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Can anybody compare the Tatara Masamune or Nodachi with the Razorock Game Changer or Lupo razors ?

never-stop-learning

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Staff member
@never-stop-learning, my order arrived yesterday. Here are a few hastily snapped pictures:
View attachment 1375086

View attachment 1375088

View attachment 1375089

View attachment 1375090


First impressions are that these razors are very well packaged and they exude an air of refinement and quality. I can see how some people refer to them as being like sports cars.
Tatara have cut back on the packaging, however, and the boxes that they come in don't have the magnetic catch that earlier versions had. These require one to slide the cork inner out of the cardboard outer cover.

Aesthetically they are in another class when compared to the Razorock offerings. But these are tools after all and the real test will be how they perform at their intended purpose.
Can one of them unseat my Game Changer .84 and Lupo .72 in ease of use and effectiveness ?

A full comparison will follow, but I couldn't resist shaving with the Nodachi this morning and it is much more aggressive than the Lupo with the .95 base plate with a lot more blade exposure.
I will have to take some time to learn to use it properly, but at this point, it is quite far from being an autopilot shaver.
Excellent! Congratulations! :)

I've completed my initial five test shaves with the Nodachi SB and find it to be medium efficient and nicely smooth. It responded well to my preferred steep angle.

One shave, so far, with the Nodachi OC. The OC has a lot more blade feel and seems to prefer a more neutral angle. Still dialing things in with the OC.

Looking forward to your further shaving impressions. :)
 
Excellent! Congratulations! :)

I've completed my initial five test shaves with the Nodachi SB and find it to be medium efficient and nicely smooth. It responded well to my preferred steep angle.

One shave, so far, with the Nodachi OC. The OC has a lot more blade feel and seems to prefer a more neutral angle. Still dialing things in with the OC.

Looking forward to your further shaving impressions. :)
When you say steep angle, do you mean closer to riding the bar than the cap ?
 
@never-stop-learning, my order arrived yesterday. Here are a few hastily snapped pictures:
View attachment 1375086

View attachment 1375088

View attachment 1375089

View attachment 1375090


First impressions are that these razors are very well packaged and they exude an air of refinement and quality. I can see how some people refer to them as being like sports cars.
Tatara have cut back on the packaging, however, and the boxes that they come in don't have the magnetic catch that earlier versions had. These require one to slide the cork inner out of the cardboard outer cover.

Aesthetically they are in another class when compared to the Razorock offerings. But these are tools after all and the real test will be how they perform at their intended purpose.
Can one of them unseat my Game Changer .84 and Lupo .72 in ease of use and effectiveness ?

A full comparison will follow, but I couldn't resist shaving with the Nodachi this morning and it is much more aggressive than the Lupo with the .95 base plate with a lot more blade exposure.
I will have to take some time to learn to use it properly, but at this point, it is quite far from being an autopilot shaver.
Congratulations. Keep us updated.
For me the full Nodachi configuration is on par with my R41 with a little built in safety.
Even the OC Masamune is quite efficient, and is what i have been using lately.
I do find the Nodachi handle on the heavy side. My sweet spot for razor weight is just around 100 g.
The razor clamps the blade really rigid. Does anyone know if there is any DE blade that is thinner then others?
I like to try a little thinner blade in this razor and compare it to a Kai blade.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
When you say steep angle, do you mean closer to riding the bar than the cap ?
Correct.

Ride the bar = steep.

Ride the cap = shallow.

Neutral is ~halfway between steep and shallow.

I prefer using a steep angle, but will use the optimal angle for each razor. The Nodachi SB works with a steep angle. The Nodachi OC seems to prefer a neutral angle. Will try a shallower angle today.
 
Correct.

Ride the bar = steep.

Ride the cap = shallow.

Neutral is ~halfway between steep and shallow.

I prefer using a steep angle, but will use the optimal angle for each razor. The Nodachi SB works with a steep angle. The Nodachi OC seems to prefer a neutral angle. Will try a shallower angle today.
For what it is worth, Tatara recommends a 24 deg shaving angle with these. But it all comes down to personal preference.
 
Correct.

Ride the bar = steep.

Ride the cap = shallow.

Neutral is ~halfway between steep and shallow.

I prefer using a steep angle, but will use the optimal angle for each razor. The Nodachi SB works with a steep angle. The Nodachi OC seems to prefer a neutral angle. Will try a shallower angle today.
Thanks. I have been aiming more towards the cap, but tried closer to the bar a bit this morning and it seemed to work quite well.
 
For what it is worth, Tatara recommends a 24 deg shaving angle with these. But it all comes down to personal preference.
Thanks for that reminder. I went and downloaded the picture from their website. I must admit, I find it hard to visualize the angles with the razor on my face. I will have to dig out a protractor and measure.
Since the blade is clamped quite firmly at a known angle with respect to the handle, it should be a small matter to determine the angle of the handle to the (theoretical) plane of the skin. That is a bit easier to see.

Of course, in the end, what really matters is that the shave is comfortable and effective.
So, before somebody says "Don't overthink it", I guess observing the recommended angle is a useful starting point. The rest is trial and error. And hopefully the errors are painless :)
 
Congratulations. Keep us updated.
For me the full Nodachi configuration is on par with my R41 with a little built in safety.
Even the OC Masamune is quite efficient, and is what i have been using lately.
I do find the Nodachi handle on the heavy side. My sweet spot for razor weight is just around 100 g.
The razor clamps the blade really rigid. Does anyone know if there is any DE blade that is thinner then others?
I like to try a little thinner blade in this razor and compare it to a Kai blade.
Thanks.
I was tempted to buy the Nodachi head with the Masamune handle because I also thought the Nodachi handle seemed too long and heavy.
After trying the full Nodachi as is, I find that it actually rests quite nicely in the palm of my hand in certain positions. It definitely has some heft to it but seems manageable for now.
It is early days yet though, and I am happy that I have the option to swop the parts as it suits me.

Hopefully somebody will answer your question about the blades.
It seems to be fairly well known that Kai blades can be used to increase a razors blade exposure, but I haven't heard of a corresponding blade that can be used to effectively decrease blade exposure.
 
I definitely change the angle when switching between SB and OC.

The angle is whatever feels right and gets good results. I didn't get on with full Nodachi handle but the mini-Nodachi is very nice - still prefer the standard Masamune though.
I have the mini Masamune handle. It seemed like a good idea when i ordered it, but it feels and looks more like a toy🥺 Drinking and shopping is not a good idea😎
 
Older topic, just thought I would add my experiences. I am a daily shaver with a normal (not heavy) beard, 50 years, Western Europe. Nothing extraordinary (beard growth wise).

I have both a Game Changer 0.84-P and a Masamune SB and OC. I use all. Here's my 2 cents:
  • nothing beats the GC 0.84-P. A no brainer to use, very comfortable during the shave, with an exceptional endresult (smooth) without skin irritation.
  • nothing beats the looks of the Masamune ;-) A thing of beauty!
  • Yes, the Masamune is mild (which I like very much), hardly any bladefeel (as with the GC), with a very good end result (no sting, smooth). It may take a bit more work than with the GC, but they are very close in my opinion. And what I have read about maintaining angle...... I do not agree. Shaves very user friendly and intuitive as well.
  • The Masamune OC was a big surprise for me. It approaches the GC in result, but you do feel and hear the blade a bit more during the shave. But with the same smooth end result. I find it the most comfortable OC razor I have owned so far (Fatip Picollo, Grande, RR Sloc, Karve CB OC-B)
  • Have I already mentioned the looks of the Masamune ;-)
  • I also still have a Muhle R89, but both razors give a far better shave than the R89. That says nothing about the quality of the R89, but everything about the other 2 razors.

Advise (whatever it's worth) in random order:
  • If you want looks... go for Tatara Masamune, with both plates (you may be surprised).
  • If you want an even better result (slightly) for less money, go with the RR GC 0.84-P.

Unlucky, I have no experience yet with the .68 P or OC plates, so can't help you there, but for me, the .84-P plate is just fine for daily use.
 
Thanks.
I was tempted to buy the Nodachi head with the Masamune handle because I also thought the Nodachi handle seemed too long and heavy.
After trying the full Nodachi as is, I find that it actually rests quite nicely in the palm of my hand in certain positions. It definitely has some heft to it but seems manageable for now.
It is early days yet though, and I am happy that I have the option to swop the parts as it suits me.

Hopefully somebody will answer your question about the blades.
It seems to be fairly well known that Kai blades can be used to increase a razors blade exposure, but I haven't heard of a corresponding blade that can be used to effectively decrease blade exposure.
Do you mind if I ask for an update on how you like the razors, or any combination of them plates/caps? Based on your original post at the start of the thread, it seems we have fairly similar face/hair types, so I definitely am eager to hear your thoughts. I'm trying to do a little opinion gathering of my own: Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/tatara-samurai-sword-alliance.619489/post-11881957
 
I am finally making good of my commitment to answering my own question that I originally posted.
Note that the OP was only about comparing Razorock Game Changers and Lupo's with the Tatara Masamune and Nodachi.

Here's what I have to say. Take it with a pinch of salt knowing that these are the only proper DE razors I have experience with. ( I also have some experience with a couple of DE RSO's)

Both Razorock and Tatara razors are very well machined with excellent designs, tight tolerances and exellent blade clamping.
The marine grade stainless steel of the Razorock is better than the stainless steel used in the Tatara razors. I got some rust staining on both my Tatara heads around the threaded post. I am not complaining though, but it may be important to some.

The Tatara handles are not slippery at all despite the lack of knurling. I actually like the long handle of the Nodachi.

The Razorock head profiles are very thin which makes it very easy for them to get into difficult places like under the nostrils. They feel like precision instruments to me.

If I had to compare the Razorock and Tatara models in question:
Masamune is between the GC.68 and the GC.84 in terms of efficiency, probably closer to the GC.84 but still noticibly milder. The Masamune feels a bit smoother to me than the Game Changers, probably because it has a thicker profile, but that also makes it more difficult to reach under the nostrils etc.

The Nodachi is more efficient than the GC.84, but nowhere near as aggressive as the Lupo.95. The blade gap feels much more noticable on the Nodachi compared to the GC.84. The Lupo's (.72 &.95) both have much more noticable blade feel than the Nodachi. Having said that, the Nodachi does have oodles of blade feel, it's just not in your face like that of the Lupo's.

I have found that I have to take the most care when shaving with the Lupo's than any of the other razors in question, followed by the Nodachi - but by a long margin.

The Nodachi is still quite close to being an "autopilot" razor like the Game Changers and the Masamune.

Mixing the Nodachi and Masamune base plates and top caps tones down the efficiency/aggressiveness of the Nodachi somewhat.
The Masamune top cap and Nodachi base plate is very comfortable, smooth and plenty efficient to me and the blade gap is noticable.
The Nodachi top cap and Masamune base plate is also very smooth but maybe a bit milder than the other combo. YMMV.

I think I may prefer the The Masamune top cap and Nodachi base plate combo over the full Nodachi.
I still really enjoy the full Masamune and the GC.84, and I do like the Lupo .72. I must add that I think the Lupo looks fantastic, especially with the barber pole handle. I don't spend a lot of time looking at these things though - I shave with them.

That pretty much sums up my experience over the last year or so. If you ask me to recommend one of these, I don't think I would be able to just pick one because there are too many variables.

Lastly, thank you to everybody who commented. It was a great deal of fun and I appreciate the effort and the community spirit.
 
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