Took some pics and some close looks at the three top-tier razors in my collection. In this pic from left to right, the Feather AS-D2, the Above the Tie Kronos with S1 (slant) head, and the Ikon 102 (slant) head on an Ikon OSS handle.
Yeah, I know that one is a regular DE and the other two are slants, but I figured someone out there might be considering one of the three against the others and hey, I have all three so why not write up a quick comparison?
The three are very different in many ways. Certainly the Feather is not a slant, but it is often considered to be one of the best razors out there for people who prefer mild razors. The Feather is the only one of the three that is sintered. In a nutshell, the metal is made from powdered metal heat and/or pressure molded to shape without melting the metal into a liquid form.
The Above the Tie razor is the clear winner in build quality. This razor is machined, and it shows. There is a sense of solidity in this razor that I don't feel in the other two. It looks and feels like it was carved from a block of solid stainless steel, probably because it was.
The Ikon 102 slant is an aluminum head while the OSS handle is turned stainless steel. The heft of the OSS handle is similar (though heavier) than the ATT Kronos, but the Kronos has better attention to detail. Does that affect the shave? Not in my opinion, but the sense of quality is higher in the ATT. To my fingers, the OSS has a better grip, though.
The two slants achieve their goals in very different ways. The Ikon simply tilts the entire head while the ATT S1 torques the blade. The result (which is not clearly evident in this pic) is that the Ikon head looks bent while the ATT head looks almost normal. The ATT razor also provides a "down from left to right" slant no matter how the razor is held, while the Ikon slants differently depending on the side from which you observe it. The ATT head is symmetrical while the Ikon is not.
So which one do I like the best? As it turns out, I love slants, so the Feather gets third place for me among these three. Shave-wise, I get similar results between the Ikon 102 and the ATT S1, though I prefer the Ikon 102. The angle used on each is very different, and the ATT has a much more low-profile head which makes it easier to use in tight spots. I get the sense that the Ikon is more efficient, though and the angle is more natural for me.
For me, there's just something about the Ikon 102 that grabs me. That's pretty typical for me since they're all but unavailable these days.
If you have to have the best, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the Above the Tie razor. If you want a slant and can find an Ikon 102, I'd recommend that you give it a try. The Feather is a very nice razor, but as much as I like it, I'm not sure it's worth the price compared with a heavier handle on a vintage Gillette Tech.
Yeah, I know that one is a regular DE and the other two are slants, but I figured someone out there might be considering one of the three against the others and hey, I have all three so why not write up a quick comparison?
The three are very different in many ways. Certainly the Feather is not a slant, but it is often considered to be one of the best razors out there for people who prefer mild razors. The Feather is the only one of the three that is sintered. In a nutshell, the metal is made from powdered metal heat and/or pressure molded to shape without melting the metal into a liquid form.
The Above the Tie razor is the clear winner in build quality. This razor is machined, and it shows. There is a sense of solidity in this razor that I don't feel in the other two. It looks and feels like it was carved from a block of solid stainless steel, probably because it was.
The Ikon 102 slant is an aluminum head while the OSS handle is turned stainless steel. The heft of the OSS handle is similar (though heavier) than the ATT Kronos, but the Kronos has better attention to detail. Does that affect the shave? Not in my opinion, but the sense of quality is higher in the ATT. To my fingers, the OSS has a better grip, though.
The two slants achieve their goals in very different ways. The Ikon simply tilts the entire head while the ATT S1 torques the blade. The result (which is not clearly evident in this pic) is that the Ikon head looks bent while the ATT head looks almost normal. The ATT razor also provides a "down from left to right" slant no matter how the razor is held, while the Ikon slants differently depending on the side from which you observe it. The ATT head is symmetrical while the Ikon is not.
So which one do I like the best? As it turns out, I love slants, so the Feather gets third place for me among these three. Shave-wise, I get similar results between the Ikon 102 and the ATT S1, though I prefer the Ikon 102. The angle used on each is very different, and the ATT has a much more low-profile head which makes it easier to use in tight spots. I get the sense that the Ikon is more efficient, though and the angle is more natural for me.
For me, there's just something about the Ikon 102 that grabs me. That's pretty typical for me since they're all but unavailable these days.
If you have to have the best, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the Above the Tie razor. If you want a slant and can find an Ikon 102, I'd recommend that you give it a try. The Feather is a very nice razor, but as much as I like it, I'm not sure it's worth the price compared with a heavier handle on a vintage Gillette Tech.
Okay now my shave, I did my normal 2 passes using all strokes (WTG/XTG/ATG). I believe that I got the closest BBS shave ever, however, I did receive several small weepers, mostly in the neck area and one at the lower corner of my moustache. The razor felt very smooth on my face and really did not feel the nicks/weepers until I saw the blood. I really like the machined aluminum head on the 102 and it was easy to find the proper angle. I will try my ATT S1 next to see if I can compare to the 102. So to sum up, a very nice close BBS shave, however, a little more aggressive than the OneBlade. Also, even though I got a few minor weepers, no irritation! IMO, a great razor that I will keep in my rotation for now, and hopefully I can master the "pressure" and achieve "weeper free" shaves! It definitely shaves closer than the OneBlade!
