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I'm getting desperate with the Blackland Blackbird

Shaved with the Ti Blackbird last night using a shallower angle and it solved any remaining problems I had. The angle I had been using was too steep. Got an excellent shave and am going to keep using this angle (and this razor!). Still in my rotation of my top 3 razors, but may be moving up!
Glad to hear!
 
Gotta share…tonight I put a 3rd use Personna Lab Blue blade in the Ti BB. I started the angle riding the cap and slowly moved the handle toward my face to a slightly more neutral angle, parallel with the guard. It delivered the best combination of efficiency and smoothness I’ve ever experienced in a shave. I’m blown away right now.
 
Gotta share…tonight I put a 3rd use Personna Lab Blue blade in the Ti BB. I started the angle riding the cap and slowly moved the handle toward my face to a slightly more neutral angle, parallel with the guard. It delivered the best combination of efficiency and smoothness I’ve ever experienced in a shave. I’m blown away right now.

I've been using a Lab Blue for the first time recently and through 3 shaves it seems to get a bit smoother every shave; I'm very impressed. Angle seems to be a bit blade dependent for me with the Ti Blackbird. With Perma-Sharp and Nacet I go a bit steeper; the Lab Blues are definitely best with a neutral angle. Neutral angle is more efficient for me than steep.

The Ti Blackbird is my favorite razor, and though I've only tried a few it has completely taken away the desire to purchase any others.
 
I've been using a Lab Blue for the first time recently and through 3 shaves it seems to get a bit smoother every shave; I'm very impressed. Angle seems to be a bit blade dependent for me with the Ti Blackbird. With Perma-Sharp and Nacet I go a bit steeper; the Lab Blues are definitely best with a neutral angle. Neutral angle is more efficient for me than steep.

The Ti Blackbird is my favorite razor, and though I've only tried a few it has completely taken away the desire to purchase any others.
Agreed. At least at this point, not only is the T-Bird a RAD killer, I’m probably going to sell off 2-3 razors!
 
@HabanaRon Many members have seen beloved razors kicked from their den after the terrific shaves using the Ti Bird. The Wolfman WR2 1.25 SS reigned supreme as a #1 razor for @Hannah's Dad before the TiBird kicked the Wolf from his den.
Behind The Scenes Kick GIF by Taylor Swift
 
Hey HabanaRon, good decision to keep the Blackbird! It is an excellent razor and my daily driver.

I have both the machined Titanium Blackbird and the polished Stainless version. Both are excellent but I prefer the stainless since the head and safety bar are polished and that glides best on my skin.

Like you I have tough beard and sensitive skin and after trying most blades recommended for touch beards, I find that the Wizamet blade and the Gillete Silver Blue blade work best for me on the Blackbird. I recently tried the Personna Double Edge Prep Razor that Shane ships with the Blackbird and those were great too. Although the Wizamet and GSB are slightly for me. I recommend you try one of these 2 blades as well.

Hope this helps!
 
Hey HabanaRon, good decision to keep the Blackbird! It is an excellent razor and my daily driver.

I have both the machined Titanium Blackbird and the polished Stainless version. Both are excellent but I prefer the stainless since the head and safety bar are polished and that glides best on my skin.

Like you I have tough beard and sensitive skin and after trying most blades recommended for touch beards, I find that the Wizamet blade and the Gillete Silver Blue blade work best for me on the Blackbird. I recently tried the Personna Double Edge Prep Razor that Shane ships with the Blackbird and those were great too. Although the Wizamet and GSB are slightly for me. I recommend you try one of these 2 blades as well.

Hope this helps!
Thanks, just had a super close comfortable shave using the Ti OC plate and a Nacet. I too love the Blackbird with Personnas, and GSBs. I’ll have to pick up some Wizamet blades. Never tried them. Thanks!
 
@HabanaRon Many members have seen beloved razors kicked from their den after the terrific shaves using the Ti Bird. The Wolfman WR2 1.25 SS reigned supreme as a #1 razor for @Hannah's Dad before the TiBird kicked the Wolf from his den.
Behind The Scenes Kick GIF by Taylor Swift
My WR2 1.25 and Timeless Slim SB and OC plates will be hitting the BST. My Rex Ambassador and Timeless .95 OC are cowering in the corner, hoping to survive the cut!
 
Some razors just don't work for some people. I have a polished Blackbird SB and it gives me a very very efficient shave with less irritation than my milder razors. Interestingly I have a timeless .95, .68 (open and sb), and Slim, all in SS. the .95 and .68 are great, but I just can't seem to make the slim work well for me. The shave is not efficient, and the irritation is pronounced. It is probably my poor technique, but so what, life is short. I really don't want to sell it but what's the point of keeping it around.
 
Some razors just don't work for some people. I have a polished Blackbird SB and it gives me a very very efficient shave with less irritation than my milder razors. Interestingly I have a timeless .95, .68 (open and sb), and Slim, all in SS. the .95 and .68 are great, but I just can't seem to make the slim work well for me. The shave is not efficient, and the irritation is pronounced. It is probably my poor technique, but so what, life is short. I really don't want to sell it but what's the point of keeping it around.
I have the same sort of issues with the Slim plates. The SB plate is not efficient enough. It requires lots of buffing which leads to irritation. The Slim OC plate is, for me, an unpredictable beast. It’s always efficient but sometimes too aggressive.
 
I fall into the minority that doesn't get along with the Blackbird. I really like the design and have a lot of respect for Shane's work and business practices, but after trying both a Ti and SS blackbird, neither was efficient enough for my beard/preferences. i had to make too many passes and it lead to irritation. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn't meant to be.
 

Hannah's Dad

I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
I fall into the minority that doesn't get along with the Blackbird. I really like the design and have a lot of respect for Shane's work and business practices, but after trying both a Ti and SS blackbird, neither was efficient enough for my beard/preferences. i had to make too many passes and it lead to irritation. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn't meant to be.
You’d probably love the OC Vector.
 
I fall into the minority that doesn't get along with the Blackbird. I really like the design and have a lot of respect for Shane's work and business practices, but after trying both a Ti and SS blackbird, neither was efficient enough for my beard/preferences. i had to make too many passes and it lead to irritation. I really wanted to like it, but it wasn't meant to be.

It's OK.
To experience it, feel it and say it.

My experiences with the BB place it as an average razor where comfort
is lacking. No, Im not using it wrongly or getting the angle wrong.

Ive never had a situation where I shave wrongly with a razor for a few times and then
miraculously, with advice from a forum, start using it right—to my delight.

The hand that holds the razor is in a constant state of adjustment when you shave.
Unbeknownst to the user, these adjustments are often subtle and not overt. If you did not find that
holy grail angle in your first shave, the problem is not the angle.
 
hmm
Tibird, I try not to think about it.
Yes, never open a blackland site!

The worst thing is that all my beloved razors have titanium versions .... .one titanium must give me the desire to replace them all with titanium.

blackland stando timeless other.....🤣
 
If you did not find that holy grail angle in your first shave, the problem is not the angle.

Respectfully, this is a bad take. We hear from customers every day who don't find the optimal angle initially and have a bad experience, but after a few shaves dial it in perfectly and absolutely love the razor. The first five or so shaves are always the worst and they should be thought of as a trial period to learn and understand the technique a new razor requires. Nailing it on the first shave is the exception.
 
"Nailing it [optimal shave angle] on the first shave is the exception": Hmm....this is precisely my experience with the Winning, Dart, and R41. The shave angle for these was absolutely intuitive for me right on the very first shave: Excellent performance and zero learning curve or irritation.

This experience has set my expectations for a razor's potential performance, as I like the shaves I'm getting now with the technique that feels most natural to me. Maybe I'm missing out on razors that need a shallower angle, but my shaves are so good that I'm fine with that right now. Life's too short for sub-par shaves 🙂
 
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