Blackland Blackbird or Blackbird Ti

[BradWorld]

Two reactions, thank you and no thank you... I hadn't heard of Wolfman Razors and just ventured to look them up.. just what I needed another incredibly well-crafted, high quality, high priced contender. They look GORGEOUS! I can understand why it would be hard to taken them off of their throne.

Thank you for the advice! Any reason why you would choose the stainless? Just cost-effectiveness?

I wish is went to the Wolfman razor years earlier, as it would have saved me the thousands spent on searching for the perfect razor. I did also buy a number of expensive razors after getting my first Wolf, including more Wolfs, just to discover that I got it right with the first one. The rabbit hole is deep my friend.

Same with Paladin brushes. If I’d gotten one when they first came out, I’d have saved myself from buying dozens of other brushes. The Paladin badger cured my brush addiction in one fell swoop. Except that I lust after more Paladins now.

I say I would go with the Stainless Bird because I started with stainless. Sold it. Got a Brass Bird. Sold it. Got a Ti Bird…. Sold it. Now the rotation is back to stainless. So if I get one, that is next up. It’s as simple as that.

 

[Iridian]

What are your personal favorite razors?

I very much like the Yaqi Harlequin, the Yaqi Mellon SS, the Timeless Slim 0.5 OC (which might kill you) and the Timeless.95 OC plate, the Mühle R41 and the Yaqi Lupo Clone Vostok 1.05 DC. The Blackbird SB and the Tatara Nodachi and most RazoRocks.

I guess I went get it out this without naming one, right? In general I prefer aggressive razors, but my Lambda Athena and Ares amaze me for being super mild yet still efficient.

Superslant L3++ OC and Timeless 0.5 Slim are my favorites. There, I limited it to two.

Both are likely to be too much for you given your current preferences, so umm... you would hate me for getting them and the Blackbird is probably a safer bet for you!

I am sick, the flu, maybe Corona. I am likely even more confused than usual, please let me apologize! Seriously, I am even too tired to take my daily shaving pic

If you don't mind matte, the Stando razots and Greencult are also amazing!

My favorite handles are Alpha Viper, Timeless Ti Crown and Timeless 100mm Barber Pole.

I can name you some popular razors that didn't do it for me. They are actually A-OK, except for one and maybe another one.

Mühle/Edwin Jagger R89/DE89.
Replaced that with the R41, which I loved.
Henson Al13 Medium
Very mild and light and some really love it, it is aluminum though and a very guided shave, just not for me. No disrespect meant Hensonites, I recommend it for everyone to try despite my lack of love for it.
BBS-AS is not as mild as the BBS A, but gave me a vicious cut I never would have imagined possible
Rockwell 6S
Is a good razor, but by now people should just get a shiny RazoRock or something from Yaqi or DSCosmetc.
Boti Vortex: one of my prettiest razors with a really bad head.
Rex Envoy: I enjoy the handle and the massive stand but not the head.

There are three razors I simply have to try sooner or later:

Karve Overlander
Rasoigoodfellas Bayonetta
Blackland Vector - a SE AC blade razor, I like it's China copy so much that I just have to get the original one day.

Make sure to get a blade sampler with

Feather
Nacet
BIC Platinum
Dorco Prime
Gillette 7 o' clock Super Platinum. The one with the black label is easier to memorize.
Voshkod - though they are now hard to get, not a must have.

Enjoy shaving and get some razors, compare, post about them. It's a lot of fun and will make wonder what's wrong with you!

This is an excellent online self therapy group, you might end up buying a lot of razors, though...!

Edit: if you get the BB, let me just say hat the stainless steel SB in polished. It's personal preference, but it is the shiniest, still light enough and quite a bit less than that blue-not-so-shiny Ti. IMO.

 

[tiberius]

I have just realized at my age (only 33) that if I save money on a razor now (Game Changer), I will inevitably realize that I should just spend the money on the really nice razor (BB).. I have become such a buy once, cry once consumer.

I have a feeling that you'll eventually get the Game Changer too ... just for ... comparison ... ?

I have become such a buy once, cry once consumer. Thus I do a ton of research into what I buy... even my brushes, I realize any brush will work, anybody has incredible premium badger knots.. but I cut out the middle man and got a Grizzly Bay and Chisel and Hound because I know eventually I will pick one of those up anyways..

Consider getting an Omega Boar, like the 10049, inexpensive but effective, and the progress of breaking it in is itself entertaining. And the Semogue Mistura ... (aw another rabbit hole)

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

I wish is went to the Wolfman razor years earlier, as it would have saved me the thousands spent on searching for the perfect razor. I did also buy a number of expensive razors after getting my first Wolf, including more Wolfs, just to discover that I got it right with the first one. The rabbit hole is deep my friend.

Same with Paladin brushes. If I’d gotten one when they first came out, I’d have saved myself from buying dozens of other brushes. The Paladin badger cured my brush addiction in one fell swoop. Except that I lust after more Paladins now.

I say I would go with the Stainless Bird because I started with stainless. Sold it. Got a Brass Bird. Sold it. Got a Ti Bird…. Sold it. Now the rotation is back to stainless. So if I get one, that is next up. It’s as simple as that.

Wow, which Wolfman did you get? This is all such great stuff!

I have seen Paladin brushes, but on first pass, they are not the sexiest.. can I ask what makes them so incredible? I have a Grizzly Bay (v23 fanchurian) and a Chisel and Hound (v22 fanchurian) for my badger brushes and think they're incredible. How do the paladins compare, or what makes them so good? I am very curious now.

Mmm, good to know about the stainless! You have certainly caused me to reconsider a little. Thank you so much!

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

I have a feeling that you'll eventually get the Game Changer too ... just for ... comparison ... ?


Consider getting an Omega Boar, like the 10049, inexpensive but effective, and the progress of breaking it in is itself entertaining. And the Semogue Mistura ... (aw another rabbit hole)

Stop with the rabbit holes and accusatory tone with the Game Changer! ... I may or may not be continuing to look for Game Changers despite deciding on the BB route.. the quality just looks so damn good for the price and everybody loves them. I do want to see what the fuss is about. .. curse this damn hobby.. the last thing I needed was another damn hobby to get lost in.

Interesting about the boar brush.. I bought a cheap Stirling Soap Co. boar brush for $10 just to see if I liked boar vs badger and synthetic and it is my least favorite material.. does that get better with a higher quality brush, or what do you like about the Omega Boar so much?

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

I very much like the Yaqi Harlequin, the Yaqi Mellon SS, the Timeless Slim 0.5 OC (which might kill you) and the Timeless.95 OC plate, the Mühle R41 and the Yaqi Lupo Clone Vostok 1.05 DC. The Blackbird SB and the Tatara Nodachi and most RazoRocks.

I guess I went get it out this without naming one, right? In general I prefer aggressive razors, but my Lambda Athena and Ares amaze me for being super mild yet still efficient.

Superslant L3++ OC and Timeless 0.5 Slim are my favorites. There, I limited it to two.

Both are likely to be too much for you given your current preferences, so umm... you would hate me for getting them and the Blackbird is probably a safer bet for you!

I am sick, the flu, maybe Corona. I am likely even more confused than usual, please let me apologize! Seriously, I am even too tired to take my daily shaving pic

If you don't mind matte, the Stando razots and Greencult are also amazing!

My favorite handles are Alpha Viper, Timeless Ti Crown and Timeless 100mm Barber Pole.

I can name you some popular razors that didn't do it for me. They are actually A-OK, except for one and maybe another one.

Mühle/Edwin Jagger R89/DE89.
Replaced that with the R41, which I loved.
Henson Al13 Medium
Very mild and light and some really love it, it is aluminum though and a very guided shave, just not for me. No disrespect meant Hensonites, I recommend it for everyone to try despite my lack of love for it.
BBS-AS is not as mild as the BBS A, but gave me a vicious cut I never would have imagined possible
Rockwell 6S
Is a good razor, but by now people should just get a shiny RazoRock or something from Yaqi or DSCosmetc.
Boti Vortex: one of my prettiest razors with a really bad head.
Rex Envoy: I enjoy the handle and the massive stand but not the head.

There are three razors I simply have to try sooner or later:

Karve Overlander
Rasoigoodfellas Bayonetta
Blackland Vector - a SE AC blade razor, I like it's China copy so much that I just have to get the original one day.

Make sure to get a blade sampler with

Feather
Nacet
BIC Platinum
Dorco Prime
Gillette 7 o' clock Super Platinum. The one with the black label is easier to memorize.
Voshkod - though they are now hard to get, not a must have.

Enjoy shaving and get some razors, compare, post about them. It's a lot of fun and will make wonder what's wrong with you!

This is an excellent online self therapy group, you might end up buying a lot of razors, though...!

Edit: if you get the BB, let me just say hat the stainless steel SB in polished. It's personal preference, but it is the shiniest, still light enough and quite a bit less than that blue-not-so-shiny Ti. IMO.

Wow, thank you so much for such a through answer. Seriously, I really appreciate it. I have not heard of a few of the razor brands like Greencult, Lambda or Stando and will have to look into those brands as well.

I am happy you mentioned the AL13 because I literally had that in checkout on TRC and decided to pull back and do more research at the last moment due to some reviews and posts about it being smooth and efficient, only if you kept the exact angle and figured that may get robotic and annoying if the efficiency is so dependent given the head geometry. Same with the Rockwell that you mentioned, that was under strong consideration as well, which led me down the path of just getting a fully adjustable and somehow led me to the Blackbird lol

Thus far I have tried the following blades:
- Feather - learned the hard way when I thought I was a big boy who could use the Gillette Slim on the most aggressive setting with a brand new feather blade that I was not as far along as I thought
- Nacet - need to use more, it seemed sharp but tuggy on the first couple shaves with it, but I think it might've been my fault with a sub-par lather
- Silver Blue - comfortable, lacking efficiency
- Kai - probably my best overall experiences yet have come with this blade
- Astra Green - Comfortable overall, efficient, but seemed to get tuggy after the 2nd shave
- Gillette 365 - thought it was good as it was the 3rd different razor I tried next to Feather and Kai, now I see it is tuggy as hell
The BIC, Gillette 7' O Clock in the Black box and Dorco are definitely on my list though, so I am glad you mentioned those ones specifically.

Thanks for the part about questioning yourself.. I never knew I could obsess about a perfect lather, skin feel, or how good of a shave I had that morning.. now I do. What an unreal hobby.

Thanks again for such a great response, I will undoubtedly come back and refer to it. Hope you feel better soon!

 

[tiberius]

Interesting about the boar brush.. I bought a cheap Stirling Soap Co. boar brush for $10 just to see if I liked boar vs badger and synthetic and it is my least favorite material.. does that get better with a higher quality brush, or what do you like about the Omega Boar so much?

Ahh you already get the Stirling Soap Co. boar brush. From what I hear it's a solid performer too, you should just keep experimenting with it. In the earlier post my impression was that you didn't have any brushes yet. It will become softer after some uses, just remember to soak it for ~1 minute before each use.

I like boar brushes for their face feel, also they are super easy to pick up huge amount of soaps and creating lather.

I suggested Omega only because they looks like easiest to obtain, basically they are everywhere! They are not expensive, and get the job done really well.

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

Ahh you already get the Stirling Soap Co. boar brush. From what I hear it's a solid performer too, you should just keep experimenting with it. In the earlier post my impression was that you didn't have any brushes yet. It will become softer after some uses, just remember to soak it for ~1 minute before each use.

I like boar brushes for their face feel, also they are super easy to pick up huge amount of soaps and creating lather.

I suggested Omega only because they looks like easiest to obtain, basically they are everywhere! They are not expensive, and get the job done really well.

Ohh sorry, that is my fault. I am still a beginner, but any new hobby, I get obsessed and enjoy the education phase that leads quickly into the acquistion phase and I hit the brushes a little too hard.. got a cheapo $9 badger on Amazon that I usually wore half the knot after each shave, the $10 Stirling Boar, a Chubby 2 Synthetic and then a Chisel and Hound, and most recently a PAA Amber Aerolite as I was struggling with the Chubby 2 for bowl lathering and a Grizzly Bay. Now I am done. Haha, on to better razors.

 

[Blackland Razors]

I hate to say it, but the titanium really is transformative in the Blackbird. Whether or not it's worth it for any particular person is up to them and their budget, but the difference is significant.

Bad news is that the Blackbird Titanium is currently out of stock and only available for pre-orders. They'll be back next month. The good news is that this gives you some time to try out the stainless version and return it if it's not to your liking. Blackbird Lite is going to give you a shave more similar to the 34c and the standard plate is a step up. So the choice depends on your goals.

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions. One of the team (usually Basher) will get back to you quickly.

 

[Phoenixkh]

There have already been many thoughtful replies to your questions and sound advice. I don't own a Blackbird but I have watched many people buy them from the sidelines. The metal choice isn't an easy one. Lots of people here love their stainless Blackbirds, a few started with a Ti Blackbird and loved it... other started with stainless steel.... ended up buying the Ti Blackbird later and wished they had bought it first. That's the problem. As has been stated, you won't know for sure until you use one for a while.

One thing you can do while you wait for the Ti Blackbird to get back in stock, if you decide to wait a bit, is read the various journals here. This will give you an idea what other people have done.. i.e., where they started.... and perhaps, more importantly where they ended up over time.

Starting relatively young is great. I didn't start wet shaving until a few months before my 68th birthday. This last 2 years have been a blast. I learned so much here on B&B, as I found it to be the best out of the various forums sites and better than the FB groups and Reddit. There are lots of shave masters here whose knowledge has benefited me greatly.

I can tell already, you are going to enjoy the journey. It will be a joy for me to read about your experiences.

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

I hate to say it, but the titanium really is transformative in the Blackbird. Whether or not it's worth it for any particular person is up to them and their budget, but the difference is significant.

Bad news is that the Blackbird Titanium is currently out of stock and only available for pre-orders. They'll be back next month. The good news is that this gives you some time to try out the stainless version and return it if it's not to your liking. Blackbird Lite is going to give you a shave more similar to the 34c and the standard plate is a step up. So the choice depends on your goals.

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] with any questions. One of the team (usually Basher) will get back to you quickly.

Now wait a minute @Blackland Razors .. you wouldn't be biased at all, would you? ... Thank you for giving relativity to the 34c, I appreciate it.

Bad news about the Titanium being out of stock.. but it may be serendipitous. I mentioned this in a previous comment in jest that I was still on the look out for the Game Changer .84 and I actually just found one on eBay for $40. I am still planning on getting the Blackbird and the Game Changer will give me a good razor to make sure I can handle the much more aggressive shave. It is also very similarly weighted to the Blackbird SS so this will be a good determining factor on if I want the extra weight of the SS vs the lighter Titanium.

Now I am just trying to figure out how long to wait to get the Blackbird, but I am going to follow your advice and get the bundle when I do so I can have the regular plate and the Lite plate if it gets too aggressive, or I need to lessen my learning curve with it. Thanks for the advice, I will most likely be reaching out to Basher real soon! Also, I have enjoyed all of your videos on YouTube and learning about the Blackbird, great work and congrats on the success of the company, seems like you have devised a great product.. keep it up!

 

[Well_Groomed_Yeti]

There have already been many thoughtful replies to your questions and sound advice. I don't own a Blackbird but I have watched many people buy them from the sidelines. The metal choice isn't an easy one. Lots of people here love their stainless Blackbirds, a few started with a Ti Blackbird and loved it... other started with stainless steel.... ended up buying the Ti Blackbird later and wished they had bought it first. That's the problem. As has been stated, you won't know for sure until you use one for a while.

One thing you can do while you wait for the Ti Blackbird to get back in stock, if you decide to wait a bit, is read the various journals here. This will give you an idea what other people have done.. i.e., where they started.... and perhaps, more importantly where they ended up over time.

Starting relatively young is great. I didn't start wet shaving until a few months before my 68th birthday. This last 2 years have been a blast. I learned so much here on B&B, as I found it to be the best out of the various forums sites and better than the FB groups and Reddit. There are lots of shave masters here whose knowledge has benefited me greatly.

I can tell already, you are going to enjoy the journey. It will be a joy for me to read about your experiences.

Mmm, thank you for the advice. I stumbled upon a journal earlier, very cool! Do you have a Blackbird yourself, or what are your preferred weapons?

Wow, good to know that you find this to be the best forum. It seems there is a ton of knowledge on here and I am very excited to learn.. getting into it has even gotten my barber and I closer!

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it. I would very much enjoy hearing how your journey has gone, even just these past two years. Do you have a journal of your own sir @Phoenixkh ?

 

[Phoenixkh]

Mmm, thank you for the advice. I stumbled upon a journal earlier, very cool! Do you have a Blackbird yourself, or what are your preferred weapons?

Wow, good to know that you find this to be the best forum. It seems there is a ton of knowledge on here and I am very excited to learn.. getting into it has even gotten my barber and I closer!

Thank you for the kind words, I appreciate it. I would very much enjoy hearing how your journey has gone, even just these past two years. Do you have a journal of your own sir @Phoenixkh ?

I do have a journal... The first section is a catch-up one... and mostly deals with my brush and soap search... if you start after Sept of 2022, that's when I started learning about DE razors as I started out with an AC (Artist club blades) razor.

Or you could start at the end and work backwards....

Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum....

I'm 6 months late in starting a journal so I have a lot of catching up to do. Over these past months, I've made many friends on B&B, learned a lot. Wet shaving has become a very enjoyable endeavor. I owe my conversion to wet shaving to our youngest son. He sent me some Astra Super Platinum...

www.badgerandblade.com

My little current razor collection is found here (Post #1803): Phoenixkh: An Old Man's Continuum.... - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/phoenixkh-an-old-mans-continuum.628985/page-91

And the actual list is a few posts down, Post #1818)

 

[Guido75]

Welcome to B&B!

My oh my - just joined and already knee deep into the rabbit hole!! Going straight for the major league! I am almost too afraid to suggest looking at certain vintage razors which can give any modern razor a run for its money.

you wouldn't be biased at all, would you?

In his defence @Blackland Razors Shane is quite unbiased and even has suggested others not to buy a Blackland razor just yet based on their current setup or experience.

I have the Blackbird in polished stainless steel and I think it’s a great razor. The proverbial “If I had known” applies and then again I think most members here are not really in it for the daily task but rather for the experience - hence the multitude of razors we get to choose from every morning.

I think the Game Changer is quite capable of giving you excellent results compared to the Merkur. And from the Game Changer to the Blackbird has you already accustomed to positive exposure and some blade gap (the Blackbird has less then the Game Changer).

Me personally I am still figuring out if the Blackbird is very different from my other razors in terms of performance and results. Maybe I haven’t found that specific angle yet, but the Blackbird gives me similar superb results I get with and from other razors. Also not super long lasting per say - again for me. It is however a remarkable and very uniquely designed razor and for that alone I wanted one.

Based on your posts so far and your answers I am sensing you have already made up your mind. It will likely be a long time coming before you but another razor.

Enjoy!

Guido

 

[Phoenixkh]

A plug for Guido's journal.... He's a very bright young man and has been very thoroughly documenting his journey from the very start:

A newbie’s journey into DE shaving

I started my DE shaving journey in December 2021 after a hiatus from wet shaving for more than 20 years. During that interbellum I was on the dark side of shaving with only the occassional wet shave. I was a cartridge man at that using a Gillette Sensor. It was the cost that ultimately drove me...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Robbie7]

I bought both the Blackbird and the Blackbird lite, both is SS. I ended up returning both as they had way too much blade feel, of which I prefer none at all. Of any razor I've ever tried, they were the most aggressive. And for all that irritation I didn't even find them efficient enough to be worthwhile. I get just as efficient shaves with several other razors without any of that uncomfortable aggression.

While my personal favorite razor is the Rockwell 6S, I do own all of the variations of the Gamechanger, as well as the Merkur 34C. I never thought about getting rid of them, but given that they're much cheaper than the Blackbirds, that could be a factor. My personal favorite of the GC line is the .84 SB with the extra knurled handle. Extremely smooth shave in two passes with next to no buffing required.

The blade feel is the most common complaint I see about the Blackbird razors, but if you don't have sensitive skin, or if you even prefer aggressive razors then it may be for you. YMMV after all

 

[Guido75]

A plug for Guido's journal.... He's a very bright young man and has been very thoroughly documenting his journey from the very start:

Young man! Haha!!

 

[Robbie7]

Thus far I have tried the following blades:
- Feather - learned the hard way when I thought I was a big boy who could use the Gillette Slim on the most aggressive setting with a brand new feather blade that I was not as far along as I thought
- Nacet - need to use more, it seemed sharp but tuggy on the first couple shaves with it, but I think it might've been my fault with a sub-par lather
- Silver Blue - comfortable, lacking efficiency
- Kai - probably my best overall experiences yet have come with this blade
- Astra Green - Comfortable overall, efficient, but seemed to get tuggy after the 2nd shave
- Gillette 365 - thought it was good as it was the 3rd different razor I tried next to Feather and Kai, now I see it is tuggy as hell
The BIC, Gillette 7' O Clock in the Black box and Dorco are definitely on my list though, so I am glad you mentioned those ones specifically.

FWIW I always found feather to be quite sharp, but not very smooth. Meanwhile I find Bic Chrome Platinums and Gillette Platinums to be very smooth, and even sharper than a feather! The Russian Gillette Platinums are definitely my highest performing blade, but I know plenty of others than would shave with them if you paid them to. Of all things in this hobby, I find blades to be the very most YMMV

My encouragement would be to try as many sample packs as possible, you don't want to set yourself on one and buy a few hundred packs only to find out a few months later that you prefer a new one. . . .(I speak from direct experience there haha)

I also should have taken a moment in my first reply to welcome you to the forum! Though I've only been wet shaving for a few years now, I don't feel too much of a newbie. Still a novice mind you, just not so green. I envy you in that regard, in that beginning phase there's so much excitement to be had on every new thread you click, or in every new package you open with new soap/razors/blades etc etc

I wish you nothing but the best in your shaving journey, and I look forward to reading more about your discoveries along the way. There's a copious amount of interesting and informative threads on this site, and just as many good people to meet within them. Welcome aboard!

 

[Sweeney_]

Good morning all,

I am a newly addicted wet shaver that jumped down the rabbit hole about 3 months ago after getting a cheap Leponix wet shaving kit for Christmas. Immediately after 3 shaves with the horribly cheap razor that came with the kit, I was hooked and purchased a Merkur 34c due to the high reviews and being a great beginner's DE. I also purchased a Gillette Slim Adjustable on ebay for $20 and loved that until dropping it on tile and the safety bar alignment got screwed up on one side. Knowing eventually I was going to send it to Razor Emporium to get revamped, it has been momentarily retired.

I would like to upgrade from the Merkur 34c as I am starting to see why people say it is an incredibly smooth, but not the most efficient shave. A step further, I am starting to notice irritation from going back and doing multiple passes, clean ups, etc., to make up for the efficiency. After some advice on Reddit, I was told the RazoRock Game Changer .84 is the best, most cost-effective major upgrade.. alas they are sold out of the thawt razor in almost every handle, but especially the one that I want everywhere.

Finally, over the weekend I accidentally stumbled upon some Blackland Blackbird Youtube videos and immediately started my research on that and now it has become the expensive apple of my eye. What are everybody's experiences with the Blackbird, is the Titanium worth the premium price? Anybody with experience with both the Merkur 34c and Blackbird, how much of an upgrade is it? Just general thoughts as well..

Thanks in advance!

First, let me say welcome.

I'm surprised that the Razorock Lupo .72 hasn't been suggested - or perhaps it was and I missed it. A nice bump up the efficiency ladder from the 34c and just enough blade feel to see if that's your thing. Gives you some testing ground while you wait for the BB Titanium to restock. I prefer the Lupo series over the Gamechanger for that very reason... blade feel but still smooth. Others may differ and that's fine. If you prefer a lighter weight razor, stick a Timeless (or similar) Titanium handle on the Lupo and your golden.

My progression went something like 34HD for a few months, then quite a few vintage, Gamechanger 68 and then 84, next Lupo 72 and the Lupo 95 when that plate came out. Also throw in some nice higher end purchases like Wolfman, Blackbird and plenty of mid-range purchases such as Karve, etc.

As for the Blackbird, be prepared to spend some time with it. For some, it jells instantly but for others like me it takes quite a number of shaves to adjust. For myself, not the blade feel which I don't feel is over bearing perhaps due to the small gap, but rather the technique required. I've used the machined Titanium version, Stainless polished and the Satin Ti which I just sold so I could jump on the polished ti pre-order.
I actually perceive the polished stainless feels slightly smoother but again, I prefer lighter razors, hence my decision for the polished ti version. Best of both worlds but quite a large pill to swallow money wise.

Most of all, have fun with the journey.

 

[Guido75]

In addition to the very fine other suggestions made earlier I do want to add a shout out for the more affordable higher end razors and particularly the Mühle Rocca. Again coming from your Merkur with the mileage you have in DE wet shaving the Rocca is both comfortable and effective giving great results and easily at BBS levels (if you are into that type of shaves).

I am coming from thinking more along the lines of progression than deep dive I guess at this point in your journey.

Cheers,

Guido