After 26 shaves I have a pretty good idea about how I like this razor. It took about 10 shaves to know how good this razor can be and it just keeps getting better for me.
Everybody is different in their preferences and shaving. I am a daily three pass shaver and prefer a smoother shave. My previous go to razor and what could have been my last was a Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB. It did everything I wanted and needed. Other than to mark special dates (Gillette Old Type, Gillette NEW LC, Gillette Goodwill 164, Gillette A4 Red Tip Superspeed and Gillette C4 Flare Tip Superspeed) and the occasional NEW SC shave, it was the Timeless when home, an ATT Atlas M1 for travel and an H2 Tech when staying at a friend’s house.
The Blackland Tradere SB has blown me away. For me, it has become more efficient than the Timeless and equally comfortable. But that took time. The razor is much heavier and the handle longer than what I was accustomed to. The blade being held flat with no flex and what to me looked like a large gap also took some getting used to. I’m mostly using a shallow to neutral angle but get steeper on the north to south strokes around my Adam’s apple and lower part of my neck and tip of my chin. The most important thing for me to learn was to not fight the weight or longer handle. Choking up too high changes the balance. Fighting the weight can lead to too much pressure. This razor needs no pressure and when I got it, I was rewarded with great shaves.
Aesthetically this razor looks like a showpiece. The knurling on the handle seems more for design and looks than for a rock solid grip. I would rate the grip equivalent to the Timeless Titanium Handle and far less grippy than my ATT Atlas handle. But the look of the knurling is spectacular. This is also my first razor without exposed blade tabs which has no effect on the performance for me but just adds to the great look. The polishing is bright and has caused me to use a microfiber towel to keep everything shiny. I have no objection to a machined finish and find that finish easier to deal with on a daily basis. Therefore, I would not have objected to a machined finish and the concomitant price savings that goes with it. But the polished finish does look good.
All in all, for me this is a winner except it is making me not want to use my other razors. The Timeless is too good to not use. Please excuse my poor pictures. The finish is much better than it appears in the pictures.
Everybody is different in their preferences and shaving. I am a daily three pass shaver and prefer a smoother shave. My previous go to razor and what could have been my last was a Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB. It did everything I wanted and needed. Other than to mark special dates (Gillette Old Type, Gillette NEW LC, Gillette Goodwill 164, Gillette A4 Red Tip Superspeed and Gillette C4 Flare Tip Superspeed) and the occasional NEW SC shave, it was the Timeless when home, an ATT Atlas M1 for travel and an H2 Tech when staying at a friend’s house.
The Blackland Tradere SB has blown me away. For me, it has become more efficient than the Timeless and equally comfortable. But that took time. The razor is much heavier and the handle longer than what I was accustomed to. The blade being held flat with no flex and what to me looked like a large gap also took some getting used to. I’m mostly using a shallow to neutral angle but get steeper on the north to south strokes around my Adam’s apple and lower part of my neck and tip of my chin. The most important thing for me to learn was to not fight the weight or longer handle. Choking up too high changes the balance. Fighting the weight can lead to too much pressure. This razor needs no pressure and when I got it, I was rewarded with great shaves.
Aesthetically this razor looks like a showpiece. The knurling on the handle seems more for design and looks than for a rock solid grip. I would rate the grip equivalent to the Timeless Titanium Handle and far less grippy than my ATT Atlas handle. But the look of the knurling is spectacular. This is also my first razor without exposed blade tabs which has no effect on the performance for me but just adds to the great look. The polishing is bright and has caused me to use a microfiber towel to keep everything shiny. I have no objection to a machined finish and find that finish easier to deal with on a daily basis. Therefore, I would not have objected to a machined finish and the concomitant price savings that goes with it. But the polished finish does look good.
All in all, for me this is a winner except it is making me not want to use my other razors. The Timeless is too good to not use. Please excuse my poor pictures. The finish is much better than it appears in the pictures.
