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Rocnel Elite and DE-P: A Comparative Review

I’ve had a few shaves now with both of these razors and thought I’d have a head-to-head comparison shave with both razors today using the same make of blade, a Rapira Swedish Supersteel, (as this blade will fit both razors).

Once I’d completed this, it struck me that it would make sense to review each razor in terms of the other, given that there is very little information available on both of them, hence my review below.

1) Design Fit & Finish

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As can be seen in the pictures above, there are some clear aesthetic differences between the two razors.

The DE-P is clearly influenced by the designs of other stainless steel razors such as those made by ATT and Feather, whilst the design of the Elite is somewhat different and results in a much thicker and heavier head.

The handle that came with the DE-P is similar to that on the Elite and both look to have been based upon the design of the ATT Kronos handle. This is not uncommon, of course, and Rocnel also uses this design on the SE-G razor they produce.

In terms of fit and finish, the Elite is noticeably superior to the DE-P with very precise tolerances and a beautiful and flawless finish. The DE-P, whilst finished to a much higher standard than some stainless steel razors available on the market, is slightly rougher around the edges.

2) Weight and Efficiency of Shave

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The difference in weight between the two razors can be seen in the photo above, with the Elite being the heavier razor.

In terms of efficiency, both razors are pretty efficient with the main difference being that the Elite gives a very smooth shave (similar to a Timeless 0.95) whilst the DE-P gives a harsher shave.

To this end, the shave the DE-P gives a result which is somewhere between an ATT R1 and H1 and similar to an Ikon B1 Slant in terms of face feel.

When head shaving, I found the DE-P worked better than the Elite as it did not clog up as easily and was a little easier to manoeuvre. It gave a very close shave in this role and this is where I feel I’ll use it the most.

3) Blade Gap and Tolerances

The picture below shows the differences in blade gap between the two razors.

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The high engineering tolerances of the Elite means that the version I have (the 2017 version) will only take certain blades (such as Feathers, Rapiras, Voskhods, Derbys and Shark Chrome & Stainless blades for example). This has been addressed in the 2018 LE version which will take any blade but only 55 of these razors have, so far, been made (to my knowledge).

The DE-P has the advantage of taking any blade. However, the lower tolerances needed to enable this does lead to some blade misalignment problems which led to a couple of harsh shaves until I figured out what was happening. Thankfully, it is very easy to sort this issue out without too much of a problem.

4) Conclusion and Recommendations

I like both of these razors as they are both very well engineered and are made out of a premium grade of stainless steel.

If you are able to get over the lack of blade choice, I would highly recommend the Elite as it is an amazingly good razor.

The DE-P is no slouch either by any means and I would also recommend it if you are looking for an alternative to some of the other razors out there. [emoji846]









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I can't imagine shaving with a 128g razor, let alone 140g. Surely this kind of weight affects manoeuvrability?

They’re both fine on my face and the balance of the razor means that the weight isn’t as noticeable as you’d expect.

The Elite felt much more difficult to manoeuvre during my head shave and the extra weight certainly did make a noticeable difference here.


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Thanks for taking the time to post this review and your great pictures. I knew nothing about these razors. Both are beautiful.
 
I just saw Instagram ads for this - looks like the opposite of a gilette super speed weight wise. How aggressive are these? Closer to a superspeed or a fatip?
 
Thanks for the detailed coverage. I have been thinking about an elite latley since I’ve found myself straying towards heavier razors. Had no clue there were 2 versions of it.
 
Today I tried first time Rocnel DE-P. It is an aggressive razor. Two passes (WTG) +(XTG/ATG) gave me irritation free, decent BBS+.
The original handle is hefty thus after a few strokes I changed with my Maggards handle which is lighter and shorter. After the handle change, ergonomy was awesome.

With Original Handle
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With Maggards Handle
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