I recently ordered both these razors. I was waiting for the new SS version of the Lupo with its increased blade gap, but it did not release before christmas. But a chinese razor that was kinda similar, yet rather on the mild side (.68 blade gap both OC and SB vs .72 OC/.95 SB on the dual comb Lupo) than the Lupo which was made a fair bit more aggressive, to have more blade feel and efficiency.
I ordered the DS-X1 before the Lupo DC, but Canada Post was faster. They still arrived roughly around the same time.
I tested both, the Lupo already twice, with a Feather and a Nacet. For this comparison I will go with the Feather. As soap I used "red" Cella Crema da Barba.
Some razor stats first:
RazoRock SS Lupo DC with Barber Pole
~15mm handle diameter, 74g/2.6 oz handle weight. Very light head.
0.72 blade gap open comb
0.95 blade gap scalloped bar
Extra info: The Lupo Aluminum has a .72 blade gap with a solid bar.
No stand for the Lupo yet, I have some that fit, but they destroy the beauty of the Barber Pole handle.
DSCosmetic DS-X1 with Pioneer handle
~14mm handle diameter, 93g
0.68 blade gap, closed and open comb
The stand used is actually that of my Alpha Shaving/Executive Shaving Outlaw razor, it fits nicely
The (short) VERDICT?
Both seem similar in type, but are actually very different beasts.
The Lupo DC is always more on the efficient and somewhat aggressive side - but doesn't bite easily.
The DS-X1 is a mild and smooth razor that lacks efficiency, two pass is not quite possible, for a BBS you have to work some patches extra and maybe even use some pressure and ride the (very nicely scalloped) cap.
Lupo DC:
The Lupo DC offers what was promised: A Lupo with a redesigned head (no longer rounded sides, you can place it on the side and it won't roll away) and a dual comb if you wish so. The difference between both sides is rather low, much less than expected. The .72 gap is less, but the open comb makes quite up for that. Why they didn't go with an open .95 side? I didn't find it overly aggressive, but sensitive shavers will feel the blade too much.
-> this razor was clearly made with people in mind who want the Lupo, but more efficient and with a bit more blade feel.
www.italianbarber.com
^ Why the Lupo DC doesn't have both sides ranked seperately? I don't know. The OC .72 side might actually be that of the Lupo 72 but more aggressively rated due to the Open Comb, the Lupo 72 has a Scalloped Bar.
The spirals of the barber pole handle are very nice and give very good grip nevertheless. The blade tabs are covered, machining was flawless and the flat head profile makes it easy to shave precisely and under the nose in particular. The open comb was nicely rounded and is a very smooth and soft open comb, I very much love Razorock's OC design a lot, also for the Game Changer .84 it is a very good fit.
I have had more aggressive razors, but few are so efficient. It's a step up from the Game Changer .84, but I still find my Outlaw both smoother and more efficient. The blade is a bit more tensioned and curved in its cap, this is a bit missing in the flat head of the Lupo and GC.
DS-X1:
This one is mild, but gives still a very thorough shave. You just have to correct more often and if you shave with the Lupo DC like you can with the DS-X1, you will flay your skin. This razor is very mild, unfortunately I don't own a .68 Game Changer, but I think it could be even milder. I would prefer it to a DE89/R89 or King C. Gillette every day though, the option to switch comb types on the fly comes in handy. The difference actually feels more pronounced than on the Lupo DC. I recommend using very sharp blades for this razor, it's firmly in the "mild" part of the scale.
www.italianbarber.com
^ I would place this one roughly at Mamba 70/Game Changer 68 level
DSCosmetics loves shiny things. They don't have matte, apparently. They do machine+hand polishing, and this comes with a drawback:
The "Destroyer" handle I also own with lots of knurly checkering should have had great grip, but it was polished smooth and was quite slippery, hard to hold. And their handles are very heavy, around 20g more than the heaviest RazoRock handles. The "Pioneer" handle was smoothly polished, but due to its form factor it has much better grip and works out better.
Something I didn't see before is the M5 silicone o-ring they put between baseplate and handle. It's a nice touch if you love changing handles or collect them, but in general that's quite unnecessary.
Both are not overly expensive. The Lupo is for both sides of its dual comb rather aggressive and very efficient, the DS-X1 is mild, smooth and requires more passes.
I ordered the DS-X1 before the Lupo DC, but Canada Post was faster. They still arrived roughly around the same time.
I tested both, the Lupo already twice, with a Feather and a Nacet. For this comparison I will go with the Feather. As soap I used "red" Cella Crema da Barba.
Some razor stats first:
RazoRock SS Lupo DC with Barber Pole
~15mm handle diameter, 74g/2.6 oz handle weight. Very light head.
0.72 blade gap open comb
0.95 blade gap scalloped bar
Extra info: The Lupo Aluminum has a .72 blade gap with a solid bar.
No stand for the Lupo yet, I have some that fit, but they destroy the beauty of the Barber Pole handle.
DSCosmetic DS-X1 with Pioneer handle
~14mm handle diameter, 93g
0.68 blade gap, closed and open comb
The stand used is actually that of my Alpha Shaving/Executive Shaving Outlaw razor, it fits nicely
The (short) VERDICT?
Both seem similar in type, but are actually very different beasts.
The Lupo DC is always more on the efficient and somewhat aggressive side - but doesn't bite easily.
The DS-X1 is a mild and smooth razor that lacks efficiency, two pass is not quite possible, for a BBS you have to work some patches extra and maybe even use some pressure and ride the (very nicely scalloped) cap.
Lupo DC:
The Lupo DC offers what was promised: A Lupo with a redesigned head (no longer rounded sides, you can place it on the side and it won't roll away) and a dual comb if you wish so. The difference between both sides is rather low, much less than expected. The .72 gap is less, but the open comb makes quite up for that. Why they didn't go with an open .95 side? I didn't find it overly aggressive, but sensitive shavers will feel the blade too much.
-> this razor was clearly made with people in mind who want the Lupo, but more efficient and with a bit more blade feel.
RazoRock Razor Scale - The Bottom is the Mildest and The Top is the Mo – ItalianBarber
If you are looking for placement on the scale for the new RazoRock Superslant razors, please see below:L1, L1+, L1++, L1++OC - MILD-MEDIUM(L1 being the ...
The spirals of the barber pole handle are very nice and give very good grip nevertheless. The blade tabs are covered, machining was flawless and the flat head profile makes it easy to shave precisely and under the nose in particular. The open comb was nicely rounded and is a very smooth and soft open comb, I very much love Razorock's OC design a lot, also for the Game Changer .84 it is a very good fit.
I have had more aggressive razors, but few are so efficient. It's a step up from the Game Changer .84, but I still find my Outlaw both smoother and more efficient. The blade is a bit more tensioned and curved in its cap, this is a bit missing in the flat head of the Lupo and GC.
DS-X1:
This one is mild, but gives still a very thorough shave. You just have to correct more often and if you shave with the Lupo DC like you can with the DS-X1, you will flay your skin. This razor is very mild, unfortunately I don't own a .68 Game Changer, but I think it could be even milder. I would prefer it to a DE89/R89 or King C. Gillette every day though, the option to switch comb types on the fly comes in handy. The difference actually feels more pronounced than on the Lupo DC. I recommend using very sharp blades for this razor, it's firmly in the "mild" part of the scale.
RazoRock Razor Scale - The Bottom is the Mildest and The Top is the Mo – ItalianBarber
If you are looking for placement on the scale for the new RazoRock Superslant razors, please see below:L1, L1+, L1++, L1++OC - MILD-MEDIUM(L1 being the ...
DSCosmetics loves shiny things. They don't have matte, apparently. They do machine+hand polishing, and this comes with a drawback:
The "Destroyer" handle I also own with lots of knurly checkering should have had great grip, but it was polished smooth and was quite slippery, hard to hold. And their handles are very heavy, around 20g more than the heaviest RazoRock handles. The "Pioneer" handle was smoothly polished, but due to its form factor it has much better grip and works out better.
Something I didn't see before is the M5 silicone o-ring they put between baseplate and handle. It's a nice touch if you love changing handles or collect them, but in general that's quite unnecessary.
Both are not overly expensive. The Lupo is for both sides of its dual comb rather aggressive and very efficient, the DS-X1 is mild, smooth and requires more passes.
