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Review: the Blackland Tradere (pre-launch)

@Haiku are you able to compare your Tradere to the Pils? Or anyone else who has tried both.

The Pils and the Tradere SB are two of my favorite razors. In fact, they are pretty much the only two razors that I have left. I think they have a lot of similarities in the way they shave. Both are extremely smooth while being surprisingly efficient. Both hold the blade relatively flat. Both have a lot of weight in the head. However, unlike @kingfisher who found the Tradere smoother, I find the Pils a bit smoother for me between the two. After finding a better handle for the Pils and a great stand to go with it, I'm finding that I only ever reach for the Pils anymore... but even so, I don't think I'll sell my original Tradere.

2020-06-06 17.41.55.jpg
 
After finding a better handle for the Pils and a great stand to go with it, I'm finding that I only ever reach for the Pils anymore... but even so, I don't think I'll sell my original Tradere.

Thanks, where did you find the handle and how did you fit it to your Pils? I thought you would be stuck with the stock handle as it is a 2 piece razor.
 
Thanks OP for a wonderful review...when I heard that this wonderful gesture was made possible by Blackland Razors
I was not one bit surprised.

You certainly made me want to check out this razor a little more closely.

Best wishes!
 
Thanks, where did you find the handle and how did you fit it to your Pils? I thought you would be stuck with the stock handle as it is a 2 piece razor.

I'll start by saying that I purchased this razor second-hand in the exact configuration shown so I haven't gone through the process myself; however, you can find instructions on the various forums about how to remove the handle (there's a nut you have to remove first). This handle is a Triad (who I don't believe makes handles anymore) but I've seen other standard handles used to make the same mod. So while changing the handle isn't as easy as a standard 3 piece design, it's not terribly hard either. I've grown to enjoy the 2 piece design since it makes it easier to change the blade and clean the razor without risking dropping the baseplate.
 

Ridpath

FIGHTER!
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?;)

I can only comment on the ones I have - the timeless razors in stainless (both base plates). The Tradere in SB for me is smoother than both timeless configurations, and comparable in terms of efficiency. If you are using the Tradere for blind touch ups (like back of the head etc), it will take a bit of practice since it’s so incredibly smooth and the blade feel isn’t as pronounced as the Timeless razors. I still reach for my Tradere 99% of the time though, for pretty much everything. The only time i go for a different razor is when I have a lot of growth on my head and I’m impatient to get it shorn off - that’s when it calls for an open comb head!
 
Great thread. A great gesture by Shane as well. Keen to try the OC that I ordered when the Traderes went on sale recently. I’m sure that it will be a winner.
 
My original Tradere OC handle is polished except for the knurling

Well that's a bit of news for me! Mine is completely matte except for the very bottom which is mirror finished. It looks like there was some variation on the finishes of the original. One learns something new every day!
 
The Pils and the Tradere SB are two of my favorite razors. In fact, they are pretty much the only two razors that I have left. I think they have a lot of similarities in the way they shave. Both are extremely smooth while being surprisingly efficient. Both hold the blade relatively flat. Both have a lot of weight in the head. However, unlike @kingfisher who found the Tradere smoother, I find the Pils a bit smoother for me between the two. After finding a better handle for the Pils and a great stand to go with it, I'm finding that I only ever reach for the Pils anymore... but even so, I don't think I'll sell my original Tradere.

View attachment 1110085
I'm beginning to think that my Pils is a real outlier. Pretty much everybody says the Pils is exceptionally mild; I've even heard some people say it was TOO mild. Others say milder than a Tech.

I once had an iKon modern (a copy of the Pils but 100% CNC milled <in other words, even the screw wasn't welded to the top plate, a solid piece of stainless steel was milled until the top cap and screw remained>). That razor was one of the mildest and smoothest razors ever. I thought the Pils would be the same but without the knurling on the handle.

But my Pils is actually moderately aggressive. Way more blade feel than my old iKon modern, and more blade feel than my old Tradere, too.

So I wonder if my Pils is just more aggressive than the rest. Weird, but there it is.
 
I'm beginning to think that my Pils is a real outlier. Pretty much everybody says the Pils is exceptionally mild; I've even heard some people say it was TOO mild. Others say milder than a Tech.

I once had an iKon modern (a copy of the Pils but 100% CNC milled <in other words, even the screw wasn't welded to the top plate, a solid piece of stainless steel was milled until the top cap and screw remained>). That razor was one of the mildest and smoothest razors ever. I thought the Pils would be the same but without the knurling on the handle.

But my Pils is actually moderately aggressive. Way more blade feel than my old iKon modern, and more blade feel than my old Tradere, too.

So I wonder if my Pils is just more aggressive than the rest. Weird, but there it is.

Although my Pils is mild, I definitely don't think it's the mildest of razors. My Pils mows down growth without hesitation, but I find it much more efficient than Feather AS-D2, Gillette Tech, Timeless 0.68, GC 0.68, Tatara Masumune, and other widely-regarded mild razors. I found it difficult to get a close shave with some of the aforementioned razors, but the Pils is effortless for me. The Tradere SB is probably the next closest to the Pils for me.
 
I'm beginning to think that my Pils is a real outlier. Pretty much everybody says the Pils is exceptionally mild; I've even heard some people say it was TOO mild. Others say milder than a Tech.

I once had an iKon modern (a copy of the Pils but 100% CNC milled ). That razor was one of the mildest and smoothest razors ever. I thought the Pils would be the same but without the knurling on the handle.

But my Pils is actually moderately aggressive. Way more blade feel than my old iKon modern, and more blade feel than my old Tradere, too.

So I wonder if my Pils is just more aggressive than the rest. Weird, but there it is.
I traded my Pils after a handful of shaves. It was in my hands, on my head, too inefficient to hang on to. The hollow at the bottom of the back of the skull can present problems for certain razor head designs and I couldn't get the Pils to work. I will be very disappointed if I have the same issues with the Tradere.

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The genius of the PILS is that when the correct and most efficient angle is deployed, it is extremely efficient but not in an aggressive way. A shallow angle where the safety bar is ever so slightly elevated from the skin yields incredibly close yet smooth shaves. Also, as little to no pressure is a must with the PILS. It does have a very narrow angle of attack though. So it does require a fair bit of concentration to keep the correct angle. Overall, a marvelous piece of German engineered shaving device.
 
I traded my Pils after a handful of shaves. It was in my hands, on my head, too inefficient to hang on to. The hollow at the bottom of the back of the skull can present problems for certain razor head designs and I couldn't get the Pils to work. I will be very disappointed if I have the same issues with the Tradere.

Trust me, if the Tradere shaved like the PILS, I would not have made it.

Edit: I don’t even think the PILS is a good comparison at all. I think the only thing they have in common is the top cap that covers the sides.
 
Trust me, if the Tradere shaved like the PILS, I would not have made it.
Haha, that was my expectation in placing a Tradere order. I had read enough about the Pils to know it was a roll of the dice, thus did I buy on BST rather than spring for a new one. I have had somewhat better luck with the (recent production) SBS which while mild on both sides is just on the right side of acceptable though it doesn't get much use.

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The iKon S3S and H2O were both very similar in head design to the Pils, albeit the iKon razors mentioned are dual combs. The Tradere resembles these somewhat, but the head height is much less pronounced. I don't shave my head, but I would think that this feature of the Tradere would make it easier to get that little hollow on the back of the head that the Pils couldn't do for you.

I love my iKon S3S, although I think it would be an even better razor if it had a safety bar on both sides. The shave, however, doesn't really resemble what the shave of the Tradere.
 
The iKon S3S and H2O were both very similar in head design to the Pils, albeit the iKon razors mentioned are dual combs. The Tradere resembles these somewhat, but the head height is much less pronounced. I don't shave my head, but I would think that this feature of the Tradere would make it easier to get that little hollow on the back of the head that the Pils couldn't do for you.

I love my iKon S3S, although I think it would be an even better razor if it had a safety bar on both sides. The shave, however, doesn't really resemble what the shave of the Tradere.

Cool, thanks. Yeah I'm not a huge fan of dual combs and four combs is not an improvement. I pretty much stick to one on my SBS.

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The iKon S3S and H2O were both very similar in head design to the Pils, albeit the iKon razors mentioned are dual combs. The Tradere resembles these somewhat, but the head height is much less pronounced. I don't shave my head, but I would think that this feature of the Tradere would make it easier to get that little hollow on the back of the head that the Pils couldn't do for you.

I love my iKon S3S, although I think it would be an even better razor if it had a safety bar on both sides. The shave, however, doesn't really resemble what the shave of the Tradere.
I've never understood these razors with a comb on one side and a bar on the other. I use both sides when I shave so I would want them to be the same on both sides. I will say I like my ikon Deluxe OC. It was probably my favorite along with the Gillette NEW SC until I got a Charcoal Goods Level 2. Im interested in getting a Tradere but not sure which to pick.
 
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