Blackland Dart “First Shave, First Impression”

[NoScrubs]

Yesterday I received a once used Dart from BST at a great price. This purchase was a mix of curiosity, impulse and the opportunity to compare the Dart to the Blackbird that I have pre-ordered.

Pre-Shave: Grooming Dept. (amazing stuff)
Soap: MWF
Brush: Simpson (short and firm for MWF)
Blades: Right Side of face GSB, Left Side of face Gillette Platinum
Razor: Blackland Machined Dart

After reading the Dart reviews I proceeded with extreme caution as I did with my first R41 shave. The Dart (99.5 G) has a nice feel, balance, and weight much like my CG L2 (107 G). The Dart is a good-looking razor and I like the way the handle fit my hand.

I started with a GSB blade on the right side of my face. I could feel the blade regardless of my angle. I would describe the Dart blade feel as more aggressive than the R41 but less than the CG L3. Do not get me wrong, the blade feel is not overwhelming however it is not a comfortable sensation if you are sensitive to significant blade awareness. I felt like I could not wander for a second from maintaining strict attention to each pass especially ATG on my neck. Once I completed 3 passes on my right side, I switched to a Gillette Platinum blade for the left side of my face. I was surprised, the GP blade provided a smoother pass with less blade feel. However still not comfy.

Although I prefer a razor that provides a more comfortable shave (Timeless Ti .95), the Dart shave provided a very close shave and it did a much better job on my tough to shave jawline than my Timeless. The Dart also needed fewer clean-up passes than the Timeless.95 or CG L2.

The Dart is a solid razor with a great feel in hand. It also does a great job of securing and aligning the blade. At this time I would not reach for the Dart as a first choice in the morning, but I can see being sorry if you owned the Dart and sold it even though you only used it for an occasional shave. If you do not mind a lot of blade feel to get a very good close shave this is a nice razor and you can get the machined version for $99.00.

 

[Blackland Razors]

Good writeup! Try using a steeper angle (ride the safety bar) to modulate the aggressiveness and blade feel.

 

[NoScrubs]

Thank you I will.

 

[Shavemd]

Nice review, the Dart is my favorite razor from Blackland and the best sub $100 razor IMHO

 

[McNutt]

I don't have a Dart, but have a Blackbird OC. Like your Dart, I have to take my time with the razor. That's fine with me because I enjoy the hell out of shaving and don't want to rush it. The payoff is the best shave ever.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I like both the Blackbird and the Dart.

Riding the bar is definitely the way to go with these razors.

The Dart is definitely, in my opinion, one of the elite razors in the $100 +/- price range.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

The Dart was on my short list when I was looking for a stainless steel razor in the $100 range that would be more efficient than my Game Changer .84. I wound up with the Muhle Rocca (and also picked up the open comb base plate for the Game Changer). While I am very pleased with my purchases, particularly the Rocca, I'm still drawn to the Dart, even though from what I've read it probably performs very similarly to the Rocca.

 

[BigJ]

Excellent review! The comparisons with other razors will help many here!!

 

[Keto]

I'm wondering if a guy can tell the difference between the polished vs machined?

 

[Shavemd]

I'm wondering if a guy can tell the difference between the polished vs machined?

I had both and never noticed a difference so I sold the polished

 

[Keto]

I had both and never noticed a difference so I sold the polished

That makes sense. Can you also tell me how they compare to the Blackbird.

 

[Shavemd]

That makes sense. Can you also tell me how they compare to the Blackbird.

For me I found the Dart a more comfortable shave with the same level of efficiency as the BB solid bar. The Dart definitely has Blade feel but with a steep angle I find it very comfortable

 

[Keto]

For me I found the Dart a more comfortable shave with the same level of efficiency as the BB solid bar. The Dart definitely has Blade feel but with a steep angle I find it very comfortable

Thank you for that info.

 

[razorsedge76]

Dart is my fav razor and I've tried many in the aggressive segment - R41, Piccolo, iKon Tech, and most non-premium razors on the market.

 

[Keto]

Dart is my fav razor and I've tried many in the aggressive segment - R41, Piccolo, iKon Tech, and most non-premium razors on the market.

That sounds like a good fit for you

 

[razorsedge76]

Indeed it is! I tend to enjoy a more aggressive shave with clear blade feel and the Dart had struck every checkbox in my list so far. I prefer it over Karve E (haven't tried F plate yet), CTAPT 1.18, GameChanger Jaws and others mentioned. The only DE razor I enjoy as much as Dart is iKon Tech as close second but it has a LOT more blade feel and demands constant attention and light touch, while Dart provides 95% similar experience whilst allowing cruise mode.
With that said, I'm looking to try out razors that provide similar blade feel and looks like it's mostly premium artisan segment left. I've read that Timeless 0.95 is similar to CTAPT 0.90 so I can probably scratch that, but Charcoal Goods lvl 3 reads like something that I'd enjoy, pity it's not readily available.

 

[pbrmhl]

Indeed it is! I tend to enjoy a more aggressive shave with clear blade feel and the Dart had struck every checkbox in my list so far. I prefer it over Karve E (haven't tried F plate yet), CTAPT 1.18, GameChanger Jaws and others mentioned. The only DE razor I enjoy as much as Dart is iKon Tech as close second but it has a LOT more blade feel and demands constant attention and light touch, while Dart provides 95% similar experience whilst allowing cruise mode.
With that said, I'm looking to try out razors that provide similar blade feel and looks like it's mostly premium artisan segment left. I've read that Timeless 0.95 is similar to CTAPT 0.90 so I can probably scratch that, but Charcoal Goods lvl 3 reads like something that I'd enjoy, pity it's not readily available.

Your tastes are similar to mine. My favorites include the Ikon Tech, R41 2011, Charcoal Goods Level 3 open comb, Karve F open comb, etc. Another is the Timeless .78 bronze open comb, which is much more efficient on my face than the .95 stainless open comb. It's also cheaper.

 

[razorsedge76]

Thank you, I'll consider this! Again was proven by many wetshavers that blade gap alone does not equate to aggressiveness/effectiveness as I experienced with 1.18 CTAPT - was expecting a bit more blade feel (very smooth shaver though).

 

[Keto]

A couple of shaves in with the Dart, it's comfortable and a good shave. Bic blade in it the 2nd shave and think a feather might be the next blade to try. This is smoother than the BB, to me. I'm wanting to try the Ikon b1, just because that's what we do.

 

[Southernman53]

Received a polished Dart for Christmas. I wanted to be careful so I rode the bar for the first shave. Two days growth, pretty smooth and close but I wasn't satisfied. I don't like riding the bar because the blade, at an angle that gets close to perpendicular to your skin the more of the bar you ride, seems to be scraping the hairs off rather than slicing through them. The 2nd shave was with 3 days growth and I tended to go with more of a conventional angle, similar to the one I use with my Tech. Ahhh. Much smoother. Course you also have to be careful of the pressure due to the positive blade exposure. Light pressure. BBS 2 passes, WTG and ATG with a Rapira Platinum Luxe and SPV Dolomiti.

No problems with the handle even with no knurling. Some have reported the head loosening and having to resort to using a nylon washer but so far no issues with that.