everywhere, and it worked to perfection. Count me as impressed!
Post-shave. I applied unscented Thayer's Witch Hazel immediately after my cold water rinse. I followed that with Stirling splash and then the balm, which left my face with a very comfortable warm and smooth feeling. I did notice that whiskers right at the edge of my lower lip were only DFS. I think this is a side effect of the large contact area. Sometimes, I found it a little challenging to know exactly where the blade was on my face. I did the cardinal sin of just wetting my face and touching those up and had no problems doing that. As I write this, I'm one hour post shave, and my skin feels great.
Overall impressions. This is a very nice modern interpretation of a wet shaving razor that allows you to use any DE blade that you prefer. The materials and workmanship are excellent, but not super flashy. The razor is all business. The handle feels great in my hand and the cutouts through the body create ridges that improve my grip on it. The razor inspired a lot of confidence in use and allowed me to just shave rather quickly without much concern of cuts, nicks, or irritation. I really like the functionality of the razor and will definitely use it in my rotation fairly often. I will especially reach for it if I have to shave on the second of back-to-back days (which doesn't happen that often for me). I will also reach for it if I'm in a hurry and all I need is a DFS+ or BBS- finish (only two passes needed). I also think this razor would be a superb way for anyone to start wet shaving because it is so forgiving and has superficial similarities to cartridge razors because of the pivoting head. I recommend it without reservation. This is great work from the guys at High Proof Razor Company.
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