The original was a polished head on a matte handle.
I don’t think the full matte Tradere looks all that good. It looks wrong to me and I usually prefer machined or matte finishes.
Review: the Blackland Tradere (pre-launch)
- Thread starter Ridpath
- Start date
The original was a polished head on a matte handle.
I don’t think the full matte Tradere looks all that good. It looks wrong to me and I usually prefer machined or matte finishes.
I thought it was a full matte razor looking online but thanks for confirming Shane.
I have owned a Blackbird and also one of the original Tradere sb razors, so I feel like I might be able to help out a little with a comparison.
The Blackbird is a lot more blade forward than the Tradere. With the Blackbird, you can always feel the blade. With the Tradere, sometimes it almost feels like you forgot to load a blade but then you find that the razor is actually shaving. The Tradere is heavier and has a bigger head.
Both razors gave me good shaves without irritation, but the feel while doing so is quite different.
The Blackbird is a lot more blade forward than the Tradere. With the Blackbird, you can always feel the blade. With the Tradere, sometimes it almost feels like you forgot to load a blade but then you find that the razor is actually shaving. The Tradere is heavier and has a bigger head.
Both razors gave me good shaves without irritation, but the feel while doing so is quite different.
- Thread starter
- #64
Ridpath
FIGHTER!
I’ve used the Tradere now for just over a week, and I don’t think the honeymoon period has passed yet for me. The other razors on my bathroom counter are feeling fairly neglected…
My initial impressions of the performance have held so far: incredibly smooth, mild and efficient. I’ve become better at “detecting” when it’s removing hair, but as @kingfisher says, it’s really easy to shave without feeling like the razor has taken any hair off.
One thing I’ve noticed as well is that the razor is picky when it comes to blade sharpness. This is again very subjective so YMMV, but as soon as a blade would usually start skipping or dragging slightly, the Tradere would threaten to cut my head up unless I immediately replaced the blade. Explains why my shave with a Derby Extra was less than enjoyable compared to the subsequent shaves with conventionally sharper blades.
Other than these small observations, nothing new has popped out at me. @Blackland Razors has changed the polish on the knurling after my feedback, which is not only incredibly flattering, but also fixes the only real complaint I had! Can’t wait to hear about other people’s impressions of the razor when they receive them.
My initial impressions of the performance have held so far: incredibly smooth, mild and efficient. I’ve become better at “detecting” when it’s removing hair, but as @kingfisher says, it’s really easy to shave without feeling like the razor has taken any hair off.
One thing I’ve noticed as well is that the razor is picky when it comes to blade sharpness. This is again very subjective so YMMV, but as soon as a blade would usually start skipping or dragging slightly, the Tradere would threaten to cut my head up unless I immediately replaced the blade. Explains why my shave with a Derby Extra was less than enjoyable compared to the subsequent shaves with conventionally sharper blades.
Other than these small observations, nothing new has popped out at me. @Blackland Razors has changed the polish on the knurling after my feedback, which is not only incredibly flattering, but also fixes the only real complaint I had! Can’t wait to hear about other people’s impressions of the razor when they receive them.
Excellent review. Ordered on May 2 and eagerly awaiting delivery.
The very bottom of the handle, the flat part, is polished on mine.
@Haiku are you able to compare your Tradere to the Pils? Or anyone else who has tried both.
Interesting! I have two original Tradere handles and one has that polished and one doesn’t. Do you know if all Traderes sold were that way?
Sorry no, I've never tried a Pils. I can compare it to any number of other razors but not that one I'm afraid.
I used my Tradere First Generation OC I guess three days ago and today used my Asylum Evolution (the new version of the Darwin Standard) and was surprised at how similar the Evolution and the Tradere shaved. I had never compared the two before.
Now that you ask I have to admit I never thought about it. I simply assumed that mine was like all the rest. I've never seen another one and I don't recall noticing the very bottom of the handle in any picture I've ever seen.
My handle is completely matte except for the very bottom which has a mirror finish. It's a really attractive desigh. The very bottom of the handle matches the mirror finish of the bottom plate and the top cap.
Looking very closely at it, I would say that the the mirror finish extends perhaps one millimeter or so (maybe less) up the handle. I guess that's a remnant of the polishing brush that was used. The shine sort of "bleeds" up the handle the tiniest bit. It's a very attractive touch.
I actually posted another thread about which particular DE I should upgrade to. Wasn't specific enough I guess and my choices keep evolving so I guess I should ask it here as I'm leaning towards a tradere.
So I have been DE shaving for probably 3 years now, and an rather comfortable with my r89 head. Maybe it's partly me not using the right blade yet as I have been mainly using kai / med prep / merkur platinum / muhle blades. But some days I get smooth irritation free shaves. Some days I still do get some razor burn particularly when i try to touch up a tad too much to get it to bbs I guess.
I don't have thick growth, never grown out a full beard, but do have stubble by the end of the day so can manage a shave every 2-3 days to keep rather clean shaven. Sensitive oily skin that is rather acne prone. So that caused some dryness when I use creams on my face for that.
Oh yes I have a harner xhp straight that I have been trying to learn to use for a while. I can get by doing about 70% of the shave bit finish off with a de not wanting to cut myself up. Haven't cut myself up yet but still wouldn't say I have my straight technique down.
So I'm looking for an upgrade to my r89 as I don't find it particularly efficient nor smooth.
The blackland tradere seems to tick all the boxes.
Plus the fact that Shane just comes across as such a gentleman, makes me all the more lean towards a blackland product.
However just wondering if I were to compare the tradere to the following, how would it stack up in terms of being smooth with minimal irritation to skin, just easy to use, and decently efficient so I don't end up aggravating my skin trying to do too many touch ups:
- an either pre or post war British / us / Canadian tech
- the wr2 wolfman with most mild gap
- timeless.68 or.95 in ss or ti though I know that is a topic all of its own and has been discussed at length in various threads.
- tatara
Or you would just say.... Just get the tradere and u won't regret it?
So I have been DE shaving for probably 3 years now, and an rather comfortable with my r89 head. Maybe it's partly me not using the right blade yet as I have been mainly using kai / med prep / merkur platinum / muhle blades. But some days I get smooth irritation free shaves. Some days I still do get some razor burn particularly when i try to touch up a tad too much to get it to bbs I guess.
I don't have thick growth, never grown out a full beard, but do have stubble by the end of the day so can manage a shave every 2-3 days to keep rather clean shaven. Sensitive oily skin that is rather acne prone. So that caused some dryness when I use creams on my face for that.
Oh yes I have a harner xhp straight that I have been trying to learn to use for a while. I can get by doing about 70% of the shave bit finish off with a de not wanting to cut myself up. Haven't cut myself up yet but still wouldn't say I have my straight technique down.
So I'm looking for an upgrade to my r89 as I don't find it particularly efficient nor smooth.
The blackland tradere seems to tick all the boxes.
Plus the fact that Shane just comes across as such a gentleman, makes me all the more lean towards a blackland product.
However just wondering if I were to compare the tradere to the following, how would it stack up in terms of being smooth with minimal irritation to skin, just easy to use, and decently efficient so I don't end up aggravating my skin trying to do too many touch ups:
- an either pre or post war British / us / Canadian tech
- the wr2 wolfman with most mild gap
- timeless.68 or.95 in ss or ti though I know that is a topic all of its own and has been discussed at length in various threads.
- tatara
Or you would just say.... Just get the tradere and u won't regret it?
My go to razor is a Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB. I had a very informative conversation with Shane, who is a gentlemen and the kind of person I like to do business with. Even before I hung up the phone I ordered a Tradere SB. You should give Shane a call and describe what you are looking for.I actually posted another thread about which particular DE I should upgrade to. Wasn't specific enough I guess and my choices keep evolving so I guess I should ask it here as I'm leaning towards a tradere.
So I have been DE shaving for probably 3 years now, and an rather comfortable with my r89 head. Maybe it's partly me not using the right blade yet as I have been mainly using kai / med prep / merkur platinum / muhle blades. But some days I get smooth irritation free shaves. Some days I still do get some razor burn particularly when i try to touch up a tad too much to get it to bbs I guess.
I don't have thick growth, never grown out a full beard, but do have stubble by the end of the day so can manage a shave every 2-3 days to keep rather clean shaven. Sensitive oily skin that is rather acne prone. So that caused some dryness when I use creams on my face for that.
Oh yes I have a harner xhp straight that I have been trying to learn to use for a while. I can get by doing about 70% of the shave bit finish off with a de not wanting to cut myself up. Haven't cut myself up yet but still wouldn't say I have my straight technique down.
So I'm looking for an upgrade to my r89 as I don't find it particularly efficient nor smooth.
The blackland tradere seems to tick all the boxes.
Plus the fact that Shane just comes across as such a gentleman, makes me all the more lean towards a blackland product.
However just wondering if I were to compare the tradere to the following, how would it stack up in terms of being smooth with minimal irritation to skin, just easy to use, and decently efficient so I don't end up aggravating my skin trying to do too many touch ups:
- an either pre or post war British / us / Canadian tech
- the wr2 wolfman with most mild gap
- timeless.68 or.95 in ss or ti though I know that is a topic all of its own and has been discussed at length in various threads.
- tatara
Or you would just say.... Just get the tradere and u won't regret it?
My original Tradere OC handle is polished except for the knurling
I can do this. I had a Tradere and currently have a Pils.
The shape of the head is similar, although the Pils head is larger/bulkier. Blade exposure on the Pils, in my opinion, is very slightly more, and blade feel with the Pils is slightly more pronounced. Efficiency is very similar.
The Pils is a little bit more head heavy.
Obviously the Tradere is a 3-piece and the Pils is a 2-piece. I used to use my Tradere head on aftermarket handles once in a while, just for fun, and I also used the Tradere handle on other razor heads, just to change things up. With the Pils the handle is what it is; a different handle cannot be used, and you can't use the Pils handle on other razors. The Pils mechanism, the way the head spins on the handle, is pretty cool.
The Pils handle is also completely smooth, versus the Tradere handle, which has moderate knurling. I don't have a problem with grip on the Pils, but some people do.
Finally, the Pils shows a lot more machining marks than my Tradere did.
Overall, I really like both razors, but if I had to choose just one of them, it would be the Tradere. Efficiency was almost exactly the same, but the Tradere was smoother, had a better handle, and offered options in terms of handle, etc. that the Pils doesn't.
I can compare the Tradere to a Tech, but I haven't tried the others.I actually posted another thread about which particular DE I should upgrade to. Wasn't specific enough I guess and my choices keep evolving so I guess I should ask it here as I'm leaning towards a tradere.
So I have been DE shaving for probably 3 years now, and an rather comfortable with my r89 head. Maybe it's partly me not using the right blade yet as I have been mainly using kai / med prep / merkur platinum / muhle blades. But some days I get smooth irritation free shaves. Some days I still do get some razor burn particularly when i try to touch up a tad too much to get it to bbs I guess.
I don't have thick growth, never grown out a full beard, but do have stubble by the end of the day so can manage a shave every 2-3 days to keep rather clean shaven. Sensitive oily skin that is rather acne prone. So that caused some dryness when I use creams on my face for that.
Oh yes I have a harner xhp straight that I have been trying to learn to use for a while. I can get by doing about 70% of the shave bit finish off with a de not wanting to cut myself up. Haven't cut myself up yet but still wouldn't say I have my straight technique down.
So I'm looking for an upgrade to my r89 as I don't find it particularly efficient nor smooth.
The blackland tradere seems to tick all the boxes.
Plus the fact that Shane just comes across as such a gentleman, makes me all the more lean towards a blackland product.
However just wondering if I were to compare the tradere to the following, how would it stack up in terms of being smooth with minimal irritation to skin, just easy to use, and decently efficient so I don't end up aggravating my skin trying to do too many touch ups:
- an either pre or post war British / us / Canadian tech
- the wr2 wolfman with most mild gap
- timeless.68 or.95 in ss or ti though I know that is a topic all of its own and has been discussed at length in various threads.
- tatara
Or you would just say.... Just get the tradere and u won't regret it?
The Tradere is a considerably larger/heavier razor that any Tech ever made. The head geometry is completely different. The gap is MUCH larger, but blade exposure is minimal, may even be neutral. When you get the right angle with the Tradere, the stubble is being removed but it is almost as if there isn't a blade in the razor.
I love my Techs, and they are also quite smooth.
So it's kind of an apples to pineapples comparison, in my opinion. I would never sell all my Techs and be without one. I love them. But the Tradere is fantastic, too.
I would say that if you bought one, it would be hard to imagine that you would be disappointed with it.
Thanks so much for the info and sharing! Helps shed some light.
Hmmm I guess blade gap and exposure both work in tandem so not a straightforward of how to compare what is more mild. Esp with the mildness in the timeless or wolfman being largely the blade gap and thus a lot of focus on that. So not to focus on the blade gap on the tradere I guess.
Hmmm wondering if I should just go to try a good tech first. Like a Canadian or British tech. Which apparently are very smooth and see how that goes first before I decide if I should upgrade again to a tradere or something.
Hmmmm
In terms of smoothness and just minimal chance of razor burn and skin irritation, which would you rate? A good mild tech or the tradere?
And which would be more forgiving of technique?
Tho seems to me that can't go wrong with either. And smoothness is subjective.
And also seems that once one gets the hang and angle to use with the tradere then it gives a very consistent smooth mild shave....
Hmmm I guess blade gap and exposure both work in tandem so not a straightforward of how to compare what is more mild. Esp with the mildness in the timeless or wolfman being largely the blade gap and thus a lot of focus on that. So not to focus on the blade gap on the tradere I guess.
Hmmm wondering if I should just go to try a good tech first. Like a Canadian or British tech. Which apparently are very smooth and see how that goes first before I decide if I should upgrade again to a tradere or something.
Hmmmm
In terms of smoothness and just minimal chance of razor burn and skin irritation, which would you rate? A good mild tech or the tradere?
And which would be more forgiving of technique?
Tho seems to me that can't go wrong with either. And smoothness is subjective.
And also seems that once one gets the hang and angle to use with the tradere then it gives a very consistent smooth mild shave....
Both the Tech and the Tradere are fairly mild, in my opinion. Risk for razor burn is low for both, provided you don't apply too much pressure.
Yes I can confirm the bottom of my second gen solid bar is polished to a mirror finish. The pictures didn’t turn out amazing but the reflection is much clearer in person.
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I can't do a comparison, but the Tatara is really smooth (especially ATG) and you can vary the efficiency with additional plates and cap. I have pre-ordered the Tradere to find out just how smooth/mild it is. The Tatara is quite a bit lighter and very nimble if that is a priority for you.
