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A Blackbird, Wolf and Bishop Walk Into A Bar...

Thank you @Cannon Cocker for sharing your impressions. That's a pity your results were subpar.

But maybe consider switching blades. I realised I'm getting smooth / excellent results with the Blackbird OC whenever I load a very sharp blade (say Feather, BIC Platinum Chrome). Whilst most users swear on a steep angle I prefer a more shallow/neutral angle. It's a YMMV thing but for me the different angle avoids any significant scratchiness from the comb's teeth.

The Personna Platinum Chrome blades didn't work for me in this razor. IMO the PIR is a super solid and smooth blade but in terms of sharpness it is a "middle of the road" one only. That's why many favour this blade. I do, too - but not when attached to the Blackbird.
Thank you Jahe for your suggestions. I have had my Blackbird OC for about 2years in a rotation of 7 other razors. In that time I have used many different blades including Feathers and Bic. I have read as have you the many suggestions for a steep angle and a resulting smooth shave. I have never experienced a smooth steep angled shave with the OC plate. Going to a neutral/shallow angle reduced the scratching, but never went to what I would consider smooth. This is probably a result of the blade forward design along with a small gap narrowing the angle.

I finally ordered a SB base plate to see if that would smooth out the shave. After all most people have that set up and I thought it was worth a try. What I found with the SB plate was a leading edge just as sharp as the OC, but being solid scraped the soap off my face ahead of the blade causing the razor to skip at times.

I will continue to work with both plates in particular with regard to the angle to see if I can smooth out the shave some more.

As I have said the efficiency is stellar, but I want it smoother.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I will continue to work with both plates in particular with regard to the angle to see if I can smooth out the shave some more

I had similar issues with my first Blackbird. Could not get a smooth or comfortable shave no matter what. Lots of raw skin. Close shaves for sure. But irritating to say the least. So I sold it. Then several years later I got the itch and got another one. It behaves much better now. I get smooth and comfortable shaves now. The difference is the years in between of honing my technique.
 
I had similar issues with my first Blackbird. Could not get a smooth or comfortable shave no matter what. Lots of raw skin. Close shaves for sure. But irritating to say the least. So I sold it. Then several years later I got the itch and got another one. It behaves much better now. I get smooth and comfortable shaves now. The difference is the years in between of honing my technique.
Brad, I believe you are right. Had another shave today with the Blackbird SB and it was what I had hoped for. I really concentrated on the angle and got a wonderfully smooth and efficient shave. Thank you.
 
Brad, I believe you are right. Had another shave today with the Blackbird SB and it was what I had hoped for. I really concentrated on the angle and got a wonderfully smooth and efficient shave. Thank you.
Cool! Which angle did you chose?

I had my debut shave with the SB plate last Thursday. I had the chance to enter into a trade - I didn't need to think twice to pull the trigger. Love this razor 😀.

Similar to the OC plate, I didn't enjoy a steep angle (= handle in parallel to the face) with the SB, the shave lacked comfort this way. However, a neutral/shallow angle worked out fine. Smooth, efficient and comfortable.
 
Cool! Which angle did you chose?

I had my debut shave with the SB plate last Thursday. I had the chance to enter into a trade - I didn't need to think twice to pull the trigger. Love this razor 😀.

Similar to the OC plate, I didn't enjoy a steep angle (= handle in parallel to the face) with the SB, the shave lacked comfort this way. However, a neutral/shallow angle worked out fine. Smooth, efficient and comfortable.
I would call it a neutral/shallow angle as well. With the steep angle the sharp leading edge would tend to scrape/dig the skin and plow the lather away. A repeat pass over the same area would tend to skip because the lather was plowed away. By keeping the leading edge horizontal to the skin it became smooth and efficient. With the Blackbird’s small gap maintaining the angle seems to take more focus. This will probably become easier with more practice.
 
Love my SS Bird. It was my first "big boy" razor purchase going on about 4 years ago. I used it exclusively for about a year....that's when RAD kicked in again. Shane has made a great razor with a unique design, and one of the best looking razors out there IMHO. I use a steep angle and get rewarded with smooth, close, efficient shaves. It's in my top 5 for sure.
 
Love my SS Bird. It was my first "big boy" razor purchase going on about 4 years ago. I used it exclusively for about a year....that's when RAD kicked in again. Shane has made a great razor with a unique design, and one of the best looking razors out there IMHO. I use a steep angle and get rewarded with smooth, close, efficient shaves. It's in my top 5 for sure.
You like the SS blackbird or Titanium blackbird note in the SB setup ?
 
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