maggard v3 vs. v3a
- Thread starter jonwilson
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I have both. Two totally different heads. The v3a to me is not that aggressive but it definitely has more blade feel than the v3. I believe the v3 is a de89 clone it is very efficient and mild. Might come down to personal preference- I like to feel the blade when I shave.
prefer the aggressive. But I usually use a straight and need the aggressiveness.
I was wondering the same. I've read everything I could, and even spoke to Maggard. I know though, despite everything I read, I'll never know which I'd prefer unless I tried them both. I'm leaning toward the v3A, but I dunno. We'll see...
If you want a unique, fun experience, get the V3A.
Both are great but once you get comfortable with the V3A, you can kinda play it "fast 'n loose".
It's kinda hard to explain how the blade is forgiving, even though there's so much of it exposed. It cuts very efficiently at just the right angle and with a sharp blade, this thing is a smooth beast.
The V3 also seems aggressive in it's own respect, but it feels less forgiving and I had bad luck using sharp blades in it such as Feather and Astra.
Both are great but once you get comfortable with the V3A, you can kinda play it "fast 'n loose".
It's kinda hard to explain how the blade is forgiving, even though there's so much of it exposed. It cuts very efficiently at just the right angle and with a sharp blade, this thing is a smooth beast.
The V3 also seems aggressive in it's own respect, but it feels less forgiving and I had bad luck using sharp blades in it such as Feather and Astra.
When you look at the two of them end-on with a blade, the V3A looks almost scary with a large gap and a lot of exposure. In practice, the V3A, to me, feels very smooth but efficient. Good blade feel and a very close shave. It's my favorite modern razor.
The V3 is also a nice razor but I seem to have better experiences with the V3A.
The V3 is also a nice razor but I seem to have better experiences with the V3A.
@ ZigZiglar & lancre : Thanks for your insight. Appreciated !!!
I have a v3 and I find it to be pretty comparable to my two Edwin Jaggers (it is a pretty good clone of the EJ). It is mild to medium and relatively efficient. Though, almost exactly the same on aggression and blade feel, I do find the actual EJ heads to be a tad more efficient, though it may simply be the different handles (to know for sure I should try the v3 on one of my EJ handles, and an EJ head on the Maggard MR8 I use with the v3).
I don't have a v3a but I'm thinking about getting one. How close is it to the RazoRock Mentor? I do have that aggressive razor and love it (it is much more aggressive than my EJs and v3, the blade exposure and gap almost look scary, but it nearly as smooth as the v3 and EJs).
I don't have a v3a but I'm thinking about getting one. How close is it to the RazoRock Mentor? I do have that aggressive razor and love it (it is much more aggressive than my EJs and v3, the blade exposure and gap almost look scary, but it nearly as smooth as the v3 and EJs).
Hard to tell from pictures, but they look like the same head, and have similar reputations.
Would you say the V3 and DE89 are basically the same shave? If you owned both, would you basically have duplicate razors?
Not necessarily it is cosmetically a little different but essentially the same shave.
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I believe they are quite different razors, I didn't enjoy the V3 too much, a good shave but not great. The V3A is one of my short list razors if I had to get rid of the collection it would be in the 10 I keep. It is an "aggressive" razor that delivers wonderful shaves. I do like the blade feel, it's not harsh it just reminds you it's there
+1 for the V3A yielding a more comfortable shave than the milder V3 head. I'm curious to see if the DE89/R89 head is noticeably smoother than the V3 - enough to justify the higher cost.
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Same head. An unbranded chrome version is also available on eBay for $5 shipped. Superb head.
Custom Razor HEAD DE MADE TO FIT Merkur Jagger Parker Razorock Handles Etc | eBay
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My experience was that the V3A was more aggressive (slightly) than the V3. But in contrast to many others... IMHO... my V3 is quite noticeably more aggressive than my DE89. Both are still good razors, but definitely have to be more careful with the V3 than I do with the DE89. If I'm not paying attention, I can give myself some irritation/ razor burn much more easily with the V3. My DE89 is much more forgiving of my getting distracted.
So ... now that I've contradicted everyone, you're probably more confused than ever.... glad I could help... (LOL)
Seriously... keep in mind I've only been at this about a little under 1.5 years.... so what do I know? But ... that's my opinion. And as always, your mileage may vary....
Thanks. I was just about to buy a V3 head to put on the same handle as my DE89, but I'll pass. The V3A may be a little too aggressive for me. I don't need a major step up from DE89 in terms of aggressiveness, may be just a little jump. Just slightly more aggressive.
I'm not sure if the maggard and razorock heads are the same or not, but the razorock mission is a slightly more aggressive/efficient design than the DE/R89 head. The Mentor head looks like the V3A and was supposedly designed off one of the vintage gillette adjustables set at 8. They're both good shavers but I now prefer my QShave futur clone since I can get similar shaves from one razor. The Mentor did allow for more angle choices than the DE/R89 head.
I find the razorock de-1 (baili tech style) to be just as smooth as the DE/R89 but more efficient. RazoRock also offers the Yin and Yang model, which is one handle and both mission and mentor heads for $20. Maggard probably has a multiple head deal also.
I find the razorock de-1 (baili tech style) to be just as smooth as the DE/R89 but more efficient. RazoRock also offers the Yin and Yang model, which is one handle and both mission and mentor heads for $20. Maggard probably has a multiple head deal also.
I have all of the razors mentioned. The V3 is a clone of the DE89 with some minor cosmetic differences as mentioned. The shave is very much the same. Maybe some minor lack of smoothness or small variation in aggression, but negligible if so. The RR version is exactly the same as the V3. So take your pick. I like the Maggards handles much better, so that's my preference. The V3a is a completely different design. It has a different blade feel, but it is not that much more aggressive than the V3. I much prefer the V3 and use it often. The Maggards MR-18 handle is almost the same as the Weber Classic, and makes a wonderful match for the V3.
The RR DE-1 is the same head as the RR Tek II. They are squarely in the Tech knock off camp, and do a great job. Much better than the stamped metal tech clones out there. A great shave. But completely different than any DE89 variant. But they are ridiculously inexpensive, so I've bought a few Tek II's to give away to new wet shavers.
The RR DE-1 is the same head as the RR Tek II. They are squarely in the Tech knock off camp, and do a great job. Much better than the stamped metal tech clones out there. A great shave. But completely different than any DE89 variant. But they are ridiculously inexpensive, so I've bought a few Tek II's to give away to new wet shavers.
Have you considered shimming?
I have a DE89 that I'd like to be a tad more aggressive, and I'm going to shim it before long - just to see how it goes.
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