Lambda Lovers
- Thread starter Big_T
- Start date
Wonderful, congratulations. Now the waiting for delivery part.Mine came up for the Ares V2
Perhaps weird question, but for those owning both razors (looking at @Mr. Shavington or @walpan for example): is the base of the handle equal for both razors? Based on an earlier photo by @Mr. Shavington I had the impression the Ares base is ever so slightly smaller than the Athena.
Thanks,
Guido
Thanks,
Guido
I am not sure I understand. Do you mean the base plate?
No, I mean the bottom of the handle. They both can stand up by themselves. Is the Ares the smaller one?
I just compared them and they are identical in circumference. Also, the base plates are also the same dimensions. Hope this helps.
Yes! And super thanks!
Just means I will have to look for another razor stand when the time comes! Haha!
You should check out the stand I just posted for review “3D Razor Stand”. there is a picture there with both the Ares and the Athena.
Christmas Day. Merry Christmas everyone! 
Summary. A perfect shave to kickoff Christmas Day. All actors in todays shave gave a great performance!
There is an opportunity to get a Blackbird from a local site, but I haven’t followed through. Also read the Ares is as efficient as the Blackbird with comfort added into the mix. Comfort is what I want more than anything in a razor. I blame @walpan for his raving reviews in getting me to consider the Ares rather than the Blackbird.
For extended shave notes click here.
Enjoy your shave!
| Razor | Blade | Brush |
| Lambda Athena | Gillette Super Stainless (16) | Omega Pro 10098 |
| Preshave | Soap | Postshave |
| Cold splash KCG Face Wash Proraso Green preshave | Barrister + Mann Leviathan | Cold splash Aftershave Balm |
| Passes | WTG XTG ATG and touch up |
| Efficiency (details here) | Quality / My process |
| 8/10 (~20m) | 10/10 (Clean) |
| Effectiveness | Comfort / Blade condition |
| 8.75/10 (BBS-) | 11/10 (GlideFest) |
| Notes: |
Summary. A perfect shave to kickoff Christmas Day. All actors in todays shave gave a great performance!
There is an opportunity to get a Blackbird from a local site, but I haven’t followed through. Also read the Ares is as efficient as the Blackbird with comfort added into the mix. Comfort is what I want more than anything in a razor. I blame @walpan for his raving reviews in getting me to consider the Ares rather than the Blackbird.
For extended shave notes click here.
Enjoy your shave!
The wooden box is nice for sure. Kind of a reminiscence of the Gillette Big Fellow set
| Date | 14.01.2024 |
| 366 daily shaves | 014/366 |
| Razor | Blade | Brush |
| Lambda Athena | KCG (4) | Razorock 400 |
| Preshave | Soap | Postshave |
| Cold splash Face Wash Mastro Miche preshave | Barrister + Mann Leviathan | Cold splash Proraso Green Balm |
| Passes | WTG XTG ATG and touch up |
| Consistency (details here) | Quality / My process |
| 8/10 (Highly Consistent) | 10/10 (Clean) |
| Effectiveness | Comfort / Blade condition |
| 9/10 (BBS) | 10/10 (GlideFest) |
| Notes: |
Summary. Supercalifragalistic Sunday Shave. All fantastic players for a fantastic win. Loving it!
For extended shave notes click here.
Enjoy your shave!
| Date | 26.01.2024 |
| 366 daily shaves | 026/366 |
| Razor | Blade | Brush |
| Lambda Athena | KCG (16) | Simpson T3 |
| Preshave | Soap | Postshave |
| Cold splash Face Wash Mastro Miche preshave | Barrister + Mann Leviathan | Cold splash Proraso Green Balm |
| Passes | WTG XTG ATG and touch up |
| Consistency (details here) | Quality / My process |
| 9/10 (Significantly Consistent) | 10/10 (Clean) |
| Effectiveness | Comfort / Blade condition |
| 8.75/10 (BBS-) | 10/10 (GlideFest) |
| Notes: |
Summary. Calm and relaxing shave today as I reached for the Athena. Close and comfortable as always.
For extended shave notes click here.
Enjoy your shave!
| Date | 04.02.2024 |
| 366 daily shaves | 035/366 |
| Razor | Blade | Brush |
| Lambda Athena | Gillette Blue Blade (4) | Omega 10098 |
| Preshave | Soap | Postshave |
| Cold splash KCG Face Wash | Barrister + Mann Leviathan | Cold splash Proraso Green Balm |
| Passes | WTG XTG ATG and touch up |
| Consistency (details here) | Quality / My process |
| 9.5/10 (Significantly Consistent) | 9/10 (One weeper) |
| Effectiveness | Comfort / Blade condition |
| 8.75/10 (BBS-) | 7/10 (Comfortable) |
| Notes: |
Summary. A very sweet and dandy Sunday shave with an excellent razor.
For extended shave notes click here.
Enjoy your shave!
Are the Ares and Athena as large as they appear in pictures? The Athena looks massive next to a Blackbird. I'm most interested in the Ares and as far as I can tell it has the same basic dimensions as the Athena.
Also, how difficult and time consuming is it to keep the Ares handle looking nice? Those grooves seem like a pain to clean and dry.
I'm very interested in the razor but hesitant to purchase given the lack of a trial period and relative expense.
Edited to add: seems it isn't too difficult to keep clean if you follow the maker's instructions. HOW TO CLEAN THE PATINA OFF A BRONZE RAZOR - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/how-to-clean-the-patina-off-a-bronze-razor.644583/
Still curious about the overall size.
Also, how difficult and time consuming is it to keep the Ares handle looking nice? Those grooves seem like a pain to clean and dry.
I'm very interested in the razor but hesitant to purchase given the lack of a trial period and relative expense.
Edited to add: seems it isn't too difficult to keep clean if you follow the maker's instructions. HOW TO CLEAN THE PATINA OFF A BRONZE RAZOR - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/how-to-clean-the-patina-off-a-bronze-razor.644583/
Still curious about the overall size.
Last edited:
Because it is. In comparison at least. The handle of the Athena is larger than a Timeless Crown handle for reference (if that helps). A standard Blackbird is now the size of a vintage Gillette TTO razor.
While I don’t have the Ares the handle is easy to clean based on similar handles I have. I rinse and then take a micro towel and buff/dry the razor. So far the Athena has not developed any patina at all. At least to my eye and especially if I compare it to my Karve CB.
The Athena is an amazing razor and from what I have read the Ares is similarly amazing. I almost got one, but decided against it because the results are so very close to each other that for me it felt redundant. And I am glad I did, because just a month later I found a polished Blackbird for sale and they very rarely show up here.
Cheers,
Guido
Thanks for the comparison to the Timeless crown handle. I have the spiral handle, which is smaller than the crown, and I think it's plenty big enough.
I'm torn on the Ares. I hear so many good things about the Lambda razors but I'm also very happy with my Timeless .68 oc and I'm not sure how much better the Ares could be. It's kind of like already having something that is in the 99nth percentile for you, yet chasing that last 1 percent. How much is that really worth?
I guess it's all a personal decision in the end. I'm going to do more research and if I end up with one I'll definitely post my thoughts here.
I think it is actually not a question of better but one of being different. Just to give you an idea: I compared the Athena with the Eclipse Red Ring because of the similarities in head design and the shave was very very similar in terms of results. Very different in terms of experience.
I have a Timeless as well (scalloped .95) and it is a fantastic razor. The Athena holds its own, but the Ti95 is more effective longer term. Was the Athena absolutely necessary to get? No. I just find it to be a beautiful razor by design and I only got it as a tangible memory of a celebration moment. I personally do not see myself getting a Wolfman for that matter. I love the pictures from others, but I see very little need in getting that razor extra on top of the ones I already have. It would be a very expensive extra in my part of the globe at that.
So this is YMMV in full. My latest addition is a Game Changer .84 - absolutely love it! And I know you have had mixed results with it. For variety the Ares will not let you down - at least I see very few reports of the Ares failing fellow shavers. And if you are very happy with the .68OC why change a winning team?
Guido
If your shaves with the Timeless 0.68 are reliably easy, comfortable, close, long-lasting, and free of irritation or red spots, then you can’t really improve much on that. I shaved with my Timeless 0.68 recently as somebody asked me about it, and it was a very good shave. I would say, for me, the Lambda razors feel smoother and more comfortable, and are easier to get a long-lasting BBS shave with. My Timeless 0.68 is dual comb and I got significantly more efficiency, more easily from the open comb side, but the Lambda still feels gentler and is more efficient.Thanks for the comparison to the Timeless crown handle. I have the spiral handle, which is smaller than the crown, and I think it's plenty big enough.
I'm torn on the Ares. I hear so many good things about the Lambda razors but I'm also very happy with my Timeless .68 oc and I'm not sure how much better the Ares could be. It's kind of like already having something that is in the 99nth percentile for you, yet chasing that last 1 percent. How much is that really worth?
I guess it's all a personal decision in the end. I'm going to do more research and if I end up with one I'll definitely post my thoughts here.
Other pros and cons related to handling (which matter too) - the Lambda razors are heavier and the handles have less grip, the Timeless head is bulkier and feels more clunky, the Timeless satin finish feels a little gritty on my face and the polished Lambdas are much smoother feeling. The Lambdas are a bit higher maintenance because you’ll want to dry the razor thoroughly after shaving so you don’t get dark patina spots caused by water droplets.
I would quantify the difference higher than 1%, but it isn’t like night and day. You made an excellent choice buying the Timeless. So, my opinion is that the Lambda is potentially a nice improvement if you don’t mind spending €200 some day, but you are also good with what you have and you won’t miss what the Lambda offers if you haven’t tried it. I think (if you are ok with the Lambda weight and handle) it is a razor you are likely to enjoy shaving with a bit more than the Timeless, and only you can say if that’s worth spending €200. Otherwise be happy that you have a really excellent razor and put Lambda out of your mind for now.
Just one man’s opinion, of course, but I hope it helps.
I think this is a big part of what is drawing me to the Ares. I don't have anything in brass, bronze, or copper and the Ares just looks so good (not to mention the high praise it receives in terms of performance). I wish the Athena handle was available for the Ares.
I feel the same way about my Timeless. The oc (both .68 and .95) perform much better for me than the sb or scalloped without any extra harshness. I actually find the oc smoothest of the three options. For the Lambda to be smoother is really impressive.
I really appreciate @Guido75 and @Mr. Shavington taking the time to share your thoughts and I'm in agreement. The Ares is very much a want rather than a need, particularly considering that I already have something that works so well. I'll put it out of my mind for a few days and see if the desire to own one comes back. Thanks for the advice and the rare instance of B&Bers talking a member out of a purchase
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