EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Use a shallow angle with the Blackbird. Start with the top of the cap on your skin and lower the handle until the angle is just right.
This is currently mentioned on another thread, but I think it's worth posting separately so that Blackbird owners (like me) are sure to see it.
The polished, stainless steel Blackbird with safety bar was my first premium razor. I bought it almost three years ago. I've always loved its look and feel. And there's no denying that it gave me the closest shaves of any razor. But even after I found the best blade for me in it (Gillette Silver Blue), it felt harsh. I would wait until I had a multi-day growth that needed to be mowed down, and my face would always be smooth afterwards. But I didn't enjoy the way it seemed to scrape across my face.
I had been using a relatively steep angle. But it got even steeper after I found out how to make my other favorite razor, the Charcoal Goods Level 2, work best. That was to put a Kai blade in it and use a very steep angle. It became my favorite razor after that, so my shaving angle with every razor became very steep.
Then I read two posts. @corlay wrote: "The Blackland website instructs to use a shallow (ride the cap) angle with this razor. Using it “steep” is a common advise in this Forum. I tend to use it about neutral or perhaps slighly shallow. This razor gives good audible feedback - so you know when you are “cutting” (vs “scraping”) efficiently."
And @Blackland Razors wrote about the Blackbird: "we always advise a shallow angle (top cap on the skin) rather than steep...Often, when people experience “drag” it’s because they’re using a steeper angle and allowing the angled safety bar to scrape off the lather before it gets to the blade...Shallow is the easiest place to start with the Blackbird. Once you adapt, then you can play with angle more."
I had been forcing my technique on the Blackbird, and the result was that the sharply-angled edge of the safety bar was simply dragging across my skin before the blade could get to it. Following the natural angle formed by the side of the cap this morning, I got all the closeness and none of the previous harshness. It was like getting a brand new razor!
This is currently mentioned on another thread, but I think it's worth posting separately so that Blackbird owners (like me) are sure to see it.
The polished, stainless steel Blackbird with safety bar was my first premium razor. I bought it almost three years ago. I've always loved its look and feel. And there's no denying that it gave me the closest shaves of any razor. But even after I found the best blade for me in it (Gillette Silver Blue), it felt harsh. I would wait until I had a multi-day growth that needed to be mowed down, and my face would always be smooth afterwards. But I didn't enjoy the way it seemed to scrape across my face.
I had been using a relatively steep angle. But it got even steeper after I found out how to make my other favorite razor, the Charcoal Goods Level 2, work best. That was to put a Kai blade in it and use a very steep angle. It became my favorite razor after that, so my shaving angle with every razor became very steep.
Then I read two posts. @corlay wrote: "The Blackland website instructs to use a shallow (ride the cap) angle with this razor. Using it “steep” is a common advise in this Forum. I tend to use it about neutral or perhaps slighly shallow. This razor gives good audible feedback - so you know when you are “cutting” (vs “scraping”) efficiently."
And @Blackland Razors wrote about the Blackbird: "we always advise a shallow angle (top cap on the skin) rather than steep...Often, when people experience “drag” it’s because they’re using a steeper angle and allowing the angled safety bar to scrape off the lather before it gets to the blade...Shallow is the easiest place to start with the Blackbird. Once you adapt, then you can play with angle more."
I had been forcing my technique on the Blackbird, and the result was that the sharply-angled edge of the safety bar was simply dragging across my skin before the blade could get to it. Following the natural angle formed by the side of the cap this morning, I got all the closeness and none of the previous harshness. It was like getting a brand new razor!