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New razor desire - Blackland, Timeless, Carbon. Any others?

I haven't bought a razor (or anything shaving related) in a few years and have that itch again. My daily driver is a Rockwell 6S and I still use my Blackbird quite a bit. I'm looking to get a new sub-$300 razor. So far my contenders are:

Blackland Tradere - I don't know much about this razor. I LOVE my Blackbird, so they have a lot of credit with me.

Timeless Stainless Solid Bar - I had a Timeless OC and sold it. I still miss that razor. I know what I'm getting with a Timeless, so this one has fewer unknowns. I remember this razor, above all others I've owned, felt like the quality justified the cost. It was a Rolls Royce and that opulence is pretty tempting.

Carbon Stainless - I remember this company catching some flack when they came out due to questionable handle ergonomics and machine marks that were unacceptable at this price point. What are they like now? I see the handle has changed some. Are they worth it?

I've had an Above the Tie. It was nice, but I really don't like spiral designs on handles (that feeling on my fingers annoys me for completely irrational reasons), so I'm ruling them out.

What other brands are worth exploring without going over $300?

Thanks
 
I have a Karve with 4 plates. I agree, that would be a good alternative.
The Rex is something I've considered. I'm not into adjustable razors (even though I use a 6S), but that Rex seems to be pretty high quality.
 
SS Taiga from Homelike - currently out of stock but should be back before year's end I understand. I have the Ti version and it's probably the best razor I've used; SS is just slightly weightier. It is an adjustable, but arguably one of the best adjustables currently made. And sub-$300 by about 100 bucks.
 
When home I hardly ever use a razor other than my Blackland Tradere SB. Previously my go to razor and now my travel razor to give it some use is a Timeless Titanium 0.68. Before purchasing the Blackland Tradere I spoke with Shane who was quite helpful. I recommend giving him a call and feel confident that he can steer you in the right direction.

Also as he said, many manufacturers will give you a trial period where your only risk is the return postage.
 
I believe all those brands have pretty solid return policies so pick the razor that excites you the most and try it out! If you don't love it, send it back. Rinse and repeat until you find The One.
Don't listen to Shane. Buy another Blackland. You will not regret it. All kidding aside, I own three Timeless razors (scratch n dent as someone mentioned) and I hardly use them. Very nice but utterly boring. I keep going back to Blackland. I have a Dart, a Blackbird, a Vector (both plates) and a Sabre. I will eventually own more and all the extra plates but I will buy others along the way.
 

ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
One of my votes will also be timeless.
In this price range, it offers unparalleled sophistication.
 
I haven't bought a razor (or anything shaving related) in a few years and have that itch again. My daily driver is a Rockwell 6S and I still use my Blackbird quite a bit. I'm looking to get a new sub-$300 razor. So far my contenders are:

Blackland Tradere - I don't know much about this razor. I LOVE my Blackbird, so they have a lot of credit with me.

Timeless Stainless Solid Bar - I had a Timeless OC and sold it. I still miss that razor. I know what I'm getting with a Timeless, so this one has fewer unknowns. I remember this razor, above all others I've owned, felt like the quality justified the cost. It was a Rolls Royce and that opulence is pretty tempting.

Carbon Stainless - I remember this company catching some flack when they came out due to questionable handle ergonomics and machine marks that were unacceptable at this price point. What are they like now? I see the handle has changed some. Are they worth it?

I've had an Above the Tie. It was nice, but I really don't like spiral designs on handles (that feeling on my fingers annoys me for completely irrational reasons), so I'm ruling them out.

What other brands are worth exploring without going over $300?

Thanks
FWIW, I have got my Timeless just yesterday. One shave so far, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

A bit of a background / digression here: I've been on a quest for finding a razor that is EFFICIENT and BUTTERY SMOOTH at the same time. This is to say, not loosing efficiency for the sake of comfort and not loosing comfort/auto-pilot for the sake of BBS.

I hope this makes sense so far 😎

Should say, I have coarse, thick facial hair and dense growth and while I wouldn't rate my skin (overly) sensitive, it certainly isn't leather-like and I'm not one of those guys that can shave with anything irritation-free. I got to be reasonably careful with my shaves.

So, over the years I've tried a lot of stuff ranging from ultra-aggressive R41 (my first DE) to ultra-mild Feather AS-D2 and a lot of stuff in between.

When I got the Blackland Vector, initially my thoughts were "this is it!", but then it turned out not quite so. I love AC blades and Vector is probably the best shaver I've ever used, but it's not without caveats. It requires a special technique, which is a combination of considerable pressure and varying angle of attack. Yes, it yields a perfect shave, but it's not an "auto-pilot" razor.

So anyways... I kept searching and after many hours of research and contemplation decided to give a shot to Timeless .68 with scalloped base plate and top cap.

From experience, I knew my face doesn't like razors with a large blade gap, so I ruled out the .95 (and I'm glad I have). I ruled out the Wolfman for the same reason + I'm not really a fan of its looks.

I've opted for the SS version, as I prefer objects that have a certain heft to them, be it a razor or a wrist-watch or a smartphone.

I was a bit concerned initially that this might be too heavy at 135g, but the 100mm "pineapple" handle makes it perfectly balanced.

So... long-story short: I feel this might be "IT". It shaves buttery smooth, but at the same time extremely efficient. How they have managed to design a razor like that remains a mystery to me, but I suspect it has to do with the geometry of the base-plate.

BTW, in some YT-videos this razor might appear as if it were too big and bulky, some even call it a "hammer". IMHO, this couldn't be farther from the truth. This SS razor certainly is a hefty one, but it's marvelously balanced and feels very nimble to me.

Again, I only had 1 shave with it so far, loaded with fresh King C Gillette blade. Perfect zero-irritation BBS. I'll be experimenting with Feather and Kai blades over the coming days. My initial impression is being totally blown away 😊


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I have a Timeless .68 OC that I thoroughly enjoy, although not a lot of other experience with modern razors to compare.

Another route you could go with a $300 budget is to grab one of the slightly less expensive suggestions people have listed above (since I get the sense you're looking for something modern), and then try a few vintage razors as well. There's a rich history to explore and might be a nice contrast to keep things interesting.
 
I agree with @DaveHStone and you can't go wrong with a Timeless. My Timeless was my 4th razor in a progression of always looking for something better and this one is IT. I got a Timeless Ti .95 OC because when i bought it I was shaving aboout every 3-4 days. When I started shaving more often I picked up an SB plate... also in a .95. I love both of them and will be hard pressed to find anything better.
 
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