At this point, you should have at least ordered two of the three mentioned razors.
Yes, @100pctFragranceFree, what have you ordered and/or what does your current shopping list look like?
Merica vs Overlander vs Masamunue for the best cut/nick/irritation-free, yet efficient, shave?
- Thread starter 100pctFragranceFree
- Start date
Yes, @100pctFragranceFree, what have you ordered and/or what does your current shopping list look like?
Yes. Let me put it to you this way...when I travel for work, I take the Masamune with me because I can use it with any soap, any pre-shave routine and any post-shave routine. I don't even bring my alum block with me when I am gone for a week. And I use a Nacet (slightly wider blade)...if I chose a more standard blade width like the Permasharp or Gillette Yellow, I have even less of a risk of getting a weeper. I just shaved with it this am and had a single tiny weeper despite shaving very fast.
That said...while the Henson was "irritation-free" after the shave, I got a fair amount of ingrowns from using it, so I moved it on to my 14 year old son who this is perfect for. So Masamune is even more irritation free especially long-term than my Henson mild.
That is a bit of a trick question because I ordered them specifically for someone who wanted a mild shave without buffing (meaning increased efficiency despite mildness). If that is what you want, then yes, my favorites are in that order. If you asked me what my personal best razor is, then the order is different because I don't mind buffing here and there. My personal order is:
1) Charcoal Goods Everyday
2) Wolfman WR2 95SB
3) Timeless Bronze 38SB
4) Timeless 68SB
5) Masamune
All 5 of these razors shave like a dream, but what makes the Charcoal and Wolf stand out is that they get a BBS 2-pass shave with zero blade feel and a perfect glide on the face. The two Timeless are close, but have more bladefeel, particularly the Bronze (which is the easiest BBS due to its slightly positive blade exposure). The Masamune has the same end result as any of the other razors (2 pass BBS without irritation), but it gets there with more bladefeel and drag than the other 4. I use all 5 razors in my rotation in equal amounts, so I can't say I use the Charcoal more than the Masamune or that the end result is much different. But I CAN say that I enjoy my CHarcoal shaves more than the Masamune shaves.
I am about to add a Blutt 67 to the rotation, so I'll tell you how I like that one as I understand it to be very similar to what I already like. I also have tried to get into a passaround for the Carbon CX316 to test the new mild plate. So far, no dice.
Razors that I have had and have not worked for me (in no particular order):
- Yates 921M: Could not go shallow, felt a lot of drag at all angles and left my face irritated. Returned for refund.
- Karve CB SS B Plate: Shaved great, but gave me ingrowns after prolonged use.
- Henson mild: Shaved great, but also gave me ingrowns after prolonged use.
- Tatara Nodachi: As much drag as Masamune, but so much more aggressive that irritation followed. Sold it.
- Fatip Grande: Nice shave, but too much for my face. Sold.
- Fatip Gentile: Great shave, no irritation, but blade alignment is a PITA and if I got that wrong, I would cut myself. Still have it, but never use it.
- RR Lupo AL: Loved the shave, but ultimately, I don't like Al razors because they feel too light in my hand.
- RR GC 68 and 84: I liked the 68 better, but I ultimately never quite could get them to be as good as any of my other razors.
- Wolfman WR1 68SB: Didn't like the shave, didn't like the post-shave. Felt too aggressive. Sold it.
- H&S N075: Shave felt good, but gave me ingrowns similar to the Karve CB. Sold it.
- ATT M1: Same story as with Wolf WR1...couldn't get a comfy shave and post shave felt rough. Sold it.
- RR SLOC: Shaves awesome, but felt cheap and not special. Still have it, but never use it.
- RR Mamba 53/70: I liked both Mambas, but again...while they gave a good shave, I never quite got the post-shave to work for my tastes.
Look forward to the Blutt 67 report as I've been eyeing it, along with the CG Everyday.
- Thread starter
- #84
Uh-oh. I'm being called to account (rightfully) for my waffling. I actually have a Muehle R89 on the way to me. (Because I really like my Rocca and heard the R89 is a bit milder.) Nothing ordered. I confess to having a really difficult time deciding.
Actually, I owned a Nodachi and an extra Masamune base plate. I traded the nodachi top cap for the Masamune top cap. Honestly, the shave became so much better. Either base plate was exceptional with the Masamune top. I had no irritation or cuts, and it seemed just as efficient as using the Nodachi top cap. If i wouldnt habe bought the Masumara, it would be my daily driver.
Thanks @steffenapelz! You have done it now
I have been a big fan of the CG LVL2. Looks like they are out of the everyday at the moment, but the LVL1, with it's negative exposure, looks interesting to me.
I did a very hasty shave with her this afternoon. I had to use one of those mirrors you use in a car to keep an eye on your kid, wasnt in my den and with a Lord platinum blade on shave 5, so it was a bit improvisational. The razor feels very well made and is alot more attractieve than it looks on photographs found online.
Will update tomorrow with a fresh blade and a mirror that doesnt deform my reflection. For a semi-blind shave the result was exceptional in both comfort and efficiency, but probably not very representative.
Wow, I'm a total moron. You actually openend your topic saying that you tried the Yates 921-M and didn't like it. Yet, somehow along the line I managed to convince myself I needed to test it out for you, and no one corrected me. Wish I had chosen the Masamune, to at least be a little helpful...
Anyway, for what it's worth I did a comparison between the Rockwell 6c plate 6 vs the Yates 921-M.
I know Rockwell's plate 5 has the same blade gap as the Yates M, but since plate 6 (0.79 gap) has zero blade feel, I figured the comparison would be fair enough.
The Rockwell felt smoother, possibly because of the chrome finish vs machined finish on the Yates.
The Yates however felt more sophisticated, more manouverable and provided me with better feedback.
I feel some blade (or perhaps the faintest bit of drag?) on the Yates but not in a bad way, it's not irritating, it lets you know it's doing what it's supposed to be doing. The Rockwell, not so much. It's sailing smoothly and seemingly unhindered across the face. Tight space under nose or under sharp, skinny jawline are alot more difficult to reach with the bulky Rockwell.
The Rockwell, despite having no blade feel left me with a couple of weepers,the Yates left me without any harm.
But which one was more efficient? If you were guessing the higher gap of the Rockwell then you guessed wrong. The Yates' side was considerably smoother and free of irritation.
Is it as efficient as I'd like? Maybe not quuiiiteee there yet. But for me, it's an amazingly comfortable and nimble device. It feels more natural although I'm no big fan of the thin handle. I'll use the Yates for the remainder of the week to decide on whether or not to get the H plate.
In short if the Rockwell 6c or s were also on your "maybe" list because they are known for their comfy shaves then I would not recommend following up on that. For my face it wasn't as efficient as the Yates, even on a plate with a bigger gap. The Yates also left my face unharmed where-as the Rockwell didn't.
Anyway, for what it's worth I did a comparison between the Rockwell 6c plate 6 vs the Yates 921-M.
I know Rockwell's plate 5 has the same blade gap as the Yates M, but since plate 6 (0.79 gap) has zero blade feel, I figured the comparison would be fair enough.
The Rockwell felt smoother, possibly because of the chrome finish vs machined finish on the Yates.
The Yates however felt more sophisticated, more manouverable and provided me with better feedback.
I feel some blade (or perhaps the faintest bit of drag?) on the Yates but not in a bad way, it's not irritating, it lets you know it's doing what it's supposed to be doing. The Rockwell, not so much. It's sailing smoothly and seemingly unhindered across the face. Tight space under nose or under sharp, skinny jawline are alot more difficult to reach with the bulky Rockwell.
The Rockwell, despite having no blade feel left me with a couple of weepers,the Yates left me without any harm.
But which one was more efficient? If you were guessing the higher gap of the Rockwell then you guessed wrong. The Yates' side was considerably smoother and free of irritation.
Is it as efficient as I'd like? Maybe not quuiiiteee there yet. But for me, it's an amazingly comfortable and nimble device. It feels more natural although I'm no big fan of the thin handle. I'll use the Yates for the remainder of the week to decide on whether or not to get the H plate.
In short if the Rockwell 6c or s were also on your "maybe" list because they are known for their comfy shaves then I would not recommend following up on that. For my face it wasn't as efficient as the Yates, even on a plate with a bigger gap. The Yates also left my face unharmed where-as the Rockwell didn't.
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You don't sound very excited by the Yates. Getting a new razor is always a gamble.
Wait, I am excited! I'm just not sure whether I need a higher efficiency plate.
It's the Rockwell that lost this fight.
Nice! I wasn't impressed by my 6S either. It was just too bulky and mild for me and on top of that, the crude finish had a very unpleasant feel on my skin and since then, I try to avoid unpolished razors like a plague. I still don't understand how the Rockwell razors get such a high praise from most of the Youtubers, some of which have tried a great deal of the high end spectrum of the modern razors on the market.
I do have to say I can enjoy the Rockwell for my daily shave. While it isn't the most efficient it is very smooth and forgiving.
I think many people (myself included) see it as a good introduction to wet shaving. Given that it's an affordable razor (the c version) that offers some adjustability. But it obviously has quite some competition, Merkur Progress being the one that comes to mind first. But the Progress has alot more bite to it. This being an American forum, I guess options from North America are the more obvious choice for people who live there.
I'll try not to derail this topic any further. And look forward to read about the ops Maramusa and overlander experience
@Medivh have you tried your Overlander already?
I do have to say I can enjoy the Rockwell for my daily shave. While it isn't the most efficient it is very smooth and forgiving.
I think many people (myself included) see it as a good introduction to wet shaving. Given that it's an affordable razor (the c version) that offers some adjustability. But it obviously has quite some competition, Merkur Progress being the one that comes to mind first. But the Progress has alot more bite to it. This being an American forum, I guess options from North America are the more obvious choice for people who live there.
I'll try not to derail this topic any further. And look forward to read about the ops Maramusa and overlander experience
@Medivh have you tried your Overlander already?
I haven't got it yet and it would take between 3-4 weeks before is arrives in Europe.
While it is possible you need the open-comb EH plate in brass, it’s also possible that consecutively shaving with the M plate will lead to an efficiency increase.
- Thread starter
- #95
Sometimes situations like getting the Yates instead of the Masamune work out for the best.
Get the H plate. Increased efficiency and hardly any more aggressive than the M.
Forget the Winning Razor if you didn't like the Yates.....those two are similar in design though for me the Yates is a few steps above in performance. The Overlander and Masamune are both great razors (I have both). I like the Overlander just a hair better for some reason....can't quite put my finger on it though. Both shave well and are on the milder side. I don't think I've ever been nicked by either of them.
If you would like to try them, let me know and I'll send them to you.
If you would like to try them, let me know and I'll send them to you.
While I speak specifically to the R89, I have a pair of Jagger DE89s and one you get the angle correct, they are pretty nice razors. There seems to be enough similarity in the head design of each brand though they claim to build them separately to make a reasonable guess that they shave about the same.
I haven't tried two of the razors you mentioned in your initial post but I recently bought a CC Masamune and it's really a terrific razor. Often compared (wrongly IMO) to the AS-D2, the Masamune is a bit more aggressive but only a bit. However, totally different feel and experience when using them as their design and ergos are so different. My desert island razor for my needs (skin and beard) would be the AS-D2. Never any irritation, never any nicks, cuts, bumps, issues whatsoever. I exclusively use Feather blades with it. It's such a good razor it's almost boring!
- Thread starter
- #99
Thanks very much for the offer! I'm curious what you think about the Merica. Is that in-between the 921 and Winning razor?
Never shaved with the Merica, but you maybe correct with your assumption. Maybe someone here has experience with all 3 of those razors and can help.
