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

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Well, I'm probably a wrong guy to ask, as Hawk V3 is my sole AC-type SE razor. I haven't used/tried any other and frankly I don't intend to either, at least for the time being.

My Hawk v3 is standard base plate, not an OC. There is also an "A" type base plate, pertaining to be an aggressive version, but all the users report that A is no different than SB, while OC is somewhat more aggressive than either A or SB. Go figure...

I've also "arrived" to Hawk from Feather AC SS, which BTW I find to be an excellent SR/shavette. That said, Hawk is much easier to use, maneuver over my face than my AC. I have the non-folding version with black resin handle.

Bottom-line is that Hawk v3 loaded with Feather Pro Super blades is my favorite razor, the one I reach for all the time.

I am sure Vector is an awesome razor, too, but I have no first hand experience. To me personally, the Colonial General V2 looks more appealing, more well-balanced. I actually don't fancy Vectors tiny head, I think it requires learning an uncommon shaving technique, as you need to apply pressure, opposed to letting the weight do the job. Just my $0.02...
Thanks for the info. I have found most AC SE razors to be very harsh on my face. And the shave results are not great. But as you know, YMMV. I get super close irritation free shaves from my Feather Artist Club razor. I have the lime green folding SS model that goes on sale on Amazon from time to time. It works great! Was hoping to find an AC SE that would deliver similar results. Have not found it yet. Cheers!
 
Thanks for the info. I have found most AC SE razors to be very harsh on my face. And the shave results are not great. But as you know, YMMV. I get super close irritation free shaves from my Feather Artist Club razor. I have the lime green folding SS model that goes on sale on Amazon from time to time. It works great! Was hoping to find an AC SE that would deliver similar results. Have not found it yet. Cheers!
I think a LOT will depend on the type of blades you use, with a particular razor.

Hawk v3 is a mild razor. On the RR product page, they rank it a 5 with regular blades.

My own aggressiveness ranking is 6-6.5 with Feather Pro Supers. It shaves closely, yet it's mild and joy to use.

Off course YMMV, as always and will depend on lather quality, technique, etc, etc, as well.
 

BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
I think a LOT will depend on the type of blades you use, with a particular razor.

I have tried it with a Schick Proline, Feather Pro, and Kai Captain Mild (pink). So far no joy. As harsh as that razor feels to me with a regular Feather Pro, I wouldnt dare try it with a super. I will give it a few more tries before it hits the BST. I may try to stick a ProGuard in there just for yucks. Cheers.
 
I have tried it with a Schick Proline, Feather Pro, and Kai Captain Mild (pink). So far no joy. As harsh as that razor feels to me with a regular Feather Pro, I wouldnt dare try it with a super. I will give it a few more tries before it hits the BST. I may try to stick a ProGuard in there just for yucks. Cheers.
I had, and sold, the Hawk V3 with both the regular and open comb plates. I found it to be mild with Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades. I found it unusably harsh with a Feather Pro Super. I sold it because it was not as efficient as I wanted unless I used the very uncomfortable Pro blades. My favorite AC razor so far is the Classic Shaving Enoch. With Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades it is very efficient but also very smooth. At it's introductory price of about $65 it was a very good buy.

With all of that said, I would pick up a Vector today if it were priced around $100. I just don't see myself buying a $200 razor.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
This has been a great thread David @never-stop-learning! It cost me $60 purchasing a GC 84 while I await reacquiring a Wolfman. Excellent reviews on what sound like some great value razors. And your brush collection is always a treat to behold (I see some familiar brushes)!

Thank you, my friend. :)

The brushes I've gotten from you are excellent, indeed. :thumbup:
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
@never-stop-learning and @DaveHStone ... so is it a valid assumption that if I dont care for the Hawk V3, then I would probably not like the Vector? As much as I LOVE the Feather Artist Club razor, I can not seem to get along with any of the AC SE razors. And I dont want to spend a ton of money to find out I wont like the Vector either. I already have the Hawk V3 and dont like it.

The difference between the Vector (SB and OC) and other AC safety razors is the design and construction of the head. The result is a head that shaves unlike any other AC safety razor in my Den.

The result is an AC razor that negotiates my face like a smaller blade format. Nimble and maneuverable.

My preferred configuration is the OC plus either the Kai Captain Titan Protouch MG (guard) or Schick Proline (no guard).

It's always difficult to recommend a razor to others because we all have different faces, beards, skin, etc. All I can do is state that this is my favorite AC razor and tied with a very few other razors for my overall favorite.

Just my opinion and YMMV. :)
 
I had, and sold, the Hawk V3 with both the regular and open comb plates. I found it to be mild with Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades. I found it unusably harsh with a Feather Pro Super. I sold it because it was not as efficient as I wanted unless I used the very uncomfortable Pro blades. My favorite AC razor so far is the Classic Shaving Enoch. With Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades it is very efficient but also very smooth. At it's introductory price of about $65 it was a very good buy.

With all of that said, I would pick up a Vector today if it were priced around $100. I just don't see myself buying a $200 razor.
@BradWorld - see, this is what I'm talking about.

To me Hawk v3-SB with feather Pro Super is a "dream come true", but for @Steve_in_CT it's a nightmare.

Could it be the lack of proper technique, bad lather, poor face-prep or a combination of all of those and then some. It sure could be, IDK.

The bottom line is - anyone's opinion is as worth(less) as other guy's and will mean very little to YOU, until you yourself have tried it and tested it.

Now to be objective, 9 out of 10 folks on this forum will say Hawk v3 is a phenomenal razor. I bought mine after seeing this:


Good luck!
 
@BradWorld - see, this is what I'm talking about.

To me Hawk v3-SB with feather Pro Super is a "dream come true", but for @Steve_in_CT it's a nightmare.

Could it be the lack of proper technique, bad lather, poor face-prep or a combination of all of those and then some. It sure could be, IDK.

The bottom line is - anyone's opinion is as worth(less) as other guy's and will mean very little to YOU, until you yourself have tried it and tested it.

Now to be objective, 9 out of 10 folks on this forum will say Hawk v3 is a phenomenal razor. I bought mine after seeing this:


Good luck!
I think the Hawk V3 is a fine razor, and it could be the perfect razor for some. I prefer razors that are somewhat more efficient than the Hawk V3, but I did use it (both SB and OC) for a while with better than average results. Had I not bought the Enoch, I would probably not have sold the Hawk V3. So I wouldn't say that it was ever a "nightmare" for me, but I did find it to be unusably uncomfortable with the Pro Super blades. I also was unable to use Pro Super blades in my Enoch, or in my Hawk V2. I found them unpleasant but usable in the Mongoose.

So it's not just that YMMV with razors, but also with blades - or more precisely the specific combination of the two.
 

never-stop-learning

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Staff member
Getting back to the subject at hand..... ;)

Rex Envoy 20201230
DecemBoar 2020 #24
shave 20201230.jpg

Razor: Rex Envoy
Blade: Perma-Sharp (2)
Brush: Semogue Owners Club (SOC) Premium Boar, Taj Resin Handle
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Vitos Extra Super Coco
Aftershave: Clubman Osage Rub
Fragrance: Original Penguin Reserve

Three passes + touch-up. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

The Rex Envoy checks a lot of the right boxes for me - especially at this price point. Medium efficient and really smooth. Nice balance. Feels good in the hand and on the face. Highly recommended! :thumbup:

Excellent shave. :cool:
 

never-stop-learning

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Staff member
Shave 20201231
20201231_222251~2.jpg

Razor: Ikon B1 OSS Dual Comb (TiBam 'Antique' Handle)
Blade: Perma-Sharp (3)
Brush: Omega Jade 011842 Premium Pure Bristle
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Vitos Extra Super Coco
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman

Three passes + touch-up. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

The SB side is more efficient than the OC side. With that in mind, I used the B1 Standard (SB) side for the WTG pass and the B1 OC Deluxe side for the XTG & ATG passes. Also used the B1 Standard side for some touch-up in my problem areas. The end result is a Damn Comfortable Shave.

The Ikon B1 razors are excellent shaving instruments. The B1 Standard, in particular, remains in my rotation. Recommended! :thumbup:

Excellent shave! :cool:
 

never-stop-learning

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Staff member
Shave 20210102
shave 20210102.jpg

Razor: Charcoal Goods Stainless Everyday Razor (Charcoal Goods Copper Maze Handle)
Blade: Perma-Sharp (4)
Brush: Rudy Vey Lemondrop (Shavemac 24mm 2-Band)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Fat 'As Frankensoap (50% Mitchell's Wool Fat + 50% Haslinger Schafmilch)
Post-shave: RazoRock Alum, Clubman Osage Rub
Aftershave: Clubman Reserve Gent's Gin

Three passes + touch-up. One weeper (cleared with cold water and Alum). No nicks, cuts or irritation.

Mild/Mid efficient. You can use this razor every day without burning/irritating your skin. The Everyday will probably not satisfy a shaver looking for a razor to provide a 1-pass to 2-pass DFS or better shave. For the shaver that does a daily 3-pass plus touch-up, the CG Everyday will perform nicely. Recommended. :thumbup:

Great shave! :cool:
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
20210103
shave 20210103.jpg

Razor: RazoRock Stainless Lupo w/DLC
Blade: Perma-Sharp (5 and retired)
Brush: Simpson Tulip 3 in Super
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Fat 'As Frankensoap (50% Mitchell's Wool Fat + 50% Haslinger Schafmilch)
Post-shave: Thayer's Rose Petal Skin Toner
Aftershave: RazoRock Nomad

Three passes + touch-up. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

This was a really nice shave. Comfortable, smooth, nice and close. The Lupo DLC is a razor that can easily be used every day and that provides superb results. The (very) slight difference in feel the DLC imparts is certainly not a big deal. I really like this razor. Highly recommended. :thumbup:

Excellent shave. :cool:
 
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BradWorld

Dances with Wolfs
Razor: RazoRock Stainless Lupo w/DLC

This was a really nice shave. Comfortable, smooth, nice and close. The Lupo DLC is a razor that can easily be used every day and that provides superb results. The (very) slight difference in feel the DLC imparts is certainly not a big deal. I really like this razor. Highly recommended. :thumbup:

Quite frankly the only reason my DLC stainless Lupo got sold was because I cant stand the rounded off ends. I like to rest my razor on the vanity between passes on the side, and when I did that with the Lupo it would just roll over onto the bladed edge. I know the edge of the blade is protected, etc. But it still affected my OCD in a negative way. The razor shaved great. Not really Wolfman great, but it punched well above its weight class. If it werent for the rounded sides I would have maybe kept it. Pretty razor too.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Quite frankly the only reason my DLC stainless Lupo got sold was because I cant stand the rounded off ends. I like to rest my razor on the vanity between passes on the side, and when I did that with the Lupo it would just roll over onto the bladed edge. I know the edge of the blade is protected, etc. But it still affected my OCD in a negative way. The razor shaved great. Not really Wolfman great, but it punched well above its weight class. If it werent for the rounded sides I would have maybe kept it. Pretty razor too.

I put a terrycloth shaving towel on the counter top, which stabilizes the Lupo so I can set it on its side. ;)

I'll be able to compare the shave to the Wolfman WR2, when I finally receive mine. ;)

I've previously used the Lupo every day for a week and could have kept going. The results are as good as the Lupo is smooth. Quite a razor.

We are in agreement that the Lupo shaves well above its cost. :thumbup1:

YMMV :)
 

never-stop-learning

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Staff member
20210104
shave 20210104.jpg

Razor: Yates Stonewashed Stainless 921-H (Charcoal Goods Copper Maze Handle)
Blade: Silver Star (1)
Brush: Rudy Vey AS3M Dark Knight (Shavemac 26/52 D01 3-Band)
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Lather: Musgo Real Classic
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal

Three passes + touch-up. No nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

Efficient and very effective. Likes a steep angle. Use a light touch. Do these things and you will be rewarded with consistent and excellent results! Recommended! :thumbup:

Superb shave. :cool:
 
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