Timeless Bronze OC review

[Danton1975]

Ever since I received the Timeless closed comb version I have been a fan of these razors and the way the company does business. The Timeless SS exceeded my expectation in ALL configurations which I have whether the 0.68 open or closed comb or 0.95 open or closed comb whether straight bar or scalloped base plate.

I know I could pick a 0.95 OC and expect a great and comfortable shave and get it. Normally If I shave with any other razor, after my 3rd pass I require a bit of buffing but with Timeless .95 OC I can have a chin (my trouble area) as smooth as marble after 2nd pass with a bit of buffing and experience pure comfort.

To continue the tradition, I tried yesterday the Timeless Bronze OC. The razor looks very stylish and elegant for sure and I WANT TO like it so I was willing to compromise a bit on the quality of the shave. My conclusion is that it is way too harsh for my skin. It was such an uncomfortable shave with quite a bit of tugging that I had to interrupt the shave and pick up my trusty .68 SB to finish the job.

Perhaps my mistake was that I loaded a Derby blade for the first time as well so now I have 2 unknown variables...the razor and the blade. I should have shaved with my favorite Gillette 7'oclock green because I know fairly well how greatly that blade performs. My reasoning for placing a Derby blade was to tame what is known as a fairly aggressive razor. Agressiveness aside though there was unbelievable tugging as well.

I will give the 0.78 Bronze cap one more try with a Gillete green, after which if I come to same conclusion I will need to find a new home for that base plate. I will still keep the handle and the Bronze closed comb plate as I know that configuration is comfortable although a bit mild.

 

[santamariasteve]

Ever since I received the Timeless closed comb version I have been a fan of these razors and the way the company does business. The Timeless SS exceeded my expectation in ALL configurations which I have whether the 0.68 open or closed comb or 0.95 open or closed comb whether straight bar or scalloped base plate.

I know I could pick a 0.95 OC and expect a great and comfortable shave and get it. Normally If I shave with any other razor, after my 3rd pass I require a bit of buffing but with Timeless .95 OC I can have a chin (my trouble area) as smooth as marble after 2nd pass with a bit of buffing and experience pure comfort.

To continue the tradition, I tried yesterday the Timeless Bronze OC. The razor looks very stylish and elegant for sure and I WANT TO like it so I was willing to compromise a bit on the quality of the shave. My conclusion is that it is way too harsh for my skin. It was such an uncomfortable shave with quite a bit of tugging that I had to interrupt the shave and pick up my trusty .68 SB to finish the job.

Perhaps my mistake was that I loaded a Derby blade for the first time as well so now I have 2 unknown variables...the razor and the blade. I should have shaved with my favorite Gillette 7'oclock green because I know fairly well how greatly that blade performs. My reasoning for placing a Derby blade was to tame what is known as a fairly aggressive razor. Agressiveness aside though there was unbelievable tugging as well.

I will give the 0.78 Bronze cap one more try with a Gillete green, after which if I come to same conclusion I will need to find a new home for that base plate. I will still keep the handle and the Bronze closed comb plate as I know that configuration is comfortable although a bit mild.

Do you rate the coarseness of your beard as mild, medium, or heavy? That info is important in assessing your comments.

 

[Danton1975]

Do you rate the coarseness of your beard as mild, medium, or heavy? That info is important in assessing your comments.

I am not really sure. For me to answer that question would mean having felt around the beard of other men to compare and my wife would object to this activity.

Joke aside...I don't think I have a super coarse beard or very dense hair...if anything with any Timeless razor (Other than Bronze) 2 passes and slight buffing leave me BBC.

 

[Highspeedlane]

Thanks for your review. That particular razor would definitely be too much for me based on reviews I've read so far.

 

[User 306]

NO NO!! You've got to give it more time. First off dump the Derby and forget the Green.. those are not the type of blades to use in the Bronze OC.. you'll get drag, skipping and chatter or all 3 of them. Try a Polsilver! It's sharp but mild and I have gotten some amazing shaves out of my Bronze OC. First of all it has a very tiny sweet spot. Much like a Fat handled Tech and a WR1 .61 you have to find it but once you do it becomes a smooth shaver. Also with this razor you have to remember to use absolutely no pressure! Just let the razor and blade do all the work. Take short strokes and do a little skin stretching. Hand behind razor as it moves. It is close but not as efficient as the .95 OC and it is not harsh as I see some posting. It is just one of those razors much like a Ikon Tech or R41.. It requires your attention. good technique and the right blade. So don't give up on a great shaver just yet.

 

[Danton1975]

NO NO!! You've got to give it more time. First off dump the Derby and forget the Green.. those are not the type of blades to use in the Bronze OC.. you'll get drag, skipping and chatter or all 3 of them. Try a Polsilver! It's sharp but mild and I have gotten some amazing shaves out of my Bronze OC. First of all it has a very tiny sweet spot. Much like a Fat handled Tech and a WR1 .61 you have to find it but once you do it becomes a smooth shaver. Also with this razor you have to remember to use absolutely no pressure! Just let the razor and blade do all the work. Take short strokes and do a little skin stretching. Hand behind razor as it moves. It is close but not as efficient as the .95 OC and it is not harsh as I see some posting. It is just one of those razors much like a Ikon Tech or R41.. It requires your attention. good technique and the right blade. So don't give up on a great shaver just yet.

Thank you for your reply. It is very insightful indeed because I did suspect that part of the horrible shave was not the razor itself but the Derby blade. I did get all 3 that you mentioned...drag, skipping, and chatter. I found the 0.95 OC so smooth but maybe because I used it with blades like Gillete 7'oclock green and yellow that I was really surprised to find the Bronze OC so much harsher. I do happen to have 100 Polsiver blades that just arrived. I will be using a Polsilver in my next shave with the Bronze OC. I truly hope it's the Derbys and not the razor. I will report back here. I was very thankful to have a tuft of 5 Derbys as a sample pack. Safe to say I am not getting 100 of them anytime soon.

 

[User 306]

Thank you for your reply. It is very insightful indeed because I did suspect that part of the horrible shave was not the razor itself but the Derby blade. I did get all 3 that you mentioned...drag, skipping, and chatter. I found the 0.95 OC so smooth but maybe because I used it with blades like Gillete 7'oclock green and yellow that I was really surprised to find the Bronze OC so much harsher. I do happen to have 100 Polsiver blades that just arrived. I will be using a Polsilver in my next shave with the Bronze OC. I truly hope it's the Derbys and not the razor. I will report back here. I was very thankful to have a tuft of 5 Derbys as a sample pack. Safe to say I am not getting 100 of them anytime soon.

Yes please give us an update! You’ll be shaving with a sharper blade so just a reminder. Find that sweet spot, skin stretch and absolutely no pressure and you’ll be BBS in 2 to 2 1/2 passes.
Good shaves!!

 

[Danton1975]

Yeah for sure. Shaving with this tomorrow. I like every Timeless razor I have tried so far. So much so that I feel there is no need to try anything else. I want to like this Bronze OC cap and will stack the deck in its favor tomorrow. Fortitude Soap Commander lather in a bowl for extra slickness....Thater 2 band shaving brush...glycerine pre-shave. This better work for me. Not that I would return the cap if it didn’t. I would likely trade it or sell it but I need this to work. Timeless has almost a perfect record with me and I want to keep it that way. I will go the whole nine yards, skin stretching, slow, plenty of lather etc...A fresh Polsiver is already loaded it. I just hope it was the fault of those Derby blades and not the razor.

 

[Hoka Hey]

Yeah for sure. Shaving with this tomorrow. I like every Timeless razor I have tried so far. So much so that I feel there is no need to try anything else. I want to like this Bronze OC cap and will stack the deck in its favor tomorrow. Fortitude Soap Commander lather in a bowl for extra slickness....Thater 2 band shaving brush...glycerine pre-shave. This better work for me. Not that I would return the cap if it didn’t. I would likely trade it or sell it but I need this to work. Timeless has almost a perfect record with me and I want to keep it that way. I will go the whole nine yards, skin stretching, slow, plenty of lather etc...A fresh Polsiver is already loaded it. I just hope it was the fault of those Derby blades and not the razor.

A blade change can significantly affect how a razor performs.

Good luck!

 

[BigJ]

NO NO!! You've got to give it more time. First off dump the Derby and forget the Green.. those are not the type of blades to use in the Bronze OC.. you'll get drag, skipping and chatter or all 3 of them. Try a Polsilver!

+1! You should also try a GSB and Nacet IMHO before drawing conclusions.

 

[Danton1975]

Shave #2 Report - with Timeless Bronze OC

I took Dragonsbeard advice and put in a fresh Polsilver blade in the razor. What a world of difference from the Derbys. There was no chatter, no drag, and no skipping. Of course the Bronze OC is an aggressive razor but this time around it felt just a bit more agressive than the SS OC .95. I had a great and smooth shave with no irritation and no nicks / cuts whatsoever. I did one pass WTG, another accross the grain, and some minor buffing and I was BBS. I did not even go against the grain maybe with the exception of some buffing under my chin. I have had perhaps closer shaves but this one rates out there in my top 4 of all time. Impressive, considering how abysmal the first shave was.

It is amazing to me that just a blade change took that razor from a 1 (in terms of smoothness) to a maybe 9. Thanks for the advice Dragonsbeard. I was planning to do a 2nd shave with the Bronze OC but with a Gillete Green but at this point I can't see another blade dethroning the Polsilver. I may still try the other blades suggested here but for now will keep the Polsilver on that razor.

Safe to say the OC cap is now a definite keeper with the current config.

 

[Danton1975]

Shave #3 Report - with Timeless Bronze OC

My third shave with this razor. Using Polsilver (2nd use) and Chiseled Face "Ghost Town Barber. This was a wonderful shave, both smooth and efficient. There was absolutely no irritation. I did a 3 pass shave and was mostly BBS. I could have done more buffing but I have learned never to chase BBS by now. Comfort and smoothness trumps BBS any day and the Bronze OC delivered in spades here. The Polsiver is made for this razor. I couldn't have been more mistaken in the first use of this razor.

 

[User 306]

Shave #2 Report - with Timeless Bronze OC

I took Dragonsbeard advice and put in a fresh Polsilver blade in the razor. What a world of difference from the Derbys. There was no chatter, no drag, and no skipping. Of course the Bronze OC is an aggressive razor but this time around it felt just a bit more agressive than the SS OC .95. I had a great and smooth shave with no irritation and no nicks / cuts whatsoever. I did one pass WTG, another accross the grain, and some minor buffing and I was BBS. I did not even go against the grain maybe with the exception of some buffing under my chin. I have had perhaps closer shaves but this one rates out there in my top 4 of all time. Impressive, considering how abysmal the first shave was.

It is amazing to me that just a blade change took that razor from a 1 (in terms of smoothness) to a maybe 9. Thanks for the advice Dragonsbeard. I was planning to do a 2nd shave with the Bronze OC but with a Gillete Green but at this point I can't see another blade dethroning the Polsilver. I may still try the other blades suggested here but for now will keep the Polsilver on that razor.

Safe to say the OC cap is now a definite keeper with the current config.

I’m so glad to hear that you didn’t give up and sell that beauty and that the Polsilvers are working well for you! Patience, the proper blade and good solid technique is how you get a great shave out of a very efficient razor every time.

Congrats on taming the Tiger!

 

[THall]

I know this has been discussed previously, but what are everyone’s thoughts on the squared open comb of the Bronze?

I love the look of the Bronze OC better than other offerings and it is more affordable and the thing gleams. My only issue is that open comb looks a lot like the OC on my aluminum dual head Ikon SBS. Not a terrible shave with my SBS but I favor the SB side because the squared OC is a bit harsh. Not horrible, but I’ve gotten into the habit of just using the SB side and turning the blade in my SBS after each shave.

If anyone has used both, could you weigh in, I’d love to hear from you. If similar to the SBS OC side, I might just wait for them to come out with a scalloped version or ponder giving the mild Bronze SB a try.

 

[cyberdog]

The Bronze OC is VERY aggressive feeling compared to their SS/Ti offerings. I bought a Bronze a few months back, and after trying several different blades and prep options, found it just a bit too rough to be a daily shaver. While I could get couple of consecutive shaves out of it, I didn't realize just how irritated even that first or second shave left my face, until I'd use another razor and it was like kicking off your shoes after being on my feet all day, just a relief.

I ultimately returned the Bronze OC, but found a slightly used SS 95 OC on eBay at a really attractive price, that the original purchaser found too aggressive for them. ($150 for an OC with the scalloped cap, including shipping). What a difference in smoothness, regardless of the blade, it's just so much smoother and more comfortable than than the Bronze OC was. - You really need to like/want an aggressive an aggressive razor to get along with the Bronze OC. Even Matt at Timeless told me the Bronze OC doesn't shave anywhere near as smooth as the SS/Ti models.

Just for disclosure, my favorite razors in addition to the new Timeless 95 OC is a Karve with the D Plate, Rockwell 6s using R6, Slim at 9, Fat-Boy at 9, MingShi (4+), Schone OC, and a hybrid Yaqi-Pearl OC. Not particularly 'mild' razors, and the Bronze OC was just too aggressive feeling for my face. I nicknamed the one I had 'The Beast'. - I'm mid-50s, and have used everything from a Safety Razor, Cartridge, Electric, and back to Safety Razors for 40+ years, so I'm pretty good at using a razor.

 

[THall]

I think I’ll wait it out. Just love that bronze look, possibly will go for the SB if there are no new offerings. Heck, people have said on here that the Tech is too inefficient/mild and I get easy BBS after 3 passes with my pre-war. I think mild is subjective per person but when 90% of the reviews you read indicate something is too harsh/aggressive, I think you need to be careful with that purchase.

 

[Rhody]

I gave that bronze oc a full 30 days and returned it. I found it to be a killer.

the 68 oc is my perfect razor. Although curious about the 95.

 

[Ad Astra]

Any photos?


AA

 

[THall]

Just won an auction for an OC SS 95 with a scalloped cap. I’ll let you know how it works out, haven’t seen bad reviews on the thing. After 1 shave, it will sterilized, polished with some Renaissance Wax and will go in my son’s 16th birthday box with other modern and vintage offerings. He isn’t even 3 yet so that thing will be sitting in that box for a while, whew.

 

[Mick]

Any photos?


AA