Karve Advice

[Earl_Grey]

I've been thinking about getting myself a SS Karve - so I decided to ask B&B for advice

I most enjoy out of my rotation the Timeless Ti.68, Razorock GC .68, Lupo SS DLC, Feather AS-D2.

Which Karve Plate would make the most sense so I'd end up in those razors territory in terms of smoothness, blade feel & efficiency?

Help and advice is most appreciated!

 

[Nehbulah]

I also like those same razors.
The Karve I like the most is the Overlander.
It doesn't come in stainless steel unfortunately.
The A plate will shave similarly to the ASD2 though.

 

[JAHE]

I'd say you might want to try a B-SB (maybe even C) plate. As far as I am aware all of these razors are considered to be rather on the milder side of the spectrum, so B or C might be a match.

 

[RachelW853]

I prefer mild-to-medium razors and didn't want to spend loads of money on different plates. So I took a chance and got the brass one with the B plate, which I really like. I definitely use my Karve more than any other razor I possess, and I have quite a few.

 

[gdawg55]

I would recommend the Overlander over the CB. Better shaver but only in brass at the moment. Never could get comfortable shaves with the CB B, C, or D plates. Overlander was sublime right out of the box.

 

[slim6596]

Now that I’ve switched to a more forgiving blade, I really like my CB plate C. It shaves at a slightly different angle than my other razors, it took a bit of experimentation.

 

[Graydog]

The c-plate for me is the closest to the titanium.68 timeless.

 

[OhioBob]

I would recommend the Overlander over the CB. Better shaver but only in brass at the moment. Never could get comfortable shaves with the CB B, C, or D plates. Overlander was sublime right out of the box.

I would totally agree! However, Overlander does come in Aluminum and Brass, IMO either razor gives wonderful shaves.

 

[emwolf]

I have the brass Karve (which is excellent by the way) and have multiple plates. The B is very mild for those days when I don't want to feel a lot of blade.

 

[gdawg55]

I would totally agree! However, Overlander does come in Aluminum and Brass, IMO either razor gives wonderful shaves.

Yep...good call out. Forgot about the aluminum version.

 

[Earl_Grey]

Thanks for the input guys! Seems like it pretty much is a toss up between the B & C Plate.

The Overlander doesn't intrigue me as much, the design just doesn't wow me.

 

[Calm_Shaver]

I would also suggest the Overlander first. Karve C is also a good choice

The angle for Overlander is given and very easy to shave with as well.

 

[Senate515]

If it has to be stainless I'd look at the B and C plate. or jump on a brass Overlander or patiently wait like a bunch of us are for the stainless to be released

 

[Danuhoh]

C plate, used it today. For reference, I have used both the GC .68 and the AS-D2.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

I love my Karve Straight Bar with a B plate.

I don’t like razors with lots of blade feel and was always bouncing between a vintage Gillette Tech and a Vintage Super Speed. The Tech was actually TOO aggressive for me (contrary to what you hear a lot around here) and the Super Speed was much gentler but with a more clumsy larger head and not-quite rigid blade holding design. The tougher parts of my neck were very hard to shave closely and it’s was always minor pins and needles shaving there.

I basically told Chris from Karve the above and he told me to go for the B or C plate straight bar. Playing it safe I went for the B plate and hit the lottery on the first try. The Karve B plate straight bar has roughly the same blade feel and efficiency of the Super Speed but is far more comfortable! I haven’t tried many other machined razors, a RR JAWS 84, which is just not for me. Way way way too much blade feel. But I can buff my neck with wreck-less abandon with the Karve!

Hope this helps!

 

[MaineYooper]

I started with the A and B plates, for like @Earl_Grey and @BudgetShaverGuy, I like less blade feel and the no drama experience of milder razors. I added other plates, up to D along with some open combs (A & B), but found that the solid bar B is my preferred plate. So now I only have B, and for those "look, ma, no hands!" shaves, the A. The CB was The One for almost 2 years, until I discovered single edge razors. Then Karve introduced the Overlander, and it is like discovering the CB all over again!

TL;DR: get the SS with 2 plates, and see what you think! The BST does a great job too, allowing you to find stuff and move stuff on that doesn't work out.

 

[Earl_Grey]

Thanks everyone! I decided to go with the C Plate for the time being, I can always get the B plate afterwards if I find it too harsh.

 

[D4PPZ]

Thanks everyone! I decided to go with the C Plate for the time being, I can always get the B plate afterwards if I find it too harsh.

Just remember not to push too hard with it. My initial impressions of the Karve CB wasnt great because I couldnt feel anything on the face and I assumed it wasnt cutting. I ended up upping the pressure until I could feel the blade and that ended up being harsh. Even on the C plate, you just need to trust it's cutting and use a very light touch because you wont always feel it.

 

[JAHE]

Thanks everyone! I decided to go with the C Plate for the time being, I can always get the B plate afterwards if I find it too harsh.

Smart decision!

It's always easier to trade downwards on BST. I don't thing you'll necessarily have to, though. There might be a learning curve, but it is not a steep one imo.

 

[BudgetShaverGuy]

Just remember not to push too hard with it. My initial impressions of the Karve CB wasnt great because I couldnt feel anything on the face and I assumed it wasnt cutting. I ended up upping the pressure until I could feel the blade and that ended up being harsh. Even on the C plate, you just need to trust it's cutting and use a very light touch because you wont always feel it.

Great points! I would also like to add that I found my Karve to be a little more efficient by increasing the shaving angle a bit.