New Toy! (MASAMUNE)

[Mike the Beginner]

Just arrived! I saved up a bit o' beard in anticipation of its arrival.

First shave went fine. New Voskhod. Very smooth. Not worried about cutting myself; didn't seem dangerous at all. While shaving it seemed not very close, but later I realized it's as close a shave as any other I've gotten. I kind of sense it needs a bit sharper blade, don't know if I'm right about that. I've already learned that shaves tend to get better as you go along. Looking forward to more!

Thanks to Cezar, Sascoman, and Manye for their help and generous encouragement.

MtB

 

[Grundi]

View attachment 1746068
Just arrived! I saved up a bit o' beard in anticipation of its arrival.

First shave went fine. New Voskhod. Very smooth. Not worried about cutting myself; didn't seem dangerous at all. While shaving it seemed not very close, but later I realized it's as close a shave as any other I've gotten. I kind of sense it needs a bit sharper blade, don't know if I'm right about that. I've already learned that shaves tend to get better as you go along. Looking forward to more!

Thanks to Cezar, Sascoman, and Manye for their help and generous encouragement.

View attachment 1746071

MtB

What a beauty of a razor!! I think I just got a close shaving simply by oogling it!!

 

[IdLatherShave]

Solid razor, work of art really. You can add Nodachi cap or base plate to step it up a bit if you find you want more after a week or two.

 

[Lockback]

Beautiful razor ... one I've considered adding to my ever-growing arsenal of shave instruments.

 

[gdawg55]

Nice razor. It is on the mild side but does a good job. If you ever want to up the efficiency a bit, grab a Nodachi top cap for the Masamune base….very nice combo.

 

[Francisco_Mtz]

Congrats . I love mine

 

[BigJ]

LOVELY!!

 

[JPO]

View attachment 1746068
Just arrived! I saved up a bit o' beard in anticipation of its arrival.

First shave went fine. New Voskhod. Very smooth. Not worried about cutting myself; didn't seem dangerous at all. While shaving it seemed not very close, but later I realized it's as close a shave as any other I've gotten. I kind of sense it needs a bit sharper blade, don't know if I'm right about that. I've already learned that shaves tend to get better as you go along. Looking forward to more!

Thanks to Cezar, Sascoman, and Manye for their help and generous encouragement.

View attachment 1746071

MtB

I would try a Nacet blade. This works really well for me with this particular razor.
I have all the Tatara base plates and top caps. I keep going back to the Masamune setup.

 

[Wogus]

Congrats!! I love my full Masamune setup. I got the OC base-plate as well, and I can highly recommend if you ever feel you need a liiittle more assertiveness in your shave. I've recently started experimenting with different blades a week or so ago, but so far the Astra SP is still the blade to beat.

 

[Mike the Beginner]

I would try a Nacet blade. This works really well for me with this particular razor.
I have all the Tatara base plates and top caps. I keep going back to the Masamune setup.

Thanks JPO. I've been wondering what blades to try. I like Nacets for some reason; they seem to do well by me. I shaved tomorrow afternoon, late, after the razor arrived, so I have to wait till tomorrow to shave again. But I will try a Nacet and give a little more detailed review then.

MtB

 

[Mike the Beginner]

Congrats!! I love my full Masamune setup. I got the OC base-plate as well, and I can highly recommend if you ever feel you need a liiittle more assertiveness in your shave. I've recently started experimenting with different blades a week or so ago, but so far the Astra SP is still the blade to beat.

Thanks Wogus, I will try that one as well, when I get the chance.

MtB

 

[Mike the Beginner]

UPDATE...second shave with the Tatara Masamune this morning went very well. I should say that I am not a typical wet shaver. I use only Shave Secret oil on my face and I merely rinse with cold water twice and then blot with a towel when I'm done. I've found that this gives me the shave that is best for my skin. My beard is light but I shave every day, although these first two shaves with the Masamune have been after 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 days respectively (I was waiting for it to arrive, then shaved on Thursday evening after it got here. Today is Saturday). This morning I did one WTG pass and then a second pass XTG on my cheeks and chin and ATG on my neck. I also added a third ATG pass on my mustache area this morning. My main concern is that my skin is soft and sensitive and has always been easily irritated by both cartridges and electric razors. This shows up both in discomfort during a shave and discomfort for hours if not half a day afterward. I've only been wet shaving for a couple of months and I'm delighted at how much better it is than anything I've tried in my life before. I always hated shaving before these last few months.

So what I'm going for is basically a shave that is comfortable as I'm shaving and that feels good after I'm done. The Shave Secret oil has the added benefit of speed and simplicity, but that's not my priority. I don't seem to have the problems other people have reported with it—smell (pleasant enough to me), cleanup (just rinse the tiny clumps of hair down the drain, what else is there?), etc. You do, however, need a razor that has good "irrigation," for lack of a better term—I shave with hot water running, and rinse the razor from the back through the ports in the baseplate. Both the oil and the tiny clumps of hair come right off the blade this way. When I dismantle the razor I blot the blade dry (and give everything a a little time under the blowdryer set on low, but that's overkill) and if the razor has sufficient irrigation then there isn't any oil to wipe off.

I'm going for a comfortable DFS that feels safe and that's good on my skin. Previously, the best shave I've found is with the Gillette Tech c. 1965. It's mild, easy on my skin, easy to use, and doesn't feel like it's going to cut me at the drop of a hat. I'm less fond of the Hawk v3, Game Changer .84, Rex Envoy, and chrome Rockwell with plate 3, all of which I also own.

Today I used a Nacet on its second use. The Masamune doesn't feel like it's very efficient, or shaving particularly close, when I'm using it. In fact I probably "touched up" a bit too much thinking it wasn't really getting eveything. But then later, when my skin is thoroughly dry and the residual oil has soaked in (the oil is its own post-shave balm), it feels wonderful, very smooth and close. So I would say, after two shaves, that this razor is "deceptively efficient"—that is, it's so gentle that it doesn't seem so, but it is.

I concentrated much more on the shave today and less on the razor. My confidence level as I use it is high—because I damage my skin so easily, I'm alert to razors that feel "dangerous" as I'm using them, or that nick me easily. The Tatara feels as comfortable to use, and as safe, as the Tech. It has even less feedback than the Tech, which itself doesn't have very much, but I don't mind that. Note that, in my beginner's opinion at least, the Shave Secret oil has a protective effect—I believe I'm less likely to get nicks, weepers, or razor burn when I use it than when I don't.

I did notice that I have a blade that doesn't fit this razor! But unfortunately I forgot which one it was. The blade wouidn't go all the way down over the threads.

Oh, and this morning I didn't pay any attention to the handle, but was never distracted by feeling like I didn't have a good enough grip. In fact I didn't think of it at all, which I guess is a good sign.

In short, the Tatara Masamune seems like just what I was looking for...a mild razor that's unthreatening when I'm using it, that gives me a good shave while being very easy on my skin, and that works well with the Shave Secret oil. Oh, and that's precise enough to be easy to load repeatably without fuss, which is not the case with the Tech I have.

More data needed, now. But I have learned from all the guys here, and from the videos I've watched, that one tends to get better at shaving the longer one does it, and so this is far from the final word on the Tatara Masamune for me. I'm going to settle down and use it for a month or two and then see where we are. But so far, so good...or great, actually. I'm already fond of it.

MtB

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

UPDATE...second shave with the Tatara Masamune this morning went very well. I should say that I am not a typical wet shaver. I use only Shave Secret oil on my face and I merely rinse with cold water twice and then blot with a towel when I'm done. I've found that this gives me the shave that is best for my skin. My beard is light but I shave every day, although these first two shaves with the Masamune have been after 2 1/2 and 1 1/2 days respectively (I was waiting for it to arrive, then shaved on Thursday evening after it got here. Today is Saturday). This morning I did one WTG pass and then a second pass XTG on my cheeks and chin and ATG on my neck. I also added a third ATG pass on my mustache area this morning. My main concern is that my skin is soft and sensitive and has always been easily irritated by both cartridges and electric razors. This shows up both in discomfort during a shave and discomfort for hours if not half a day afterward. I've only been wet shaving for a couple of months and I'm delighted at how much better it is than anything I've tried in my life before. I always hated shaving before these last few months.

So what I'm going for is basically a shave that is comfortable as I'm shaving and that feels good after I'm done. The Shave Secret oil has the added benefit of speed and simplicity, but that's not my priority. I don't seem to have the problems other people have reported with it—smell (pleasant enough to me), cleanup (just rinse the tiny clumps of hair down the drain, what else is there?), etc. You do, however, need a razor that has good "irrigation," for lack of a better term—I shave with hot water running, and rinse the razor from the back through the ports in the baseplate. Both the oil and the tiny clumps of hair come right off the blade this way. When I dismantle the razor I blot the blade dry (and give everything a a little time under the blowdryer set on low, but that's overkill) and if the razor has sufficient irrigation then there isn't any oil to wipe off.

I'm going for a comfortable DFS that feels safe and that's good on my skin. Previously, the best shave I've found is with the Gillette Tech c. 1965. It's mild, easy on my skin, easy to use, and doesn't feel like it's going to cut me at the drop of a hat. I'm less fond of the Hawk v3, Game Changer .84, Rex Envoy, and chrome Rockwell with plate 3, all of which I also own.

Today I used a Nacet on its second use. The Masamune doesn't feel like it's very efficient, or shaving particularly close, when I'm using it. In fact I probably "touched up" a bit too much thinking it wasn't really getting eveything. But then later, when my skin is thoroughly dry and the residual oil has soaked in (the oil is its own post-shave balm), it feels wonderful, very smooth and close. So I would say, after two shaves, that this razor is "deceptively efficient"—that is, it's so gentle that it doesn't seem so, but it is.

I concentrated much more on the shave today and less on the razor. My confidence level as I use it is high—because I damage my skin so easily, I'm alert to razors that feel "dangerous" as I'm using them, or that nick me easily. The Tatara feels as comfortable to use, and as safe, as the Tech. It has even less feedback than the Tech, which itself doesn't have very much, but I don't mind that. Note that, in my beginner's opinion at least, the Shave Secret oil has a protective effect—I believe I'm less likely to get nicks, weepers, or razor burn when I use it than when I don't.

I did notice that I have a blade that doesn't fit this razor! But unfortunately I forgot which one it was. The blade wouidn't go all the way down over the threads.

Oh, and this morning I didn't pay any attention to the handle, but was never distracted by feeling like I didn't have a good enough grip. In fact I didn't think of it at all, which I guess is a good sign.

In short, the Tatara Masamune seems like just what I was looking for...a mild razor that's unthreatening when I'm using it, that gives me a good shave while being very easy on my skin, and that works well with the Shave Secret oil. Oh, and that's precise enough to be easy to load repeatably without fuss, which is not the case with the Tech I have.

More data needed, now. But I have learned from all the guys here, and from the videos I've watched, that one tends to get better at shaving the longer one does it, and so this is far from the final word on the Tatara Masamune for me. I'm going to settle down and use it for a month or two and then see where we are. But so far, so good...or great, actually. I'm already fond of it.

MtB

Great post! Thanks.

Several folks have reported that the Kai blades sometimes don't fit into Hensons, Overlanders, Tataras and other razors with rectangular alignment features.

I love the concept of these rectangular features. If a blade is out of spec, that's blade's problem and I wouldn't advocate designing more slop into the razor to compensate for it. They seem to be the only blades where this is reported.

... Thom

 

[Mike the Beginner]

the Kai blades sometimes don't fit into Hensons, Overlanders, Tataras and other razors with rectangular alignment features

Thanks Galibier, yes, I do think it was the Kai that didn't fit.

MtB

 

[Manye]

Glad you like it, Mike. Enjoy.

 

[teemcafe]

Thanks for the Masamune report Mike! I too got this beautiful razor a few weeks ago and have been using it almost every day. I might try the open comb plate and the Nodachi cap or base in the future.

Since you mention Shave Secret—as you say it may not be very popular here but I’ve been using it over the years and I agree with your description. It works great on my pretty tough beard plus some sensitive areas (on the neck, on my chin under the corners of the mouth, and upper lip). I’ve been wet shaving for 45+ years and it’s still surprising how a few drops (ok, more than the 3-5 as per instructions) can make the shaving smooth and painless with no irritation.

You may want to join the Tatara Sword Alliance on this forum

Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance

after some happy months using the Tatara Boar brush... i decided to give the badger another go. Lovely - i'll be sticking with badger again, now - will take the boar with me off to work as it would be a shame not to use it and enjoy it. Saturday was the 7th day of Gillette London Bridge blade...

www.badgerandblade.com

 

[Mike the Beginner]

I’ve been wet shaving for 45+ years and it’s still surprising how a few drops (ok, more than the 3-5 as per instructions) can make the shaving smooth and painless with no irritation.

How many drops do you use teemcafe? I've been using six but I haven't experimented.

And, sorry for the newbie question (but then I'm a newbie ), but do I have to apply or do anything to join a Club like the Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance? Or just go there and post?

MtB

 

[JPO]

How many drops do you use teemcafe? I've been using six but I haven't experimented.

And, sorry for the newbie question (but then I'm a newbie ), but do I have to apply or do anything to join a Club like the Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance? Or just go there and post?

MtB

You don't need to do anything. Hit the Watch button if you want to get notifications of new posts

 

[teemcafe]

How many drops do you use teemcafe? I've been using six but I haven't experimented.

And, sorry for the newbie question (but then I'm a newbie ), but do I have to apply or do anything to join a Club like the Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance? Or just go there and post?

MtB

How many drops do you use teemcafe? I've been using six but I haven't experimented.

And, sorry for the newbie question (but then I'm a newbie ), but do I have to apply or do anything to join a Club like the Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance? Or just go there and post?

MtB

How many drops do you use teemcafe? I've been using six but I haven't experimented.

And, sorry for the newbie question (but then I'm a newbie ), but do I have to apply or do anything to join a Club like the Tatara Samurai Sword Alliance? Or just go there and post?

MtB

6-8 drops do it for me. I can do it with 5 but it feels like my tough beard needs a bit more. I have tried a few times to use a lot more (like 5 drops on each area I shaved) and it sure doesn’t hurt but it’s overkill and the razor gets clogged faster

 

[Mike the Beginner]

I used seven drops of Shave Secret oil this morning. I'm also experimenting with something truly radical...a one-pass shave. Rebellious! But I look fine, and it's even easier on my skin.

It really is marvelous to a.) enjoy shaving (preposterous notion, for most of my life) and b.) not pay for it with irritated, inflamed, or dry skin later.

I suspect the Masamune will be my razor for the rest of my life, but I shouldn't jump the gun. I'll use it for two or three more months before deciding. It's the strangest thing...it just feels excessively mild while shaving, but then, when I check my face later on, the shave proves to have been quite close.

I'm really very happy with this whole wet shaving thing.

MtB