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A tale of shaves

I stopped updating here because I have so many new razors, not only incoming but also razors I have received but that I haven't even tried yet, and razors that I have only used once but want to get more shaves with. The Start 2 is in the last category, but I never posted about it here.
I figured I would report back only when I have finally settled on a razor, which will take months, but not document the journey.

The plan was to use either the Era or Lupo for the next two of shaves because I'm trying to figure out the KCG - GP blade question I posted; unless I decide to try the Start again for next couple of shaves, I can do the 2nd shave with it after those two shaves and post here. But I'm still indecisive about which razor to use next...
 
Completely understand, have a similar issue as I still haven't used one razor I bought some time ago and many that have only been used a couple times...

My Start version 1 is still in transit (I hope!) It is what broke my year restraint....
 
Overlander

5 days growth.
Nacet (1).
One pass WTG.

After I stopped posting my shaves I noticed that I was unsure about some of the shaves that I never documented. Writing them down has helped me to remember exactly what any given shave was like, and with which blade. Hence I'm jotting down my first shave with the Overlander.

All the superlative reviews of the Overlander had me very interested in it. I'm not fond of brass and initially decided to postpone a purchase until an SS version became available. Still, I pulled the trigger on the brass version because of impatience. The things that I was particularly curious about:
- Everyone keeps saying that it gives awesome and efficient shaves
- Many attribute the great shaves to the exceptional blade clamping
- Conflicting reports on feeling of drag

I loaded a Nacet in it, a blade that I have never tried before but that people praise for its balance of sharpness and smoothness.

I started on my neck and went neutral from the start, remembering my experience with Era on the Lvl 3 plate. It didn't feel very efficient. Touching my skin confirmed that sensation: not a very close shave. Still, I finished my neck while slightly adjusting the angle, thinking that maybe I hadn't gotten it right. No discernible improvement. The clamping felt very solid though, definitely above average. As I moved on to the rest of my face I still couldn't get an efficient cut. When I finally had to struggle to shave a few remaining hairs on my face despite going over them several times I aborted. At that point I had shaved more than half my face.

I moved the blade to the Taiga and finished the shave on setting 2.25 (which I hadn't used for at least a couple of months). No problem with that pesky stubble for the Taiga. Having said that, the shave wasn't smooth with the Taiga, even if the efficiency was significantly better. I attribute the lack of smoothness to the blade. The Nacet did not impress me, it didn't come across as neither sharp or smooth.

It was an underwhelming shave in every way. My experience with the Overlander's efficiency doesn't resemble anything I've read. Efficiency wise I would rate it even below the Era Lvl 3 plate: once I found the angle one the Lvl 3 I had no problem whatsoever with finishing the shave. About Mamba 70 tier. The Era Lvl 4 is way above in efficiency, which maybe isn't surprising as the Lvl 4 has a visibly larger blade gap. If the lack of efficiency is a user error then it would be the first time I completely fail to find the correct angle on a razor. If this were any other razor I would put it in a drawer and quickly forget about it. But I'll give it another go (or two) at some point, maybe with a Feather, which is what I used in the Era. But I have a feeling it's not a keeper.

The best thing I can say about the Overlander is that the blade did feel very solid. Still, I would rate the Era's blade control one notch above it, the blade feels even more stiff in the Era (both plates). The positive first impression of the blade clamping was greater in the Lvl 3 than with the Overlander.

Regarding the drag: it didn't feel particularly draggy to me, though I wouldn't describe it smooth either. I think it feels similar to the Era. Meaning borderline draggy probably, but likely not a deal breaker.

Overall, a disappointing 4/10 shave.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
I’m sorry your experience with the Overlander doesn’t match or surpass your Taiga and Era lvl 4 razors, but very glad to read your discovery all the same, @hduty

Whether it emerges triumphantly in the future or is sold off, I look forward to your findings.
 
Quite perplexing given all the rave reviews, and where its efficiency is usually highlighted.

Maybe the Overlander has been optimized for multiple passes, making it a bad fit for my shaving habits.
 
Henson Medium (++)

6 days growth.
Nacet (2).
One pass WTG.

I gave my previous Henson to a friend who uses cartridges, but after continually reading favorable reviews of it I repurchased it to give it another go.

I have read several direct comparisons between the Henson and the Overlander, which always seem to be very close calls, so I stuck with the Nacet for this shave for a fair and relevant comparison, although the blade didn't impress me the last time.

After the first few strokes it was clear that the Henson is more efficient than the Overlander, no contest. Even so the blade never felt particularly sharp, which became very evident when I hit my problem area: the sensation of tugging was very strong, and it was painful to get through that area because of the pulling/lack of cutting. Contrast that with the Era which managed to shave my problem area with no pain whatsoever (albeit with a Feather). In fact, in my previous shave I shaved my problem with the Overlander, and though it didn't feel very efficient it was quite a bit more comfortable than the Henson - less tugging, more cutting. The Henson feels, for me, like the blade shaves at a very steep angle, i.e. like "a scraper", and that the blade is so steep that there is a less than ideal cutting action going on. Still, I shaved my whole face with the Henson, no need to switch razors mid-shave like the last time.

The blade control feels good in the Henson, no problem there. It didn't feel draggy at all, except for a few strokes where I would get that feeling of "suction" for brief moments. But I wouldn't describe that as a draggy sensation, I don't think that "suction" happens because of friction, which is what draggy means to me. The Overlander felt more draggy for sure (with the definition being "friction"), though it never felt bad to me in my brief shave with it.

Post shave I had a feeling of newly shaved for several hours, which for me is always a sign that a shave wasn't particularly smooth for one reason or another.

Once again the Nacet failed to impress me: the best I can say is that it is rather smooth, but it lacks a lot in sharpness. The Lupo 72 is a razor I have had only great shaves with and I haven't even tried a Feather in it yet. It might be the most blade agnostic razor I own (the Era is another contender for that title). I say this because I have no interest in using Nacets any more, but if I do it would be in the Lupo for that reason. Still, I will be trading my recently purchased pack of 100 Nacets for some other blade.

In all a mediocre 5/10 shave, which I (right now) attribute more to the blade than the razor. Still, it potentially means that the Henson is quite picky with the blades that can be used with it comfortably, more so than my current top razors.

Further shaves are required for an accurate assessment.
 
Overlander

6 days growth.
Feather (1).
One pass WTG.

After the disappointing Nacets I decided to give the Overlander a second go with a Feather blade - it wouldn't be the first time Feathers save the day for a razor of mine.

First strokes felt smoother than the Nacet. I was hoping that there would be an equivalent increase in efficiency, but feeling my skin felt very much like what the Nacet had managed to remove, i.e. no appreciable improvement. It managed to shave my problem area with significantly less discomfort than the Henson last time, cementing my impression that the Henson blade angle is steep, making it a "scraper".

I completed the shave with the Overlander, and as I did a full shave with it I could definitely feel the drag this time on certain strokes, very noticeable. The Henson was much smoother for me, no contest. Also, the drag I feel with the Overlander is very different from the Henson "drag". But the face felt less rough afterwards than the last shave, but the Nacet might be the culprit for that.

A visual and tactile inspection after the shave revealed a result that definitely was less close than what the Henson gave me, confirming my previous impression of Henson's better efficiency. No question about it.

During the shave the Overlander reminded me of the Taiga, which is very smooth with a Feather. I got the same vibes from the Overlander, but not quite there: while a Feather in the Tagia has never felt rough for me, in the Overlander there was a hint of the roughness Feathers can present. Or maybe it was simply the drag that I mistook for the blade roughness. Unclear.

After the shave I still had that association with the Taiga in my mind, which is a great thing! But the Overlander didn't reach Taiga's performance overall. The head also feels a bit bulky to me.

Conclusion: though the shave was much better with the Feather and reminded me of the Taiga, the Taiga feels like a Pro-version of the Overlander: less drag, more nimble head, more efficient, and with an adjustable gap. The Overlander is undeniably a smooth razor, but at the expense of efficiency; maybe it's not obvious/relevant for shavers who do multiple passes, but when you do only one pass it is noticeable.

A 6/10 shave.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
I’m sorry the Overlander isn’t working for you, @hduty

Haven’t tried mine yet, but between your reports and MtView’s increased comfort/decreased efficiency observations, I expect three passes will be it’s thing.

And Blackland Razors Era Level 4SB sounds like it’s your best razor yet.
 
I think almost everyone who does multiple passes, which I reckon is the vast majority of shavers, would enjoy the Overlander (barring any issues with the brass and/or finish, which I'm not fond of either though I haven't mentioned it in my reports). Similar to the Taiga, most people can appreciate a smooth and low blade feel shave. But contrary to the Taiga, the efficiency isn't quite there.
Either way I look forward to your impression :)

I think the Era is the razor I've enjoyed the most so far, yes. Its blade clamping capability is unique and makes it feel different from my other razors IMO, only in a good way: that incredible clamping + tiny blade reveal is what defines the Era.
I also have a Lvl5 plate incoming, which I very much look forward to trying.
 
Homelike Shaving Start 2, 0.90 plate

20220529_120121.jpg


5 days growth.
Feather (2).
One pass WTG.

After the mental association I did between the Overlander and Taiga during the last shave I remembered I have the Start 2 razor with the 0.90 plate (I will refer to it as only "Start"). Yes "remembered", as that plate has been tucked away in the box I received it in 3 months ago, without a single use. With the Overlander fresh in my mind I figured it would be interesting to try the Start, what with its more direct relation to the Taiga.

First strokes on the neck immediately told me it's more efficient than the Overlander. Very easy to find the ideal angle, which is completely neutral. Before I even finished my neck it was very obvious it shares the same DNA as the Taiga: exceedingly smooth with very little blade feel.

The problem area was not much of problem this time: slight discomfort but maybe ever so slightly better than the Overlander (tbh it could have been that the problem area was still a bit sore after the excessive tugging of the Henson the previous shave).

The rest of the face was completely smooth sailing, no harshness whatsoever. It was a better shave than the Overlander, for three reasons:
- the higher blade gap makes it more efficient, which means more first-stroke clean cuts and therefore less micro strokes.
- complete absence of drag!
- a slightly nimbler head

The only area the Overlander has the upper hand is in blade control, the blade does feel stiffer for sure. But that feature alone does not translate into a smoother or better shave for me due to the above. Also, even as I was shaving my neck the Feather felt sharper in the Start than the Overlander (as in: more effortless cutting, as opposed to tugging), which further enhances the "no blade feel"-impression.

The Start has a tiny bit more of blade feel compared to the Overlander, but it's still well inside the "no blade feel" territory. At most like the Henson medium, I think.

Efficiency is around Henson medium level, or RR BBS (at least), i.e. more efficient than the Overlander.

I think that anyone who enjoys the shaves the Overlander provides would also very much like the Start. Between the improved efficiency and lack of drag, it's the superior Overlander for me, no doubt about it. Of course I don't shave ATG - maybe the Start would fall short there, I wouldn't know. But the reason I compare it with the Overlander at all is because it also fits the "low blade feel - good efficiency - smooth shave"-description.

As far as the Taiga, the Start gets there >90% of the way:
- polished vs satin
- looking at both razors the Start has a lightly larger blade reveal (not to be confused with exposure): the blade might be just a bit stiffer in the Taiga because of this
- The Start probably has the tiniest amount of more blade exposure, it felt a bit more efficient than the equivalent 1.5 setting on the Taiga, more like 2.0

For anyone who's curious of what the Taiga is all about, the Start will provide a very accurate experience. The similarity is likely >95%, I'm just leaving myself some room to be wrong as I'm doing the comparisons from memory :)

After the blade forward Lupos 72 and 58, the Start was a great reminder of how laid back a shave can be at the other end of the spectrum, while providing equal results. It was very much like my first shave with the Taiga + Feather.

A solid 8.5/10 shave.

The only question left on my mind now is: why the heck did I take so long to try this gem of a razor??

(@Cafebarian : apologies for the long overdue report!)
 
Awesome review! Nice to see the .90 is efficient as well, went with the Start v1 in 1.18 since I wanted very efficient.

One question about the v2. In looking at my start the top cap appears curved. Thought it might just be my eyes or that the edges are smoothed down. In further investigation I tried laying it on the edge of a flat surface and it looks like I can see light? Hard to tell since the treaded post is in the way.
 
@Cafebarian : if I understood you question correctly, I can't spot any curve on my v2 cap.
Maybe it's unintentional and just a result of the polishing on the v1? Or does it look like a deliberate design?
 
Start 2, 0.90

5 days growth.
Bic Chrome Platinum (1).
One pass WTG.

Decided to try a new blade from the samples. Went with a Bic as they are, presumably, equally sharp as the Feathers.

The very first mini stroke was pure pain: no cutting and all tugging, couldn't even complete the full stroke. Tried it for a second stroke with exactly the same result. The feel was what I would expect from a Feather with +15 shaves on it. Absolutely awful. I swapped the blade for a brand new Gillette Platinum and got a shave that was equally good as the last one.

The Bic Chrome was so bad that I may revisit it at some point: I just can't imagine that it wasn't a dud and that it actually shaves like that.
 
Here is the photo of the "smiling top cap" hard to photograph..... As some of the bend might be due to phone camera distortion.... But it is present.

IMG_20220605_141816.jpg
 
Here is the response:

"Everything is within the normal range, is a design feature."
It would be interesting to hear from other Start users.

Do you feel it negatively impacts the shave, or did you just happen to notice it on inspection?
 
Above the Tie, Windsor Pro, SB90

20220607_191328.jpg


4 days growth.
Gillette Platinum (2).
One pass WTG.

Seeing the square head plate it wasn't clear to me what advantage, if any, the ATT razors provide as far as the shave. For that reason I was never interested in them. Thus I came into this shave rather skeptical because of the seemingly complete absence of blade clamping/torquing. Still, a lot of ATT users praise their razors so I decided to give ATT a shot.

I went "steep" (within the WP's usable range), which in practice means neutral. First strokes didn't seem very efficient but were very smooth. As I finished my neck I got the knack of the angle and the efficiency improved as I proceeded with my face.

Even though the blade is very "chatty" it was all smoothness, something I wouldn't expect without good clamping. Interesting.

As I was shaving my problem area I noted that the blade felt very sharp - if someone would have told me I was using a Feather I would have believed them. There was no pain whatsoever with my problem area: along with the Era it was the most comfortable shave I have had of that spot. I wouldn't want/need to use a Feather with the WP, which is great as I can enjoy the superior smoothness of the GP. Contrary to the Henson, it feels like the WP cuts at an optimal angle. It felt even better than the Overlander with a Feather, even if the Overlander blade feels so much stiffer.

Effiency is about RR BBS. Maybe slightly below Henson.

Every stroke was absolute smoothness, it literally made me smile just because of how great it felt even though there doesn't seem to be any clamping to speak of. Before I finished the shave I had to admit I was wrong: exceptional blade clamping is not necessary for an exceptional shave. I shook my head in disbelief of how comfortable it felt. I wonder if the lack of clamping is a "feature" or just an unintended consequence of the head design. But it's as if the lack of clamping acts like a suspension that neutralizes any roughness.

I don't understand what the principle of the square head is and how it helps with the shave, but the performance and outcome is undeniable. Simply put, the WP shares the #1 spot alongside the Era. Within minutes after the shave my face felt "normal", as if I hadn't shaved, which is the real proof for me of a smooth a shave.

The WP experience was so positive that I will explore the "premium" Windsor line, something I have never considered before. If the premium line is even better (as opposed to just "different"), it should be outstanding.

9/10 shave. I would even say 9.5, but don't want to "overextend" in case it is just the sheer surprise of how well it performed, contrary to all my expectations.
 
It would be interesting to hear from other Start users.

Do you feel it negatively impacts the shave, or did you just happen to notice it on inspection?
Caught it visually when wiping it down. Thought the ends were rounded off etc. It shaves fantastically and when a blade is loaded it has a slight curve that is even (taller in the center of blade edge and very gently curves to the edges the clamping is firm on the ends. Hopefully this description makes sense....
 
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