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Lupo stainless?

CzechCzar

Use the Fat, Luke!
Of course, my pleasure.

The head profile of the Lupo 95 and the Yates H are very different. The Yates H head profile resembles the Blackbird and locks you into its given geometry, so the angle is easier to find. The Stonewash finish on the Yates doesn't impede the shaving experience as I experienced very little drag but with an elite soap like Kaizen/Milksteak I didn't experience any drag.

The Lupo clamps the blade closer to the edge and the blade is more flattened. Meanwhile the Yates H curves the blade more and clamps the blade a little more back. Both razors hold the blade down very tightly with no blade chattering. Both razors display tight tolerances.

The Yates has 2 lather channels while the Lupo has 4, so I had to do more rinses on the Lupo.

Yates H is quickly becoming one of my most enjoyable razors. I really enjoy how locked in the shave is, and the results are BBS with no irritation or weepers.

The Lupo 95, based on my initial impression is definitely a RAD killer if you want to stop here. But it's not a razor for a beginner imo. The Yates H is more so for the beginner if he/she likes high efficiency razors imo.
The Lupo 95 has a narrow angle, but it is easy to find. Because it has a good amount of blade feel you can get it to smooth out significantly. So the feedback is better on the Lupo 95 than the Yates H if you prefer feedback and rely on that to do fewer strokes like I do.

So to me, again YMMV, the Yates H is smoother than the Lupo 95, meanwhile the Lupo 95 has greater efficiency. They are very close to each other, actually tied in my ranking.

Which is more enjoyable to use? You may ask.
-- the Yates H because it's more unique in it's stonewash finish, can do a more mindless shave and not pay attention as much as Lupo 95, has better balance with that awkward skinny handle (will have to try a titanium handle next on the Lupo), and lastly I got the best customer service from Jake over at Yates, much better than RR experience from the past. The customer service and forum involvement matters to me and is appreciated.

@CzechCzar I would get both and sell the one you don't like for a small loss on BST. If I had to choose one it would be the Yates H ($125), but the Lupo 95 ($72.99) is not far behind.
The deciding factor to me would be face feel - Do you enjoy the Blackbird razor face feel than Lupo 95 would be it.
Do you enjoy Paradigm Diamondback face feel with less blade feel but still high efficiency than the Yates H would be my choice.
Also, thank you for posting such a detailed reply. I know that must have taken awhile, and your effort is much appreciated.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
Thank you so much... I have a pirate beard so i may have to go with the lupo. however both tempt me. I tend to value efficiency over anything else. I may get the lupo first, and see whether than is near the efficiency i like.

The Yates 921-H and the RR Lupo 0.95 are both fine razors. If efficiency is #1 on your list, I would also consider the Ikon B1 Standard and the Blackland Razors Dart.

Both are high efficiency. Both clamp the blade tight - no blade chatter.

YMMV
 
I’ve been using Game Changer
0.84-P sb as a daily shaver for
quite a bit of time.
It was the ONE razor that almost forced me (!)
to sell all the rest of my razors (Muhle,Tatara,Karve,Fatip,
Timeless just to name a few) and killed my RAD...well ,
almost !
Later on acquired the OC version and lately the Lupo 95 has entered the den.
The GC 0.84-P OC is a very special razor (quite different from the sb version in quite a few aspects ) and stays out of the picture of what follows.

Me thinks that the Lupo 95 is actually an evolved and “fixed”
Game Changer 0.84-P solid bar.
The machinist background allows me to acknowledge ,
just by visually comparing,
that both razors share the
same “platform”.Their basic
design is exactly the same .

But the Lupo is actually a Game Changer with the “issues” fixed.
Let me explain.
The main differences are to be found in the baseplates of the razors.
Beyond the different blade gaps and blade exposures ,there are
quite a few more differences.
Let us start with the top side of the base plates .
proxy.php

#Guard/Bar length
The Lupo has a shorter (blade-edge length)guard vs the (full blade length)guard of the GC sb.
That (seemingly)small difference gives tons of manoeuvrability and shaving precision to Lupo vs the GC.

#Scalloped Bar#
Lupo has a scalloped bar vs the smooth bar of the GC .That also
small difference may be adding a bit more efficiency .

#5x bar bridges vs 3x#
A thin edged guard/bar stretches the skin more than a
thicker one.But a thin guard is prone to bending or even breaking if the razor is accidentally dropped.
The GC has a thin guard with
three bridges to the plate.The Lupo has five bridges for a shorter guard.Way sturdier design !

#Lather ports size vs blade clamp surface#
Lupo has smaller lather ports than the GC sb,
but has lot more blade clamp surface available vs the GC sb .
Still,Lupo is not clogging easily at all.Blade rigidity is of course higher at Lupo than the GC sb .

#Blade registration posts#
Lupo has the more common slot
design than the odd round “post s on baseplate” GC has.
Maybe the blade placement precision is higher this way and maybe is more comfortable to insert/remove the blade,but surely is not easier to keep clean and dry.

Let us now check the bottom side of the baseplates :
proxy.php


#washer cut-out#
Lupo has a circular
cut -out for placing
a “standard” M5 nylon washer
( OD 10 mm ,ID 5 mm ,thickness 1 mm),whereas GC is
just flat.

#Smooth curves vs slot#
Well,much more aesthetically
pleasing the way the guards bend down and out from the plate smoothly ,than the slotted
bottom of the GC .

#Engraving#
Seems that RR moved from
stamping to milling .
Letters and numbers appear
more clean & smooth.
————————/////—————
Furthermore...
Machining marks are also
quite different at Lupo vs the GC.
The job done at Lupo is way finer.
Maybe better equipment (cutting tools /lubricants/spindles/etc ) was used into Lupo machining or the programming was even more finely tuned,or maybe both of the above.

For those that really like
and enjoy to shave with the
GC 0.84-P sb,
Lupo 95 is a must-have razor.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for a very insightful post. I was considering the .84SB plate but you may have swayed me. Now what about that brass Karve? Hmmmm
I’ve been using Game Changer
0.84-P sb as a daily shaver for
quite a bit of time.
It was the ONE razor that almost forced me (!)
to sell all the rest of my razors (Muhle,Tatara,Karve,Fatip,
Timeless just to name a few) and killed my RAD...well ,
almost !
Later on acquired the OC version and lately the Lupo 95 has entered the den.
The GC 0.84-P OC is a very special razor (quite different from the sb version in quite a few aspects ) and stays out of the picture of what follows.

Me thinks that the Lupo 95 is actually an evolved and “fixed”
Game Changer 0.84-P solid bar.
The machinist background allows me to acknowledge ,
just by visually comparing,
that both razors share the
same “platform”.Their basic
design is the exact same .

But the Lupo is actually a Game Changer with the “issues” fixed.
Let me explain.
The main differences are to be found in the baseplates of the razors.
Beyond the different blade gaps and blade exposures ,there are
quite a few more differences.
Let us start with the top side of the base plates .
proxy.php

#Guard/Bar length
The Lupo has a shorter (blade-edge length)guard vs the (full blade length)guard of the GC sb.
That (seemingly)small difference gives tons of manoeuvrability and shaving precision to Lupo vs the GC.

#Scalloped Bar#
Lupo has a scalloped bar vs the smooth bar of the GC .That also
small difference may be adding a bit more efficiency .

#5x bar bridges vs 3x#
A thin edged guard/bar stretches the skin more than a
thicker one.But a thin guard is prone to bending or even breaking if the razor is accidentally dropped.
The GC has a thin guard with
three bridges to the plate.The Lupo has five bridges for a shorter guard.Way sturdier design !

#Lather ports size vs blade clamp surface#
Lupo has smaller lather ports than the GC sb,
but has lot more blade clamp surface available vs the GC sb .
Still,Lupo is not clogging easily at all.Blade rigidity is of course higher at Lupo than the GC sb .

#Blade registration posts#
Lupo has the more common slot
design than the odd round “post s on baseplate” GC has.
Maybe the blade placement precision is higher this way and maybe is more comfortable to insert/remove the blade,but surely is not easier to keep clean and dry.

Let us now check the bottom side of the baseplates :
proxy.php


#washer cut-out#
Lupo has a circular
cut -out for placing
a “standard” M5 nylon washer
( OD 10 mm ,ID 5 mm ,thickness 1 mm),whereas GC is
just flat.

#Smooth curves vs slot#
Well,much more aesthetically
pleasing the way the guards bend down and out from the plate smoothly ,than the slotted
bottom of the GC .

#Engraving#
Seems that RR moved from
stamping to milling .
Letters and numbers appear
more clean & smooth.
————————/////—————
Furthermore...
Machining marks are also
quite different at Lupo vs the GC.
The job done at Lupo is way finer.
Either better equipment (cutting tools /lubricants/spindles/etc ) was used or the programming was even more finely tuned,or bothof the above.

For those that really like
and enjoy to shave with the
GC 0.84-P sb,
Lupo 95 is a must-have razor.
 
I’ve been using Game Changer
0.84-P sb as a daily shaver for
quite a bit of time.
It was the ONE razor that almost forced me (!)
to sell all the rest of my razors (Muhle,Tatara,Karve,Fatip,
Timeless just to name a few) and killed my RAD...well ,
almost !
Later on acquired the OC version and lately the Lupo 95 has entered the den.
The GC 0.84-P OC is a very special razor (quite different from the sb version in quite a few aspects ) and stays out of the picture of what follows.

Me thinks that the Lupo 95 is actually an evolved and “fixed”
Game Changer 0.84-P solid bar.
The machinist background allows me to acknowledge ,
just by visually comparing,
that both razors share the
same “platform”.Their basic
design is the exact same .

But the Lupo is actually a Game Changer with the “issues” fixed.
Let me explain.
The main differences are to be found in the baseplates of the razors.
Beyond the different blade gaps and blade exposures ,there are
quite a few more differences.
Let us start with the top side of the base plates .
proxy.php

#Guard/Bar length
The Lupo has a shorter (blade-edge length)guard vs the (full blade length)guard of the GC sb.
That (seemingly)small difference gives tons of manoeuvrability and shaving precision to Lupo vs the GC.

#Scalloped Bar#
Lupo has a scalloped bar vs the smooth bar of the GC .That also
small difference may be adding a bit more efficiency .

#5x bar bridges vs 3x#
A thin edged guard/bar stretches the skin more than a
thicker one.But a thin guard is prone to bending or even breaking if the razor is accidentally dropped.
The GC has a thin guard with
three bridges to the plate.The Lupo has five bridges for a shorter guard.Way sturdier design !

#Lather ports size vs blade clamp surface#
Lupo has smaller lather ports than the GC sb,
but has lot more blade clamp surface available vs the GC sb .
Still,Lupo is not clogging easily at all.Blade rigidity is of course higher at Lupo than the GC sb .

#Blade registration posts#
Lupo has the more common slot
design than the odd round “post s on baseplate” GC has.
Maybe the blade placement precision is higher this way and maybe is more comfortable to insert/remove the blade,but surely is not easier to keep clean and dry.

Let us now check the bottom side of the baseplates :
proxy.php


#washer cut-out#
Lupo has a circular
cut -out for placing
a “standard” M5 nylon washer
( OD 10 mm ,ID 5 mm ,thickness 1 mm),whereas GC is
just flat.

#Smooth curves vs slot#
Well,much more aesthetically
pleasing the way the guards bend down and out from the plate smoothly ,than the slotted
bottom of the GC .

#Engraving#
Seems that RR moved from
stamping to milling .
Letters and numbers appear
more clean & smooth.
————————/////—————
Furthermore...
Machining marks are also
quite different at Lupo vs the GC.
The job done at Lupo is way finer.
Maybe better equipment (cutting tools /lubricants/spindles/etc ) was used into Lupo machining or the programming was even more finely tuned,or maybe both of the above.

For those that really like
and enjoy to shave with the
GC 0.84-P sb,
Lupo 95 is a must-have razor.
Awesome breakdown @SCh5 I really enjoyed reading especially all the technical info. Thanks for taking the time to give us such a detailed review.
Edit: I think the Lupo 95 is the best RR offering to date. I agree with you in that they really improved on their machining.
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I’ve been using Game Changer
0.84-P sb as a daily shaver for
quite a bit of time.
It was the ONE razor that almost forced me (!)
to sell all the rest of my razors (Muhle,Tatara,Karve,Fatip,
Timeless just to name a few) and killed my RAD...well ,
almost !
Later on acquired the OC version and lately the Lupo 95 has entered the den.
The GC 0.84-P OC is a very special razor (quite different from the sb version in quite a few aspects ) and stays out of the picture of what follows.

Me thinks that the Lupo 95 is actually an evolved and “fixed”
Game Changer 0.84-P solid bar.
The machinist background allows me to acknowledge ,
just by visually comparing,
that both razors share the
same “platform”.Their basic
design is the exact same .

But the Lupo is actually a Game Changer with the “issues” fixed.
Let me explain.
The main differences are to be found in the baseplates of the razors.
Beyond the different blade gaps and blade exposures ,there are
quite a few more differences.
Let us start with the top side of the base plates .
proxy.php

#Guard/Bar length
The Lupo has a shorter (blade-edge length)guard vs the (full blade length)guard of the GC sb.
That (seemingly)small difference gives tons of manoeuvrability and shaving precision to Lupo vs the GC.

#Scalloped Bar#
Lupo has a scalloped bar vs the smooth bar of the GC .That also
small difference may be adding a bit more efficiency .

#5x bar bridges vs 3x#
A thin edged guard/bar stretches the skin more than a
thicker one.But a thin guard is prone to bending or even breaking if the razor is accidentally dropped.
The GC has a thin guard with
three bridges to the plate.The Lupo has five bridges for a shorter guard.Way sturdier design !

#Lather ports size vs blade clamp surface#
Lupo has smaller lather ports than the GC sb,
but has lot more blade clamp surface available vs the GC sb .
Still,Lupo is not clogging easily at all.Blade rigidity is of course higher at Lupo than the GC sb .

#Blade registration posts#
Lupo has the more common slot
design than the odd round “post s on baseplate” GC has.
Maybe the blade placement precision is higher this way and maybe is more comfortable to insert/remove the blade,but surely is not easier to keep clean and dry.

Let us now check the bottom side of the baseplates :
proxy.php


#washer cut-out#
Lupo has a circular
cut -out for placing
a “standard” M5 nylon washer
( OD 10 mm ,ID 5 mm ,thickness 1 mm),whereas GC is
just flat.

#Smooth curves vs slot#
Well,much more aesthetically
pleasing the way the guards bend down and out from the plate smoothly ,than the slotted
bottom of the GC .

#Engraving#
Seems that RR moved from
stamping to milling .
Letters and numbers appear
more clean & smooth.
————————/////—————
Furthermore...
Machining marks are also
quite different at Lupo vs the GC.
The job done at Lupo is way finer.
Maybe better equipment (cutting tools /lubricants/spindles/etc ) was used into Lupo machining or the programming was even more finely tuned,or maybe both of the above.

For those that really like
and enjoy to shave with the
GC 0.84-P sb,
Lupo 95 is a must-have razor.
An even higher quality and better made razor ,except being more efficient.
Great review and have to agree the 2nd generation Lupo is 1 step up in design for loading and removing blades from a already good design & the great razor Game changer .84 or .68. It will be a great seller for Italian barber no doubt and a joy to use for those who decide to buy one in the future. I have the Lupo .72 and enjoy it a lot with some of my other razors & brands. The Lupo .72 is a little more aggressive and efficient than the RR GC .84 IMO .
 
Last edited:
Edit: I think the Lupo 95 is the best RR offering to date. I agree with you in that they really improved on their machining.
Yes ,I think the same .
By far the Lupo series is the best of
RR has to offer.
A big step-up at quality,design and shaving efficiency /smoothness.
If Lupo had a bit better finish (had been higher polished)
and had been sold under a different brandname ,
say something like Foxman or
Greyland or Ash Goods or Below the Hat or Sizeless ,probably then would cost x5 (at least) of it’s current retail price.
 
Last edited:
Great review and have to agree the 2nd generation Lupo is 1 step up in design for loading and removing blades from a already good design & the great razor Game changer .84 or .68. It will be a great seller for Italian barber no doubt and a joy to use for those who decide to buy one in the future. I have the Lupo .72 and enjoy it a lot with some of my other razors & brands. The Lupo .72 is a little more aggressive and efficient than the RR GC .84 IMO .
YMMV as always ,but according
to my experience so far with the Lupo 95 ,all I can say is that while surely is a more efficient razor than the GC 0.84-P sb and certainly has more blade feel ,still remains
a rather smooth ,gentle ,
well mannered ,unwilling to bite razor.
Can’t really support that it’s more “aggressive “ than the
GC 0.84-P .
More efficient ,yes.
More blade forward ,yes it is .
More aggressive?
Well no,does not feel like that .
On the contrary ,it is a very agile and buttery smooth shaver.
At least that’s how my face experience it !
 
Last edited:

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
YMMV as always ,but according
to my experience so far with the Lupo 95 ,all I can say is that while surely is a more efficient razor than the GC 0.84-P sb and certainly has more blade feel ,still remains
a rather smooth ,gentle ,
well mannered ,unwilling to bite razor.
Can’t really support that it’s more “aggressive “ than the
GC 0.84-P .
More efficient ,yes.
More blade forward ,yes it is .
More aggressive?
Well no,does not feel like that .
On the contrary ,it is a very agile and buttery smooth shaver.
At least that’s how my face experience it !
 
I’ve had my first two shaves with the .72 Lupo and its a winner. For reference, I’ve been using the Lupo DLC for the last 6 months every day (minus three), and the .72 edges it out. I really thought there wasn’ta better razor for the price than the DLC. But I was wrong. I was really expecting the .72 to go on the BST after about a week of shaving with it because I didn’t think there would be enough of a difference between the two. I’m wrong. The .72 is smoother with less blade feel to me, especially on a new blade. And it’s a smidge more efficient, which is a nice plus. I only like to keep one razor, so now I’ll be figuring out which of these I’ll keep, but I think I already know.
 
Myself I’m “one razor man” !
Well,almost...
Except the amazing Lupo 95 ,I’ve kept the GC 0.84-P OC.
And got a second Lupo 95, to have as spare.
Sold or gave away all the rest of my razors .I’m not a collector ,
all I want is couple of razors that my face and neck love to
...keep in touch with !
 
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