Now that I am on vacation, its time to catch up on a few things that I have been meaning to do
I did 15 straight shaves with the RazoRock Black Mamba utilizing various blades (Feather, Polsilver, Astra SP, and Personna Lab). Afterwards, I reset my face and checked any changes in my technique by shaving a few times with a Gillette Fat Handle Tech, an RR Baby Smooth and an EJ DE89. Here are my observations/comments regarding the RazoRock Black Mamba razor:
For a project razor, the overall fit and finish is exceptionally high. There are no burrs, irregular gaps, dents, gouges, or sharp edges anywhere throughout the razor. There are CNC machine marks under the top cap and bottom plate but they have been polished over and are smooth-to-touch. When placed together, the sides of the top/bottom plates are completely flush with one another. The uberglide coating was flawless upon arrival inspection. After 15 shaves, it still looks brand new The coating is even throughout the head/handle and shows no early signs of degradation (For comparison, the DLC coating of my RR SS began to chip off after a few shaves). Something worth noting is that the head finish is matte while the iKon handle finish is polished and reflective. The big question: Does the coating increase the smoothness of a shave beyond normal plating? Yes...Maybe...Probably...it certainly didn't hurt.
Joe has touted the Mamba as a zero tolerance razor. Unlike other typical DE razors, you load the blade directly onto the posts of the bottom plate. Once completed, the blade is perfectly straight and there is absolutely zero play. This design does come at a small cost depending on your preference The tight tolerance means that it takes two hands to carefully remove a blade. I disassemble my razor after every shave and I had to yank the blade off the mounts every time. Honestly, its not a big deal to me but it may be to others. The top cap is near zero tolerance. Concessions had to be made so that the top and bottom pieces fit together smoothly. For the most part, I screwed everything together and did a passing glance just to make sure it passed the eye-ball test (which it did every time).
Performance-wise, Joe has perfected the stainless steel version of the Gillette Tech. My Pre-War Gillette Fat Handle Tech is favorite my razor and I easily adapted to the Mamba. They have the same optimum shaving angle (IMO) and any deviation from this angle will result in zero stubble reduction (as oppose to getting nicks and weepers). The Mamba is extremely forgiving and unlike its reptilian namesake, this Mamba razor is not a biter. The added weight of the Mamba (compared to the Tech) really helped smooth my shaves out. The weight was enough to allow the razor do all the work (unlike the Baby Smooth) but not excessive to the point where it was tiresome to control (Hello, RR DLC SS).
In conclusion, this razor is a Top 3 for me. I am glad that Joe is releasing more so that the masses can enjoy this fine razor. I hope you enjoy this review.
Side note: For comparison, my comments on the V1/V2 Slants and DLC SS can be found here and here.
I did 15 straight shaves with the RazoRock Black Mamba utilizing various blades (Feather, Polsilver, Astra SP, and Personna Lab). Afterwards, I reset my face and checked any changes in my technique by shaving a few times with a Gillette Fat Handle Tech, an RR Baby Smooth and an EJ DE89. Here are my observations/comments regarding the RazoRock Black Mamba razor:
For a project razor, the overall fit and finish is exceptionally high. There are no burrs, irregular gaps, dents, gouges, or sharp edges anywhere throughout the razor. There are CNC machine marks under the top cap and bottom plate but they have been polished over and are smooth-to-touch. When placed together, the sides of the top/bottom plates are completely flush with one another. The uberglide coating was flawless upon arrival inspection. After 15 shaves, it still looks brand new The coating is even throughout the head/handle and shows no early signs of degradation (For comparison, the DLC coating of my RR SS began to chip off after a few shaves). Something worth noting is that the head finish is matte while the iKon handle finish is polished and reflective. The big question: Does the coating increase the smoothness of a shave beyond normal plating? Yes...Maybe...Probably...it certainly didn't hurt.
Joe has touted the Mamba as a zero tolerance razor. Unlike other typical DE razors, you load the blade directly onto the posts of the bottom plate. Once completed, the blade is perfectly straight and there is absolutely zero play. This design does come at a small cost depending on your preference The tight tolerance means that it takes two hands to carefully remove a blade. I disassemble my razor after every shave and I had to yank the blade off the mounts every time. Honestly, its not a big deal to me but it may be to others. The top cap is near zero tolerance. Concessions had to be made so that the top and bottom pieces fit together smoothly. For the most part, I screwed everything together and did a passing glance just to make sure it passed the eye-ball test (which it did every time).
Performance-wise, Joe has perfected the stainless steel version of the Gillette Tech. My Pre-War Gillette Fat Handle Tech is favorite my razor and I easily adapted to the Mamba. They have the same optimum shaving angle (IMO) and any deviation from this angle will result in zero stubble reduction (as oppose to getting nicks and weepers). The Mamba is extremely forgiving and unlike its reptilian namesake, this Mamba razor is not a biter. The added weight of the Mamba (compared to the Tech) really helped smooth my shaves out. The weight was enough to allow the razor do all the work (unlike the Baby Smooth) but not excessive to the point where it was tiresome to control (Hello, RR DLC SS).
In conclusion, this razor is a Top 3 for me. I am glad that Joe is releasing more so that the masses can enjoy this fine razor. I hope you enjoy this review.
Side note: For comparison, my comments on the V1/V2 Slants and DLC SS can be found here and here.
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