My new Rocnel SE-P

[Cannon Cocker]

I just received this Rocnel SE-P razor from The Razor Company with only one shave done so far. I wanted post my thoughts after the first shave, and see if if there are any other users who would give their thoughts.

I broke a Gillette Nanette in half and slid it into the razor head. After that I broke the side tabs off. This was easily done. This is a heavy razor at 136 grams, but did not feel that heavy in use. I need to work more on the shave angle, but it seemed to be somewhere between neutral to steep. The shave felt mild with little to no blade feel. It was easy to use under my nose and around my Adam’s apple. I did three passes and was surprised at the efficiency after each pass. After the third pass I did a little cleanup to a good BBS result. It has now been 16 hours since the shave and I can just feel a little stubble. This is normally what I would consider a very good shave.

I tend toward the more efficient (aggressive) razors with my favorites being the Blackbird SS, Muhle 41 GS and the Tatara Nodachi. I also enjoy using the Vector SS, Stirling HA and the Timeless Bronze OC in rotation.

Again this is only one shave in but I can’t remember using a razor that feels this smooth and delivering this kind of efficiency. A very interesting razor indeed.

 

[kingfisher]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, but perhaps you did so in the wrong subforum? Although it uses DE blades, technically it is an SE razor.

 

[Whiterook]

I'm just wondering how you get the blade out with the tabs broken off.

 

[uptown]

I'm just wondering how you get the blade out with the tabs broken off.

Its not easy but the end tabs have a small stub and you have to move it forward and use needle nose pliers. This razor was a terrible design but the razor actually shaves pretty good.

 

[Cannon Cocker]

I'm just wondering how you get the blade out with the tabs broken off.

You can use a new blade to push the old blade out, or just use your thumb and forefinger on either side of the head and pull forward. There is just enough exposed blade to pull it out. It sounds more difficult than it really is.

 

[gpjoe]

I want to know how they machine that curved slot into a solid piece of stainless steel...and also why this razor is $99 and their top-of-the-line razor is $1900.

I've been looking for a stainless SE that accepts half-blades, but that head looks awfully blocky, and the slide-the-blade-in-and-break-the-tabs is a deal-breaker for me.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I want to know how they machine that curved slot into a solid piece of stainless steel...and also why this razor is $99 and their top-of-the-line razor is $1900.

I've been looking for a stainless SE that accepts half-blades, but that head looks awfully blocky, and the slide-the-blade-in-and-break-the-tabs is a deal-breaker for me.

Their top of the line razor (the Sailor) is €620 and it’s an extremely well engineered adjustable with a lot more parts than a fixed gap razor. Never going to be a comparable price to a simple two or three piece razor. The lapped finish on the Sailor is pretty premium too - similar to a Rolex case. It’s always been a very expensive razor.

The €1,900 Sailor you’re referencing is identical to the €620 razor, but with solid gold bits. Not worth it to me to have the gold, and, frankly, steel is a superior material, but there it is. It’s an irrelevant model for the purpose of comparison.

Rocnel has always offered other razors with less premium finishes and simpler engineering. They’ve generally been high quality too - I like the current Elite a lot - but I think they’re all different and you have to judge each model on its merits and not buy the name.

 

[Rob72]

I like the SE-Ps, I have both SB and OC. As you note, they are extremely efficient and fairly unique. I prefer mine on longer handles, otherwise, I tend to nick myself with the edges of the blade. I like a 4" Timeless Ti, or Karve brass handle best.

 

[shaveSymptomatic]

I just received this Rocnel SE-P razor from The Razor Company with only one shave done so far. I wanted post my thoughts after the first shave, and see if if there are any other users who would give their thoughts.

I broke a Gillette Nanette in half and slid it into the razor head. After that I broke the side tabs off. This was easily done. This is a heavy razor at 136 grams, but did not feel that heavy in use. I need to work more on the shave angle, but it seemed to be somewhere between neutral to steep. The shave felt mild with little to no blade feel. It was easy to use under my nose and around my Adam’s apple. I did three passes and was surprised at the efficiency after each pass. After the third pass I did a little cleanup to a good BBS result. It has now been 16 hours since the shave and I can just feel a little stubble. This is normally what I would consider a very good shave.

I tend toward the more efficient (aggressive) razors with my favorites being the Blackbird SS, Muhle 41 GS and the Tatara Nodachi. I also enjoy using the Vector SS, Stirling HA and the Timeless Bronze OC in rotation.

Again this is only one shave in but I can’t remember using a razor that feels this smooth and delivering this kind of efficiency. A very interesting razor indeed.

How's it going now that you've had more time with it?

 

[Cannon Cocker]

How's it going now that you've had more time with it?

This a very easy razor to use with smoothness and surprising efficiency. It has little blade feel which I do like in my razors. For that reason it will not be used as much as my other razors with blade feel. It really is unique though.

 

[ERS4]

I want to know how they machine that curved slot into a solid piece of stainless steel...and also why this razor is $99 and their top-of-the-line razor is $1900.

I've been looking for a stainless SE that accepts half-blades, but that head looks awfully blocky, and the slide-the-blade-in-and-break-the-tabs is a deal-breaker for me.

A common machining method that can be used for arcs inside solid blocks is "Wire Electrical Discharge Machining" (WEDM), which is an expensive technique.

The head of Timeless also uses WEDM to create its unique look.

More complex adjustable designs often consist of more than a dozen machined parts, necessitating the application of more complex techniques and a significant increase in cost.

 

[Medivh]

That's a good start for Rocnel. I hope they continue to make more affordable models for most folks and it would be nice if they start making their adjustable razors with much slimmer heads. If they improve on that, I might consider getting one, but the current models that they offer are not my cup of tea. Regardless of how good they shave, a razor with a nimble and slim head design will always feel better for me than a large and bulky chunk of steel.

The same goes for almost all modern adjustable razors that we have on the market. If brands like Gibbs were able to do it back then with the limited tools and machinery that they had, then there's no excuse for any brand not to be able to make it. It's definitely going to be harder not easy, but definitely not impossible either, so don't come after me with that nonsense.

Oh and if you plan on getting one of the older Rocnel adjustable models like the 2019, you should know that the head of the razor is glued into the handle and in some cases it might come off. Not something anyone can expect from a $500 + razor.