What's new

Blackland Razors Ti Blackbird

I turned out to be one of those rare people who doesn't love the Blackbird Ti as well. Ordered one on May 15th, gave it a solid 20 or so shaves and ended up sending it back late last week. Appreciate Shane's customer service. I really like the look and feel of the BB and the weight, but I kept having to make more passes than my face (and time management) appreciate. I tried it with several blades (Feather yellow is my go-to, Kai, Nacet, the blades they ship with it. Never got it where I needed it. I strongly prefer a more aggressive razor, basically.

Happy to have tried it, and I really wanted to like it, but couldn't justify keeping it. Basically the same thing happened with the Vector. I may end up giving the Era a try when it is released if they start offering a base plate combination that ups the efficiency.

I had some curiosity about the Henson Ti with the aggressive plates, since someone mentioned their razors earlier, but even if they come back in stock, I am thinking that probably isn't going to be anywhere near the efficiency I am seeking.
The dart was very efficient but no longer produced. Maybe you can find a second hand one. I had one amd rank it up with a setting 6 rex ambassador or stirling stainless ST

Fayiz D.
 
I turned out to be one of those rare people who doesn't love the Blackbird Ti as well. Ordered one on May 15th, gave it a solid 20 or so shaves and ended up sending it back late last week. Appreciate Shane's customer service. I really like the look and feel of the BB and the weight, but I kept having to make more passes than my face (and time management) appreciate. I tried it with several blades (Feather yellow is my go-to, Kai, Nacet, the blades they ship with it. Never got it where I needed it. I strongly prefer a more aggressive razor, basically.

Happy to have tried it, and I really wanted to like it, but couldn't justify keeping it. Basically the same thing happened with the Vector. I may end up giving the Era a try when it is released if they start offering a base plate combination that ups the efficiency.

I had some curiosity about the Henson Ti with the aggressive plates, since someone mentioned their razors earlier, but even if they come back in stock, I am thinking that probably isn't going to be anywhere near the efficiency I am seeking.

Just of curiosity what razors do you enjoy? I find the Blackbird Ti to be really efficient and comfortable. The SS open comb version is just slightly more efficient.
 
Have you tried the stainless version yet? Might fit your need for something more aggressive. Beyond that, I don't see us making a razor much more aggressive than the Blackbird which is already on the upper end of the scale.
I have not tried the SS BB, but I might. Maybe in open comb? I really appreciated the fit and finish of the BB and the Ti was pretty sweet sounding when you dial the angle in.
 
Just of curiosity what razors do you enjoy? I find the Blackbird Ti to be really efficient and comfortable. The SS open comb version is just slightly more efficient.
My den right now consists of (in order of roughly most frequent use):
Muhle 2011 R41
Stirling Stainless HA
Stirling Stainless ST
Muhle R41 GS
Feather Straight Razor DX/Pro Super blades
Ikon Tek
DS Cosmetic Z0

The BB was definitely comfortable to use and I liked shaving with it. I just needed to keep going back over spots and buffing. I confess, it might partly a matter of my technique and need to get through my shave timewise, but eventually, relathering and doing another pass gives me irritation no matter what. Perhaps I find razors with high blade exposure (generalizing a bit) slightly more forgiving on technique, even if they are more likely to nick.

When I found the 2011 R41 at the time of its release, it became my daily driver for 10+ years and I stopped razor shopping, then I realized the zamak on my R41 was failing, so here I am shopping again. I did get a second 2011 R41 (and a couple 2013 R41s), but I am also having some fun trying new things.

Edited to add - I forgot some...Yaqi Knight Helmet, Yaqi Slant
 
Last edited:
I have not tried the SS BB, but I might. Maybe in open comb? I really appreciated the fit and finish of the BB and the Ti was pretty sweet sounding when you dial the angle in.

Could be worth a try since you can always return it. The weight makes a really big difference. OC or SB shave basically the same, but if you need every last ounce of efficiency then OC might be a better fit for you.
 
Thank you! I do dislike being a burden on you and your fulfillment team, though. Nothing but respect for what Blackland is doing.
I'm not sold entirely on Ti razors when efficiency matters. I have a few and find them comfortable and enjoyable to use but increasingly I believe I get closer shaves easier with heavier razors. The greater inertia of heavy seems to make plowing through tough hair easier. I absolutely love my BB OC but I'm an OC fan boy.

I think it mostly depends on your style. Most folks seem to get great close shaves with Ti.
 
I'm not sold entirely on Ti razors when efficiency matters. I have a few and find them comfortable and enjoyable to use but increasingly I believe I get closer shaves easier with heavier razors. The greater inertia of heavy seems to make plowing through tough hair easier. I absolutely love my BB OC but I'm an OC fan boy.

I think it mostly depends on your style. Most folks seem to get great close shaves with Ti.

You’re exactly right and that’s also the magic for a lot of people with the Blackbird Ti. The highly efficient design combined with lighter weight is the sweet spot for those who want enough efficiency, but value smoothness more than absolute maximum efficiency. Also neat with the Ti is that you can just add in pressure to simulate a heavier razor. So you can get the best of both worlds.

What would be cool is if you could decouple the force vector so that you have less force in the z-axis (say, toward your skin) to reduce harshness while preserving the force in the x-axis to plow through hair. I’m not sure if that’s physically possible, but it would be a neat shave.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
20210629
20210629_144806~2.jpg

Razor: Blackland Razors Ti Blackbird
Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium (5)
Brush: Heritage Collection Ever-Ready 500E (TNS 26mm Quartermoon Knot)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: WSP Rustic Tobacco
Aftershave Balm: Nivea Post Shave Balm + InstaSkincare Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: WSP Tobacco
Fragrance: Havana by Aramis

The Blackland Razors Ti Blackbird is such a cool razor. Feels great in my hand and incredibly comfortable on my face. Slices right through my barbed wire whiskers. Superb razor! :thumbup:

Superb shave! :cool:
 
Blackland Ti blackbird
I retract my earlier statements about this razor (the negative ones anyhow, really most were positive). I have no idea what changed but I now find it an incredible shaver (previously just good) and very near the top of my favorite razors. My last 5 or 6 uses have resulted in incredible closeness and comfort.
0629211935a~2.jpg
 
What would be cool is if you could decouple the force vector so that you have less force in the z-axis (say, toward your skin) to reduce harshness while preserving the force in the x-axis to plow through hair. I’m not sure if that’s physically possible, but it would be a neat shave.

I was thinking about this myself a few weeks ago. A traditional straight handle makes the force vector push towards the face and down. My solution was the worlds silliest looking razor handle. I prototyped it with PolyMorph so it looks especially ridiculous. It really does work though. :w00t:

You put your fingers in the hook and pull at the bottom of the hook and the hook itself. This makes the force vector down and slightly away from your face as you increase force. It took a couple shaves to get used to it, but tames the even the most savage beasts among razors. 😃

proxy.php
 
Last edited:
I was thinking about this myself a few weeks ago. A traditional straight handle makes the force vector push towards the face and down. My solution was the worlds silliest looking razor handle. I prototyped it with PolyMorph so it looks especially ridiculous. It really does work though. :w00t:

You put your fingers in the hook and pull at the bottom of the hook and the hook itself. This makes the force vector down and slightly away from your face as you increase force. It took a couple shaves to get used to it, but tames the even the most savage beasts among razors. 😃

proxy.php


THE KRAKEN HAS RISEN!!!


This is a pretty sweet idea. Do you actually enjoy using it or is it more of a novelty?
 
THE KRAKEN HAS RISEN!!!


This is a pretty sweet idea. Do you actually enjoy using it or is it more of a novelty?

I actually like it. It was a just a thought experiment so it's pretty crude, bulky, and unergonomic, but it really does make it easy to use force without pressure. That's half the battle when it comes to shaving with aggressive razors. I like it enough that I'm planning to make a slimmed down version.

If you get bored someday, stick some bar stock in a vice, give it a bend and tap it. If you don't like it, you'll at least have a great Christmas ornament. 😃
 
Everyone is different - anything I have to work hard to buy I eventually just give up… on a whim I bought the stainless Meta 4 razor and it easily took the top spot on my list - so now I am busy buying several (it’s what I do)… at some point I will be back when I can buy this razor but for now PAA is getting my support. I know the Era will be awesome and I will definitely have one - but I’m not going to keep checking in for now…
 
Top Bottom