Above the Tie is joining the Blackland family!

[Rosseforp]

Just got the email from Shane at Blackland.

We’re thrilled to share that Blackland is acquiring Above The Tie! We believe Blackland, like us, cares about quality, innovation, and doing things right. We trust them to keep the Above The Tie spirit alive and to keep delivering the quality products you love. We know change can be scary, but we promise that Blackland will make the transition smooth and keep the same high standards you expect from us. They value our loyal customers and are dedicated to keeping the ATT brand shining. We’re confident that with Blackland, Above The Tie is in great hands and will reach new heights! Keep an eye out for exciting things to come!

Matthew and Mariah Cole


Thanks for keeping the brand alive!

~doug~

 

[BigJ]

Good news!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[nav]

Great!

I always felt the ATT Windsor was a huge loss for the community!

I hope blackland bring back the Windsor M and H plates as opposed to the more recent SSMR & SSRH plates.

I found the geometry of the original Windsor nicer.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Great!

I always felt the ATT Windsor was a huge loss for the community!

I hope blackland bring back the Windsor M and H plates as opposed to the more recent SSMR & SSRH plates.

I found the geometry of the original Windsor nicer.

I came to ATT late in the game. I started with the X1 and loved it. I bought several razors after the upcoming closure announcement but only managed to get the SSRH base plate for the Windsor. I didn’t fall in love with it immediately, not a good sign for me. I have some milder aluminum Windsor Pro plates and hopefully I’ll like one of them better.

I’d love to try the former base plates you mentioned. It will be fun to see what Shane and the Blackland designers choose.

 

[nav]

I came to ATT late in the game. I started with the X1 and loved it. I bought several razors after the upcoming closure announcement but only managed to get the SSRH base plate for the Windsor. I didn’t fall in love with it immediately, not a good sign for me. I have some milder aluminum Windsor Pro plates and hopefully I’ll like one of them better.

I’d love to try the former base plates you mentioned. It will be fun to see what Shane and the Blackland designers choose.

Yeah, the change happened a couple of years back. I posted a review of the new plates.
Whilst great, they didn't measure up to the original Windsor plates mainly due to the change in head geometry. The difference in gaps wasn't that great but the geometry made a sizable difference.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Yeah, the change happened a couple of years back. I posted a review of the new plates.
Whilst great, they didn't measure up to the original Windsor plates mainly due to the change in head geometry. The difference in gaps wasn't that great but the geometry made a sizable difference.

Did the cap change as well or would re-released base plates likely work?

Edit: I also picked up the Windsor Pro SB90, but haven’t tried it yet. It isn’t that I found the SSRH too aggressive. I wasn’t overwhelmed by its smoothness, for lack of a better explanation. I’m comparing it against some very fine razors for me and I need to dedicate more time to it. The thing is: the other razors were “right” from the very first shave and improved incrementally as I used them. That might not be the best indicator but it is something I noticed with the Windsor SSRH.

 

[Old Hippie]

Great news! Glad they could work it out.

Now. Let's talk about a G2 and an X2!

O.H.

 

[Blackland Razors]

Now. Let's talk about a G2 and an X2!

By G2 and X2 you mean OC versions, correct? Or more efficiency?

 

[Phoenixkh]

The “2” versions seem to always refer to the open comb base plates. I don’t know if there were exceptions but I have an S1 and S2, the S2 being an OC design.

 

[Whiterook]

By G2 and X2 you mean OC versions, correct? Or more efficiency?

More efficiently for the G1, maybe additional base plates compatible with the original. An open comb G2 version would be very much of interest.

This is very good news!

 

[Old Hippie]

By G2 and X2 you mean OC versions, correct?

Bingo! Open comb versions of the G1 and X1.

Were I given the chance to pick one of them, I would choose the "G2." The X1 is very nearly perfect as is, so long as I keep in mind that it's supposed to be a really mild, well-behaved AC format razor.

The G1 was a razor that the record on B&B will show I blew hot and cold on at various times. I embraced it with ardour when I accepted that it was another moderately mild razor, albeit one that I could modify a bit to make it more congenial to me. Every time I use it the thought "I wish it was an OC" goes through my mind but that doesn't detract from the experience it delivers.

I might find (again) that the ship sailed. That's fine. My preferences are not controlling (but wait until I am named King of the Freekin' Universe...).

I'll quit tryin' to grab the steering wheel now!

O.H.

 

[MikeyTX]

Without the blade torquing I just don’t get the slant on the X1, it doesn’t seem to serve any purpose. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the X1. It saved SE shaving for me when the Vector proved too aggressive. I split time between it and my trusty Bakelite Tech. If there was an AC SE with the tame shave of the X1 and the nimbleness of the Vector I’d snap it up. I mean really, can’t we get a Vector and an X1 together in a room with some champagne and Barry White playing in the background or something?

 

[Old Hippie]

Without the blade torquing I just don’t get the slant on the X1, it doesn’t seem to serve any purpose.

Tilted slants deliver differently than helical slants, for sure. They don't stiffen the edge with torque (hard to do with an SE blade in any event) but they still deliver the "draw cut" instead of chopping straight on into the hair.

I've considered the X1 as more properly a mild AC razor than specifically a slant. It can be both, of course, which is part of the beauty of it. In any event, it is at this point the only AC razor I still have. Mostly the platform doesn't work as well as a DE for shaving my head, the X1 being a notable exception to that rule.

O.H.

 

[nav]

Did the cap change as well or would re-released base plates likely work?

Edit: I also picked up the Windsor Pro SB90, but haven’t tried it yet. It isn’t that I found the SSRH too aggressive. I wasn’t overwhelmed by its smoothness, for lack of a better explanation. I’m comparing it against some very fine razors for me and I need to dedicate more time to it. The thing is: the other razors were “right” from the very first shave and improved incrementally as I used them. That might not be the best indicator but it is something I noticed with the Windsor SSRH.

The cap is slightly more rounded on the newer plates, which in theory should be better overall but something changed with the overall geometry.
The original Windsor is a masterpiece, with geometry not matched by most other razors on the market.

 

[Phoenixkh]

The cap is slightly more rounded on the newer plates, which in theory should be better overall but something changed with the overall geometry.
The original Windsor is a masterpiece, with geometry not matched by most other razors on the market.

Maybe Shane will resurrect the first rendition of the Windsor. I know I'll be watching with great interest when he opens ATT back up.

An X2, as @Old Hippie suggested, would be one I'd purchase. I love the X1. I know it's been classified as a mild razor but it works for me. A slightly more efficient X2 AC would be fun to try.

 

[Rosseforp]

Maybe Shane will resurrect the first rendition of the Windsor. I know I'll be watching with great interest when he opens ATT back up.

An X2, as @Old Hippie suggested, would be one I'd purchase. I love the X1. I know it's been classified as a mild razor but it works for me. A slightly more efficient X2 AC would be fun to try.

There is the SE1 if you want efficiency in spades, then there is the SE2

if you want to shave like Chuck Norris.

~doug~

 

[Phoenixkh]

There is the SE1 if you want efficiency in spades, then there is the SE2
View attachment 1731783
if you want to shave like Chuck Norris.

~doug~

Doug, As I've mentioned, I started wet shaving more toward the waning years of ATT. I really only had the X1 when they decided to close up shop. I was able to snag a few of their razors... way more than I intended. But I just love the S1 and am learning to use the S2, though my base plates need some work. They are too sharp. I have two because Mariah was kind enough to send me a replacement but it's rather sharp as well.... the one I modified slightly by rounding off the corners will work for me, though I need to use it more to become better acquainted with it. And maybe try to get the teeth a bit more round so I get a smoother shave. I'm not a master craftsman like you are. I have some fine grit stones, various grits of fine sandpaper and lots of files. If I take it slow and easy, I should be able to limp through and get it a bit better suited for me.

One of these months, I'll use the Windsor with the SSRH a few more times, then add the aluminum Windsor Pro base plates I was able to buy. See if I can allow it to move into my Top Razor category.

 

[RRGGMM]

I stumbled upon this after logging into the ATT website and seeing the message on the splash page. Hopefully, the transition goes well! After using an original R plate since 2013, in January 2023, I bought an X1 with a Calypso handle, an S1 head and base plate, SSRH2, SSRH base plate, and a Windsor Cap for my old Atlas handle. I had a great experience messaging Mariah back and forth, and I love all of my ATT gear. Since I was so fond of ATT, I went to them when I decided to try a new setup and bought the X1 based on Mariah's recommendation. I purchased the rest of the heads and base plates to round out my options because why not? Since I have basically every conceivable ATT option I could ever want, the change in ownership doesn't matter much, but I can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia and a sense of loss over the change. However, if I were starting over, there is a strong chance I would purchase a Blackland razor as the quality seems fantastic, and everyone seems to love the razors.

Several months ago, I read about Mitchell removing tallow from the Wool Fat soap, and I purchased four pucks to keep me stocked for the rest of my days. Then, I got the email from Shavemac the other day and ordered another brush to use the configurator before it went away. All of this change is making me anxious! I know there are still plenty of options available, but seeing my favorite companies going through transitions is jarring.

Congratulations Blackland! Now I feel inclined to buy a Blackland razor so I can feel a part of the new company that owns my beloved Above the Tie razors.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

Hopefully, the transition goes well!

The transition went well infact, but getting things into production is taking a bit longer, according to Shane at @Blackland Razors

but I can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia and a sense of loss over the change.

As I understand it, ATT will be very much alive once again, under the umbrella of Blackland. So there will not be much loss to be had, since I believe Shane wants to bring back all the popular ATT razors that people love.

I read about Mitchell removing tallow from the Wool Fat soap

That was indeed a major slap to the wet shaving community, it did not go down very well among most of us, and Tabac switched to veggy before MWF did. IDK, it just seems like companies all over the world are getting rid of tallow for one reason or another. I just wish that those companies realized, we supported them, because they made what we wanted. Take it away, and your going to lose customers, its really that simple.

All of this change is making me anxious!

I know the feeling, and I share it. I am not someone who easily deals with change, especially if the change is a set back IMO. The minute a company starts removing a bunch of features that people like, is the minute they become Google, cause that is something that they like to do. Well that, and losing billions like it isn't a thing. ( Stadia Failure )

Now I feel inclined to buy a Blackland razor so I can feel a part of the new company that owns my beloved Above the Tie razors.

Thats exactly what I did, I bought an Osprey, and she's a magnificent bird! Make way, Osprey heavy coming through, airspeeds very much alive, positive rate, move aside seagulls, a real bird is coming. HEHE

​

 

[musicman1951]

Great news! I have a few ATT razors and they are top shelf.