Rockwell 6S: great razor or over-hyped?

[100pctFragranceFree]

When I first started wet shaving I bought a Rockwell R1 (that came with Rockwell blades) and based on a Geo Fatboy video, that promised it was impossible to cut myself with the Rockwell, proceeded to shave and cut my face up really well. So, I've been biased against Rockwell in general ever since.

But I know some guys love the 6S. But others don't. Then there's this "top review" at Zon. (attached)

Think it's worth giving it a shot? The rust deal an outlier?

 

[JunkerJorge]

Both?

 

[Iridian]

It's too mild even on the highest plate and not efficient enough... for me.

Quality issues are frequently reported here as well.

It is not a bad razor though. I think there are way better CNC machined and not MIM cast alternatives by now.

It is overhyped for sure, always was. It came around at a time were price point, stainless steel and multiple plates were the bee's knees.

 

[edw]

In my opinion is a very good shaving tool. Provides me an easy / effortless result.

 

[foppy]

I've done well with my Rockwell 6S.

It's the only DE razor I own—a gift from my wife last Christmas that got me into wet shaving. I'm sure she spent less than $80 on it because she got it on sale on Black Friday and used an additional coupon. She never would have got it for me for $120 or whatever the regular price is.

I'm capable of cutting myself with practically any razor, cartridge or DE or whatever. So I would never believe anybody who told me it was impossible to cut myself with the Rockwell. It just doesn't make sense. It has a blade, after all.

I can't claim it's the greatest razor available, due to my lack of experience. And I'm certain there are better-made ones out there, maybe even for less than $80.

But I have had no quality-control issues with mine. It's a well-made razor with no visible defects, and no problems with alignment. I like the heft of it.

I believe people who say that the thick head makes it hard for them to shave under their noses. But I don't have that problem under my own nose. And I've enjoyed experimenting with the different plates. When people say they don't find even plate 6 aggressive enough, I believe them, but that hasn't been my experience, on my face. Now I'm happy on plate 5.

So in short, I'd say it has worked well for me.

Is it "great" or "benchmark" or "perfect"? I don't know, but I doubt it: it's just a sub-$80 razor (when bought on the right sales).

But do I like it? Yes.

 

[Messygoon]

I went to that Amazon review to get a clearer look at those images. As I suspected, the rust appears to have been caused by the razor blade and not the Rockwell 6S. This happened once to me as well, from an old carbon steel blade. I now use only stainless blades (Astra Superior Stainless and Personna Med Preps) and the rust marks have never returned.

Regarding the 6S, I'm a huge fan. Daily shaver with more than a dozen razors from which to choose. Some cost much more. Yet I reach for the 6S most often. For me, it is a perfect mix of durability, mildness, and performance.

I have not tried the Rockwell R1, but those Rockwell blades also came with my 6S purchase. I hate them. Won't ever use them again. Won't even give them away.

Thanks for letting me chime in, and best wishes on your decision.

 

[Felixthecat]

The 6s is a fantastic razor. Beautifully designed and constructed. Very easy to use when you settle on the right plate. Very reasonably priced, too.
There is no rust issue. Just idiots who leave a wet blade in the razor.

 

[zacktracy]

Big fan of the 6S and 6C. In my opinion you can't go wrong with either. While they don't have the largest blade gap of all of the different razors available, I find them quite efficient and you should find a sweet spot between R3 and R6. Definitely a great tool and you can use the different levels depending on if you're shaving every day, every other day or every 3 days. I have had zero quality control issues with mine and suspect that the blade was what caused the rust.

 

[JoeG]

It's the best Razor I have. It's the smoothest and works extremely well with most soaps I have. I've been using Astra blades with it. The Lords I normally use didn't work as well. It's heavy but I became use to it.

 

[KRpdx]

Wet shaving for over ten years, have tried many razors, modern, vintage, mild to super-aggressive, American, English, German, Canadian, Italian, Indian, Chinese...ranging from unusable to excellent. A few have come close, but none have worked better for me than the Rockwell 6S, which has been my daily razor for several years. Best $70 I've ever spent (in like new condition on the B/S/T forum). If you buy one, I would say be patient as you look for the blade(s) that works best for you (likely won't be Rockwell blades).

 

[J-MN]

I think the 6S is a great razor and a good value, too. I pretty much stick with the R3 plate, but it's nice to have the option to use the others as well. It's a bit bulky, but that's never bothered me.

 

[Lightcs1776]

The S6 is one of my favorite razors, even though it is not what I consider aggressive. I use it with plate 6. My wife uses a Rockwell with just the R1 baseplate and loves it. Since you already have the handle and top cap, you could just get additional plates. Unless prices have gone up, it is only $20 plus shipping for an extra plate.

 

[deafficianado]

I occasionally use the Rockwell with either the 5 or 6 plate with nice results. I think it’s more important to find the right blades that work for you, rather than blaming the razor itself. Subpar blades can make all the difference between a great shave and a terrible one.

 

[huck1680]

I’ve had, over the years, many razors including the 6S. Whereas I found it to be an ok razor, it didn’t stand out in any particular way. Machining etc was good, not a bad weight either just a very ho-hum kinda shaver. Not particularly agile or maneuverable, but got the job done after 3 passes and some buffing. Deafficianado is correct about proper blade choice for this razor.

 

[SwamperWI]

The Rockwell 6S was my favorite razor until I tried the Karve Overlander. That said, the Rockwell 6C would be my top recommendation for a new wet shave to start with.

 

[romsitsa]

Ymmv. It is heavier than my hammer, long, bulky handle, looks like a raw casting, overly ineffective and bulky head.
But some love it.
The rust is more than likely the blades fault. Left my vintage Wilkinson in a silver plated razor for three days, it looked worse.

 

[saj]

top razor and can get away with plate 6 but would've been nice if plate 6 was a bit more efficient/aggressive

Loaded with a feather it's really good and a easy head shaver

Nice weight to it and being stainless steel will last long, I've read recent posts about some having issues with the paint coming off but that was a blue colour one

 

[slim6596]

The 6s cooled my RAD for a while. R5 gave me close shaves, R4 almost as close but very good for “autopilot” shaves.

 

[Cafebarian]

The 6s/6c was revolutionary when it came out all those years ago...

Now it is very dated in a very crowded field of better options...

 

[DriftKing79]

The 6S has outshined and outlasted some higher quality and shinier Razors, such as the Blackland Blackird, Blackland Dart, both Tatara (Masamune and Nodachi) and also the Rex Ambassador. The Rockwell 6S is not the most aggressive Razor, but from the fourth plate up to the sixth efficient and very smooth.
Still in the top 5/6 in my collection:

• Greencult Stainless Steel Razor
• Razorock GC .84
• Mercury Progress
• Rockwell 6S
• Pearl Flexi/Yaqi TFC