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Adjustables: A clash of shaving Titans….

I started this on another forum and my intention was to post here right after but, life gets in the way and I had to wait until now once I had some time to post. My apologies as the shave was completed nearly 9 hours ago. Any thoughts or questions, don’t hesitate to fire away Gents. I’d welcome your perspectives wholeheartedly…… :001_smile

I considered posting in either one or both of the threads for these exquisitely made razors, Rocnel Sailor ‘21 & HomelikeShaving Taiga. Then I thought those threads are dedicated to the daily talk of each respective razor and I didn’t feel comfortable posting in either one as I didn’t want any of those that post to those respective threads, including the OP’s that I would be stepping on anyone’s toes on my personal thoughts + or - on either of these razors. The last thing I want to do is create divisiveness or disagreement between shaving brethren. Plus, I can continue a bit of a shave series with some of the other adjustables out there without having to detract from the intended purpose of the other threads within this forum, respectively. Let’s get to this, shall we?

Today, I went right to the top of the heap. The Creme de la Creme of adjustable razors. Yeah, it can all go downhill from here as I’m starting off with the best two razors made (arguably) in all of wet shave land. But, I’ve been wanting to get these two head to head for a while now so, I didn’t want to waste any more time and just go for the two that I consider to be vying for the adjustable razor crown. And it can get a nice healthy debate going for those that are considering these and others in the adjustable realm. In this particular shave off, between these two razors I will have a full 3 rounds of shaves. As you read on you will understand why I’m making this statement.

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Tale of the Tape:

Weight: They are both over the 100 grams each. So, that makes them heavyweights plain & simple. Remember, on my scale keep a +/- 0f 5 grams to be on the safe side. Both have blades installed……

Taiga
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Sailor ‘21
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Dimensions: The Taiga has a longer handle yet a smaller head profile as compared to the Sailor ‘21 with its shorter handle. Yet, they both are quite balanced from head to bottom of handle. See pics below.

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Aesthetically: They both have a gorgeous look to them. The Taiga has the adjustment dial very close to the head while the Sailor has it at the bottom of the handle. With the former I think one could move the adjuster inadvertently much easier than on the latter during a shave. I think the Sailor has the advantage on this particular set up. The knob feels a bit sturdier to move and there’s less chance of mistakenly moving the dial. Knurling wise they are very close in feel but, the Taiga offers a bit more tactile grip in my experience though, I never felt as though the Sailor would slip through my hands during the shave. Handle length is a wash for me as everyone has a different opinion on what is an ideal length for a razor. Some like a long handle, others prefer a short handle whether it be for balancing or adjusting one’s grip, for me it’s even. I will say that personally I like the longer length of the Taiga only because it gives me the added bonus of adjusting my grip at any point of my shave. I can see the dial #’s a bit easier on the Taiga (my vision isn’t what it used to be) over the Sailor but, not by much. Installing a blade is a simple procedure with both. Unscrew the bottom dial on each razor and the top comes right off. Insert your blade on the top cap and reinstall to the other half of the razor. Blades on both line up perfectly and rigidly. The Taiga though does have the blade tray that can be moved inadvertently during the process whereas the Sailor does not. Blade install & removal is easier on the Sailor. One more thing. The Taiga has the ability to be completely disassembled for cleaning or inspection, the Sailor is not. And if it is, it won’t be an easy task (I have not tried to disassemble the Sailor as of yet).

The Shave:
As can be seen in the first pic, a fresh Gillette 7 O’Clock Yellow was used in each razor along with Eleven/DFS collaboration soap & splash. I hadn’t shaved since Last Tuesday so, this morning it was nearly 5 days worth of growth. Set the Taiga to 6 + 2, which is its highest setting and went with the same set up on the Sailor ‘21, full turn + 2.

First Pass, WTG: The Sailor went first on my right side and it was downright criminal on how good this thing feels when you perform that first stroke on the pass. Top of the sideburn to jawline was nothing but a buttery smoothness with blade feel that tells you this razor means business. Cleared out the cheeks and rinsed and went right to half of the chin and neck. What a smooth operator as it cleared the right side with an audible authority yet a pleasing smoothness that was divine. Put it down and did a quick face feel. That 1st pass on the Rocnel side was somewhere between CCS & DFS. Yes, that good. Picked up the Taiga and went to the left starting at the top of the burns. Man, that first stroke was just as good as the side with the Sailor. Cleared out the cheeks to jawline and moved onto the the neck & half chin. Just a smooth and perhaps even smoother. Or, should I say I think there was a bit more blade feel just by the slightest of margins with the Sailor over the Taiga and I don’t mean that in a negative way. Just an observation. Full rinse and face feel and all around they were identical on both sides. Extraordinary first pass from both….

Second Pass, ATG: Grabbed the Sailor again, dropped the dial down to V and went at it. Sweet, sweet pass. I went with short strokes while pulling the skin taught, never going over the same area twice. Again, a sweet melding of efficiency and smoothness from the bottom of my neck to the top of the sideburns. Blade feel yes but, not intimidating at all. Next with the Taiga on 5 and ditto. Just a tremendously smooth pass and yet again, a bit less blade feel and just a notch down on the audible tone of the shave. Still, sublime and effortless. I did a full rinse and a complete face feeling massage. I was at BBS already with just the slightest of stragglers in my tough spots which are just below the earlobe heading to the jawline and a couple of stragglers on both sides of the Adam’s Apple. I really could have stopped there and been totally happy with the shave as the cheeks, chin and the rest of my neck was flawless as that’s how efficient these two Titans are. Hell with it, went for a 3rd and final pass….

Third & Final Pass, XTG/ATG Hybrid: The Sailor again to start the final pass that was merely a clean up pass just for those two spots that I had mentioned previously. I still lathered up my face completely as I had far to much lather than was needed. I dropped it down to III and magnificent, a superb, splendid whatever superlative you want to fit in here, that was it. The right side was done and completed to perfection or as close to shave perfection as a man can get. Over to the left and grabbed the Taiga and went down to 3 as well and proceeded to finish off what little remained effortlessly & smoothly. both razors were excellent in the lower ranges as they are as smooth as smooth can get. But, in this particular pass I actually preferred the feel of the Sailor on III over the Taiga on 3 as it still had the tiniest amount of more blade feel and to me I enjoyed it more over the Taiga on this final clean up pass. The razor is down, a full face rinse and feel and I was/am wonderfully astonished at the final result. Smooth almost rubbery like feel on the skin. Post was a quick alum pass that gave up absolutely nothing on burn or discomfort. The splash confirmed from the alum pass that there was no irritation to speak of. Noteworthy as well is the fact that not a single nic or cut was sustained. Granted, I took my sweet old time and longer than usual during this shave to get equal shave results on both sides as best I could. I think an overwhelming mission accomplished to my standards.

Post Shave thoughts: I cleaned up my gear removing the blades from both and thoroughly rinsing and drying the razors. Dipped both the razors and blades in Isopropyl Alcohol to displace any remnants of H2O and reinstalled the blades back into their respective razors. That was nearly 6 hours ago and honestly my face feels exactly the same as if I had just finished the shave 5 minutes prior. I’d classify this as a brilliant shave and one of the best ones in recent memory. Not that it’s the best shave ever just one of the best in a category with some of the best ever. I hope one can understand my point.

I have a real conundrum in my hands as to which was better. In the first WTG pass, while I enjoyed both passes immensely I preferred the feel of the Taiga at its highest limit over the Sailor. It was slightly smoother and just as efficient as the Sailor. In the second ATG pass, things were a whole lot closer with the Sailor still displaying a bit more blade feel over the Taiga. That second pass was truly amazing from both razors. One had less blade feel, the other more yet they managed to accomplish the same thing. My feeling is that the Sailor can bite easier and without warning over the Taiga if one makes a false move and truthfully, the Taiga is a little bit easier to move around with and offers the easier feel on the skin. However, on the final clean up pass the Sailor for me was the more enjoyable razor because of that extra blade feel even though the Taiga was more manageable during the final pass. Blade feel was minimal with the Sailor but, still better than the taiga on setting III. Higher up, I liked the Taiga. Getting down low, I liked the Sailor.

Both tremendously good shavers, the best in their class hands down. To come to a conclusion is too early as only time will tell which side will have the longer lasting smooth shave before whiskers start to show themselves. Now you know why this shave off needs to be continued for a couple more rounds. Additionally, I have a lot more familiarity with the Taiga with a couple dozen shaves minimum. This is only my third shave with the Sailor. The feel for it will only get better as I get more shaves with it. That said, it’s relatively easy to get an excellent shave with the Sailor from day 1.

For now, it’s a draw…….

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Let me first say Gus, that review was EPIC!! I have been waiting for this Clash of the Titans for a while, and I’m glad it’s finally here. Well though out review and a true pleasure to read. This 1st round draw was very close and it shows that both adjustable razors are world class. I’m surprised how slim the head profile of the Taiga is compared to the Sailor, I have never seen a side by side pic before. I also like the fact that you can break down the Taiga for easy cleaning. The Rocnel Sailor & Taiga both have handsome handles. I do like the Roman numerals and bottom dial on the RS—I don’t know why but feels high-end to me.

For the WTG pass, I was shocked. I didn’t expect this. Before even reading the review, I thought that the Rocnel would certainly beat out the Taiga for WTG pass in the higher ranges, Taiga for the XTG and tie for ATG pass. Was I wrong? Lol. I know this is a 1st round, but Gus, Taiga is amazing IF it can stand toe to toe with the Heavyweight RS21. I feel like this bout is the THRILLA IN MANILA, Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier!!

I’m stocked for the next Bout Gus! Also let us know which shave lasted longer. Thank You for doing this Epic shave-off My Friend!! Very enjoyable Comparison review.
 
Let me first say Gus, that review was EPIC!! I have been waiting for this Clash of the Titans for a while, and I’m glad it’s finally here. Well though out review and a true pleasure to read. This 1st round draw was very close and it shows that both adjustable razors are world class. I’m surprised how slim the head profile of the Taiga is compared to the Sailor, I have never seen a side by side pic before. I also like the fact that you can break down the Taiga for easy cleaning. The Rocnel Sailor & Taiga both have handsome handles. I do like the Roman numerals and bottom dial on the RS—I don’t know why but feels high-end to me.

For the WTG pass, I was shocked. I didn’t expect this. Before even reading the review, I thought that the Rocnel would certainly beat out the Taiga for WTG pass in the higher ranges, Taiga for the XTG and tie for ATG pass. Was I wrong? Lol. I know this is a 1st round, but Gus, Taiga is amazing IF it can stand toe to toe with the Heavyweight RS21. I feel like this bout is the THRILLA IN MANILA, Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier!!

I’m stocked for the next Bout Gus! Also let us know which shave lasted longer. Thank You for doing this Epic shave-off My Friend!! Very enjoyable Comparison review.

Thank you my friend, much appreciated. On longevity of the shave, I was in bed by 10pm and still both sides were clean as a whistle. That’s nearly 12 hours where not a single hair was felt. I woke up this morning at 4:30am and did a quick face feel while getting ready for a quick shower before work. And the stubble was there on both sides, mostly on the jawline and the curve around the chin. But, I felt a bit more growth on the Taiga side especially a light patch left of the Adam’s Apple than I did on the Sailor end of it. The growth definitely felt more noteworthy on the Taiga’s end of the deal over the Sailor’s side. Again, the stubble was very light but, I will say a bit more pronounced on the Russian razor side.

Going on that, I would have to say confidently that the Sailor provided the longer lasting shave as it had a bit less growth against the Taiga. Not much but, noticeable. If I can get another shave in this afternoon after work, I’ll pair them up again and start both razors out in the lower settings. Perhaps 3 on both as I don’t think there will be enough stubble on either side and have the need to go higher on the dial. This will be interesting because as I wrote in the opening post, I preferred the feel and cutting action on the Sailor over the Taiga in the lower range.

We shall see. I’m looking forward to getting back home as soon as possible and get back on the shave horse again….. :001_smile
 
BTW, you are of course free to limit your review to these particular razors, but to call them the creme de la creme of adjustables is unwarranted. A comparative review that doesn’t include the Slim, the Fatboy and the Progress is incomplete
 
Just finished my shave this evening and honestly, I think it was even better than yesterday’s shave. These two razors are just brilliant performers, plain & simple. I’m just going to say this just to get it out of the way. Whichever razor you chose and if you choose on mere aesthetics of each, neither one will disappoint in the least on just sheer performance. Now let’s get into the shave….

Same razor set up’s on each with the Gillette 7 O’Clock SuperEdge Yellow with a shave each from the day prior. Pulled out the Ethos Grooming Succes shave soap & skin food combo. Fantastic scent and elite performing products. If your a Creed Aventus guy, this will do very nicely. I know I mentioned yesterday and earlier today that I was going to start on the 3 setting on each razor. Well, I scratched that and went up one more size to 4 on each respectively. I had enough stubble to get 2 and perhaps 3 passes for the shaves. I do like a bit of blade feel in my shaves while not sacrificing much in comfort. I think 4 is a pretty decent spot for both to start. Out of the shower and into the shave with both razors and the brush resting in the sink with hot water.

First Pass, WTG: Started with the Taiga today and switched it up and gave it the right side. Grabbed the razor and placed it at the top of the sideburn, just slightly above mid-ear. Brought it down for the first stroke and yes, so smooth with a nice audible signature that the Taiga makes. It’s not a loud noise maker but, just enough to tell you it’s working. Went with a longer stroke while stretching & pulling on the skin to clear good swaths of hair on each stroke. Cleared the cheeks and neck area with ease. Blade feel was there yet still smooth and easy on the skin. Real good pass on the right side with the Taiga. Went over to the left with the Sailor and placed it identical to the right but, on the left. I let it come down and oh so nice! It’s apparent that on setting IV, the Sailor has a bit more blade feel without losing much in smoothness to the Taiga. And this thing sings with authority yet still feeling comfy on each down stroke. Again, the same long strokes with subtle stretching on the face and jawline. Completed the cheeks and neck area and went for a rinse and face feel to see what I was still left to work with. A great first pass from each but, the Sailor actually had the better first pass as I felt that it had taken my stubble down closer to the skin than the Taiga. I think the blade feel & weight had a lot to do with that. That little bit of extra *** on the Sailor made a difference in this first pass

Second Pass, ATG: Relathered and picked up the Taiga and turned it down to 3. I thought about leaving it on 4 but, I figured it wouldn’t have an issue with taking on the whiskers on the atg pass. Started from the bottom of my neck and up towards the top of the sideburn. Smooth and easy with good audible feedback and cutting action while blade feel was not too prominent. I helped it along the way with some tight skin stretching and facial contortions as I was doing the longer strokes and wasn’t going to go over a spot once I went through it. Cleared face & neck including half the chin and the corner of the mouth/stache area. Went to the Sailor, turned it down to III and went to the bottom of the neck. At the first upstroke, it was clear that the Sailor was on it. It felt nearly like the Taiga on 4 in the first pass with an increase in smoothness and ease on skin. This pass was on the money especially when clearing out the chin and corner stache area. Really a lovely pass that was just awesome with that solid audible feedback that the Sailor delivers. Put it down and went for a face rinse and feel. Nearly there practically with just a patch on both sides of the Adams Apple and some stragglers on the jawline though, I felt a bit more on the Taiga right side. The clean up pass should take care of it. It’s on.

Third Pass, clean up XTG: Relathered and again, took the Taiga and brought it down to 2 as there was little to get rid of. I haven’t used the Taiga much under 3 but, I figured it should have no issues with a clean and buff session on its side as both cheeks and majority of the neck was clean. Started from the earlobe and moved it towards my chin feeling for anything while the razor moved behind picking those whiskers up. Did the same from my neck and moved towards my Adam’s Apple and had some extra suds on my off hand as always for re-touching and buff work. Cleared it out and went to the Sailor on the left and followed the same order and process. Placed the dial to II and went to work with a couple quick passes from earlobe to Adam’s Apple while grabbing some extra lather with the off hand for simple buffing and re-touch if needed. Done and placed the Sailor on the bathroom sink. Did a quick face rinse and feel to make sure I got them all. Yes, nearly perfection but, I still had a few stragglers right next to Sir Adam on the Taiga side and a couple pesky whiskers under the jawline towards the earlobe. Pulled out the Taiga again with some lather and caught the rest of them while moving the skin away from throat area to get a flatter profile for the Taiga to catch the small patch. A few more buff strokes and I got it. But, I can feel a little heat in that area plus under the jawline. Let’s see what the post says.

Post Shave process & thoughts: Full face rinse once again and out comes the Alum stick. Oh yeah, my skin was not happy with the extra buff & clean up session on the Taiga side. I got a couple of Oooo’s & Aaaah’s when I went over them. The Sailor end not a single whimper. My face & neck were clear of nics, cuts or weepers except for a bit of irritation on the Taiga’s side. The Ethos skin food splash confirmed it a bit more but, all was good and comfy by the time I cleaned up and wiped down my gear.

A full on BBS finish on both sides from both these Juggernauts. But, as one can tell the Taiga side encountered a problem on finishing up in the lower settings. Perhaps I can chalk that up to me as to not using the Taiga under the 3 setting more often to get better acquainted with it. Nevertheless it exhibited a much milder feeling with less blade feel than I’m accustomed to and for how I shave, plain & simple. The Sailor still had excellent smoothness that was equal to the Taiga yet had that perfect amount of blade feel to give me the feedback that I required to get the shave done as I’ve come to expect from a razor. To me, it’s clear as day. The Sailor ‘21 took the shave in this round with excellent performance & feedback. Longevity is still yet to be determined and I won’t know until sometime tomorrow in the morning. In the meantime, I’m loving the face feel at the moment……

Someone asked me if I can get a couple of pics up concerning the underside of each top cap from these razors. It won’t determine the outcome of the shave off as no one shaves with the underside of the top cap but, I said I would just for reference.

Great evening and shaves to all….

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Taiga Left, Sailor ‘21 Right
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Taiga.
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Sailor ‘21
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Quick update on the shave results. Woke up this morning at 4:30 and had a face feel as I was getting ready for a quick shower. Both sides completely smooth and whisker free. It's now about 7:30am and I can feel the slightest of stubble along the jawline and along the length of the sideburn on the right side where the Taiga was used. Still clean on the left where the Sailor did its work.

There you have it. It's unanimous as the Sailor '21 took this round completely on both performance and duration. I'll skip a day or two and have at it again as the first round could have gone either way but, I called it a draw. The rubber match and round 3 to declare the victor without fail, I hope.......
 
Quick update on the shave results. Woke up this morning at 4:30 and had a face feel as I was getting ready for a quick shower. Both sides completely smooth and whisker free. It's now about 7:30am and I can feel the slightest of stubble along the jawline and along the length of the sideburn on the right side where the Taiga was used. Still clean on the left where the Sailor did its work.

There you have it. It's unanimous as the Sailor '21 took this round completely on both performance and duration. I'll skip a day or two and have at it again as the first round could have gone either way but, I called it a draw. The rubber match and round 3 to declare the victor without fail, I hope.......

Tough contest!! :a11::a11:
 
How lasting are the markings for this latest batch of taiga razors? I have read that previously the ink on some of the older ones would fade.
 
How lasting are the markings for this latest batch of taiga razors? I have read that previously the ink on some of the older ones would fade.

The #'s on my Taiga are still very prominent. No fading as of yet and I've had it for about a year and a half now. I don't go crazy cleaning the razor with q-tips or cotton balls but, I give it a thorough wipe down and dry with a soft clean Terry cloth. No wear for me.....
 
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