Asylum RX razor

[kyproset]

I have bookmarked the rx page on Bullgoose on my comp. and I check it often. Every time I go there it says for a moment that it's available and in a split second the sold out notice replaces the buy window.
One of these days I'll have a heart attack because of this.

 

[rlacrossjr]

Probably going to kick myself. I was setup for the release notifications and could have bought one.

 

[q345]

First two batches of ~50 razor were sold out in less then hour, there is no logical reason Phil stops the production now, after he has invested years in it and it finally here. I missed first batch, saw notification on second, put it in a basket and was able to buy it ( after five or six attempts trying to checkout). Set notification, it works now, there will be more razors next week and week after next, hopefully.

 

[BullGoose]

First two batches of ~50 razor were sold out in less then hour, there is no logical reason Phil stops the production now, after he has invested years in it and it finally here. I missed first batch, saw notification on second, put it in a basket and was able to buy it ( after five or six attempts trying to checkout). Set notification, it works now, there will be more razors next week and week after next, hopefully.

Yes, there are still 200 razors on the way from this run and I expect to receive 50 a week for the next 4 weeks. There will be additional runs but, I have to wait for the machines to become available. After this run of 300 there will likely be several weeks delay before they start flowing again.

 

[q345]

Just got mine. First shave tomorrow morning.
In terms of look/finish it's work of art, no less.
Hats off to Phil for his persistance.

P.S. It actually stands STABLE on it's flared end !

 

[kyproset]

That's balance for you.

 

[BRAMEL]

Mine arrived also. California to Ontario.....less than 24 hours!!!!!

 

[Guestabc]

 

[spidey9]

My Asylum Rx arrived yesterday and I had my first shave this morning.







It has a nice heft, weighing in at just under 4 oz, and is perfectly balanced. The knurling is sharp and clean and the matte finish has a sort of soft glow.

Disassembling it reveals an unconventional design and some high quality machining. The base plate has a vertical channel that the cap moves up and down in. It moves smoothly but with no perceptible play.



No setscrew here - the entire cap including the threaded shaft is machined from a single piece of stainless steel.

The blade can be loaded without completely disassembling the razor. Just unscrew it a bit and use a thumbnail in the conveniently provided notch to pull the base plate down. Insert the blade and tighten it up. Another area the Rx departs from convention is that the tabs securing the blade are on the base plate rather than the cap.

I loaded a Feather Professional this morning for my first shave. In hindsight I probably should have started with a Kai Titan Mild or a Pro Guard. The Rx has blade stops and it appears that a Feather Pro Super will not fit.

My impression after one shave is that the Rx is significantly more aggressive than a Mongoose or ATT SE1, while at the same time being deceptively smooth.

My first shave was incredibly close with a small amount of irritation, and I got careless and nicked myself once. It was the tiniest of nicks, but it had me digging through the medicine cabinet for my styptic pencil for the first time in many months.



In several ways the Rx reminds me of my Cobra Classic. It is aggressive but smooth, beautiful to look at, and has an intangible "cool" factor.

I'm looking forward to getting familiar with it.

--Bob

 

[JeffBr]

First shave today with Feather Pro. Love the stainless and blade mechanism. Two pass, very close and very smooth. I have a Cobra and King Cobra, have shaved with Cobra for several years. Tried and sold Mongoose, too mild and passed the ATT to my son, mild and did not enjoy. The Asylum RX is superb and will be my daily razor.

 

[BSAGuy]

Wow. Too rich for my blood. For $230, the whiskers should just magically jump off your face when the razor hovers over it.

 

[Guestabc]

Finishing up 7-days with the RX and all I can say is fantastic. Being a straight shaver I have to say this is just as nice, it will be in the rotation regularly, A pleasure to use, balanced and very smooth

 

[gvw755]

Wow. Too rich for my blood. For $230, the whiskers should just magically jump off your face when the razor hovers over it.

Don't know about whiskers, but I did lose a couple of hair on my head when I saw my Visa statement for the month. Then again, eating three meals a day is highly overrated.

 

[Agravic]

I've now used my Asylum Rx razor 5 times; this is a wonderful SE razor, my favorite one so far.
Previously I owned Cobra, King Cobra, Mongoose.
Asylum Rx is relatively expensive, yes, however the solid design and precisely machined components make it a pleasure to hold and use.
Well done, Phil.

 

[PomfretSteve]

I'm a straight razor user 95% of the time, but I do own and use both DE's and SE's when I'm in a pinch for time, which unfortunately seems to be more frequently these days. I like straights because they make me slow down and mentally focus so the "noise" of the day is turned way down, they also provide me an incredibly close and comfortable shave. I enjoy my DE's however the mechanical autopilot feel of a DE shave simply isn't as satisfying to me, but it does allow for a very quick shave. My experience with SE's (Cobra, ATT SE1, Mongoose) has been that they are very efficient, require a modicrum of concentration but are not as comfortable as either a straight or DE.

I've been on the hunt for the razor that combines all my favorite elements from a straight while at the same time allowing for a quick shave when I'm in a rush. I've used the Rx 3 times this week and I think I've found what I've been looking for. This razor is an absolute whisker evaporator, 2 passes and nary a hint of stubble remains, you can feel the blade on your face, but the cutting action caused zero irritation for me even going ATG on my jawline, something that usually irritates me with other SE and certain DE razors. In addition its beautifully made and feels balanced in the hand, like a solid piece of metal not something with components. Loading is accomplished easily and everything about this razor feels well planned out and done exceptionally well. I've no plans to stop using my other equipment, but I will definitely be reaching for this quite bit in the days to come.

 

[Sceptic Pencil]

My Asylum arrived today, less than a week after I placed my order!

I had been relieved when I received an email from DHL two days ago, to say that my Asylum had cleared UK Customs, as items I buy from the US are normally held by Customs until I pay a ransom via their website. I was therefore surprised when the DHL delivery driver arrived with my package & demanded £52 before he would hand it over. It appears that DHL pay the UK Customs, so any other UK buyers should make sure that they have sufficient cash, or a cheque book with them when the DHL man arrives, as they do not have any facilities to pay by card.

OK, I know how this works by now - "pictures or it didn't happen" - so here we go:



Here is the Asylum with its new friends (the polished B3 with the stock Bomber handle is my son's).

 

[xxvaleria]

Those are four fine-looking razors. How would you say they compare with each other in terms of shaving?

 

[lloydrm]

This are very cool pics gents. More tempting ....

 

[Sceptic Pencil]

Those are four fine-looking razors. How would you say they compare with each other in terms of shaving?

The only razors that use the “Artist cub” type blades, that I have so far used, are my B2 polished & B3 matte Mongooses (Mongeese?). The B2 is my favourite, as it does shave a bit closer, but there is very little in it. My B2 does take a bit longer than the B3 to “dial in” after a period of non-use.

I have only used Feather Pro & Feather Pro Super blades with my B2 & B3 & I currently favour the Feather Pro blades, as the Supers are a bit harsh & don’t provide a shave that is much closer than with the standard Feather Pros. I shaved with my Asylum for the first time this morning, using a Feather Pro with one shave on it & below are my initial thoughts.

The main thing that struck me was that there was a lot more blade feel with the Asylum & it felt like my B2 with a Super blade in it, only a bit smoother. I would say that the initial WTG pass removed more stubble /shaved closer than any razor I have so far used, with the exception perhaps of the Muhle R41, or Shavecraft Tech, but it was smoother than both of those DEs.

Given its design, I had thought that the Asylum would shave like an injector, but it’s not as smooth & doesn’t just wipe away whiskers like my Schick G1. You are very aware that the Asylum is cutting, though the shave is by no means “tuggy”. The Asylum does also shave closer than any of my injectors.

In use the Asylum does not feel at all cumbersome, despite its size. I have seen a couple of people comment that they were surprised at the small size of the Asylum, but it’s as big as a Mongoose with a Bomber handle attached, so I don’t know what they were expecting! The balance of the Asylum is spot on & the handle is the perfect size & is very “grippy”. The head is great for shaving under my nostrils, though I was a bit concerned that this would not be the case, when I saw that the blade does not go right to the edge of the head unlike on my Mongooses.

After the WTG pass, I finished with an ATG pass & I was done. With the same two passes using either Mongoose, I have to carry out a bit of touching up afterwards. The finished shave with the Asylum was no closer than with my B2, only I got there quicker with the Asylum, despite taking slower strokes & generally being more careful. With my B2 & B3, I can shave over parts of my face without re-lathering, but this is not possible with the Asylum, as it leaves no lather residue behind after a stroke.

Applying the alum block at the end of the shave, there was definitely more of a tingle than I normally get post Mongoose shave, but I would certainly not describe feeling as “stinging”. So overall, pretty good for a first attempt. I am a daily shaver so I will have to see if the Asylum causes me problems after several days of use, a problem which I experience with my GEM MMOC. It is good for the first 3 days of use, but my face needs a rest after that & I have to swap to a milder razor.

The only issue with the Asylum I have encountered so far is that I found the blade very tricky to load, but I hope that this will get easier with practice.

 

[jkingrph]

I have bookmarked the rx page on Bullgoose on my comp. and I check it often. Every time I go there it says for a moment that it's available and in a split second the sold out notice replaces the buy window.
One of these days I'll have a heart attack because of this.

I noticed that the other day, before I could click on add to cart, but it went to sold out , then something happened and could not connect to page. After another few seconds page reloaded and said sold out. Like you I had bookmarked page and have seen nothing this week, although another post somewhere said some were supposed to be available.