So a few weeks ago I went on a hunt for the perfect razor to match my Feather blades and ended up buying three new ones: the R106, a Merkur 11C, and the Feather all-Stainless. I was finally able to collect them today and decided to use the R106 off the bat, partially since I am now terminally afraid of damaging the Feather, which is a piece of art, and also as a "save the best for last" thing. Yeah, oops.
Off the bat, the R106 is a really nice looking razor. It doesn't have the heft or grip of the short-handled Merkurs, but the finish and construction are top notch and I found it very easy to control despite the slightly long handle. It's not that much shorter than my 23C, which I've been using as a daily shaver for about the past month, but it's far, far easier to maneuver on your face. Also, when you choke up on the handle the shave is still very comfortable, which I didn't find was the case with the 23C. The only negative is that the rounded black handle doesn't offer much at all in the way of grip. I didn't have any problems with drops or slips, but it's not the most secure feeling in the world. Maybe also a tiny point off for being a three-piece, but that's so YMMV as to be pointless.
As for the shave, I used a fresh Feather and within two or three strokes I could feel a marked difference from yesterday's shave. The head of the razor is superlative. It glides extremely well, which is usually a problem for me, and the proper blade angle is easy to find. I found it more aggressive than the 23C (almost on par with the 37C Slant) but without a hint of irritation. This is especially useful since I've been Method Shaving, which requires more passes/time with blade on your face than my usual shave. But even with all of the passes, my face feels incredible. I got a couple of weepers, but they were more down to me being overzealous/stupid as I got more into the shave and wanted to test the limits of the razor.
The overall result was an outstanding shave, maybe the best I've ever gotten to date. It was easy, enjoyable, noticeably more comfortable than usual, and as close as I've ever been to BBS and without a trace of "overreach" problems. It has definitely ended my time with the 23C, which is going on the BST tonight. To be honest, if I'd bought and used this before purchasing the other two razors, this would be a RAD killer for me. I can't recommend this razor enough, especially if you're a Feather user. I'm going to stick with it for about a week and then move on to the Feather, and I'm very curious to see if it can top this performance. Right now I can't imagine another razor doing any better.
One last point: this razor is a fairly ludicrous 45 bucks shipped from The Superior Shave. That's a great value for such a good razor and they're a fantastic vendor, so there's very little reason to hold back on the R106, IMO.
Off the bat, the R106 is a really nice looking razor. It doesn't have the heft or grip of the short-handled Merkurs, but the finish and construction are top notch and I found it very easy to control despite the slightly long handle. It's not that much shorter than my 23C, which I've been using as a daily shaver for about the past month, but it's far, far easier to maneuver on your face. Also, when you choke up on the handle the shave is still very comfortable, which I didn't find was the case with the 23C. The only negative is that the rounded black handle doesn't offer much at all in the way of grip. I didn't have any problems with drops or slips, but it's not the most secure feeling in the world. Maybe also a tiny point off for being a three-piece, but that's so YMMV as to be pointless.
As for the shave, I used a fresh Feather and within two or three strokes I could feel a marked difference from yesterday's shave. The head of the razor is superlative. It glides extremely well, which is usually a problem for me, and the proper blade angle is easy to find. I found it more aggressive than the 23C (almost on par with the 37C Slant) but without a hint of irritation. This is especially useful since I've been Method Shaving, which requires more passes/time with blade on your face than my usual shave. But even with all of the passes, my face feels incredible. I got a couple of weepers, but they were more down to me being overzealous/stupid as I got more into the shave and wanted to test the limits of the razor.
The overall result was an outstanding shave, maybe the best I've ever gotten to date. It was easy, enjoyable, noticeably more comfortable than usual, and as close as I've ever been to BBS and without a trace of "overreach" problems. It has definitely ended my time with the 23C, which is going on the BST tonight. To be honest, if I'd bought and used this before purchasing the other two razors, this would be a RAD killer for me. I can't recommend this razor enough, especially if you're a Feather user. I'm going to stick with it for about a week and then move on to the Feather, and I'm very curious to see if it can top this performance. Right now I can't imagine another razor doing any better.
One last point: this razor is a fairly ludicrous 45 bucks shipped from The Superior Shave. That's a great value for such a good razor and they're a fantastic vendor, so there's very little reason to hold back on the R106, IMO.
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