I have well over a year shaving with an Above the Tie X1 Slant, several months shaving with a Blackland Vector, and one shave with a Tatara Amakuni, so I started this thread to break down my impressions. I will update as I get more shaves with the Amakuni. All three razors are stainless steel.
ATT X1 Slant - 115.5 grams
Tatara Amakuni - 80.7 grams
Blackland Vector - 77.5 grams
I have used Shick P30, Feather Professional, and Feather Super blades in the X1 Slant and settled into the Super for several months. The X1 is a smooth, relatively mild razor, and I enjoy the wider Feather Super a lot in that razor. I appreciate the heft of the razor, and even though the head is a bit bigger and bulkier than the other two, I have found no issues with maneuverability or accessing the tricky parts of my face. The curved top cap allows me to rest it against the underside of my nose to shave my upper lip and has proven to be a benefit, not a hindrance. I can shave on autopilot with the X1 and a Super blade and get BBS to DFS shaves easily without much thought. The hair on the sides of my neck grows flat to my skin, and it is a tricky part that requires multiple passes. I am lazy regarding re-lathering and tend to blade buff. The X1 does an admirable job and is all but irritation-free in this endeavor. The X1 is one of my favorite razors, and I reach for it often.
Until recently, I have used Feather Super blades shaving with the Vector. With the Vector's extremely slim head, lighter weight, and enhanced blade feel with a Super, I would classify it as more aggressive. I can easily cut myself if reckless, but I love the razor and wouldn't consider it harsh. I get consistent BBS to DFS shaves and enjoy needing to pay a bit more attention during shaves with the Vector. The Vector's balance, lightweight, and nimbleness make it a lot of fun to shave with, but on the tricky part of my neck using a Super, I can get irritated if I am not careful. Recently, I shaved with a Feather Professional blade in the Vector, and I was blown away by how smooth and mild the razor became! I could shave nearly on autopilot, and the results were just as good as with the Super. I definitely classify the Vector as a mild/aggressive razor, depending on the blade, and I found the Professional blades to be a treat. What took me so long?
Using a Feather Professional blade, my first shave with the Tatara Amakuni was fantastic. The magnetized head of the Amakuni was solid and secure during the shave and made blade changes incredibly easy. The handle felt great, and there was no slipping with wet hands. The blade is closely aligned with the axis of the handle, similar to the Vector, and only took a moment or two to become familiar. It lacks some of the heft of the X1, but it has a noticeably heavier feeling than the Vector, even though it is only 3.2 grams heavier. Looking at the construction, I assume the Amakuni has a hollow handle, whereas the Vector is solid. That changes the balance point and makes the Amakuni feel heavier, even though the additional weight is negligible. The Amakuni with a Professional blade was smooth and shaved extremely close, giving me a DFS on my first attempt. Right out of the gate, I had fun shaving with the Amakuni. I place the blade feel and aggressiveness between the X1 and Vector. I will need to shave with a Feather Super blade to see if the Amakuni becomes more aggressive, but after one shave with a milder Professional blade, I would guess that the Amakuni will still sit between the X1 and Vector. I like the look of the Tatara Amakuni quite a bit, and it looks better in real life than in pictures. The razor feels excellent in my hand, and the magnetic top cap is a wonderfully simple and effective solution. The boxing and presentation at delivery from Tatara are very nice, and as you can see from the photos, I purchased the stand.
I had considered Alpha Spirit, Atelier Durdan La Faulx, Wolfman, and Lambda Athena SE razors, but the price and lack of in-stock razors steered me away. I would love to try each of these razors, but now that I am GRUYERE, I will need to wait a year and see if I care and if there is available inventory at that time. However, I have so many fantastic razors that shave so effectively that adding anything more would be purely for fun.
I will update this thread as I get more shaves in with the Amakuni. I have Shick P30, Feather Professional, Super, Kai Captain, and Kai Pink blades in my selection, and I will try all of them eventually. It may take a while since I get 10-12 shaves per AC blade, and I plan to exhaust one blade before trying another.
ATT X1 Slant - 115.5 grams
Tatara Amakuni - 80.7 grams
Blackland Vector - 77.5 grams
I have used Shick P30, Feather Professional, and Feather Super blades in the X1 Slant and settled into the Super for several months. The X1 is a smooth, relatively mild razor, and I enjoy the wider Feather Super a lot in that razor. I appreciate the heft of the razor, and even though the head is a bit bigger and bulkier than the other two, I have found no issues with maneuverability or accessing the tricky parts of my face. The curved top cap allows me to rest it against the underside of my nose to shave my upper lip and has proven to be a benefit, not a hindrance. I can shave on autopilot with the X1 and a Super blade and get BBS to DFS shaves easily without much thought. The hair on the sides of my neck grows flat to my skin, and it is a tricky part that requires multiple passes. I am lazy regarding re-lathering and tend to blade buff. The X1 does an admirable job and is all but irritation-free in this endeavor. The X1 is one of my favorite razors, and I reach for it often.
Until recently, I have used Feather Super blades shaving with the Vector. With the Vector's extremely slim head, lighter weight, and enhanced blade feel with a Super, I would classify it as more aggressive. I can easily cut myself if reckless, but I love the razor and wouldn't consider it harsh. I get consistent BBS to DFS shaves and enjoy needing to pay a bit more attention during shaves with the Vector. The Vector's balance, lightweight, and nimbleness make it a lot of fun to shave with, but on the tricky part of my neck using a Super, I can get irritated if I am not careful. Recently, I shaved with a Feather Professional blade in the Vector, and I was blown away by how smooth and mild the razor became! I could shave nearly on autopilot, and the results were just as good as with the Super. I definitely classify the Vector as a mild/aggressive razor, depending on the blade, and I found the Professional blades to be a treat. What took me so long?
Using a Feather Professional blade, my first shave with the Tatara Amakuni was fantastic. The magnetized head of the Amakuni was solid and secure during the shave and made blade changes incredibly easy. The handle felt great, and there was no slipping with wet hands. The blade is closely aligned with the axis of the handle, similar to the Vector, and only took a moment or two to become familiar. It lacks some of the heft of the X1, but it has a noticeably heavier feeling than the Vector, even though it is only 3.2 grams heavier. Looking at the construction, I assume the Amakuni has a hollow handle, whereas the Vector is solid. That changes the balance point and makes the Amakuni feel heavier, even though the additional weight is negligible. The Amakuni with a Professional blade was smooth and shaved extremely close, giving me a DFS on my first attempt. Right out of the gate, I had fun shaving with the Amakuni. I place the blade feel and aggressiveness between the X1 and Vector. I will need to shave with a Feather Super blade to see if the Amakuni becomes more aggressive, but after one shave with a milder Professional blade, I would guess that the Amakuni will still sit between the X1 and Vector. I like the look of the Tatara Amakuni quite a bit, and it looks better in real life than in pictures. The razor feels excellent in my hand, and the magnetic top cap is a wonderfully simple and effective solution. The boxing and presentation at delivery from Tatara are very nice, and as you can see from the photos, I purchased the stand.
I had considered Alpha Spirit, Atelier Durdan La Faulx, Wolfman, and Lambda Athena SE razors, but the price and lack of in-stock razors steered me away. I would love to try each of these razors, but now that I am GRUYERE, I will need to wait a year and see if I care and if there is available inventory at that time. However, I have so many fantastic razors that shave so effectively that adding anything more would be purely for fun.
I will update this thread as I get more shaves in with the Amakuni. I have Shick P30, Feather Professional, Super, Kai Captain, and Kai Pink blades in my selection, and I will try all of them eventually. It may take a while since I get 10-12 shaves per AC blade, and I plan to exhaust one blade before trying another.
Attachments
-
IMG_0114.jpg1.7 MB · Views: 95
-
IMG_4582.jpg2.1 MB · Views: 94
-
IMG_4581.jpg2 MB · Views: 81
-
IMG_4538.jpg2.6 MB · Views: 82
-
IMG_4537.jpg2.5 MB · Views: 84
-
IMG_0119.jpg2.2 MB · Views: 85
-
IMG_0118.jpg2.3 MB · Views: 84
-
IMG_0117.jpg2.1 MB · Views: 76
-
IMG_0116.jpg1.9 MB · Views: 78
-
IMG_0115.jpg2.7 MB · Views: 95