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Above the Tie Bamboo SE1 - A Review

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
Note: I have reported parts of my impressions prior in different threads at B&B. I thought I'd combine them into one single thread rather than tagging my summary onto the earlier posts. If you want to skip to new content, scroll down to the section headlined "Summary"


Introduction & Initial Impressions

I've used the ATT almost exclusively since receipt. I have a Mongoose, have used a Cobra in the past, and regularly use the Feather Artist Club blades in my Feather SS, so have some previous knowledge of the format. I will try and draw comparisons without being judgmental.

Fit and machining quality are on a par with the other ATT razors I have experienced, that is to say first rate. The finish is matte stainless. The head is slimmer than the Mongoose, front to back as well as vertically, while the blade choice means that either is wider than other safety razors. The blade ends are completely covered by the head. The handle is distinctive in style - the unusually slender, scalloped design allows it to weigh in significantly less than the Mongoose.

The ATT weighs in at 104g total, while my stainless Mongoose tips the scales at 139g. Most of the weight difference is in the handles, heads weigh 48g and 53g respectively. As expected then, in hand the ATT's weight is decidedly further forward. The ATT head and cap are machined, while the Mongoose cap appears to be sintered stainless (I might be wrong here). Overall beauty is of course in the eye of the beholder, but I like the look of the new ATT a great deal.

The Feather Pro Super blades that I normally use are loaded like the Mongoose, as in slightly fiddly compared to some other systems, but solidly locked down and rigidly located. The ATT gap looked to be somewhat smaller than the one on the Mongoose, while blade exposure seemed visually the same. I checked the gap with an old feeler gauge on both, the ATT is decidedly smaller at .018 vs. .026 on the Mongoose.

The Shave

To calibrate my shaving experience with the ATT SE - I have been "back" wetshaving for almost 10 years, after spending years using cartridges. I have a fairly heavy beard that is relatively tough, and that grows in swirls in all directions. My skin isn't particularly sensitive. I shave most every day, using a variety of weapons from a Fatboy to a Micromatic OC to a Wolfman +.74, as well as a Schick Type M. I've used a Mongoose in rotation for a bit as well. I prefer the more aggressive razors with sharpest blades. My standard regimen is 4 full passes and a final cleanup and buffing that will get me pretty close to bbs with the right prep & tools.

I have used the ATT with both Super Pro and Professional blades. my prior experience with this format blade convinced me the others don't work for me. The inaugural shaves were spent trying to figure out the best angle and getting comfortable with the long slim handle of the ATT. The angle isn't intuitive for me, though I'm sure it will become so over time. The handle is simply longer than I am used to and prefer, but other than being a bit awkward (I grip a safety razor near the neck) it worked fine, though the finger grooves are a trifle small for my fingers.

This is not a particularly aggressive razor, in fact my example is quite mild. The end result was a smooth, very comfortable shave in 4 & 1/2 passes, and the alum bar failed to produce much evidence of irritation. One observation after the shave - the ATT holds the blade very tightly, so much so that it tends to stick when trying to remove it for rinsing (it is almost an interference fit on the locating posts). A little divot machined behind the center of the blade would allow a fingernail to safely pry it loose.


Summary

I've used the Above the Tie Bamboo SE1 now for a couple weeks, shaving every day. I have used it as supplied with the ATT Bamboo handle, as well as a couple other alternatives. I get about 4 good shaves out of the Feathers, so I switched off twice and used Super Pros and the regular Professional blades during my time with the razor.

I found the razor to be relatively mild, especially using the Feather Professional blades. Moving to the Super Pro's, upgraded the shave somewhat, but it remains medium-mild. The Super Pro's also seem to suffer more from the blade sticking issue mentioned earlier. Again, a simple notch behind the blade could be provided to allow removal without resorting to tools (I used a knife blade to pry them loose). ATT was out front with providing multiple aggression razors and I am hoping that this one razor will be made available in at least one more aggressive version.

I've read a number of comments about the handle from other members. I had no problems with slipping of the supplied handle, though the small grooves are less than optimal for me. Wider indentations would preserve the "Bamboo" look and presumably the weight while perhaps fitting normal fingers. The nice thing about the Bamboo SE is that, unlike the Cobras, you can swap out handles to make it ideal for you. My best combo was a Ti Hempel with the broader "wave" indentations that actually fit my fingertips comfortably. The weight of that one is very close to the ATT Bamboo handle, so the razors balance remained as original.

In conclusion, the Above the Tie Bamboo SE1 is a very well made razor with the fit and finish ATT has become known for. If you want a mild shaver in the Feather SE format it is well worth taking a look at the Bamboo SE1. My only suggestions would be as outlined - an option for more aggression, make the blade changing easier, and improve the ergonomics of the handle.

I'd like to thank Stan again for the opportunity to try this one out, my order was among the first regular production razors shipped after the text phase.
 
Very nice review thanks. I think inam better off sticking with my mongoose. It s exactly the aggression i like


Sent from Mars
 
Gary - another thanks for taking the time to post such a complete review. A great benefit of this forum is the shared experience of members!:thumbup1:

Although part of me is itchy to order an SE1 now, my preference would be for a more aggressive version - with a blade release indentation... So maybe the SE2:wink2:...

As mentioned recently in other threads, the current multitude of SE options is amazing to me!
 
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Although part of me is itchy to order an SE1 now, my preference would be for a more aggressive version - with a blade release indentation... So maybe the SE2:wink2:...

This is where I am at as well. An ATT SE is in my future but I'd like to see what the OC version looks like first.
 
Thanks for that great review. I'll have one soon as my lovely Wife has it stashed for my birthday :thumbup1:
Cheers
Mike
 
Had a few shaves with my SE1 Bamboo and loved them both. Both were BBS and irritation/nick-free. The blade was the Kai version of the Artist blade and generally a better shave than my SS Mongoose. Not sure if this was due to the Kai blade (as I've only used Feathers in my Mongoose), but I'll try this blade in my Mongoose this weekend to see.

Beautiful build quality and simply a joy to use!
 
Just received mine in the mail today from Phil at Bullgoose. I took advantage of the 10% coupon which brought the price down to $166.50 in the door, I couldn't pass that price up. I got a SS Mongoose that I've been using with a Feather Pro Super blade but with this SE1 I've been reading that I might just try either a Kai Mild or just a Feather Pro. I'm glad I bought a couple of sample packs from Try A Blade to experiment with.


Decisions, decisions, decisions.
 

garyg

B&B membership has its percs
UPDATE: I had read elsewhere that ATT had a fix in for the blade sticking issue I whined about in my review. I sent a PM to Stan at ATT about swapping out the cap - he said just send it on with a note. less than a week later I have a new cap, and even using the ultra-wide Super Pro blades (my preference for aggression) there is no problem popping the blade out safely after shaving to police up, or hand strop, or just dry off. Excellent customer service - thanks!
 
I'm an ATT Colossus SE1 newbie-getting used to it. My daily go to is a Muhle R89 w/Ikon OSS handle, Astra SP blade.

I'm enjoying the shaving experience using a Kai Captain Titan Pink blade. I find the shave to be mid aggressive but smooth & comfortable. I did nick myself shaving over an ingrown hair bump, no fault of the razor on the 2 pass first shave: Cella Shave Cream/Kai blade/Semogue 620/Bowl from WCS/PAA Chella Cool after shave/Bevel balm.

I'm gonna stick with it. Probably used too much pressure because I encountered slight razor burn. Just gotta dial the shave in. Very impressive SE razor! Looking forward to future shaves!!!
 
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