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Rapira Platinum Lux - the Razor not the Blade

Hello,

Is this a rebranded Rapira? I'll know in about 2-3 weeks (cheap RAD fix).
I saw that on, it's a Vostok. I don't think it's the same as a Rapira. I saw it from the side in the eBay listing I saw it in and it seemed like it might be a lot milder than a Rapira. Could be a nice shaver still, though.
 
Definitely not John. Check out the fourth paragraph of this "never again" list. :wink2:

Well that's not a good omen.

I just shaved with the Rapira metal handle head on a ATT Kronos handle. It is almost embarrassing how well this $8.00 razor shaves.

Three pass head/face shave and no burn when applying aftershave. Dam close BBS shave.

I wish Rapira would make a deluxe version of this head so the cosmetics matched its performance.

Cheers
John
 
All this RPL talk encouraged me to have an RPL shave:
View attachment 795377
Excellent! :biggrin1: I always get BBS these days, but the RPL, iKon Tech, and Devette always give me the BEST BBS.

I'm playing around with handles at the moment and put my MR11 on it. Far too heavy for me, it kinda feels like wielding a sledge hammer where the handle is heavier than the head.:stuart: Next shave I'll give the Phoenix 7075 Aluminus handle a trial.

Thank you for (unwittingly no doubt) getting me to change my razor @MicBP. :thumbup1:
my pleasure ;)
 
And today's shave with the Phoenix 7075 Aluminus attached to the magnificent (but ugly) RPL head was simply the best:
View attachment 795600
This handle passes the test with full marks from me (I didn't notice it while shaving). :thumbup1:

Going back to the sledge hammer analogy; while you're wielding it your complete attention is on the head and you don't consider the handle (if accuracy is your aim), unless there's something wrong with it. But then that's just me. I know Marcus likes heavy handles so as usual it's a YMMV thing.
But we do agree on STEEP ANGLE! :punk:

Just for @MicBP I took another profile shot:
View attachment 795604
I didn't manage to get it quite square on, but you get the idea. :wink2:
yes it def looks like it will do the job blindfolded...
 
I got this one a while ago and I have to say, it's a very nice shaver. Plenty of blade exposure, looks a bit like the iKon Tech from the side, except it cost me £6.99. It's listed as Parker 66R on eBay, but I doubt it's a Parker at all.

Certainly seems to be a decent Rapira alternative, though.
Despite the looks of it with the blade it, it actually hold the blade very well and it feels like it's very rigid for some reason.

DSC_8495.jpg
 
just got my RPL razor... actually i got two :) i bought one with the plastic handle, i got two with the metal handle - great seller :001_302: altho it does not look as agressive as on these pics here, but i will give it a run to see what it can do...
 
Put a Wilkinson Light Brigade in the RPL with an iKon OSS handle last night - man what a great shave!
4FADE279-917A-4D67-BC3E-F12C21BC9B49.jpeg

The RPL is such a surprising and literally amazing razor as the rest of this thread testifies.

It looks so cheap,it actually is SO cheap, it’s easily confused with those mild and unremarkable Chinese DEs, yet the Rapira Platinum Lux razor has perfect aggressive geometry and is a spectacular shaver very powerful and smooth.

It’s the spiritual successor to those amazing 1950s DEs from behind the Iron Curtain which were so cheaply made yet so beautifully designed.
 
For me this razor is the greatest neck shaver I've ever used. For a super-razor it's a little weak for me (on my face, with my technique) on the chin, so I don't often use it for the whole shave. But it shaves noticeably closer/with less irritation on the lower neck than anything else--which is a blessing, since I always have a problem with there with slow developing burn. Shaves so close that I can get away without shaving that part on the day after, and if I want to, even skip it on the third day.
 
I saw that on, it's a Vostok. I don't think it's the same as a Rapira. I saw it from the side in the eBay listing I saw it in and it seemed like it might be a lot milder than a Rapira. Could be a nice shaver still, though.
I would agree that it is not a Rapira metal handle version having compared the handle with my Rapira.
 
Thank for this. Your pictures are very useful. The plastic handle version has nickel plating whereas the metal handle version had an external plating of chrome. Both the plastic handle and metal handle versions have primary electroplating of copper. Another difference is that the screw thread length on the nickel plated head (plastic version) is longer. This is to cater for the plastic handle which is parachuted out (for want of a better word) at the top which results in the thread not starting until lower down internally withing the handle. (The Lord L5) is a prime example of this.


Was comparing my Rapira razors today and found the plastic handle base plate is slightly different from the metal handle base plate. The top caps seem to be exactly the same though. I always thought the metal handle version felt just slightly more aggressive than the plastic handle version maybe this could be why.

Also the metal handle version has a shiny chrome finish where as the plastic handle has a more dull looking finish.
View attachment 786157
View attachment 786156
Was comparing my Rapira razors today and found the plastic handle base plate is slightly different from the metal handle base plate. The top caps seem to be exactly the same though. I always thought the metal handle version felt just slightly more aggressive than the plastic handle version maybe this could be why.

Also the metal handle version has a shiny chrome finish where as the plastic handle has a more dull looking finish.
View attachment 786157
View attachment 786156
 
Further to my last posting - I purchased another recent chrome plated handle version of the Rapira - which has a nickle plated head. I have come to the conclusion that the plating and pressing of the head (which accounts for the difference in looks of the base plate) are due to the date of the manufacture - - the earlier chrome versions manufactured in earlier years.
 
I got the full metal Rapira Platinum Lux razor version a few days ago, manufactured in 2017. Took awhile to get here , popped in a Astra SP and had my first shave with it yestarday, got a nice close shave with it, was very pleased. Also does well on the shoulders, back and neck, I was starting to look like George the animal and it made easy work of those hairs.
 
Hey all,

To those who own both the metal handle and plastic handle versions of the RPL, do you find any appreciable difference in the shave between the two? Based on all your glowing reviews I'm definitely picking one up, and I'd just like to know if one performs better than the other.

The plastic handle version is about $6 cheaper than the metal handle version on vshod, and spending what might be an unnecessary additional $6 just doesn't sit well with the miser in me. :lol: Just wanna be sure I'm not missing out on anything by getting the plastic handle RPL.
 
I thought they were out of stock?

I bought a metal-handled Swedish Supersteel from voskhod.eu, which is a lovely shaver. Thinking I was buying a spare head, I picked up a plastic-handled Platinum Lux in a store in Malaysia, which was the very agressive razor people warn you about.

I don't know if it was the handles or the Supersteel vs Platinum Lux that was the important difference, or if it was just different manufacturing runs, but they were to all intents and purposes different razors despite being of similar appearance.
 
I thought they were out of stock?

I bought a metal-handled Swedish Supersteel from voskhod.eu, which is a lovely shaver. Thinking I was buying a spare head, I picked up a plastic-handled Platinum Lux in a store in Malaysia, which was the very agressive razor people warn you about.

I don't know if it was the handles or the Supersteel vs Platinum Lux that was the important difference, or if it was just different manufacturing runs, but they were to all intents and purposes different razors despite being of similar appearance.
Interesting, so the metal-handled ones that come packaged with the Supersteels are possibly different from the ones that come packaged with Platinum Lux? The plot thickens... I actually found a place that has the metal-handled Supersteel for $8, and while that's the cheapest I've seen them so far, I do wanna make sure I'm getting the aggressive razor that everyone's been raving about. Could we get some comparison shots of the ones you have?

This earlier post does say that the baseplates of the metal and plastic version are different. However the poster says they find the metal-handled version to actually be slightly more agressive :confused1

Was comparing my Rapira razors today and found the plastic handle base plate is slightly different from the metal handle base plate. The top caps seem to be exactly the same though. I always thought the metal handle version felt just slightly more aggressive than the plastic handle version maybe this could be why.

Also the metal handle version has a shiny chrome finish where as the plastic handle has a more dull looking finish.
View attachment 786157
View attachment 786156
 
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To date, I have found 4 variants of the RPL, do these possibly shave different from one another?

There is:

1.) The plastic-handled version with lines running down the handle
61nUAPFzy+L._SY355_.jpg


2.) The plastic-handled version with a ribbed handle
s-l1600.jpg


3.) The metal-handled version that comes with Platinum Lux blades
rapira-platinum-lux-safety-razor-900x900.png


4.) The metal-handled version that comes with Swedish Supersteel blades
rapira-double-edge-swedish-supersteel-safety-razor.jpg
 
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Interesting, so the metal-handled ones that come packaged with the Supersteels are possibly different from the ones that come packaged with Platinum Lux? The plot thickens... I actually found a place that has the metal-handled Supersteel for $8, and while that's the cheapest I've seen them so far, I do wanna make sure I'm getting the aggressive razor that everyone's been raving about. Could we get some comparison shots of the ones you have?

This earlier post does say that the baseplates of the metal and plastic version are different. However the poster says they find the metal-handled version to actually be slightly more agressive :confused1

On the left if you click on the link is my pastic handled (vertical lined) Platinum Lux, on the right my metal-handled Swedish Super Steel. I hope you can see the blade gap difference. The top caps are identical so far as I can see, but the base plate on the Platinum Lux (aside from the masssive blade gap) has slightly wider drainage slots (front:back), although identical width (side:side).
 
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