Matador de luxe, a swedish vintage razor

[jmudrick]

This one just reached me. What are the weights of the various versions? Mine is 57g. Don't they all say Deluxe regardless of the handle and bottom plate (Mine does) and the other version is the Diplomat? Just eyeballing it has some serious exposure, not sure how that algns with the description of the mild "standard razor" referenced above (??).

 

[jmudrick]

Single Pass Evening Head Shave': The Matador is easy to describe to a T. It's a less intimidating version of the Barbasol Floating Head. Solid bar, a bit less weight and exposure but aggressive enough to distinguish itself. Very efficient. Bic blade. Impressed!

 

[mjclark]

Single Pass Evening Head Shave': The Matador is easy to describe to a T. It's a less intimidating version of the Barbasol Floating Head. Solid bar, a bit less weight and exposure but aggressive enough to distinguish itself. Very efficient. Bic blade. Impressed!

Brilliant! And I think you sum up the characteristics of this razor well.

For me the Matador DeLuxe is a much better shaver than the Barbasol Floating Head all round - it’s smoother, more efficient and the angle is more intuitive.

 

[Polarbeard]

I am very much a straight razor shaver, but whenever @mjclark comes up with something I do read with great interest regardless of shaving tool. So after having read the first posts of this thread, and Marcus' opinions, I started to look for a Swedish Matador De Luxe in good condition and for a reasonable price. It took its time but now I got one and I have just shaved with it for the first time.

I can only concur with the previous posts: To me the Matador De Luxe feels very mild, the shaving angle is very intuitive, the shave is irritation free and the results are stellar. I got a totally flawless and irritation free BBS after a three pass shave.

Just for reference: After having passed over to The Dark Side some years ago I still return five or ten times a year to those DE razors that were my favourites: Mühle R41 2011, Merkur Vision and Mühle R41 2013. To do an objective comparison after just one shave would be stupid, but the Matador De Luxe is a very aggressive razor with a mild feeling.

I wonder, The largest Swedish DE maker was Swing with Matador coming second. Swing razors are still very well known and sought for while I, as a collector of Swedish shaving gear, hardly ever hear or read about Matador. It might be due to that Swing razors have a far better finish than Matador.

 

[mjclark]

I am very much a straight razor shaver, but whenever @mjclark comes up with something I do read with great interest regardless of shaving tool. So after having read the first posts of this thread, and Marcus' opinions, I started to look for a Swedish Matador De Luxe in good condition and for a reasonable price. It took its time but now I got one and I have just shaved with it for the first time.

I can only concur with the previous posts: To me the Matador De Luxe feels very mild, the shaving angle is very intuitive, the shave is irritation free and the results are stellar. I got a totally flawless and irritation free BBS after a three pass shave.

Just for reference: After having passed over to The Dark Side some years ago I still return five or ten times a year to those DE razors that were my favourites: Mühle R41 2011, Merkur Vision and Mühle R41 2013. To do an objective comparison after just one shave would be stupid, but the Matador De Luxe is a very aggressive razor with a mild feeling.

I wonder, The largest Swedish DE maker was Swing with Matador coming second. Swing razors are still very well known and sought for while I, as a collector of Swedish shaving gear, hardly ever hear or read about Matador. It might be due to that Swing razors have a far better finish than Matador.

View attachment 902114

Great stuff Arne! It’s good to hear that you like the Matador DeLuxe as much as I do.
Along with the 2011 R41 it’s a very distinguished shaver indeed!

 

[Polarbeard]

Great stuff Arne! It’s good to hear that you like the Matador DeLuxe as much as I do.
Along with the 2011 R41 it’s a very distinguished shaver indeed!

I'll give it a couple of more shaves to verify my findings.

 

[Polarbeard]

I can now verify that the Matador indeed is a very smooth and extremely effective shaver. I've also found out that it is extremely easy to clean, at least mine that has got a hollow handle.

 

[creekwalker]

After getting tired of waiting for a lower price on a Matador DeLuxe, I made an offer that amounted to about $85 US delivered for one on Ebay UK, and it was just accepted. (The seller is in Devon, and that made me wonder just for a moment if it might be mjclark unloading one of his extras...)

 

[Pippirull]

Got one more Matador a while ago, a DeLuxe, the upper one.
Today I used the beauty in the middle. It has a slightly different base plate, a more beveled plate which should make a more rigid design.
Used it today with a Personna red third use, and man it is a smooth shaver. Didn't even notice there is a blade in it. For me it is at effective as the R41 but not at all that aggressive, not that much blade feel.
Now ten hours later it is still DFS, simply awesome.

 

[Pippirull]

Think I have found my magical combo.
Been using this DeLuxe this week, and had a couple of Kai's laying around. Second use today and the rigidity combined with that blade is shave-o-magic.
Too bad they are so expensive, but the quality makes me consider buying a 100 pack of them.

 

[creekwalker]

Congratulations on finding a combination that works really well for you. When my M DeLuxe comes I'll have to make Kai one of the blades I try.

Think I have found my magical combo.
Been using this DeLuxe this week, and had a couple of Kai's laying around. Second use today and the rigidity combined with that blade is shave-o-magic.
Too bad they are so expensive, but the quality makes me consider buying a 100 pack of them.
View attachment 903750

 

[Pippirull]

Congratulations on finding a combination that works really well for you. When my M DeLuxe comes I'll have to make Kai one of the blades I try.

Thank you!
Hope you enjoy the Matador too. I think it's a hidden gem. Not sure if it has dethroned the Rockwell 6s yet, but it is at least close to.
Hope to hear your opinion later on.

 

[Falsterbolt]

I bought a Matador deluxe from the Swedish Ebay. Have not tried it yet but it looks nice with its bakelite casing. The Matador is the one on the right. It is nice to read that the razor is not aggresive since I am only starting out, shaving with a safety razor

 

[jmudrick]

The Matador, Ikon Tech, and Barbasol Floating Head are all examples of razors whose efficiency and aggressiveness stem from exposure which is a function of a very short guard span. Personally I find the Matador the best of the three, much smoother than the Tech (which tugs on my head), and better handling than the Barbasol.

 

[Snowbeard]

Here's a shot of my "Matador collection".

The razor on the left is: A two piece "Barbett" razor, a Danish brand name associated in my experience only with razor blades. I have no idea if this razor was actually made in Denmark or perhaps somewhere else under contract, Sweden being the obvious guess. In any event, a dead ringer for the Swedish Matador on the right, at least as regards the plate and cap.

Middle Razor: A three piece razor stamped "Matador Deluxe Precision Rakhyvel". It has a thinner plate and cap compared to the Matador on the right, and a slightly different style as you can see.

The razor on the right is: Another "Matador Deluxe Precision Rakhyvel", this one being bigger and heavier than the middle Matador, and being a two piece version of this razor.

It's interesting how the Matador razor either changed over the years. Or, perhaps was sold at different levels of quality. Which makes sense to me, but if that's the case, then why wouldn't they utilize at least a slightly different name for the different models?

 

[nemo]

Here's a shot of my "Matador collection".

The razor on the right is: Another "Matador Deluxe Precision Rakhyvel", this one being bigger and heavier than the middle Matador, and being a two piece version of this razor.

Been hunting for one like that on the right for years. Beautiful handle. Actually all beautiful handles.

They sure don't come up often. Congrats.

 

[Snowbeard]

Been hunting for one like that on the right for years. Beautiful handle. Actually all beautiful handles.

They sure don't come up often. Congrats.

Thank you, Doug. I scored that one on the regular Bay, although the seller was in Romania, not Sweden. I've had some good luck lately on Tradera, the Swedish site, as I'm sure you're aware of.

 

[Snowbeard]

I am very much a straight razor shaver, but whenever @mjclark comes up with something I do read with great interest regardless of shaving tool. So after having read the first posts of this thread, and Marcus' opinions, I started to look for a Swedish Matador De Luxe in good condition and for a reasonable price. It took its time but now I got one and I have just shaved with it for the first time.

I can only concur with the previous posts: To me the Matador De Luxe feels very mild, the shaving angle is very intuitive, the shave is irritation free and the results are stellar. I got a totally flawless and irritation free BBS after a three pass shave.

Just for reference: After having passed over to The Dark Side some years ago I still return five or ten times a year to those DE razors that were my favourites: Mühle R41 2011, Merkur Vision and Mühle R41 2013. To do an objective comparison after just one shave would be stupid, but the Matador De Luxe is a very aggressive razor with a mild feeling.

I wonder, The largest Swedish DE maker was Swing with Matador coming second. Swing razors are still very well known and sought for while I, as a collector of Swedish shaving gear, hardly ever hear or read about Matador. It might be due to that Swing razors have a far better finish than Matador.

View attachment 902114

Here's a Swedish Aeterna A800 Silver. I think you'd like it, Polarbeard, if you haven't come across one yet. Seems to me to be as great a shaver as a Matador, but with a more beautiful fit and finish! Cheers. Snowbeard