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Comparing The Overlander, Blutt BR-1 1.20 and Drakkant+ Razors

Gentlemen
In the past couple of months I have received these razors and had time to get to know them pretty well. I have previously mentioned the Overlander and its qualities so I thought I would do a comparative review with a couple of other (in my mind) similar shavers.
I used the same blades in each razor (Feather, PolSilver and Wizamet) and used them in the same rotation in each shaver. So each razor got each blade brand new, 2nd shave, 3rd shave and the final 4th shave.

I also used the same soaps on the same blade rotations for each razor.

The other thing I have been seeing in the last while is how effective each razor is as far as the WTG and ATG passes are concerned. I have been using a 2 pass system with a bit of buffing as my performance matrix.

I purchased these razors due, in part, to reviews by Mr.Shavinton, GlazedBoker and others. I have found these to be extremely comfortable and efficient razors. There are some subtle performance differences between them all, however I have been very pleased with each razors performance throughout this "competition".

When I first started with the OverLander, I felt it was a decent looking razor, nothing spectacular but with good weight and balance. Blade clamping is fine and there is some auditory feedback as you shave. I found WTG to be Ok with a bit steeper angle than some of my other razors. Once I went ATG it was amazing. Very comfortable and REALLY efficient. I just went Wow! Very little buffing required.

The Blutt BR-1 1.20 falls into the not really compelling looking but well made and finished with nice balance and weight. Not quite as steep an angle to begin with and not much auditory feedback which is fine. Nothing is as loud as the Flatboy in my arsenal anyway. The WTG pass , again was ok with the ATG pass being the moneymaker. I'm starting to notice a trend. A bit more buffing needed but still very nice smooth shaving.

The Aylesworth Drakkant is the most noticeable razor as far as looks are concerned. With a squared off cap and a very "tread-like" design for the handle it also has a nice balance and weight. Well-made with good fit and finish. This razor has the best grip while shaving. Again, an ok WTG pass followed by a much better ATG pass. I have other razors which do give a better WTG pass but they also tend to require a bit more attention to technique. Efficient and comfortable. Again a bit more buffing needed but still well within very acceptable limits.

All the razors need a wipe down after shaving to prevent water spotting. I polished the Overlander cap to minimize any possible drag and to increase the visual aspect to the razor.

Now as to the performance ratings. All of them have a very intuitive feel to them as far as shaving, with the Overlander having a slightly steeper WTG angle than the other two. All are extremely easy to use and forgiving...I have experienced zero weepers, nicks or cuts. This is surprising to me...plus I finish off with the alum block and very little stinging at all which did increase somewhat as the blades went through their uses.

The best WTG is very close between all 3 razors so I'm gonna call this a tie. All passes with new blades were very similar...the differences came as the blades went through the rotation progression.

The best ATG pass goes to the OverLander. Just an amazing pass. I never cared for the Karve CB razor, too fiddily with all the plates etc. But they really got this razor nailed down. 10/10
Next is the Blutt. Very smooth and efficient ATG as well with a bit more buffing required, also more nimble than the Drakkant. 9.3/10
The Drakkant comes in 3rd with more buffing and a bit less agile at 8.9/10. But still a really good pass.

All razors shaved well with brand new blades. All blades. The Feathers are my favourites with the PolSilvers and Wizamets tying for second.

I tend to use my blades up to 4 times depending on razor. This may be more than a lot of you but I find out which razors will work and which ones prefer less uses per blade.

Again the OverLander comes in first with excellent shaves going down to pretty good with more buffing by the 4th shave.
Second place goes to the Blutt at good with more buffing required by the 4th shave. A bit more irritation but nothing terrible.
Third goes to the Drakkant at ok with more buffing than I prefer but still the irritation wasn't to the point of avoiding collared shirts.

All three clear soap and stubble easily.

All have textured handles with the Drakkant being the clear winner, OverLander second and the Blutt coming in third.

All give me shaves that last all day with a bit of stubble into the evening. As the blade progression went through the stubble began appearing earlier with each razor, the Drakkant coming in third. OverLander first and Blutt doing second.

I can honestly say that I am more than happy with all three of these razors. Very comfortable, intuitive, smooth, efficient and easy to use. The biggest bang for the buck is the OverLander as well. I'm pretty sure I will be keeping all three of these shavers, reaching for anyone of them is easy and delivers great shaving. Cheers

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Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Gentlemen
In the past couple of months I have received these razors and had time to get to know them pretty well. I have previously mentioned the Overlander and its qualities so I thought I would do a comparative review with a couple of other (in my mind) similar shavers.
I used the same blades in each razor (Feather, PolSilver and Wizamet) and used them in the same rotation in each shaver. So each razor got each blade brand new, 2nd shave, 3rd shave and the final 4th shave.

I also used the same soaps on the same blade rotations for each razor.

The other thing I have been seeing in the last while is how effective each razor is as far as the WTG and ATG passes are concerned. I have been using a 2 pass system with a bit of buffing as my performance matrix.

I purchased these razors due, in part, to reviews by Mr.Shavinton, GlazedBoker and others. I have found these to be extremely comfortable and efficient razors. There are some subtle performance differences between them all, however I have been very pleased with each razors performance throughout this "competition".

When I first started with the OverLander, I felt it was a decent looking razor, nothing spectacular but with good weight and balance. Blade clamping is fine and there is some auditory feedback as you shave. I found WTG to be Ok with a bit steeper angle than some of my other razors. Once I went ATG it was amazing. Very comfortable and REALLY efficient. I just went Wow! Very little buffing required.

The Blutt BR-1 1.20 falls into the not really compelling looking but well made and finished with nice balance and weight. Not quite as steep an angle to begin with and not much auditory feedback which is fine. Nothing is as loud as the Flatboy in my arsenal anyway. The WTG pass , again was ok with the ATG pass being the moneymaker. I'm starting to notice a trend. A bit more buffing needed but still very nice smooth shaving.

The Aylesworth Drakkant is the most noticeable razor as far as looks are concerned. With a squared off cap and a very "tread-like" design for the handle it also has a nice balance and weight. Well-made with good fit and finish. This razor has the best grip while shaving. Again, an ok WTG pass followed by a much better ATG pass. I have other razors which do give a better WTG pass but they also tend to require a bit more attention to technique. Efficient and comfortable. Again a bit more buffing needed but still well within very acceptable limits.

All the razors need a wipe down after shaving to prevent water spotting. I polished the Overlander cap to minimize any possible drag and to increase the visual aspect to the razor.

Now as to the performance ratings. All of them have a very intuitive feel to them as far as shaving, with the Overlander having a slightly steeper WTG angle than the other two. All are extremely easy to use and forgiving...I have experienced zero weepers, nicks or cuts. This is surprising to me...plus I finish off with the alum block and very little stinging at all which did increase somewhat as the blades went through their uses.

The best WTG is very close between all 3 razors so I'm gonna call this a tie. All passes with new blades were very similar...the differences came as the blades went through the rotation progression.

The best ATG pass goes to the OverLander. Just an amazing pass. I never cared for the Karve CB razor, too fiddily with all the plates etc. But they really got this razor nailed down. 10/10
Next is the Blutt. Very smooth and efficient ATG as well with a bit more buffing required, also more nimble than the Drakkant. 9.3/10
The Drakkant comes in 3rd with more buffing and a bit less agile at 8.9/10. But still a really good pass.

All razors shaved well with brand new blades. All blades. The Feathers are my favourites with the PolSilvers and Wizamets tying for second.

I tend to use my blades up to 4 times depending on razor. This may be more than a lot of you but I find out which razors will work and which ones prefer less uses per blade.

Again the OverLander comes in first with excellent shaves going down to pretty good with more buffing by the 4th shave.
Second place goes to the Blutt at good with more buffing required by the 4th shave. A bit more irritation but nothing terrible.
Third goes to the Drakkant at ok with more buffing than I prefer but still the irritation wasn't to the point of avoiding collared shirts.

All three clear soap and stubble easily.

All have textured handles with the Drakkant being the clear winner, OverLander second and the Blutt coming in third.

All give me shaves that last all day with a bit of stubble into the evening. As the blade progression went through the stubble began appearing earlier with each razor, the Drakkant coming in third. OverLander first and Blutt doing second.

I can honestly say that I am more than happy with all three of these razors. Very comfortable, intuitive, smooth, efficient and easy to use. The biggest bang for the buck is the OverLander as well. I'm pretty sure I will be keeping all three of these shavers, reaching for anyone of them is easy and delivers great shaving. Cheers

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I also say a huge "thank you" for your detailed review. I have only used the Blutt BR-1 twice, with my third coming up in a little while. I love it.. I am using the .86 base plate at the moment and the buffing requirement for me is very similar to my Claymore Evolution. I'm guessing the 1.20 will be more efficient for me, but time will tell.

I bought an Overlander here on BST and had the seller ship it to Chris @ Back Roads Gold for a 24K hardened gold replate. It got to Billings, Montana late Friday so I'm guessing it will be on his list sometime Monday. He's very efficient... fast turn around times.

I hope I like it as much as you do, Huck. I think I will.
 
Very helpful comparison, thanks. I was curious about the Drakkant+ and this is the ideal pair of razors to compare it with. I would have expected the Blutt 1.20 to give a longer lasting shave than the Overlander, but it seems you did not find it to be the case. In the end, I’m sure I would agree with you that all three are excellent choices.
 
Interesting. Didn't you also said that you have/had a Lambda Athena razor too? If so, how does it perform against those razors? I'm asking, because I have an Overlander on it's way and I'm thinking about getting either a Blutt 1.20 or a Lambda Athena.
 
Interesting. Didn't you also said that you have/had a Lambda Athena razor too? If so, how does it perform against those razors? I'm asking, because I have an Overlander on it's way and I'm thinking about getting either a Blutt 1.20 or a Lambda Athena.
I am so glad you asked. The Athena is, to me, right up there with the OverLander. Actually, a better WTG pass and then to polish it off a very good ATG pass with a minimum of buffing. The Athena is my absolute favourite razor because of looks and performance. I would go with the Athena just because of the looks coupled with its very good shaving characteristics. I still like the Blutt but the Athena is the grail razor to me.
 
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Also, in retrospect, I will be seeing how efficient any other razors(s) I may try will be as far as the ATG pass is concerned. That is going to be my performance matrix from here on in. Actually, I may start with the ATG first just to see how my razors perform.
 
@huck1680 , have you commenced your ATG-first trials yet?
Yes I have. Its taking a while to get used to because doing the ATG first is not how I've been shaving for most of my life. I'm happy to say that so far I've done 3 razors (out of 9) starting with the ATG and they've all done very well. The funny thing is I still use a 2 pass shave but both are ATG. I do use a bit of WTG buffing to clean up around the moustache and goatee.
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Is the Overlander’s ATG still working better for you as first pass or have any of the others claimed that spot?
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
A short update. I posted a longer one here: Blutt plate decision - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/blutt-plate-decision.628454/page-3#post-11976838 post 47 and following.

For me, the Overlander (mine has been plated in 24K hardened gold by Chris Spencer @ Back Roads Gold, if that makes a difference), and the Blutt BR-1 with the .86 base plate are very similar. They both provide an excellent mild but efficient shave.

I used the Blutt BR-1 with the 1.20 base plate yesterday. What an absolutely mind blowing shave for me. It is a step up in efficiency but for me, there was no sacrifice of smoothness. I didn't feel like I was in danger at any time...WTG ATG... no problem. I do like the fact that the end of the blade is closer to the end of the cap and base plate as opposed to the Overlander due to the fact the Overlander cap completely covers the blade tabs. If you look at the RR Lupo design, you can see how they relieved the corner a bit while still covering the tab... which to me is a very nice design element.
 
A short update. I posted a longer one here: Blutt plate decision - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/blutt-plate-decision.628454/page-3#post-11976838 post 47 and following.

For me, the Overlander (mine has been plated in 24K hardened gold by Chris Spencer @ Back Roads Gold, if that makes a difference), and the Blutt BR-1 with the .86 base plate are very similar. They both provide an excellent mild but efficient shave.

I used the Blutt BR-1 with the 1.20 base plate yesterday. What an absolutely mind blowing shave for me. It is a step up in efficiency but for me, there was no sacrifice of smoothness. I didn't feel like I was in danger at any time...WTG ATG... no problem. I do like the fact that the end of the blade is closer to the end of the cap and base plate as opposed to the Overlander due to the fact the Overlander cap completely covers the blade tabs. If you look at the RR Lupo design, you can see how they relieved the corner a bit while still covering the tab... which to me is a very nice design element.


Would you recommend the Blutt 1.20 to someone who owns an Overlander? I mean, if both razors are very similar is there a point of getting the more expensive one or there's a difference and is worth it?
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Would you recommend the Blutt 1.20 to someone who owns an Overlander? I mean, if both razors are very similar is there a point of getting the more expensive one or there's a difference and is worth it?
The Blutt 1.20 if what I call a full step up in efficiency than the Overlander. The Blutt BR-1 with the .86 base plate works very similarly to my Overland... for me, at least.

I've been pondering selling my Overland because I can just switch out base plates on the Blutt and get what seems to me to be identical results. I have to admit, the Gold Plated Overlander is a thing of beauty, however.... so I might just hang on to it.
 
The Blutt 1.20 if what I call a full step up in efficiency than the Overlander. The Blutt BR-1 with the .86 base plate works very similarly to my Overland... for me, at least.

I've been pondering selling my Overland because I can just switch out base plates on the Blutt and get what seems to me to be identical results. I have to admit, the Gold Plated Overlander is a thing of beauty, however.... so I might just hang on to it.

I haven't got my Overlander yet, but the Blutt 1.20 and the Lambda Athena are on my ''maybe'' wish list and I might buy both at some point. At the moment, no other modern razor peaks my interest and I even gave up on the Greencult, because I'm sure the razor is going to be good, but I'm looking for something fantastic and mindblowing and I doubt that the Greencult would be on the same level as the Overlander, Blutt and Athena.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
I'm trying to figure out a way to buy an Athena from his next release. I've emailed and FB messaged Theo and have a "notify me when it gets back in stock" at The Razor Company... so we'll see if that happens.... that is the only razor on my radar at the moment.. well, other than the upcoming new RR slant they are going to release in mid to late November along with their Lupo 72OC base plate.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
A short update. I posted a longer one here: Blutt plate decision - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/blutt-plate-decision.628454/page-3#post-11976838 post 47 and following.

For me, the Overlander (mine has been plated in 24K hardened gold by Chris Spencer @ Back Roads Gold, if that makes a difference), and the Blutt BR-1 with the .86 base plate are very similar. They both provide an excellent mild but efficient shave.

I used the Blutt BR-1 with the 1.20 base plate yesterday. What an absolutely mind blowing shave for me. It is a step up in efficiency but for me, there was no sacrifice of smoothness. I didn't feel like I was in danger at any time...WTG ATG... no problem. I do like the fact that the end of the blade is closer to the end of the cap and base plate as opposed to the Overlander due to the fact the Overlander cap completely covers the blade tabs. If you look at the RR Lupo design, you can see how they relieved the corner a bit while still covering the tab... which to me is a very nice design element.
Here's an accompanying photograph: the Blutt BR-1 with the 1.20 base plate. You can see the larger gap in the razor head, I believe:
RE-SOTD 10_19_2022.jpg
 
I haven't got my Overlander yet, but the Blutt 1.20 and the Lambda Athena are on my ''maybe'' wish list and I might buy both at some point. At the moment, no other modern razor peaks my interest and I even gave up on the Greencult, because I'm sure the razor is going to be good, but I'm looking for something fantastic and mindblowing and I doubt that the Greencult would be on the same level as the Overlander, Blutt and Athena.
You are 100% correct about those three razors. I have them all.
 
Here's another update/revelation I just had. Ive been trying the ATG as a first and second pass and whereas it works very well, I still need to go WTG as far as shaving around the 'stache and goatee. So todays shave was my normal WTG and then ATG. Excellent results, so I'm thinking my just going ATG as an experiment was just that...an experiment. Also, just as a sidebar...All the razors I currently own do a very good job in two passes with some buffing. I enjoy rotating through the 9 I have because after years of owning, selling and trying hundreds of razors...I have a small collection of excellent shavers that work superbly for me. My all-time fave though is the Athena...a work of art.
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Here's another update/revelation I just had. Ive been trying the ATG as a first and second pass and whereas it works very well, I still need to go WTG as far as shaving around the 'stache and goatee. So todays shave was my normal WTG and then ATG. Excellent results, so I'm thinking my just going ATG as an experiment was just that...an experiment. Also, just as a sidebar...All the razors I currently own do a very good job in two passes with some buffing. I enjoy rotating through the 9 I have because after years of owning, selling and trying hundreds of razors...I have a small collection of excellent shavers that work superbly for me. My all-time fave though is the Athena...a work of art.
You Athena fans have me corresponding with Theo via email. I'm on the list for his next release. As I've posted here, I told him... the Athena is the most beautiful razor I've ever seen... and that's just from low rez photos online. I'm sure it's even more spectacular in real life.

I'm hoping that will be my last razor for a while. I have a small number by B&B standards but way more than I "need", that's for sure. I am fortunate though... all the razors I've purchased and tried have been stellar, each and every one. Yes, B&B enables us... but it also prevents ill-advise purchases.
 
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