Great review or a really interesting razor!! 
High Proof Razor Impressions
- Thread starter mgweatherly
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- #22
This is consistent with my crude attempt at measuring this by laying a feeler gauge on the top surface of the guard just in front of the edge of the blade and seeing whether I could still feel the blade above the surface of the feeler gauge when I moved my fingertip over the blade edge. The thinnest feeler gauge that caused the blade to "disappear" from being able to feel it with my fingertip was the 0.003" gauge. I could still feel the blade edge with my 0.002" gauge. I was surprised a little bit by how sensitive my fingertip was to feeling this edge BTW.
My only concern with razors like this is that the magnets will lose their strength over time. I'm sure it's great to use, but I don't like the idea that I will potentially have to replace parts in a few years.
Neodymium magnets lose something like 1% of their strength every century. I wouldn't worry about this any more than I'd worry about a steel spring wearing out - probably even less.
Thanks for this. I had no idea these magnet types existed!
I think I'll look into this for my wife. Currently her favorite shaver is a vintage Schick, but she doesn't really like changing the blades. This looks like something that would be easily familiar to her and load blades easier, not to mention much cheaper.
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- #27
Today, I received ANOTHER razor from the guys at High Proof Razor Company to make good on my original request to have a silver head on a black handle! The razor came with a very nice handwritten note from Andy apologizing for the mix up. NO CHARGE. Pretty incredible customer service I would say
. Just another reason to recommend the company. Oh, and the package was mailed from Bozeman, Montana. I really like the silver/black combo, so I'm glad I reached out to Andy. And, I have another reason to shave with the High Proof! I'm going to wait until the first round of my PIF'd Blade Journey is over though.
Wow, what a great review, very accurate and well written. I just had my third shave with this razor and it is already one of my favorite razors. I am a daily shaver, both head and face, so I appreciate mild razors with some good efficiency. This razor is exactly that, BBS every shave and very smooth. I used to really dislike aluminum razors, now my two favorite razors are aluminum. I was in no way expecting this razor to shave as good as it did, wow.
I am a sucker for design and the High proof razor is an incredibly innovative design and is a one of a kind. The design of the stand is even incredible, it just sticks on my mirror. Using magnets instead of springs is perfect, what innovation. Well done High proof, you knocked it out of the park for this wet shaver.
I cannot believe I love another aluminum razor ! What is happening ?
I am a sucker for design and the High proof razor is an incredibly innovative design and is a one of a kind. The design of the stand is even incredible, it just sticks on my mirror. Using magnets instead of springs is perfect, what innovation. Well done High proof, you knocked it out of the park for this wet shaver.
I cannot believe I love another aluminum razor ! What is happening ?
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I just finished the second shave with my High Proof razor with excellent results. I would rate this shave easily a 9.5 out of 10. I used a second-use Nacet blade; much better than the Astra. It definitely is a mild razor and benefits from a good sharp blade.
I'm quickly getting better results under the nose. Just takes a bit of concentration.
My thoughts so far are I would prefer the handle to be solid, it would be much easier to clean without the holes. And I would prefer it to be just a bit more aggressive. I got complete BBS with some buffing, and the extra buffing caused zero irritation, but my preference would be for just a bit more efficiency. Perhaps they will do something like Leaf does with the Twig and the Thorn.
My only other suggestion would be for a stainless steel version.
thanks for mentioning about the pivoting
as i cut a straight line at the top of my beard sides the leaf razor pivots way too much so its too difficult so was wondring what the pivoting was like on this razor
always nice to hear when a company goes out of its way for you, makes you feel like more then just another number, good stuffToday, I received ANOTHER razor from the guys at High Proof Razor Company to make good on my original request to have a silver head on a black handle! The razor came with a very nice handwritten note from Andy apologizing for the mix up. NO CHARGE. Pretty incredible customer service I would say
I really like the silver/black combo, so I'm glad I reached out to Andy. And, I have another reason to shave with the High Proof! I'm going to wait until the first round of my PIF'd Blade Journey is over though.
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nice write up mateI was backer #14 on the High Proof Razor Kickstarter campaign, and I received my razor this morning. I'm an avid user and collector of vintage razors (over 250), but this thoroughly modern (dare I say, "anti-vintage") razor piqued my interest from the first time I saw it. I could not wait to give it a try. Photos of the package (FYI) and the shave setup I used on its maiden voyage follow my impressions.
Shave setup: High Proof Razor with half of a DE American Personna blade loaded (included with the razor). Noxema as pre-shave wash. Stirling Christmas Eve soap, splash, and balm. I love the scent and performance of the Stirling products. I had never used a "new" American Personna blade, but I have a few dozen vintage versions that I've used and enjoyed.
First impressions. The razor is almost impossibly lightweight at 22 grams, but feels indestructible nonetheless. The "spring" force provided by the neodymium magnets feels uncannily the same as a mechanical spring but will never break. I'm a sucker for this type of detail. These magnets also make the razor compatible with the magnetic razor mount, another nice detail. The packaging gets the job done.
First pass WTG. This razor feels very different from almost anything that I've used before. It is extremely smooth and comfortable. The closest is the Wilkinson Bonded Blade cartridge from the early 1970s (I told you, avid collector
Second pass ATG. I re-lathered and went ATG everywhere. The razor was just as comfortable on the second pass as the first and was inspiring a lot of confidence that I could shave all day with it without irritating my skin. After the second pass, I had achieved BBS- everywhere, but I like the full BBS experience made possible by wet shaving, so I went for a third pass.
Third pass, direction as required. I used the third pass to give every part of my face the attention needed to get that BBS finish everywhere, and it worked to perfection. Count me as impressed!
Post-shave. I applied unscented Thayer's Witch Hazel immediately after my cold water rinse. I followed that with Stirling splash and then the balm, which left my face with a very comfortable warm and smooth feeling. I did notice that whiskers right at the edge of my lower lip were only DFS. I think this is a side effect of the large contact area. Sometimes, I found it a little challenging to know exactly where the blade was on my face. I did the cardinal sin of just wetting my face and touching those up and had no problems doing that. As I write this, I'm one hour post shave, and my skin feels great.
Overall impressions. This is a very nice modern interpretation of a wet shaving razor that allows you to use any DE blade that you prefer. The materials and workmanship are excellent, but not super flashy. The razor is all business. The handle feels great in my hand and the cutouts through the body create ridges that improve my grip on it. The razor inspired a lot of confidence in use and allowed me to just shave rather quickly without much concern of cuts, nicks, or irritation. I really like the functionality of the razor and will definitely use it in my rotation fairly often. I will especially reach for it if I have to shave on the second of back-to-back days (which doesn't happen that often for me). I will also reach for it if I'm in a hurry and all I need is a DFS+ or BBS- finish (only two passes needed). I also think this razor would be a superb way for anyone to start wet shaving because it is so forgiving and has superficial similarities to cartridge razors because of the pivoting head. I recommend it without reservation. This is great work from the guys at High Proof Razor Company.
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any ideas how it compares to the broman?
i get the impression this is mild and if its anything like the broman then i wouldnt really use it as the broman is just way way too mild for me
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- #33
I've never used a Broman, so I can't offer any thoughts on a comparison.
no worries mate
seems like the youtuber subie shaves mentioned its similar to the broman but more efficent, the broman had so much potential i really do think but ws way too mild, maybe this high proof razor is filling in that gap in the market huh?
Intriguing design and I applaud their fundraising and the growing excitement. The first picture on their website is unique. Big guy, big beard, bar of soap and a can of Barbasol.
Keep up the reviews, looking forward!
Keep up the reviews, looking forward!
My first use of a Feather blade in the High Proof razor was very comfortable but not quite as close a shave result as I expected. I give this one a 9.4 out of 10. I just checked my previous post on the Nacet and I rated that shave 9.5! I think Nacet is my blade for the High Proof razor.
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- #37
Well, I used the High Proof (actually the replacement with the silver head on the blade handle that the company graciously sent me) for a second shave this morning. It was pretty terrible and really confusing to me, details HERE. TLDR: no matter what I did, I could not get the razor to remove my two-day stubble. I abandoned the High Proof after three mostly futile passes and finished with my RazoRock Hawk V2. I haven't given up on the High Proof though. For the next shave, I've already loaded a fresh Feather and will go back to a tried and true soap. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
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lasta
Blade Biter
Maybe the razor is sensitive to how a blade is broken apart?
Indeed it does matter how the blade is installed. When a DE blade is broken, the broken edge is bent. The bent ends need to go toward the handle as shown. Otherwise, the top cap will not be installed correctly and will be at an incorrect angle. The picture is with the top cap removed for clarity.
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- #40
I had already noticed this about how a blade deforms when it is broken by bending it. To avoid this issue, I had actually cut my blade with snips. So, this specific issue wasn't a problem with my last shave. I bent and broke a Feather blade for my next shave and installed it the way shown in @Big_T 's photo. I'm planning to shave this morning with the High Proof to see how it goes.
