Item Description
I picked up a couple hundred of these about three weeks ago, after hearing about them from onotoman.
It took me the better part of a week to finish up the Iridiums I had in my slims, but then I was ready for Timor. This blade is made in Solingen, also the home of Souplex (another of my faves). It's been postulated that Timor and Souplex blades may actually be the same -- Timor being just a fancy-packed re-brand of Souplex, basically. I used Timor blades exclusively for two weeks, using only gillette slims (set to 4) and my feeling is that they are different.
Admittedly, because I was using Iridiums for the week before the "two weeks of Timor", my impressions of Timor are probably gauged against Iridium, in terms of performance and quality. Not a bad yardstick, though.
I've tried to keep a mental comparison going with Souplex. (I'm starting "two weeks of Souplex", tomorrow.)
Basically, I find Timor to be an exceptional blade, and it comes at a premium price. I think you get what you pay for, though. They're very sharp, as sharp as Iridiums, with no break-in period to get a nice smooth performance. I used 4 blades from two separate packs, and they were all very consistent. I rarely push a blade past three shaves, but I did push one Timor blade out to five shaves and it was still performing very well -- not as well as shaves 1-4, but not tugging, and still pretty smooth. Mostly it just seemed to not cut as efficiently by shave 5. It reminds me of an Iridium, in so many ways.
As for the comparison with Souplex, I find Souplex to be the sharper of the two. I find Souplex blades to be incredibly sharp, and until I could appreciate them (and focus more keenly on technique!) they cut me badly. Each cut by the Souplex was a silent, effortless, painless, free-flowing bloody masterpiece. Where Souplex is not forgiving of lapses of technique, I found Timors to be very accommodating. Timors cut very well, and were very smooth right from the start, but not as sharp as Souplex. Souplex seems to develop its smoothness over the first couple shaves, in my experience.
So, onto the ratings: Price is rating a 6 because you'll pay anywhere from forty to fifty cents a blade, and you can find other offerings with similar performance for less. Iridiums are a little cheaper, and probably a better value, in comparison. Quality, Sharpness and Longevity all get a 9, because they were very consistent, not quite as sharp as a Souplex or a Feather, and they seem to tucker out at about 5 shaves, where I've been able to get 7 from a Schick Plus Platinum. Finally, I see them as very smooth (matching Iridiums), and the packaging is great. Plastic dispensers are not my favorite (however handy they are on the road), but the trademark is old-timey and looks much like the Apollos. The 200-pack is very nice (love the purple!), and makes for an attractive point-of-sale display. I'd recommend this blade to anyone who likes Bolzanos or Iridiums or Gillette Bleue Extras. Maybe pick up a 10-pack or two and see what you think!
So, there you have it. Hope it helps.
-- Chet
It took me the better part of a week to finish up the Iridiums I had in my slims, but then I was ready for Timor. This blade is made in Solingen, also the home of Souplex (another of my faves). It's been postulated that Timor and Souplex blades may actually be the same -- Timor being just a fancy-packed re-brand of Souplex, basically. I used Timor blades exclusively for two weeks, using only gillette slims (set to 4) and my feeling is that they are different.
Admittedly, because I was using Iridiums for the week before the "two weeks of Timor", my impressions of Timor are probably gauged against Iridium, in terms of performance and quality. Not a bad yardstick, though.
I've tried to keep a mental comparison going with Souplex. (I'm starting "two weeks of Souplex", tomorrow.)Basically, I find Timor to be an exceptional blade, and it comes at a premium price. I think you get what you pay for, though. They're very sharp, as sharp as Iridiums, with no break-in period to get a nice smooth performance. I used 4 blades from two separate packs, and they were all very consistent. I rarely push a blade past three shaves, but I did push one Timor blade out to five shaves and it was still performing very well -- not as well as shaves 1-4, but not tugging, and still pretty smooth. Mostly it just seemed to not cut as efficiently by shave 5. It reminds me of an Iridium, in so many ways.
As for the comparison with Souplex, I find Souplex to be the sharper of the two. I find Souplex blades to be incredibly sharp, and until I could appreciate them (and focus more keenly on technique!) they cut me badly. Each cut by the Souplex was a silent, effortless, painless, free-flowing bloody masterpiece. Where Souplex is not forgiving of lapses of technique, I found Timors to be very accommodating. Timors cut very well, and were very smooth right from the start, but not as sharp as Souplex. Souplex seems to develop its smoothness over the first couple shaves, in my experience.
So, onto the ratings: Price is rating a 6 because you'll pay anywhere from forty to fifty cents a blade, and you can find other offerings with similar performance for less. Iridiums are a little cheaper, and probably a better value, in comparison. Quality, Sharpness and Longevity all get a 9, because they were very consistent, not quite as sharp as a Souplex or a Feather, and they seem to tucker out at about 5 shaves, where I've been able to get 7 from a Schick Plus Platinum. Finally, I see them as very smooth (matching Iridiums), and the packaging is great. Plastic dispensers are not my favorite (however handy they are on the road), but the trademark is old-timey and looks much like the Apollos. The 200-pack is very nice (love the purple!), and makes for an attractive point-of-sale display. I'd recommend this blade to anyone who likes Bolzanos or Iridiums or Gillette Bleue Extras. Maybe pick up a 10-pack or two and see what you think!
So, there you have it. Hope it helps.
-- Chet
