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Above the Tie - Above the Crowd

Before I begin my review of the ATT safety razor system, let me say I am not a shill or in anyway connected to the company or its owner. In fact I have never met or spoken directly to the owner Stan H. I have exchanged some emails with him this year related to his stainless razors, and what I can tell about Stan is that he has great passion for his business and that passion drives him to create the best quality shave products currently available. In my opinion that’s what he has done and that’s why I say “ Above The Tie-Above The Crowd” Lets face it guys shaving is such a personal thing therefore very subjective so an opinion is really all you can have, and in my opinion the Above The Tie razor system is the very best available today. I have owned just about every stainless razor out there and find ATT to be so much better that I have sold them all expect one or two.
With all that being said how was the shave??
The best ever, the OC plates shave equally well as the solid plates but just smoother as open combs tend to do. I am a shower shaver and have been for over 30 years so for me no prep is necessary as nothing prepares your whiskers better that the hot steam in the shower. So what I did was use different creams each time I tried the OC plates, so far I have only used the R2 and the H2 as the M plates I only use when I need a second shave in the evening. So I used the R2 1[SUP]st[/SUP] shave with Poroaso 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] with Crown Cream and the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] with Castle Forbes Lavender then the H2 1[SUP]st[/SUP] with Santa Maria Novella and the 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] with Palmolive Menthol as I wanted to use a range of creams with the ATT system. Each shave was just a pleasure in fact the H1 was always a little hard for me to master so I used the R1 daily but the smoothness of an OC will make the H2 my daily razor from now on. ( I think)So to sum up, the ATT is without question one of the highest quality razors out there today it just kills any stainless cast or sintered head in terms of build quality. The hand finishing is jewelry quality and the flexibility to change plates is a great system approached to shaving. Oh yeah one more thing: MADE IN THE USA!! Yes the ATT cost a little more but the question is if you can afford it , do you get comparable VALUE for the money spent? I feel without question you do, and I always feel good when supporting a small business making things in the USA giving jobs to Americans. WELL DONE ABOVE THE TIE.....WELL DONE!
 
Good Review. Thanks for Sharing, My go to Razor is the ATT H1 Head with a Weber bulldog Handle, I find the Titan Handle a bit to Thin, But that's just me. But I do like the Titan Handle on the EJ89, So go Figure :eek:)

I have yet to try an Open Comb from ATT yet, but I am very tempted. ;o)
 
Pure craftsmanship, it comes when you love what you do. ATT put smiles on peoples faces in return. I look forward to getting mine.
 
Kronos I have both but like the heft and balance of the Kronos. Used the H2 again this morning and loved it!
 
Good review. The ATT razors are top notch and made in USA is even better. Stan is a class act and true B&B member.
 
I couldn't agree more with your review. I recently purchased the 7pc straight bar set and it is hands down the best razors I have ever owned. It is top notch quality and the shaves are second to none. That has led me to ordering the open comb set and I am now just waiting on these. I am sure they will be just as good, if not better. Congrats on your purchase.
 
I couldn't agree more with your review. I recently purchased the 7pc straight bar set and it is hands down the best razors I have ever owned. It is top notch quality and the shaves are second to none. That has led me to ordering the open comb set and I am now just waiting on these. I am sure they will be just as good, if not better. Congrats on your purchase.
Same here loved the solid bar plates since they first came to market but I find the OC to be the same shave in terms of results but they just handel smoother I am sure your going to love them.
 
Thank you ever so much for your very effective enabling.
I am seriously considering placing an order for the H-2, although I can't decide on which handle: the Kronos is too long and the Atlas is too light.

Anyway, the one thing that gives me pause is the ATT name and logo. I hate to wear a tie, especially since I have to do it on a regular basis. Why would I want to buy a product that reminds me every time I look at it that I will soon have to strap on a tie (aka "noose")?:001_unsur

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Kronos with an M1 plate. That's my favorite modern DE razor right now.

Ben

I have the M1 and M2 Atlas. They both seem a little aggressive to me. I shaved with the M2 for the first time today and got a very close shave, but there are places where my skin feels a little irritated. More than I'm used to anyway. I have lots of open comb razors and don't typically have any trouble using different brands.

Even though this is "mild," I thought there was a lot of blade exposure and I was certainly aware of the blade on my face as I shaved. Don't know if I need to adjust my shaving angle a little. I'm going to try a different blade next time -- this time I used a Polsilver Super Iridium, which I usually find to be smooth, sharp and very comfortable. But it came with 7 O'clocks so I'm going to give those a shot. I hear Astras work well, too.

The razor itself is a beauty and I'd like to figure it out rather than give up on it.
 
I have a R1 that I am struggling to find the combination to. I did not have any luck with the Polsilver SI's in the R1 as well. So far the Astra SPs have been the most comfortable for me. Still searching, but, I am pretty sure this R1 is going to end up on the BST to see if I can trade for a M1 or M2. My face does seem to favor the mild razor sharp blade combination.
 
PM Stan, maybe he can help with a swap.
He also has the 30 return

I thought I would try to see if a member wanted to do a swap before bothering Stan with it. I may just sell it and get a Weber PH but I would like to give the M plate a try before I do that.
 
I thought I would try to see if a member wanted to do a swap before bothering Stan with it. I may just sell it and get a Weber PH but I would like to give the M plate a try before I do that.

Strange thing is I get the best shaves from the M1 & H1 compared to the R1. So I get your issue.
Next is the OC, hopefully not too long out.
 
I generally prefer mild razors, and have found the M1 a bit too aggressive for me. However, I'm finding the M2 "smoother," just as aggressive but without the irritation. When I combine the M2 with Mike's soaps, I've been getting a very comfortable shave.
 
Anyway, the one thing that gives me pause is the ATT name and logo. I hate to wear a tie, especially since I have to do it on a regular basis. Why would I want to buy a product that reminds me every time I look at it that I will soon have to strap on a tie (aka "noose")?:001_unsur

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I agree with you on the name, I don't like it much either. That said I have an ATT Atlas with the M1 and M2 plates and it is a fantastic razor, the build quality and performance are top notch. Don't let the company name put you off, at least the names of the razors themselves are cool.
 
I have the M1 and M2 Atlas. They both seem a little aggressive to me.
...
I'm going to try a different blade next time -- this time I used a Polsilver Super Iridium, which I usually find to be smooth, sharp and very comfortable. But it came with 7 O'clocks so I'm going to give those a shot. I hear Astras work well, too.
....

I have the Atlas 5 piece SB system. The blades that work well with the M1 are harsh for me with the R1. I've noticed that R1 baseplate only works well for me with a mild blade (like Israeli blues or Astras ... but not Derbys). The M1 also works very well, but seems to require a sharper blade (I've been using Israeli Reds or German Wilkinson Swords, but I've been meaning to experiment with even sharper blades too).

In a nutshell, my experience is (so far at least) is that the ATT razors' extra blade exposure (relative to their tiny blade gap) seem to perhaps bring out the distinctive qualities of various blades. Please let us know if your further experimentation with blades reflects this too.
 
Postal Services pulled off a miracle here and delivered my 7 piece set this evening. Craftsmanship is top of the line indeed ,and I'm looking forward to find my favourite combo . However the 2 assembled razors with the extra plate were stuffed in a tiny ,above the tie paper box ( I assume single razors ship in those too) .Needless to say thats all toast now so theres definitely room for improvement. Other than that I'm stoked!
 
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