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RazoRock ECO First Look

M

Member 113878

Did one pass with the Derby blade and finished the shave with my trusted Merkur CC.
The ECO is not for me, sorry.
 
Did one pass with the Derby blade and finished the shave with my trusted Merkur CC.
The ECO is not for me, sorry.
Yea, I know what you mean. The Eco is not what you would call a super smooth shaver. Not compared to my vintage Schick injector. But I am going to give it a few more days and try different blades. Not ready to give up quite yet. The jury is still out examining the evidence.
 

Chandu

I Waxed The Badger.
Is the blade clamped tightly and close to the cutting edge. One of the reasons I prefer SE to DE is the thicker blades that SE offer which impart less chance of any blade flexing. With the thinner DE blade and depending on how the blades are clamped could that be part of the rougher shave?
 
Chandu, your questions are the same as my initial concerns. The design of this razor is small gap and considerable positive exposure on a light weight frame. The only razor that I own with a similar gap and exposure design is the Timeless Bronze SB. At some point I will find a feeler gauge and measure the gaps but visually I believe the gaps are the close, however the amount that the edge stands proud of the clamp maybe about 50% more with the ECO. Also the clamping force on the Bronze is equally applied to both edges by the centered cap screw. On the Eco the cap screw is offset towards a rear fulcrum so the clamping pressure is distributed mostly to the fulcrum. In conclusion, blade flex is certain and clamping pressure is suspect. My best solution is to shave at the lowest blade to skin angle.
 
Shave five, second shave with 7 O'Clock Green. The best shave experience yet. Smooth, no chatter, no grab and very close. My bigggest problem area under the jaw and down the neck is being very well shaved.
 
My best DE blade is a GSB. So tomorrow and Sunday I will try this blade in the Eco. The Crown and Derby Premium blades have not achieved the smooth shave I desire. If the GSB doesn't work then my last stop on this train will be the Feather. If that doesn't work it's time to get off the train.
 
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I believe you can get perma sharp supers in the 1/2 DE configuration. That is one blade that is notably lacking from everyone's experimentation (as are GSBs and Astras). I don't have an eco, but I think you want a very sharp, yet smooth blade to try with the very small blade angle that this razor seems to be created to utilize. And like an above poster mentioned, this razor is likely to charter of it meets significant resistance to cutting. The Hawk won't chatter because of the natural rigidity of AC blades. Hope it works for a few people! It is an interesting design to be sure.

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I believe you can get perma sharp supers in the 1/2 DE configuration. That is one blade that is notably lacking from everyone's experimentation (as are GSBs and Astras). I don't have an eco, but I think you want a very sharp, yet smooth blade to try with the very small blade angle that this razor seems to be created to utilize. And like an above poster mentioned, this razor is likely to charter of it meets significant resistance to cutting. The Hawk won't chatter because of the natural rigidity of AC blades. Hope it works for a few people! It is an interesting design to be sure.

I have at home at least ten different blades with the vast majority from PPI. So I intend to work my way through the stock and see how they stack-up. Maybe I can give a range of suggestions a month or so from now. I am currently on a learning curve with the razor but I believe the ECO has merit and maybe a few bugs so I will commit the next month to running through the blades. I hope it helps, if not let me know.
 
Today I used a GSB blade in the Eco and it made a big difference. Much smoother and effortless. I know from my past experience that my blade choice in a razor can make or break a shave. And I believe this is one of those YMMV things in shaving. When it ain't broke, dont fix it.
 
I shaved today with a snapped Perma Sharp. Less smooth than the 7 O'Clock Green but the shave is seems closer. Three pass shave not much was missed, no need for touch up. As with all the other blades, so far, abundant blade feel.
 
Now we're getting somewhere:

Replaced the handle with a Battle Brother's handle and used a Personna blade. Started with Whole Foods 365 Glycerin soap. Lathered on top of that with MWF using a Maggard synthetic brush. I am also checking out my Feather SS Folding Handle.

Two pass and a bit of touch up. I used the Feather on the right side of my face and the Eco on the left. The Eco was much improved... still a bit of blade feel but not in a bad way. BBS shave on both sides. The Eco yielded a small nick in a known trouble spot but it was completely remedied via some vintage Avon Spicy aftershave (enhanced with added Menthol).

I like the heavier BB handle. I also gave the Eco a bit more respect, rode the cap, and used reduced pressure. Feather SS was sweet. I will keep the Eco (for now). Yes, it is a bit of a gimmick razor but for some reason I find it fun to use.

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On Sunday I had the second shave with a PermaSharp and was not happy. The blade was catchy and struggled through the the chin whiskers, blessing me with two nicks. I am convinced that there is way too much blade flexing. I cut off the bevel off a razor blade and set it aside for this mornings shave to be used as a shim between the blade and cap, the reason being an upper shim could brace the blade from flexing. The second descisionwas to shim the rib at the back of the base, that is the fulcrum for the clamp, by about 1 mm to shift the pressure of the cap against the blade from being evenly distributed accross the blade to applying the pressure close to the edge of the cap.

So this morning I used a Voskhod blade with the two shims and a Weber bulldog handle. The result was a smooth, very close shave with a very firm blade. Tomorrow I'll try the other half of the Nacet blade that I started the trial series. The first shave with the Nacet was certainly rough, I'll report on improvement or not.
 
I'm not being critical of anyone who likes, buys, or uses this razor, but I don't get the point of it. What advantages does it offer over a good DE razor and the various other SE platforms? Advantages other than being a novelty (not that being a novelty is bad)?

I would not want to be breaking DE blades myself. I already cut myself too often. Of course, that's just me.

It's a razor which makes me wonder why?

Happy shaves,

Jim

Answer to sell more of the same in a different package is all. If you want the SE experience with a DE blade without all the hassle get a vintage GE Jones Shake Sharp razor though admittedly more dollar wise to buy one they are very good shavers. I own one and it is one of my few N.F.S. (not for sale) razors unless someone wants to pay me the I don't want to sell it price plus you don't have to snap blades in half to use it.

The other option is you can use a DE blade in some of the SE razors without snapping them in half like an Ever Ready 1914 for example.
 
On Sunday I had the second shave with a PermaSharp and was not happy. The blade was catchy and struggled through the the chin whiskers, blessing me with two nicks. I am convinced that there is way too much blade flexing. I cut off the bevel off a razor blade and set it aside for this mornings shave to be used as a shim between the blade and cap, the reason being an upper shim could brace the blade from flexing. The second descisionwas to shim the rib at the back of the base, that is the fulcrum for the clamp, by about 1 mm to shift the pressure of the cap against the blade from being evenly distributed accross the blade to applying the pressure close to the edge of the cap.

So this morning I used a Voskhod blade with the two shims and a Weber bulldog handle. The result was a smooth, very close shave with a very firm blade. Tomorrow I'll try the other half of the Nacet blade that I started the trial series. The first shave with the Nacet was certainly rough, I'll report on improvement or not.

Sounds like it has the same issues as the GE Jones Shake Sharp razor which is a DE SE razor. Only difference based upon the reviews so far is the Shake Sharp is much milder but provides a very close shave even though the blade does flex a bit when not shimmed. When shimmed it becomes a much better shaver with the blade stiffened up.

BTW you shouldn't need 2 shims, loading the blade then shim should give the best results. Putting that shim under the blade will help but if it is like the shake sharp it won't remove all the flex out of the blade. You can also try using 2 blades instead of a shim, if they offset enough it might shave like a double blade. Think of the Saiver 2.0 as an example.
 
My conclusion on the RazoRock Eco after a few shaves:
1. Full points to RazoRock for coming up with a SE that uses half DE blades. Its about time.
2. Once you find the right blade and get a few shaves in to learn your angles and pressure this razor will give a fine shave;
3. The handle is a bit slippy for me, but this is just a preference, not a fault of the razor. I like a grippy handle.
4. Will it replace my Schick Type G as my daily razor? No. Nice as the Eco is, it can't compete with the old school elegance of the Type G Schick Injector.
5. Will I take it out once in a while to use just for fun? Yes, Probably.
6. Price point on the Eco is excellent. While it is an aluminium razor [not SS or brass] the price is reasonable and makes entry into the SE world affordable. I am not a fan of aluminium...too light for my liking.
 
BTW you shouldn't need 2 shims, loading the blade then shim should give the best results. Putting that shim under the blade will help but if it is like the shake sharp it won't remove all the flex out of the blade. You can also try using 2 blades instead of a shim, if they offset enough it might shave like a double blade. Think of the Saiver 2.0 as an example

BBS-1, just to be clear, no shim is under the blade rather the shim is over the blade to counter upward deflection, the other shim is at the rear of the razor to redirect the clamping pressure to the edge of the cap. I think a shim under the cutting blade would give the ECO an overwhelmingly aggressive character.
 
Today's shave, I placed the left over Nacet in the shimmed razor and received a truly fine shave unlike the Nacet in the unshimmed razor which was utterly harsh. This week I'll run through first shaves with a variety of blades and then give my conclusions.
 
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