What's new

Lambda Athena

There doesn’t appear to be any thread on B&B about the Lambda Athena razor, made by Theodoros Dragonas, a mechanical engineer in Greece. I think it deserves to be better known. I first learned about it on another forum and I feel I should post my opinions here, as I did there.

I bought my Lambda Athena a few weeks ago from the second drop this year and I really love it. It is a superb shaver and there is so much attention to detail and thoughtful design in it. It is a real pleasure when you are able to own something that has clearly been designed and made with exceptional love and care. I am very glad I was able to get one and I will certainly buy other Lambda razors as and when they become available. His other razor is the Lambda Ares, which is a more aggressive open comb razor on a handle that is like a classical Greek column, and there are a couple of threads on B&B if you search for Lambda.

From my shaves so far I find the weight (118g) and balance perfect for me, it has just the right amount of blade feel (present but not harsh - something like the H&S P076, which is my benchmark in this respect) and is plenty efficient but very comfortable. It is one of the best feeling razors I have for the hand feel when shaving. The razor is made from a very attractive pale bronze (nickel aluminium bronze) which is an alloy used for marine components - I had forgotten that it was bronze and my brain was seeing it as a highly polished steel, since it is a pale colour, but placed next to a steel razor (see picture with a steel Wolfman) you can discern the lovely colour more clearly. The build quality, detailing and polishing are really excellent - as good as any high-end razor that doesn’t go as far as an extreme mirror finish.

Let me point out some of the details that impressed me. It comes in a beautifully made brass-hinged mahogany box which is probably worth a good portion of the price on its own, without being something that takes a lot of space (normally I hate presentation boxes, but this one adds value). All of the details on the razor, like the engraved lambdas and convex underside of the base plate; the flat textured aerofoil-shaped grips on the handle (which also fit exactly where my thumb holds it); the button on the handle base that is where my little finger naturally rests; the beautifully designed slots in the safety bar that make it behave almost like an open comb but smoother; the way the water shoots so efficiently from the sides when I rinse the head, so my hand and the handle don’t get wet; the extremely firm and close clamping of the blade, and the wonderful hollow sound the razor makes when I shave….they all make this razor feel unique and special. You can see it was made by a professional engineer with a passion for shaving. It came with a two page letter from Theodoros explaining the design intent for the razor, some of the design choices, and details of the razor geometry and manufacture - which also shows you how much love went into this razor.

This razor is an amazing bargain right now at €170 for something so premium, and it is certainly worth considerably more. I would say, on its merits alone, this is a high-end razor that justifies comparison with pretty much anything on the market at any price. It is among my favourite razors - up there with my Rocnel Sailors, Blackland Tradere OC, Wolfman WR1, Karve Overlander as the razors I consider to be the best performing for me and the most pleasure to own and shave with. Apart from anything else, I never imagined that rinsing a razor head could be so brilliantly engineered and give me so much pleasure - it is probably worth the price for that alone. Could it be improved? I’d say the handle could be grippier, but that‘s about it, and with the clever side channels for water evacuation the handle should not get wet.

To get one you can contact Theodoros via his Facebook page, and if they aren’t available you can ask to be put on his list for the next drop. That’s what I did and he did follow through and email me when he had new stock.

So, some pics. If you look closely at the second photo you can see how well the blade is clamped, and how close to the edge. The third photo shows the colour by comparison to a steel razor.

6ABB6BFB-A2B6-4ED5-874A-56DCEECD0C68.jpeg


8AF61957-9D57-4268-9CB2-5E8687DC2B83.jpeg


A1813537-CE1F-4F41-BA48-D28B6FAEA949.jpeg
 
Hi there, this is a beautiful razor. I also received the razor a while back, and it is indeed a marvelous razor. FYI there are no other handle versions from Lambda at the moment. A little later, he will re-release the Ares, so if you want one of those, you can contact him over facebook and put yourself in the waitlist as well!
 
I got a reply this morning. Just waiting for him to send me his PayPal info. 190eur shipped to US, if anyone else wants to contact him.
 
Can anyone compare aggressiveness, efficiency, etc. to any of the more popular razors?
I’d say the Karve Overlander is very similar in efficiency and smoothness for me. But this one is shiny and shoots water from the sides. And it has a mahogany box.

Anyway, efficiency is very good - results will match any good medium-high aggression razor (Wolfman WR2 1.25, Carbon Cx, Blackland Vector, etc. - but it is a very mild shaver and more comfortable than any of those. Like the Overlander.

The deceptive thing about the Athena is that you perceive significant blade feel when your stubble is long, and then the perception of blade feel reduces with each pass. Actually there is no blade feel - it‘s an illusion - the Athena has zero blade exposure and once you realise that you stop feeling it. I can‘t explain it but my guess is that the human brain misinterprets the sound of cutting as a feeling of steel on your face. But it means you feel like you are getting a shave with just the right amount of blade feel for each pass, and your skin doesn’t get the irritation that such blade feel might cause.
 
Top Bottom