Buying Timeless Razor Help

[Latherati]

Hello fellow RADists!

So I have convinced my wife to buy me a Timeless razor for Father’s Day, super excited! I need some help from the community as I have never had a titanium razor (currently my only razor is the Edwin Jagger DE89). If I purchase the titanium, I will have to purchase from the scratch and dent, but if I get the stainless steel, I can purchase new for similar cost? Please give me your opinions both pros and cons? Do most people purchase the stand too? Thank you great community!

Setup I want:

Cap: Smooth
Base Plate: Debating between scalloped and solid bar
Gap: 0.95 (I shave every 3-4 days)
Handle: Short Barber Pole (I realize the titanium only has one option).
Finish: Polished

Titanium Scratch and Dent: $220
New Stainless Steel: $215

 

[DSR]

Hello fellow RADists!

So I have convinced my wife to buy me a Timeless razor for Father’s Day, super excited! I need some help from the community as I have never had a titanium razor (currently my only razor is the Edwin Jagger DE89). If I purchase the titanium, I will have to purchase from the scratch and dent, but if I get the stainless steel, I can purchase new for similar cost? Please give me your opinions both pros and cons? Do most people purchase the stand too? Thank you great community!

Setup I want:

Cap: Smooth
Base Plate: Debating between scalloped and solid bar
Gap: 0.95 (I shave every 3-4 days)
Handle: Short Barber Pole (I realize the titanium only has one option).
Finish: Polished

Titanium Scratch and Dent: $220
New Stainless Steel: $215

I have the polished .95 Titanium and it’s an incredible razor, great balance of efficiency and smoothness.
I’ve never tried the SS Timeless, but, compared to my other SS razors, I find that the Ti Timeless does indeed have that “softer face feel” that people talk about, and it’s also more manoeuvrable due to the slightly lighter weight.
So my vote would go for the Titanium.

I bought mine new, as I wanted the custom DC baseplate, and that wasn’t available from their “scratch and dent” section.
But I’ve read lots of reviews from people who bought their razors from there, and they all pretty much said they could barely see any defects.

I don’t tend to buy stands with my razors, but that’s entirely a personal choice.... If you have the funds, and you’re planning to keep it on display on a shelf somewhere, you could get the matching stand, it does look pretty nice.

I hope you enjoy your shaves with whichever one you choose!

 

[Latherati]

@DSR Do you have the scalloped base plate? What would be the advantage of the scalloped plate over the solid bathroom plate?

 

[DSR]

@DSR Do you have the scalloped base plate? What would be the advantage of the scalloped plate over the solid bathroom plate?

I have the custom DC plate: solid bar and open comb.

https://timelessrazor.com/shop/ols/products/dual-base-plate-titanium

More expensive, but I personally think it was certainly worth it.
The open comb is great for heavier growth (greater than 24 hrs) and especially for the first pass, whilst the solid bar is nice for second (or third) pass, etc

Never tried the scalloped plate. If I remember correctly, on the Timeless website they used to describe the scalloped as halfway between solid bar and OC in terms of efficiency.
But from what I’ve read (when I was trying to decide myself..), most people seem to say it gave a very similar shave to the solid bar, more of an aesthetic difference...

 

[Flintstone65]

I recommend checking out the Pass-Around thread and reading the comments.....the pass-around is closed and finishing up, but you have 20+ people who all used the razor and compare it to various razors. You'll also get details and comments from people who liked the Stainless and others who said they'd go for Titanium. It's really going to be a preference based on whether you like a heavy or a lighter razor. I prefer lighter and was happier with the Stainless Steel head on a Titanium handle -- so for me, I'd be ordering the Titanium. I also preferred the feel of the Scallop top cap over the plain....it was smoother, less resistance and not draggy.

Here's the link: Timeless .95 SS Tour Pass-Around

 

[fmueller]

The difference is going to be weight. Titanium has the materials properties of excellent stainless steel, but the weight of aluminum. That makes it perfect for many purposes, but I am not sure about razors.

One way to decide would be to pick up a used Gillette aluminum Tech. They are cheap and you can try how you like shaving with such a light razor.

For me it's an acquired taste. People tend to overcompensate for the lack of weight and push too hard. I have got used to it and after some awful shaves with an aluminum Tech now I get consistently good ones. But I would not pay a dime extra for a light razor. To me it has no benefit.

 

[DSR]

The difference is going to be weight. Titanium has the materials properties of excellent stainless steel, but the weight of aluminum. That makes it perfect for many purposes, but I am not sure about razors.

One way to decide would be to pick up a used Gillette aluminum Tech. They are cheap and you can try how you like shaving with such a light razor.

For me it's an acquired taste. People tend to overcompensate for the lack of weight and push too hard. I have got used to it and after some awful shaves with an aluminum Tech now I get consistently good ones. But I would not pay a dime extra for a light razor. To me it has no benefit.

I never had a Titanium razor until I got the Ti Timeless, and I actually quite liked the weight of SS razors, so was concerned that I would struggle and end up pushing too hard to overcompensate, as you say.

But it wasn’t an issue at all, I discovered that I loved the weight of the Ti Timeless. I probably wouldn’t want it any lighter that that.
I use it regularly, alongside SS and brass razors weighing between 90-110 g, and I find I can easily switch between them.

Maybe it’s because their Ti razor is slightly heavier than other manufacturer’s Ti razors, and certainly heavier than aluminum razors.
I believe it’s about 74 g, which I find the perfect weight for increased manoeuvrability whilst still not requiring extra pressure to cut efficiently, as opposed to most other Ti or aluminum razors, which are usually around 45-55 g.

So trying a cheap aluminum Tech or other razor first might not necessarily give him the same experience...

 

[Flintstone65]

So trying a cheap aluminum Tech or other razor first might not necessarily give him the same experience...

I would agree. I find Titanium lighter than stainless, but not nearly as light as aluminum, bakelite or wood -- the last 2 I really like as handle material (I should mention that I'm an avid vintage SE razor shaver). I suspect differences in technique and closeness of shave have something to do with weight preferences as well. I go no-to-negative pressure regardless of the razor, so I'm happy to have a "feather weight", and I don't shoot for BBS shaves, so I'm not looking for that ultra-smooth result. It's a YMMV.

I don't know, but I suspect you could use your DE89 with a Timeless head, so you could get just the stainless top cap and base plate (no handle). I found that the weight was/is really driven by the handle, not so much the head....so a lighter handle with the stainless head may work as well. Someone chime in if using a DE89 handle is not an option...I really don't know if it would work.

 

[Wgg2017]

As others have mentioned the primary difference you'll notice between a titanium razor and stainless is going to be the weight. Until I got a Ti Timeless .95 I thought I preferred heavier razors but after using the light weight titanium I really liked it. I don't think you can go wrong with a Timeless though so it really comes down to personal preference.

I didn't get a stand because I store my razors in the medicine cabinet and so there was no need for the extra expense for me. Ymmv.

Everything I've heard about Timeless scratch and dent is that the flaws are very minor so I wouldn't let that be my deciding factor. I'd go with whichever metal tickles your fancy more. For me it was titanium.

 

[Latherati]

I am convinced I don’t need the added expense of the stand, but if I purchase the titanium setup is the handle titanium as well as the plate and cap? If the handle is titanium too, I think I will purchase the titanium.

Does the scalloped cap serve to provide a smoother, more comfortable shave in any way or is it more for aesthetics?

Thank you all for your input.

 

[DSR]

I am convinced I don’t need the added expense of the stand, but if I purchase the titanium setup is the handle titanium as well as the plate and cap? If the handle is titanium too, I think I will purchase the titanium. Thank you all for your input.

You can certainly choose the metal for each razor component, mix and match, as all their pieces are interchangeable, etc, and I’ve seen some people doing that, to change the total weight or balance of the razor.
But yes, the “standard” Titanium razor comes with a Ti cap, baseplate and handle (TRH6), and you can choose matte or polished finish.

 

[Latherati]

Thank you @DSR for your help. Much appreciated!

 

[DSR]

Does the scalloped cap serve to provide a smoother, more comfortable shave in any way or is it more for aesthetics?

I believe that’s a good example of YMMV, from what I’ve seen....
Some people (like someone here, in a previous post) think there is a difference between the scalloped and smooth cap, in terms of which one glides easier, etc.... others don’t detect a significant difference and believe it’s just aesthetic.
There is a similar “debate” on matte vs polished finish...

It’s impossible to know if there is a difference on your face without trying both yourself... but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy the shave with either, so I’d say go with whichever one looks better to you.

 

[Latherati]

Thank you everyone for your help and guidance. The Timeless pass around thread and experiences of B&Bers were very valuable for leading me to my decision.

Thank you @DSR , @Flintstone65 , @Wgg2017 , and @fmueller for your patience and detailed responses. I now have a Ti 0.95 Scalloped Polished Timeless razor on the way. I’m so excited after reading the great reviews by everyone here!

 

[Latherati]

The Timeless arrived on my doorstep today! Fast shipping too! Since I purchased from the scratch and dent, I spent several minutes examining the beautifully polished razor for imperfections and honestly, I can’t find any. I cannot wait to shave with this on Friday morning!

 

[OhioBob]

Congratulations, you will love it! I have bought two through Scratch & Dent and couldn’t find a flaw either.

 

[MTG Jr]

The difference is going to be weight. Titanium has the materials properties of excellent stainless steel, but the weight of aluminum. That makes it perfect for many purposes, but I am not sure about razors.

This is not true at all. The Timeless Titanium razor is almost exactly twice the weight of the Timeless Aluminum, with nearly identical dimensions. Their SS razor is another roughly 80% heavier than the Ti, but the Ti is not nearly as light in the hand as the Al. Not even close.