BigD's Rockwell Model T Review

[BigD]

Big D’s Rockwell Model T Review​

First Shave:
Blade: Dorco Prime (1)
Soap: Modern Williams
Aftershave: Alum/Styptic/Brut Splash On
Cologne: Brut EDT
Deodorant: Brut
First Pass (WTG)
Due to having the Rockwell 6S I figured I would mirror my settings with the Rockwell Model T. My first pass was with the grain on setting 6. I was immediately shocked. The aggression level seemed more like my Muhle R41 than mirroring the 6S. The 6S is efficient on R6, but not as aggressive and efficient as R6 on the Model T. I first did my cheeks. Everything went fine. When I was doing my neck my lather didn’t seem to be as slick as it usually is. Things went fine with my mustache and chin area.
Second Pass (XTG)
Again, mirroring my typical shave with the Rockwell 6S I lowered the aggression of the Model T to R5. It was still shockingly aggressive, but not as aggressive as the Muhle R41. Again everything was fine until my neck. For some reason the lather was just drying out.
Third Pass (\TG)
For the third and final pass I mirrored my Rockwell 6S shave and lowered the aggression to R4 for my lower chin to upper ear pass. Even on R4 this razor is aggressive compared to the Rockwell 6S. However, it was getting to a point where I felt over confident. I had given myself three nicks. One nick bad enough that even after using an Alum Block I had to get out my Styptic Pencil.
Conclusion:
The shave was about as BBS as I could get. I’ve come to the conclusion I like pain. After rinsing off the alum, drying off, and putting on the Brut the sting really made sure I was awake and ready for the working day.

Second Shave:
Blade: Dorco Prime (2)
Soap: Derby Puck
Aftershave/Cologne: Arko Gold Aftershave/Cologne
Deodorant: Old Spice Endurance
First Pass (WTG)
I mirrored my first shave using the R6 setting. Again, extremely efficient and aggressive. However, even using the Derby Puck the lather dried a bit on the neck.
Second Pass (XTG)
Again, I mirrored my first shave and went with the R5 setting. I could have stopped after this pass. Except for some pick ups I was at Good to Go level.
Third Pass (\TG)
Continuing the mirrored shave routine I was now using R4. I achieved BBS with this pass without any nicks or cuts. There were no pick ups needed.
Conclusion:
The weather here is changing. It is still trying to go from a cool wet spring to a hot dry summer. The latrine facilities I am using seem to be dry. Everywhere I have gone I have had to wipe down the mirror to see after my shower to shave. No wipe downs needed here, but it also means my lather seems to dry pretty quickly. I will try to make sure my lather is super saturated from here on out. I’ve just been in a rush in anticipation of putting blade to face with this new razor. I did not use the alum this time after the shave. I went straight to the Arko Gold. Apparently I love pain.

Third Shave:
Blade: Dorco Prime (3)
Soap: Arko Shave Stick
Aftershave/Cologne: Alum/Arko Cool Aftershave/Cologne
Deodorant: N/A
First Pass (WTG)
Due to circumstances out of my control I had some serious beard growth going for just little over 48 hours of not shaving. I was not able to take a shower, but was able to use a washcloth. Not ideal, but at this point something is better than nothing. I face lathered the Arko Shave Stick and began with the R6 setting. This mowed down the bulk of the growth like a hot knife through butter. I made sure my lather was on the wet side. The slickness and cushion were spot on.
Second Pass (XTG)
Using the R5 setting I was able to get a good close shave.
Third Pass (\TG)
I did not do a third pass due to my next shave probably being too close to the next one.
Conclusion:
This was a do or die shave. The water supply has been spotty for the last 56 hours as of this shave. I shaved just enough to be passable for work the next morning, but not aggressive enough if I have the chance to shave when I wake up I can get a good three pass shave in.

Fourth Shave (Blade Ender Shave):
Blade: Dorco Prime (4)
Soap: Proraso Green Soap
Aftershave: Alum/Proraso Green Lotion
Cologne: Taconic Hunter Solid Cologne
Deodorant: Urban Lumberjack Eucalyptus Mint
First Pass (WTG)
Just having had a two pass shave less than eight hours prior and this razor being more aggressive than what I am used to with the Rockwell 6S I went with R4. Still smooth and efficient. I don’t know if I had had a twenty four hour growth if it would have been as efficient, but it worked today.
Second Pass (XTG)
Taking it down to R3 my second pass felt smooth. It wasn’t as efficient as I thought it would be, but it got me to where I needed to be without irritation.
Third Pass (\TG)
Taking a chance I dropped down to R2 for this pass. Nowhere near as efficient as I wanted, but I was able to get a good pass out of it. I did have to do pick ups.
Underarms
Using the R3 like I would with my Rockwell 6S I proceeded to get rid of the underarm hair. I always do this on my Ender Shaves. Efficient and smooth was the task for this, and the Rockwell Model T didn’t disappoint. Not as smooth under the arms as the Rockwell 6S on the same setting, but good enough.
Conclusion:
As soon as I rinsed off the alum to this shave the water quit again. The poor guy in the shower showed his disappointment with some hearty verbal ques which cannot be repeated in mixed company. For the first time in awhile I had some pick ups, but it was to be expected using the lesser efficient settings. Really wetting the lather helped with the dryness I was experiencing with the earlier shaves. All in all I was able to get a great shave with a little more effort than I usually experience. However, using the same settings on the Rockwell 6S I would probably still be in the latrine scrapping away on my face. When things go back to the way they should be I'll stick with the more aggressive settings due to having twenty four hours between shaves.

I ordered this razor back in October of 2018 with the hopes it would be shipped out November of 2018. Due to manufacturing issues the razor did not appear until early May of 2019. The Rockwell Team was more than helpful with this purchase. I had been transferred twice and my supporting unit changed three times since ordering this razor. They were on top of things changing my shipping address each time without question or delay. Between Blackland Razors and Rockwell Razors I am impressed with their customer service. Both companies have my dollar and support. Try getting this level of customer service in any other industry. I am completely amazed.

All in all this is a great razor. If one is thinking this razor will just be a TTO Adjustable version of the Rockwell 6S you’ll be in for a shock. This razor is just slightly more aggressive. This is not a bad thing. Just adjust fire and keep moving forward. I will probably still use the Rockwell 6S as my daily driver and Rockwell Model T as my travel razor due to not having to keep up with three different base plates. However, it will be hard for me to keep in my Dopp bag all the time. I’ll have to bring it out for a ride now and again.

If Rockwell can get these cranked out they’d have a solid hit on their hands. Seems the adjustable TTO is more of an engineering feat than one would assume. This is a $300 dollar razor for about $100. It seems a lot of the reviews want to compare it to the Rex Ambassador that’s going for about $250. I’m not sure if this is a fair comparison. One, the reviews seem to be using earlier versions of both razors. Two, the Rex Ambassador is not a TTO, but an upgraded Merkur Progress or Parker Variant. I don’t know if the Rex Ambassador gives a better performance. $250 dollars is a little steep for me to buy an upgraded Merkur Progress or Parker Variant at this time.

I think what is killing Rockwell with this razor is the delayed manufacturing and all the rumors of what it was supposed to be made from and what it is made from. That’s why I will pre-order a product, but I will not back a Kickstarter/Go Fund Me campaign. That’s what Stocks and Bonds are for. This better protects the investor and the company. If you lose money in a Kickstarter/Go Fund Me campaign you do not get the write offs as you would Stocks and Bonds. Not to mention, the company doesn’t get the same tax protections if they raised money by Stocks and Bonds. To each their own. It's a great razor and for me it was worth the money and the wait. I am more than pleased with this razor.

 

[ajkel64]

Thanks for the detailed review @BigD, hopefully Rockwell can get it all together with this razor.

 

[BigD]

Thanks for the detailed review @BigD, hopefully Rockwell can get it all together with this razor.

I hope so. It's a great razor.

 

[Basil]

Nice I was really interested in how the settings on the t compared to setting on their 6 series.
The adjustable tto sounds like it will be a hit if they get the issues sorted out.

 

[BigJ]

Great review!! You covered the pluses and minuses well.

 

[BigD]

Nice I was really interested in how the settings on the t compared to setting on their 6 series.
The adjustable tto sounds like it will be a hit if they get the issues sorted out.

Yeah. I was surprised by the difference. It wasn't a deal breaker at all.

Great review!! You covered the pluses and minuses well.

I always try to give all products a fair shake. I'm pretty sure my reviews would be suspect if I would just give praise blindly or bash them blindly. I'm not trying to get others to buy stuff. I just want others to be able to take my reviews and make their own decisions. I'm pretty sure if you are really looking for an adjustable razor without changing plates, and not wanting to drop Rockwell or Rex Supply Co money there are other alternatives out there, like the Progress and Variant. Heck, you could probably drop some money on a vintage Gillette. I just find adjustable razors work better for the way I shave.

 

[Northstonehill]

Love this detailed review! - Thanks for sharing

 

[Joncr]

Great Review, I dropped out of the Indiegogo capmaign after about a year and a half of promises and delays. Given the material change from brass, to Stainless Steel to Zamac I do not regret canceling, but glad someone waited it out and is happy now. Good luck with the ' T '

 

[Olegausany]

Thanks for great review and saving me money. $100 for Zamak razor just because it is an adjustable? Hell no
If you want too heavy adjustable get either Merkur Progress, Parker Variant or Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus.
If you want more proper weight and save yourself a lot of money you can spend for soaps, preshave and brush get Qshave Futur clone
If you want to spend $100 for just an adjustable razor better get a vintage Gillette and send to be fixed by one of the companies who specialize in such job or look st BST for one already done

 

[emwolf]

Great review. Yes, it's a lot more aggressive than the 6C (and assuming the 6S). I find it to be an outstanding razor, I've already got about 2 dozen shaves in with a variety of blades and pretty much hover around setting 4. Rockwell did give themselves a black eye with the lead up to the actual release, but the real test is if this holds up for repeated use over several years.

 

[BigD]

Thanks for great review and saving me money. $100 for Zamak razor just because it is an adjustable? Hell no
If you want too heavy adjustable get either Merkur Progress, Parker Variant or Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus.
If you want more proper weight and save yourself a lot of money you can spend for soaps, preshave and brush get Qshave Futur clone
If you want to spend $100 for just an adjustable razor better get a vintage Gillette and send to be fixed by one of the companies who specialize in such job or look st BST for one already done

I don't blame you. Each their own, but I think it needs to be stated that, and to quote Rockwell Razors to LeisureGuy on his blog, "To clarify, the butterfly doors, safety-bar, thrust plate and t-bar are cast (chromed zinc), with some machining. The knurled handle is brass, internal components are brass and stainless."

True, not all of it is brass and/or stainless steel, but to claim the whole thing is Zamak isn't quite fair. I respect your decision and purchasing choices. In fact I have stated several times in a lot of my reviews not to purchase things just because I purchased them. I do believe I forgot to put that caveat in this review. So, here it goes;

Disclaimer: Do not make purchasing decisions based upon my purchasing habits. I am currently in a position where I can buy things like this without flinching and perform reviews without bias. Please do your own research and buy only what you want and can afford. I am pretty sure this disclaimer is worthless because we're all adults here and can make our own choices.

 

[BigD]

Great review. Yes, it's a lot more aggressive than the 6C (and assuming the 6S). I find it to be an outstanding razor, I've already got about 2 dozen shaves in with a variety of blades and pretty much hover around setting 4. Rockwell did give themselves a black eye with the lead up to the actual release, but the real test is if this holds up for repeated use over several years.

I am so glad I am not the only one that has noticed it being more aggressive than the 6S/C.

 

[BigD]

Great Review, I dropped out of the Indiegogo capmaign after about a year and a half of promises and delays. Given the material change from brass, to Stainless Steel to Zamac I do not regret canceling, but glad someone waited it out and is happy now. Good luck with the ' T '

Thank you. I understand you canceling wholeheartedly. That's why I preordered, not backed via crowdfunding. Not a big fan of the whole crowdfunding thing. If you want to "crowdfund" do it by issuing bonds or stock. Asking for money and promising a product that may or may not come is just beyond me.

 

[Joncr]

Thank you. I understand you canceling wholeheartedly. That's why I preordered, not backed via crowdfunding. Not a big fan of the whole crowdfunding thing. If you want to "crowdfund" do it by issuing bonds or stock. Asking for money and promising a product that may or may not come is just beyond me.

Unless the fundraiser is offering a very significant discount to make the risk worth the reward, I agree it is not worth it.

 

[BigD]

Unless the fundraiser is offering a very significant discount to make the risk worth the reward, I agree it is not worth it.

You can still give out the discounts and perks with the stock purchase. Here's a great article all about it. A lot of those perks are real nice, especially the free food.

 

[Joncr]

You can still give out the discounts and perks with the stock purchase. Here's a great article all about it. A lot of those perks are real nice, especially the free food.

Agree, I guess the advantage to the fundraiser is that crowd funding avoids debt and doesn't dilute ownership. Shifts all the risk onto the funder/buyer.

 

[Olegausany]

I don't blame you. Each their own, but I think it needs to be stated that, and to quote Rockwell Razors to LeisureGuy on his blog, "To clarify, the butterfly doors, safety-bar, thrust plate and t-bar are cast (chromed zinc), with some machining. The knurled handle is brass, internal components are brass and stainless."

True, not all of it is brass and/or stainless steel, but to claim the whole thing is Zamak isn't quite fair. I respect your decision and purchasing choices. In fact I have stated several times in a lot of my reviews not to purchase things just because I purchased them. I do believe I forgot to put that caveat in this review. So, here it goes;

Disclaimer: Do not make purchasing decisions based upon my purchasing habits. I am currently in a position where I can buy things like this without flinching and perform reviews without bias. Please do your own research and buy only what you want and can afford. I am pretty sure this disclaimer is worthless because we're all adults here and can make our own choices.

Thanks again for detailed review and additional information on materials used so now it makes it much better product. I did not base my purchasing decision on you review i only looking for information if this razor is worth looking for so I'm very very sorry if I offended you. For those who isn't aware Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus use similar materials but cos less

 

[rossnme]

Thanks for the great review. Still waiting on my kickstarter order to arrive.

 

[BigD]

Thanks again for detailed review and additional information on materials used so now it makes it much better product. I did not base my purchasing decision on you review i only looking for information if this razor is worth looking for so I'm very very sorry if I offended you. For those who isn't aware Vikings Blade Emperor Augustus use similar materials but cos less

Don't worry, I'm not offended. The statement about purchasing decisions was more for others and for humor. I was trying to make you laugh. I think I failed miserably. Now I think I offended you by making you think you offended me. This is not the vicious cycle I intended.

 

[BigD]

Just received an email from Rockwell Razors regarding the Model T aggression level. Below is their email.
"Hi Jason,


Thanks for reaching out! Really appreciate the kind words - it brings us great joy to know that we're having an impact on your daily routine.


Yes, you'll find that the Rockwell Model T was designed to be slightly more "aggressive" than the 6C or 6S at each setting.


During design and testing, we went through countless iterations of Model T razors set at various blade gaps and rigorously assessed overall shave comfort and feel for each variant.


We found that with the Model T's blade angle and exposure, using the identical blade gaps as the 6S resulted in a Model T that was too mild at the lower settings, wherein setting R1 was almost too mild to shave anything at all. It should also be noted that, over the years, we have received a lot of feedback from wet shaving enthusiasts requesting a 7/8 plate for the 6C or 6S, indicating to us that a large portion of our fan base were looking for more blade exposure even after reaching setting R6.


In short, we landed on a design that incorporated settings that were mild enough for beginners to get a feel for the razor, and higher settings that could accommodate the needs of more experienced wet shavers. We're incredibly pleased with the versatility, comfort and overall shave feel of the Model T currently in production and the feedback we've been receiving has exceeded even our own expectations.


I hope this answers your question and offers a bit of insight into our decision making process. Thanks again for the thoughtful comments and we wish you many more years of exceptional shaves.


Sincerely,


Grigori

Rockwell Razors"