Janus Razor Shaves

[Sharp_Obsession]

I am interested in hearing people’s experiences and impressions on this new razor.

I’ll kick it of.

Sunday Shave

Razor - Janus Razor adjustable
Blade - Astra Blue, 1st use
Brush - Mozingo Pearlescent Blue “Stubby” style
Soap - Ethos Succes (Pineapple Noir) soap
Aftershave - Ethos Succes (Pineapple Noir) skin food

BBS shave on the first try...
But the higher settings are aggressive.

1st Pass - set to “6.” Was a little too aggressive for me. Was very efficient. More blade feel than 1.25 WR2

Backed it down to “5.” Felt perfect to me. Looking forward to trying it again. Very smooth. Very efficient. Felt great like 1.15 WR2, RS-10 Aggressive, and Paradigm Diamondback 2020.

It’s a very attractive razor. However, it’s not a mirror polish and machine marks are present. See bear the Toggle piece.

There is “texture” to the polish as seen on the doors.

perhaps it best seen when comparing to the Diamondback 2020 (on the left) which has great polish and a mirror reflection.

Here’s some comparisons to the Diamondback and a F4 Toggle.

 

[jcborr00]

Nice review. Do you feel it’s worth the price point? The finish seems a little disappointing for a razor priced over $500


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fmueller]

I am not sure that everybody wants a mirror polish. I for one prefer a razor that's less shiny - like the vintage Gillettes with nickel plating. A mirror polish tends to look like chrome plating alla Baili BD179 - a nice shaver, but shiny!

But then I'd never spend over $500 for a razor. I guess I am not in the target audience and my tastes don't matter!

 

[BigJ]

Great review!! Thanks!

 

[sm29]

First, a little background. I’m not a seasoned reviewer and my photograph was with an iPad and no light box or real setup expertise. My go to daily driver for well over a year has been a Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB, which gives an easy comfortable and DFS or better 3 pass shave. I also occasionally venture to an Old Type, Goodwill, New, Red and Flare Tip Superspeed, and Tech. My typical blades are GSB, Nacet, Personna red and Feather in no particular order.

On to the shave. I used the Janus at setting 3, Simpson Duke 3 best brush and D R Harris Arlington soap. The Janus has a nice weight and felt well balanced to me, but surprisingly slippery which was easily cured by running my slightly wet fingers over the alum block.

This razor has significantly more blade feel and blade exposure than I am used to. But not uncomfortably so. My first with the grain pass made it very clear that even at 3 this razor can cut. One pass with the grain was better than socially acceptable. My next pass ear to nose (ATG on my neck, XTG everywhere else) easily got me to DFS. However I saw blood for the first time in a very long time. Next pass partially ATG and partially XTG made my face feel like glass. The styptic pencil easily took care of the nicks and weepers. Testing with the alum block was surprisingly sting free.

My overall impression without having dialed in this razor is that it can cut, has some blade feel and probably a lot at the higher settings , but was still smooth overall. It can easily deliver a BBS shave. I will likely dial this back to 2 next time.

With more and more ultra efficient razors coming to market, I felt relatively secure in knowing that the adjustable aspect would allow for the flexibility that an ultra efficient 3 piece razor would not. I feel confident that I can use this as a daily driver and as I dial it in avoid the styptic pencil

 

[santamariasteve]

I would like to have a toggle adjustable some day, but about $250 is my upper limit.

First question: Am I overlooking a toggle out there? I strongly suspect there is nothing out there for that price that is in a decent condition. Correct?

Second question: Does the toggle mechanism at the end of the handle affect the feel or the balance of the razor in a negative way?

Third question: What was the selling point and the alleged advantage for the toggle razor over the conventional TTO style?

 

[Hannah's Dad]

I would like to have a toggle adjustable some day, but about $250 is my upper limit.

First question: Am I overlooking a toggle out there? I strongly suspect there is nothing out there for that price that is in a decent condition. Correct?

Second question: Does the toggle mechanism at the end of the handle affect the feel or the balance of the razor in a negative way?

Third question: What was the selling point and the alleged advantage for the toggle razor over the conventional TTO style?

Steve, a nice Toggle can be had for $250 or less. Keep checking BST. I’ve sold a few myself for those prices. Just ask @Graydog!

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

Nice review. Do you feel it’s worth the price point? The finish seems a little disappointing for a razor priced over $500


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Asking the tough questions? Of course it’s all relative. I’d like to get a few shaves in and a better feel for it before answering that. I hoped like the prototype it would be smooth all the way to max. I’m concerned it’s not, but will give it more chance and see if I can find a better blade pairing. I’m not sure how likely that is as I’ve never had a rough shave from an Astra Blue prior to this, but we’ll have to see. If it was smooth all the way to max, it would be worth the price. However, I know Eric kicked it up a notch or two on the production razor. I have no need for these extra notches, but I know some do. That limits the razor a little more for me. However, if I can get a smooth and highly efficient shave on “5” and still get an efficient and smooth daily shave all the way down to “2” it may still be worth it for me. If the efficiency drops off, again I’ll question the value for me.

So if you want the short story, no it isn’t an immediate shoe-in for meeting my needs and reaching its value. But there is still opportunity for it, so I’ll have to revisit this.

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

I would like to have a toggle adjustable some day, but about $250 is my upper limit.

First question: Am I overlooking a toggle out there? I strongly suspect there is nothing out there for that price that is in a decent condition. Correct?

Second question: Does the toggle mechanism at the end of the handle affect the feel or the balance of the razor in a negative way?

Third question: What was the selling point and the alleged advantage for the toggle razor over the conventional TTO style?

Have to get lucky! It will be tough. I was successful with the Toggle in the pics in a 5 razor lot. I got the 5 just over $425 with a pretty worn Fat Boy, a very nice Super Adjustable 84, a nice Super Speed Flare tip, and some lady’s razor. My Toggle isn’t pristine, it has a nice patina. However, I’ve seen worse sell for a lot. I doubt you’ll find one for $250 alone, but never say never.

And no, I don’t feel the Toggle piece negatively affects the balance. It’s well balanced, maybe affects handle length if you like a really short razor. Both the Janus and Toggle are well balanced and a good length for me.

 

[Graydog]

Have to get lucky! It will be tough. I was successful with the Toggle in the pics in a 5 razor lot. I got the 5 just over $425 with a pretty worn Fat Boy, a very nice Super Adjustable 84, a nice Super Speed Flare tip, and some lady’s razor. My Toggle isn’t pristine, it has a nice patina. However, I’ve seen worse sell for a lot. I doubt you’ll find one for $250 alone, but never say never.

And no, I don’t feel the Toggle piece negatively affects the balance. It’s well balanced, maybe affects handle length if you like a really short razor. Both the Janus and Toggle are well balanced and a good length for me.

I purchased my D-1 Toggle in Very nice shape for a great price and it is one of my best shaving Razors plus it's just so darn cool. It used to belong to Carry Grant and John Wayne right Dan

 

[Hannah's Dad]

I purchased my D-1 Toggle in Very nice shape for a great price and it is one of my best shaving Razors plus it's just so darn cool. It used to belong to Carry Grant and John Wayne right Dan

That’s right, Steve!!

 

[GlazedBoker]

Maiden shave and it was good. I had shaved on Saturday so, i didn’t get to go full tilt with the Janus LE and started it off at 7. Very quickly, the razor looks very good. Is it a fine piece of finished jewelry? No, it’s not a Rolex but, I’d say a Patek Philippe and that’s still a heck of a statement. Yes, there is some tiny bit of tooling in certain areas such as the toggle handle where polishing wasn’t as precise. High polish on most of the Janus but, certainly not a superb mirror luster that a Wolfman, H&S, Timeless & Blackland have produced. It’s about 95% there though and it’s still a good looking tool, regardless. Balance is near perfect for me with good weight distribution through the whole length of the razor. The toggle mechanism is precise and gives an authoritative snap/click and the adjustment dial is great in click and lock adjustment. You will not move this adjuster during your shave. You would need both hands to do so, trust me. The knurling is good but, not great to be honest. I thought I would get a nice tactile grip feel to it, that is not the case. I never felt that it would fall or slip during my shave and razor transfers from left to right hand. I’m assuming that’s because of the polished finished but, I would have liked perhaps just a tiny bit more pronounced knurling or deeper serrations to seal the deal on grip. Nonetheless, it will work and work well as it is.

I started on 7 and actually finished at 3. There is some blade feel throughout those size ranges that I used. Plenty of blade exposure on my first experience. Was it a smooth operator at 7? No, but it wasn’t a rough feel neither. Far from it. I completed the first pass on 7 and it knocked down quite a bit. Turned it down to 5 and the shave got a bit smoother and still maintained good blade feel. Finished the 2nd XTG pass and was at a DFS finish with just a couple of stragglers around Sir Adam and just under each side of the jawline. Turned it down to 3 and the 3rd ATG pass finished it off with a BBS finish on both face & neck. Didn’t have to chin buff nor perform any touch ups elsewhere. But, I did give myself about half a dozen tiny weepers with most coming from that 1st pass. That Feather is a mother f****r at first shave especially, when you’re getting to know a razor for the first time. My advice? Use a smoother and not as sharp blade for the first few shaves or just start out low with the Feather installed and work your way up. I thought I was fine until I saw them read dots on the first pass. Yeah, a ***? moment. Ironically, no irritation or burn of any kind. A quick alum pass only revealed a slight burner near Sir Adam but, everywhere else was golden.

Again, it’s only one shave and I need to put some time in to get to know this new pup. Will the shaves get better? Absolutely. It has cutting prowess and decent smoothness once I dialed it down. I think at max there might be some issues because in all honesty, I didn’t get that “Damn! That was sweet” feeling. Sorta like when I grabbed my .95 SS Timeless for the first time. I just knew even though it exhibits excellent blade feel but, there was this awesome smoothness that for me also inspired confidence that it would deliver with utmost precision & performance. I didn’t get that from the Janus Toggle. Not saying I won’t get there because I’m sure I will, it’s just going to take a bit of work to find out how it works best with me.

I can’t reiterate it enough though that it’s just the first shave. I’m looking forward to putting in some more work with it and see how it goes in the following weeks to come. I like this razor as it has some definite potential to deliver outstanding shaves......

 

[Shavemd]

First shave with the Janus
Pre Shave Shower
Soap Ethos Lavender
Blade New PolSilver
Brush Brad Sears Ebonite
AS Ethos Lavender Skin Food
I started WTG on level 9. I know I am comparing from memory, but I read my notes on my comparison shaves from a little over a year ago, there is way more blade feel, not harsh, but not as smooth at all compared to the prototype notes.
It was very efficient on 2 days growth. I would put it in the realm of WR1 .94 OC efficient on 1st pass.
2nd pass XTG I dropped to level 5 and the smoothness felt more in line with the level 9 of the prototype
3rd pass ATG. I dropped to 4 for this pass and there was not much to remove it was more touchup on the jawline and upper lip.
The thing I loved about the prototype was how smooth it felt and still gave a very efficient shave. I believe the LE has more blade feel and more efficiency but I believe it lost some of its smoothness at the higher levels. I will need to try some different shaving angles as the more domed head put the razor at a fall into place angle where as the flatter head allows for more angle adjustment which I did some of during this shave.
I am not a designer but I know what I feel and it feels to me like the LE has more blade exposure. This is not a bad thing if you enjoy blade feel, but normally I am a daily shaver so I tend to lean to smoothness first.
I did get a very good BBS 3 pass shave without nicks or irritation I will have to see the duration, and I need to try using it at some lower levels.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

I would like to have a toggle adjustable some day, but about $250 is my upper limit.

First question: Am I overlooking a toggle out there? I strongly suspect there is nothing out there for that price that is in a decent condition. Correct?

Second question: Does the toggle mechanism at the end of the handle affect the feel or the balance of the razor in a negative way?

Third question: What was the selling point and the alleged advantage for the toggle razor over the conventional TTO style?

I did some digging to make sure I had it right. I bought a Toggle here on BST that was gunked up - the adjustment collar was real stiff. It cost $150.00 was sold as is and was a calculated risk. After some consulting with Chris who restores and replates (what is the name of his site?) I got it working just fine. Place in 160 degree water and let soak. Slowly work back and forth, flush gunk. That was a year ago and it is in my regular rotation. It has a worn patina from the years which is actually a preference of mine.

I will say that this new version is a real stunner of a razor. Whether a razor or a watch it is great to see heritage items that carry on.

 

[sm29]

There was just too much blade feel for me. I really wanted to like this razor but it was not right for me. Eric is a gentlemen and understood completely. He promptly took care of refunding this purchase. I wish Eric the best.

 

[GlazedBoker]

There was just too much blade feel for me. I really wanted to like this razor but it was not right for me. Eric is a gentlemen and understood completely. He promptly took care of refunding this purchase. I wish Eric the best.

Good on him. He's a class act through and through. To bad it didn't work for you.

Happy shaves.....

 

[HDSledge]

Great reviews and pics! Outstanding! Still waiting on mine. 70 miles away. Not sure why my thread was moved to Marketplace/Shopping and Deals since this is a new limited edition razor and not open to the general market.
No worries and I guess mods have their reasons. Here is a link to it for continuity and since there is a bit of info not covered in this thread.
Janus Limited Edition Modern Toggle on the way....

 

[HDSledge]

There was just too much blade feel for me. I really wanted to like this razor but it was not right for me. Eric is a gentlemen and understood completely. He promptly took care of refunding this purchase. I wish Eric the best.

So that means there is an extra one available? If so I may go for it unless someone else would like it. What was your serial number?

 

[santamariasteve]

Speaking of Toggles:

The Amazing Story Of The Gillette Toggle - Sharpologist

The Gillette Super Adjustable aka “Toggle” has always been viewed as one of the wet shaving “grails” to both users and collectors alike.

sharpologist.com

 

[HDSledge]

Speaking of Toggles:

The Amazing Story Of The Gillette Toggle - Sharpologist

The Gillette Super Adjustable aka “Toggle” has always been viewed as one of the wet shaving “grails” to both users and collectors alike.

sharpologist.com

Thanks very much for that info! Saved to my already stuffed folder.