Next Big Step After Rockwell 6C and Razorock Game Changer .84-P?
- Thread starter JL 52
- Start date
I have about 15-16 razors. Two of them are Game Changer .64 razors. The only ones I use.
Chef455
Head Cheese Head Chef
Lambda Athena. You're welcome.
My Progress, at 1-1.5, is a mild-to-moderate razor, comparable to the Lupo Al. I've never tried it at 5, but it might cover the aggressiveness range you're comfortable with.
An alternative would be the Parker Variant, which fixes some of the "annoyances" of the Progress.
The Pearl Flexi is the least-expensive, fully-machined adjustable razor available. It's brass, matte chrome finish, and rather heavy at (I think) 140 grams. Good knurling on the handle, and it balances nicely if you hold it near the adjustment ring.
Its range is 1-6. It's really mild ("I'm cutting hairs?") at 1, "just right mild" with an Astra SP blade at 2-2.5. The blade gap goes up to 0.70 or so, at setting 6.
Since I got mine, I've been using it exclusively. If you decide to experiment with an adjustable razor, it's a good choice.
- Thread starter
- #25
By any chance have you compared it to the Timeless?
- Thread starter
- #26
Do you prefer the Flexi over the Progress? Does one feel smoother than the other?
IMHO, the Flexi is smoother than the Progress. But I used the Progress with a Feather blade, and found that the Flexi worked better with an Astra SP blade (not as sharp as the Feather).
. . . So it's not an apples-to-apples comparison.
There's no question about which razor has the tighter tolerances, and even blade exposure -- that's the Flexi, for sure.
I should do some mix-and-match testing (e.g. put an Astra SP in the Progress), and report back.
. Charles
I've never used a Timeless.
From what I read, the Rex Ambassador is a close cousin to the Flexi; there are several comparisons of them, in this forum.
Chef455
Head Cheese Head Chef
A few.
I currently own a Timeless .68SS, a bronze .38 and a bronze .78OC. I used to have a .95 baseplate for the stainless as well, but have since unloaded on another member as that gap didn't suit me.
I love all 3 and they are wonderful shavers. I absolutely recommend Timeless products to anyone. Not only are they made fantastically well, but their customer service is above and beyond. The .68 and .38 could easily be my daily driver.
Enter the Lambda Athena. It's just on another level. It's not that I don't get terrific shaves with the Timeless, it's that I get even better shaves with the Athena. This is why I recommend it over the others. It's almost effortless from the first shave.
If you decide to go with a Timeless you're likely going to be very happy and it will last you a lifetime and beyond. It's also nice that their razor parts can be purchased individually so you can "play" around a bit. No wait either, where-as there well could be for the Athena. And as stated you can depend on the folks at Timeless to resolve any issues quickly.
One of the great things about B&B is the "Buy, Sell, Trade". All of these razors will hold their value and while one might have to knock off a few bucks they would easily move.
Good luck with your quest for your next razor. I think you're considering some great tools and I am certain you'll be happy wherever you land. I also look forward to reading about what you decide on and how it works out.
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- Thread starter
- #30
- Thread starter
- #31
That Lambda almost looks too pretty to use!
Lambda and Timeless are both high in the running for me at this point, but I'll have plenty of time to decide.
I went a little crazy on Razorock's website after the success I had with the GC .84 SB. I now have a GC .76 SB base plate, a SS Lupo .72 OC, a Aluminum Lupo (which I believe is the .58 SB base), and Titanium Halo handle all on the way. I should have at least a few months worth of combinations to experiment with in the meantime.
Happy experimenting !!! 
. Charles
. Charles
I have both the Timeless Ti 0.68OC (open comb) with the Ti Crown handle. I did put a SS scalloped Case on it to get the balance perfect for me and I have the Athena as well. I’m glad I don’t have to choose one over the other. They are both outstanding, at least for me. Others prefer the 0.95OC for more efficiency, but I don’t require it.
I get shaves that last for 12 hours from both. That is sort of my measuring stick.
I get shaves that last for 12 hours from both. That is sort of my measuring stick.
- Thread starter
- #34
I wanted to check back in and provide an update on my recent stumble down the RazoRock rabbit hole. I figured I’d outline my purchases chronologically along with what I was hoping for, and then rank my favorites along with why. My preferences below are for my daily to every other day head shaves (two WTG passes); the face shavers out there will likely feel differently.
RazoRock Purchases:
1st Order)
Game Changer .84SB (HD Handle) - was hoping this would be my stainless steel option to replace how I was using the Rockwell 6C R4 as a daily driver.
Lupo Aluminum - bought this one purely out of curiosity, I’d read really good reviews and it was only $40.
2nd Order)
Lupo .72OC - I ended up liking the Lupo Aluminum enough that I wanted to try it in stainless steel and most options were sold out at the time. I wasn’t expecting to like open combs for head shaves but I tried it anyway because the SB was sold out.
3rd Order)
Game Changer .76SB - loved the .84SB but it initially felt a little too spicy for me to use daily.
Titanium Halo Handle - was curious if this handle would help make the GC .84SB or Lupo .72OC that I had at the time feel more tolerable for daily use.
4th Order)
Lupo .58SB - wanted to see if this one would feel more similar to the Aluminum than the .72 OC
Game Changer .68OC - wanted to test out another OC option
5th Order)
Lupo .72 SB - wanted to compare to the .72OC as soon as it was available
Lupo .95 SB - see above
Vintage Thin Bar Handle - wanted to try this handle after realizing it was even lighter than the Titanium Halo despite being made of stainless steel
My rankings:
I think I still have one of the higher-end titanium razors on my down-the-road-want list; thinking Timeless Ti .95SB or Blackbird Ti, and leaning towards the Timeless because it’s little more affordable and I’ve heard great things about its Crown handle. Plus Timeless offers a custom engraving option and I’d consider putting my long name on it to pass down one day.
More immediately, the Lupo Aluminum has me wanting to try out other Aluminum options. Timeless Aluminum is my current front runner for next razor, but I’m open to suggestions.
RazoRock Purchases:
1st Order)
Game Changer .84SB (HD Handle) - was hoping this would be my stainless steel option to replace how I was using the Rockwell 6C R4 as a daily driver.
Lupo Aluminum - bought this one purely out of curiosity, I’d read really good reviews and it was only $40.
2nd Order)
Lupo .72OC - I ended up liking the Lupo Aluminum enough that I wanted to try it in stainless steel and most options were sold out at the time. I wasn’t expecting to like open combs for head shaves but I tried it anyway because the SB was sold out.
3rd Order)
Game Changer .76SB - loved the .84SB but it initially felt a little too spicy for me to use daily.
Titanium Halo Handle - was curious if this handle would help make the GC .84SB or Lupo .72OC that I had at the time feel more tolerable for daily use.
4th Order)
Lupo .58SB - wanted to see if this one would feel more similar to the Aluminum than the .72 OC
Game Changer .68OC - wanted to test out another OC option
5th Order)
Lupo .72 SB - wanted to compare to the .72OC as soon as it was available
Lupo .95 SB - see above
Vintage Thin Bar Handle - wanted to try this handle after realizing it was even lighter than the Titanium Halo despite being made of stainless steel
My rankings:
- Lupo Aluminum - This was by far my biggest surprise, and I think I like this razor even more than the GC .84SB. I typically appreciate heavier razors and being able to let the razor “do the work”, but was a whole different experience that I wasn’t expecting. It’s crazy light and maneuverable (about 1/4 weight of a stainless steel razor); I likened it to the feel of a happy meal toy when I first picked it up. It’s not mild and has a decent amount of blade feel, and what makes it work so well is the instant feedback it gives back. You can kinda just feel when you’re not using the right angle or amount of pressure. I tried pairing it with the Titanium Halo handle, and it worked well but it lost a bit of the feedback that I liked with the extra weight added. My end shaves aren’t quite as close as what I got from the GC .84 or Lupos .72 and .95, but it was still an excellent shave nonetheless. More importantly I got absolutely zero post shave irritation. Shave experience was also more enjoyable than its stainless steel cousins; each time I found myself grinning throughout the shave as the Lupo Aluminum kinda just flicked the hairs off my head.
- Game Changer .84SB - Amazing razor that more than met my expectations as a Rockwell R4 replacement. Smooth, comfortable, and left me with a much closer shave than I was used to coming from the Rockwell R4. I probably could have stopped here and been happy for years to come. My only concern was that it would be too spicy to use daily, but pairing it with Titanium Halo handle seemed to solve this problem perfectly. I was immediately able to get the exact same shave closeness but without the post shave sting. I’ve been using long enough now that I could probably go back to a stainless steel and have enough touch to minimize my irritation, but the Titanium Halo is still my go to handle. It is worth mentioning that I found the stainless steel HD handle to be quite comfortable as well, it reminded me of the Rockwell 6C handle that I’d grown accustomed to.
- Lupo .58SB - This is probably the least aggressive/efficient razor in my new RR collection, but I think that’s what I love most about this one. The .58SB is the only SS Lupo that I felt I could be a little looser in my technique and just enjoy the shave. The Lupo has an awesome head design that is nimble and maneuverable, but this is only one that I can zip around my head with (zipping with the .72 or .95 would probably send me to the ER). My end shave results aren’t as close as the GC .84SB or the other SS Lupos, but it’s a still a decent and passable shave with little to no irritation. I’d probably turn to one of its larger gapped cousins for the multiple days of growth shaves, but the .58SB is just fine for one days growth. The only knock I have against this razor is that the Lupo Aluminum exists.
- Game Changer .76SB - very solid option for the days I want a safer and less aggressive shave than the .84SB. It’s more efficient than the Lupo .58SB, but I have the .58SB ranked ahead of it because of the easy carefree maneuverability factor.
- Lupo .95SB, .72SB, .72OC - I have these three plates listed on the same line because they honestly felt close enough that I could use them interchangeably. All three were just a little smoother and more efficient than the GC .84SB, but also came with the trade off of more post shave irritation. Not drastically more irritation, but I noticed it. I’d rank it .95SB > .72OC > .72SB in terms of efficiency and shave closeness, but the difference didn’t feel that drastic to me. Also the SB plates rinsed fine, so no major advantage to the OC here. As I mentioned above with the .58SB, all three razors required so much care and patience that I didn’t notice any benefit from the smaller head design over the Game Charger.
- Game Changer .68OC - This was my least favorite of the bunch. It worked well enough, but I liked each of the other razors better. The .76SB was more efficient and had less biting blade feel. Plus the SB Game Changers rinsed well enough that the OC wasn’t much better in that department either.
- Vintage Thin Bar - Obviously not a razor, but I figured I’d sneak a separate review for it here as well. It was worth a try, but I really didn’t like this handle. I have relatively small hands and this handle made even my hands ache and feel like they were going to cramp up. Couldn’t think of any scenarios that I’d pick this over the Titanium Halo.
I think I still have one of the higher-end titanium razors on my down-the-road-want list; thinking Timeless Ti .95SB or Blackbird Ti, and leaning towards the Timeless because it’s little more affordable and I’ve heard great things about its Crown handle. Plus Timeless offers a custom engraving option and I’d consider putting my long name on it to pass down one day.
More immediately, the Lupo Aluminum has me wanting to try out other Aluminum options. Timeless Aluminum is my current front runner for next razor, but I’m open to suggestions.
I would say depends on what you want.
Mild - Feather AS-D2
Aggressive - Mühle R41 GS (but good to handle)
Adjustable - Rex Ambassador, but I remember a lot of drag, the most I ever experienced
Also the Rockwell 6s comes to my mind though you already have the 6c. For me it's superior in every way.
Mild - Feather AS-D2
Aggressive - Mühle R41 GS (but good to handle)
Adjustable - Rex Ambassador, but I remember a lot of drag, the most I ever experienced
Also the Rockwell 6s comes to my mind though you already have the 6c. For me it's superior in every way.
The only one I have personal experience with is the Pearl Flexi. And I love that razor.
The Timeless and Blackland razors come highly recommended.
The Ambassador is beautifully crafted but I have heard it's default position is "aggressive" even on the mildest setting, which wouldn't work for me.
I love my Blackland Blackbird SS satin finish and Timeless .68 Titanium OC & SB plates. They are both great razors. If I could afford the Blackbird Titanium that would be probably be my favorite. I also really like the Yates 921. They are probably my top 3 favorite razors so far.
I know this will sound like a step backward, since you are already in the wet shaving community and have surpassed "entry level" razors, but don't overlook the Leaf Shave. It's a flexible head razor that takes three "half snapped" double edge razor blades. So it's similar to a Mach3 without the lube strip. As someone that's struggled (for a decade) to get a decent headshave out of a DE razor, this Leaf is a great find. It delivers a Mach3 quality headshave, in my experience. My biggest gripe with using a DE razor for headshaving is all of the missed spots. And if you keep chasing those missed spots down, you "overshave" and get irritation. Not so with the Leaf Shave. Two passes and there AIN'T NO missed spots. That flexible head finds all the whiskers. If you get one, be sure to order the silicone handle cover. Leaf completely neglected to machine effective grip texture into the handle. That's the only gripe I've ever experienced with this razor. Best kept secret in the headshaving universe.
I've got a 6s. Gave it away. I've got a Game Changer with all 4 plates, never use them.
I'm a FOCS Fiend. Armed for anything; long, short, any angle, in a hurry.
I love the fact that it's cheap, weird, and has a lot of haters.
Bought 4 as gifts. Nobody has any drama and I'm a hero.
I'm a FOCS Fiend. Armed for anything; long, short, any angle, in a hurry.
I love the fact that it's cheap, weird, and has a lot of haters.
Bought 4 as gifts. Nobody has any drama and I'm a hero.
Have you tried the DSCosmetics AX-SE? It’s under $20 for 3 baseplates and is a Wolfman WR2 clone. After trying about 50 razors the GameChanger .84p is my favorite but I think the AX-SE is right there with it. They make the head in SS and Titanium but are out of stock on the SS and most Titanium.
If you like the GameChangers as well as I do you can also try the DS9 or V95 which are clones of it. AliExpress has a sale at the first of the month for a few days so I’d wait for that and try a few out. Or go ahead and order the AX-SE as cheap as it is your not gonna save too much by waiting. They also come with really nice handles for the price - very similar to RazoRock.
Also the EJ 3One6 is a good choice and right in the same league as the GC. The Muhle Rocca is great as well and has the most blade feel between the 3 - probably similar to a Lupo but it’s been awhile since I used my Lupos. I also preferred the 95 to the 72 and didn’t find it anymore aggressive. I just don’t like the blade forwardness of it when compared to a GC.
I’ve yet to try the .76p, or 1.05p but they’re on my shortlist. Especially the 1.05p. The .84p felt very aggressive the first couple times I used it but now it feels like silk after a couple years of use.
I haven’t ever tried the Karve Overlander, Athena, or Timeless 95 but I think they’d also be amazing and I plan to try them all out. I may skip the Overlander since I’m getting more partial to medium-aggressive razors as time goes on and I have a feeling it’s too mild. But the Athena and Timeless .95SB should be great.
If you like the AX-SE it would give you an excuse to save for a Wolfman WR2. You can get the head alone for around $225. It’s a lot of money but many consider it the best. I’m not sure how close the $20 AX-SE is but if the Wolfie is much better then the AX-SE it would truly be special.
Another razor everyone is raving about these days is an AC format Atelier La Faulx. They’re around $200 for the head only and have many baseplates. I plan to order the + and ++ plates later this year.
If you like the GameChangers as well as I do you can also try the DS9 or V95 which are clones of it. AliExpress has a sale at the first of the month for a few days so I’d wait for that and try a few out. Or go ahead and order the AX-SE as cheap as it is your not gonna save too much by waiting. They also come with really nice handles for the price - very similar to RazoRock.
Also the EJ 3One6 is a good choice and right in the same league as the GC. The Muhle Rocca is great as well and has the most blade feel between the 3 - probably similar to a Lupo but it’s been awhile since I used my Lupos. I also preferred the 95 to the 72 and didn’t find it anymore aggressive. I just don’t like the blade forwardness of it when compared to a GC.
I’ve yet to try the .76p, or 1.05p but they’re on my shortlist. Especially the 1.05p. The .84p felt very aggressive the first couple times I used it but now it feels like silk after a couple years of use.
I haven’t ever tried the Karve Overlander, Athena, or Timeless 95 but I think they’d also be amazing and I plan to try them all out. I may skip the Overlander since I’m getting more partial to medium-aggressive razors as time goes on and I have a feeling it’s too mild. But the Athena and Timeless .95SB should be great.
If you like the AX-SE it would give you an excuse to save for a Wolfman WR2. You can get the head alone for around $225. It’s a lot of money but many consider it the best. I’m not sure how close the $20 AX-SE is but if the Wolfie is much better then the AX-SE it would truly be special.
Another razor everyone is raving about these days is an AC format Atelier La Faulx. They’re around $200 for the head only and have many baseplates. I plan to order the + and ++ plates later this year.
