Comparison of DE Razors in My Den From ~$75 to ~$125 (USD)

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

David, how many adjustment settings are on the Pearl Flexi V2? I don't know the razor at all and don't know if it's 1-5 or 1-9 or what so the 3 and 4 settings don't mean much to me.

The adjustable I've used the most in recent decades is the Gillette Executive which is I think a tad better than the Fatboy (maybe just because it's gold or maybe my Fatboy is not quite in the shape my Executive is). Anyway, the Executive has settings between 1-9. The setting which works well enough for me and is comfortable enough for me is setting #5. I can use the razor on any of its settings, and find it shaves surprisingly well on the lowest setting which is #1, is not too very harsh on setting #9, but seems best for daily use on setting #5.

Of course I only have my face and skin to deal with, and my whiskers. Gillette intended #5 to be just right for most people, and either #4 or #6 to suit most everyone else. The setting are on a bell curve (or rather, the shavers are).

I'd assume something similar with other adjustables.

I agree most adjustables I've used top heavy and clunky as opposed to the nimble sports cars of the shaving world, but the Executive is very well balanced and doesn't feel clunky in my use of it compared to the few other adjustables I've used. In my view, the proportions and weights and sizes of the various components of the Executive are just right, and the balance is perfect. Gillette did not need to slim the razor because it was just right.





Much of this is a shameless plug for my new book.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[never-stop-learning]

David, how many adjustment settings are on the Pearl Flexi V2? I don't know the razor at all and don't know if it's 1-5 or 1-9 or what so the 3 and 4 settings don't mean much to me.

The adjustable I've used the most in recent decades is the Gillette Executive which is I think a tad better than the Fatboy (maybe just because it's gold or maybe my Fatboy is not quite in the shape my Executive is). Anyway, the Executive has settings between 1-9. The setting which works well enough for me and is comfortable enough for me is setting #5. I can use the razor on any of its settings, and find it shaves surprisingly well on the lowest setting which is #1, is not too very harsh on setting #9, but seems best for daily use on setting #5.

Of course I only have my face and skin to deal with, and my whiskers. Gillette intended #5 to be just right for most people, and either #4 or #6 to suit most everyone else. The setting are on a bell curve (or rather, the shavers are).

I'd assume something similar with other adjustables.

I agree most adjustables I've used top heavy and clunky as opposed to the nimble sports cars of the shaving world, but the Executive is very well balanced and doesn't feel clunky in my use of it compared to the few other adjustables I've used. In my view, the proportions and weights and sizes of the various components of the Executive are just right, and the balance is perfect. Gillette did not need to slim the razor because it was just right.


View attachment 1235513


Much of this is a shameless plug for my new book.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Good morning, Jim.

The adjustment range is 1 - 6. The adjustment appears to be linear, so the midpoint would be somewhere between 3 - 4.

Read on some Rex Ambassador threads that the '3' setting is supposed to line up, efficiency-wise, to the Rex Envoy. From my experience with the Envoy, the '3' setting on the Flexi v2 is not as efficient as the Envoy. Hence, my next Flexi v2 shave will start at the '4' setting and see where we go from there.

No doubt that the Gillette Slim and the Executive are less massive than the Flexi v2, but they are still less nimble and maneuverable than the razors I mentioned in my post.

Each shaver has to weigh, for himself, the pros and cons of the nimble vs. adjustable question.

I want to get a few more shaves with the Flexi v2 to help me zero in on where it stands - both in comparison to the razors in the $75 - $125 group and also against the best (in my opinion) razors in my Den.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

Each shaver has to weigh, for himself, the pros and cons of the nimble vs. adjustable question.

I agree with you and, like you, prefer the more nimble razors. Leaving aside razors with multiple plates, I think adjustable razors make the most sense if you are going to change settings during the course of a shave. Some folks like to start mild and move to more aggressive, some like to do the opposite and some change settings for different areas of their face, neck and/or head. With the adjustables I have owned, I tended to find the setting I liked and just keep it there throughout the shave. In fact, once I found my favorite setting wtih a Black Beauty, Progress or Futur, I just left it at that setting for good. In my case, therefore, there was no benefit from the adjustable, only the downside of it being more cumbersome.

Another potential reason for an adjustable, I suppose, is if you don't want to experiment with different razors to find the non-adjustable that best suits you in terms of efficiency and aggressiveness. That's a perfectly sensible approach, particularly for a beginner, but the truth is that most of us on this forum like nothing better than experimenting with different razors.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I agree with you and, like you, prefer the more nimble razors. Leaving aside razors with multiple plates, I think adjustable razors make the most sense if you are going to change settings during the course of a shave. Some folks like to start mild and move to more aggressive, some like to do the opposite and some change settings for different areas of their face, neck and/or head. With the adjustables I have owned, I tended to find the setting I liked and just keep it there throughout the shave. In fact, once I found my favorite setting wtih a Black Beauty, Progress or Futur, I just left it at that setting for good. In my case, therefore, there was no benefit from the adjustable, only the downside of it being more cumbersome.

Another potential reason for an adjustable, I suppose, is if you don't want to experiment with different razors to find the non-adjustable that best suits you in terms of efficiency and aggressiveness. That's a perfectly sensible approach, particularly for a beginner, but the truth is that most of us on this forum like nothing better than experimenting with different razors.

Definite +1. Great post.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I agree with you and, like you, prefer the more nimble razors. Leaving aside razors with multiple plates, I think adjustable razors make the most sense if you are going to change settings during the course of a shave. Some folks like to start mild and move to more aggressive, some like to do the opposite and some change settings for different areas of their face, neck and/or head. With the adjustables I have owned, I tended to find the setting I liked and just keep it there throughout the shave. In fact, once I found my favorite setting wtih a Black Beauty, Progress or Futur, I just left it at that setting for good. In my case, therefore, there was no benefit from the adjustable, only the downside of it being more cumbersome.

Another potential reason for an adjustable, I suppose, is if you don't want to experiment with different razors to find the non-adjustable that best suits you in terms of efficiency and aggressiveness. That's a perfectly sensible approach, particularly for a beginner, but the truth is that most of us on this forum like nothing better than experimenting with different razors.

I theory I don't like the Gillette Executive at all. It's too big, too tank-like. The head is huge. Etc. I agree with you entirely.

In practice I like the Executive a lot. It gives me good, and easy enough shaves, and is far more "nimble" than it has any right to be. Once I figured out that setting #5 seems best on my skin and whiskers, I've not modified the setting, but I might use setting #1 sometime for a second in the day, evening shave before a dinner party (not that I go to dinner parties, but one never knows).

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[never-stop-learning]

20200319

The FOCS is a wonderful razor and an exceptional value!

 

[never-stop-learning]

20210322 - Monday's Shave

Razor: RazoRock Stainless Lupo .72 SB (Trident Razors Ti G2 Albion Handle)
Blade: Feather (1)
Brush: Rudy Vey Lime Swirl (Shavemac D01 2-Band Badger)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Martin de Candre Fougère
Aftershave: Brut Classic

Revisiting the Lupo .72 to see how it stacks up against the Big Dog razors that have been grabbing my attention lately.

Background: My beard is old, gray, very chaotic (grows in swirls and multiple directions) and generally a challenge for whatever razor I've chosen to use that day.

The Lupo .72 is a very good razor, especially for the money. Great construction and looks.

Had a very nice shave with the Lupo .72. Smooth, moderately efficient and moderately effective. Needs more touch-ups than the more efficient razors in my Den. My 'problem areas' were a bit of a challenge and some very minor (invisible to the eye) stubble remained in those areas.

Is it a 'giant killer'? In my opinion, no. It is not in the same rotation with the (admittedly far more expensive) 'Big Dogs' in my Den: Blackland Vector, Blackbirds (Ti, Brass & Stainless) and Sabre L2; Timeless Ti Slim SB & .68 SB; Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB; Charcoal Goods Brass Level 2 Gen 2.

In comparably (to the Lupo) priced razors, I find myself shaving more with the Ikon B1 Standard and Karve Brass than I do with the Lupo. Also the Rex Envoy, which is approximately 2x the cost of the Lupo .72.

These are my personal preferences. The Lupo .72 is a very good razor which will remain in my Den. I just prefer the above mentioned razors on my face and with my beard.

All in all, I got a Very Nice Shave with the Lupo .72!

 

[Bglayer]

20210322 - Monday's Shave
View attachment 1240775
Razor: RazoRock Stainless Lupo .72 SB (Trident Razors Ti G2 Albion Handle)
Blade: Feather (1)
Brush: Rudy Vey Lime Swirl (Shavemac D01 2-Band Badger)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Martin de Candre Fougère
Aftershave: Brut Classic

Revisiting the Lupo .72 to see how it stacks up against the Big Dog razors that have been grabbing my attention lately.

Background: My beard is old, gray, very chaotic (grows in swirls and multiple directions) and generally a challenge for whatever razor I've chosen to use that day.

The Lupo .72 is a very good razor, especially for the money. Great construction and looks.

Had a very nice shave with the Lupo .72. Smooth, moderately efficient and moderately effective. Needs more touch-ups than the more efficient razors in my Den. My 'problem areas' were a bit of a challenge and some very minor (invisible to the eye) stubble remained in those areas.

Is it a 'giant killer'? In my opinion, no. It is not in the same rotation with the (admittedly far more expensive) 'Big Dogs' in my Den: Blackland Vector, Blackbirds (Ti, Brass & Stainless) and Sabre L2; Timeless Ti Slim SB & .68 SB; Wolfman WR2 1.25 SB; Charcoal Goods Brass Level 2 Gen 2.

In comparably (to the Lupo) priced razors, I find myself shaving more with the Ikon B1 Standard and Karve Brass than I do with the Lupo. Also the Rex Envoy, which is approximately 2x the cost of the Lupo .72.

These are my personal preferences. The Lupo .72 is a very good razor which will remain in my Den. I just prefer the above mentioned razors on my face and with my beard.

All in all, I got a Very Nice Shave with the Lupo .72!

I just got my Lupo 72 today and had my first shave with it.In another post you said it was very similar to the gamechanger .84.I know it's early days but i completely agree.IMO there is a little less blade feel with the Lupo but the efficiency seemed to be the same.Now my thoughts are heading towards the lupo 95.Have you tried the lupo 95?This is never going to end is it lol.

 

[Ketotrader]

The lupo .95 is all I have...did nit get the .72 plate yet....I just love the .95 lupo....excellent performance and irritation free

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[never-stop-learning]

I just got my Lupo 72 today and had my first shave with it.In another post you said it was very similar to the gamechanger .84.I know it's early days but i completely agree.IMO there is a little less blade feel with the Lupo but the efficiency seemed to be the same.Now my thoughts are heading towards the lupo 95.Have you tried the lupo 95?This is never going to end is it lol.

The lupo .95 is all I have...did nit get the .72 plate yet....I just love the .95 lupo....excellent performance and irritation free

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I have the Lupo .95 and posted my comments earlier in this thread. To recap:

*The Lupo .95 is the most efficient razor in the Lupo line.
*The efficiency is at the cost of a small amount of smoothness in comparison with the Lupo .72.
*The GC84P is still very capable of excellent results.
*All three of these razors are very good razors.

 

[never-stop-learning]

20210323
The Shave:

Razor: RazoRock Stainless Lupo .95 SB (Trident Razors Ti G2 Albion)
Blade: Feather (2)
Brush: Rudy Vey Keyhole (Shavemac 24mm 2-Band Silvertip)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Martin de Candre Fougère

Post Shave:

Moisturiser: Nivea Post Shave Balm + Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Bootlegger's Bay Rum

Revisited the Lupo .72 yesterday. Revisiting the Lupo .95 today.

To reiterate: My beard is old, gray, barbed wire. Very chaotic (grows in swirls and multiple directions) and generally a challenge for whatever razor I've chosen to use that day.

The Lupo .95 is an excellent value and a very good razor. As with the Lupo .72, the .95 exhibits solid construction and it looks great.

The Lupo .95 is definitely more efficient than the .72, but at the expense of a bit of smoothness. Overall, I'd peg the .95 as moderately++ effective. Needs minimal touch-ups. The .95 also handled my 'problem areas' better than the .72, but still not quite as effectively as the 'Big Dogs'. The Feather blade really helps in this respect.

Posing the same question: Is the Lupo .95 a 'giant killer'? In my opinion, not quite - but it is closer than the .72 to this measure and is definitely knocking at the door of my 'Runs With The Big Dogs' group.

These are my personal preferences. The Lupo .95 (like the Lupo .72) is a very good razor which will remain in my Den.

As always, YMMV.

Bottom line: I got a Great Shave with the Lupo .95 this evening!

 

[J. Arturo Navarrete]

Hi, have you tried the lupo DC (dual comb) and how similar is it to the Ikon dual comb? How would you rank this Lupo among the other two (.72 and .95) in efficiency and smoothness? It is that in the forums almost nobody talks about this Lupo.

 

[The Seasonal Shaver]

I do not have the Ikon, but I did just pick up the Lupo DC. I'll report back after I shave!

 

[never-stop-learning]

Hi, have you tried the lupo DC (dual comb) and how similar is it to the Ikon dual comb? How would you rank this Lupo among the other two (.72 and .95) in efficiency and smoothness? It is that in the forums almost nobody talks about this Lupo.

The Ikon DC is the opposite of most DCs. With the Ikon, the OC is mild and the SB is highly efficient. Personally, I prefer the Ikon B1 Standard plate - highly efficient SB on both sides.

The B1 Standard is (to me) slightly more efficient than the Lupo .95 and (again, to me) slightly smoother. The B1 Standard is marginally less efficient than the Ikon TEK, and is definitely smoother.

The other razor to consider (if you are looking for highly efficient, smooth and very effective) is the Blackland Razors Dart.

Just my opinion and YMMV.

 

[J. Arturo Navarrete]

Thanks a lot of never-stop-learning for your comments. Between the razors: dart of blackland, the rex envoy and the razorock Lupo .95 what do you recommend for the efficiency and smooth? I only can I will have one. Thanks again.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Thanks a lot of never-stop-learning for your comments. Between the razors: dart of blackland, the rex envoy and the razorock Lupo .95 what do you recommend for the efficiency and smooth? I only can I will have one. Thanks again.

The Blackland Dart, RazoRock Lupo .95 and Rex Envoy are all excellent razors capable of excellent results.

I can tell you which of these three I prefer but, in my opinion, it depends on what is important to you. What razors have you tried? What did you like? What did you not like?

Please help me understand your razor priorities and I'll do my best to offer a good recommendation.

 

[J. Arturo Navarrete]

Thank you you never stop learning. I like a razor that is highly efficient and feels a bit like the razor blade, but in a nice, smooth way and that doesn't constantly feel the threat that it's going to cut me, that is, be forgiving. I would like it to be of great quality and that despite its modest price it could compete with a higher priced or luxury razor in terms of build quality and excellent shaving.

I've tried and like razorock's .84 SB, OC .68 and mamba 70 game changer, the Rockwell 6s on plate 5 and 6, a 1950's aristocrat gillette and Fatboy on 4.

I want to buy but only one of these: dart blackland, the rex envoy or the Lupo .95 SB razorock and I have heard that all three are very good and as a connoisseur (I like your opinions) I think you could help me decide which is the best value for money in performance, build quality, very efficient and still nice shave and that could compete or knock on the door of the big boys.
Thanks a lot again

Greetings

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Thanks a lot of never-stop-learning for your comments. Between the razors: dart of blackland, the rex envoy and the razorock Lupo .95 what do you recommend for the efficiency and smooth? I only can I will have one. Thanks again.

Hi, just me hijacking the conversation.

Buy one of these and save yourself a lot of time and money.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[never-stop-learning]

Thank you you never stop learning. I like a razor that is highly efficient and feels a bit like the razor blade, but in a nice, smooth way and that doesn't constantly feel the threat that it's going to cut me, that is, be forgiving. I would like it to be of great quality and that despite its modest price it could compete with a higher priced or luxury razor in terms of build quality and excellent shaving.

I've tried and like razorock's .84 SB, OC .68 and mamba 70 game changer, the Rockwell 6s on plate 5 and 6, a 1950's aristocrat gillette and Fatboy on 4.

I want to buy but only one of these: dart blackland, the rex envoy or the Lupo .95 SB razorock and I have heard that all three are very good and as a connoisseur (I like your opinions) I think you could help me decide which is the best value for money in performance, build quality, very efficient and still nice shave and that could compete or knock on the door of the big boys.
Thanks a lot again

Greetings

The Fatip Lo Storto Originale that my fellow BOSC inmate @Chan Eil Whiskers recommends is an excellent razor and an excellent value, but not on the list you asked me to consider.

How I rank razors:

Top Tier or 'Big Dogs': My frequent and regular rotation. The razors that give me my most satisfying shaves. Some of my current 'Big Dogs' include: Blackland Vector, Blackland Ti Blackbird, Blackland Sabre, Timeless Ti Slim, Charcoal Goods Brass Gen2, Wolfman WR2.

Some of the razors that 'Run With The Big Dogs': Blackland Dart, ATT Windsor Mixed Metal, Rex Envoy, Ikon B1 Standard, RazoRock Lupo .95, Fatip Lo Storto Originale.

Of the three you've asked me to choose from:

Blackland Dart: Very flexible: Highly efficient with a steep angle, moderately efficient with a shallow angle. Moderate blade feel with excellent blade support to keep everything under control. Really nice fit & finish - the Dart is a pretty razor. In the hands of an experienced shaver, the Dart definitely runs with the Top Tier of razors in my Den.

Rex Envoy: Medium++ efficient. Not as efficient as the Dart, but slightly more blade feel. Excellent fit & finish. One of the best gripping handles out there. Another razor that runs with the Top Tier of razors in my Den.

RazoRock Lupo .95: Efficient with moderate blade feel. More efficient than the Envoy, less efficient than the Dart. More forgiving than the Dart.

If I'm choosing one (and only one) for me, I'd choose the Blackland Dart.

Please note, however, that you really can't go wrong with any of the three razors on your short list.

Just my opinion and YMMV.

Hope this helps.

 

[J. Arturo Navarrete]

Thank you very much you never-stop-learning. Yes it helps a lot. I'll go with the dart of blackland. Thank you all also for your comments. Greetings