I recently acquired a Tatara Masamune razor off the BST forum (thanks, @Calm_Shaver!). It came with the Nodachi top-cap and both the Masamune and Nodachi baseplates. While I’ve been quite satisfied with my Rockwell 6S, I got the itch to try something else and the Masamune seemed to tick all my preferential boxes. I decided to take the plunge and make the purchase. Specifically, I’m using the Nodachi top-cap and the milder, Masamune baseplate. What follows are my initial impressions... Emphasis on "initial".. 
After opening the box and handling the razor for the first time, I’ll admit to being impressed with the fit and finish; both are top notch. Every edge is smooth and there’s not a single machining mark or mold line to be found… Anywhere. Screwing the razor together, sans blade, feels smooth and tight. After popping in a blade and reassembling I can’t help but notice how everything locks up with the last few turns… Like a bank vault closing. So yeah, first impressions are good. Is my heart beating out of my chest, or my jaw dropping in absolute astonishment? No. But it is an impressively finished razor with blade clamping that is equally impressive and I want to give credit where I feel it’s due. I also notice the handle on the Tatara is a little thinner than on my Rockwell and that has me paying more attention to how it feels in my oversized, Midwestern mitt’s. After handling it for a few minutes I’m thinking the thinner head might make the Tatara a bit nimbler than my 6S and I’m no longer thinking so much about the thinner handle.
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Shave #1: Mirroring my usual shave set-up for my first shave with this razor, I select Stirling Orange Chill, my Simpsons Trafalgar T3 and a Gillette Platinum blade (second shave on this blade). I’m going to cut right to the chase here: This shave did not go well... AT ALL. The shave both felt, and sounded, like a putty knife being dragged across 80 grit sandpaper. I power through one WTG pass, rinse my face, clean up and put everything away. I’m convinced this was either a horrible blade choice, that my technique is wrong for this razor, that this razor simply isn’t for me, or some combination thereof. Whatever the cause, I’m done shaving for today. Full stop. My face is feeling “warm” from the shave and I hate that. Some Nivea Sensitive ASB helps but doesn’t entirely knock out the heat. It’s a mild irritation, but noticeable, nonetheless. I decide to skip shaving entirely the following morning, which is typical for me; I’m more of an every-other-day sort of shaver.
Shave #2: For this shave I’m sticking with Stirling Orange Chill but changing to a fresh Astra Stainless Steel blade (the sharpest blade I have in my current inventory), and I’ll be using the Trafalgar T3 again. This shave goes much better right from the start. I paid a lot more attention to trying to find and use the suggested 24 degree shaving angle while using zero pressure. Immediately I notice how much smoother and quieter the shave is going on this WTG pass. Feeling relieved, and a bit more confident, I lather up for pass two (XTG). This pass also goes extremely well. Maintaining the right angle is proving a little tricky but when I find it, I know it immediately. It’s not that it’s particularly hard to find the right angle, it’s just not the angle I’m used to using. I had the most trouble with blade angle on the underside of my chin and jawline but can tell this is a learning curve sort of thing and nothing more. Shaving the area under my nose goes well and I’m starting to better appreciate how the Tatara handles; it’s different than what I’m used to, but I think I’m starting to “get” this razor to some degree. I do a little buffing on my chin to wrap up and, not wanting to tempt fate, end the shave at this point. After letting my face dry out for a few minutes, and without having applied any aftershave, I’m struck by just how good the shave is. Wow it’s good. I typically avoid using phrases like BBS, DCS, etc. to describe a shave so suffice it to say, this was a really, really good two-pass shave for me. I’m suitably impressed. Later, I find a couple spots I missed, or where I lost the correct angle, but I’m nit-picking at this point and, in all honesty, they’re spots I frequently miss with my 6S as well. I skip shaving the following morning and shave the day after, per usual for me.
Shave #3: Today I’m shaving with Southern Witchcraft’s Necromantic, the same Astra Stainless Steel blade (shave #2 for this blade) and the aforementioned T3. I’ve already decided to do a full three-pass shave this morning. Cutting to the chase once again, this shave was marvelous. I had a little trouble maintaining the shaving angle, particularly on the ATG pass, but I’m getting better. Using nothing more than the weight of the razor, all three passes felt effortless and considerably smoother. I’m not convinced the Astra SS is “the” blade for this razor, but I’m seeing the potential and thinking of trying a Gillette Nacet to see how it fares with the Tatara.
And finally, a note on the dimpled, “golf ball” texturing on the handle: I think it’s great, personally. I tend to get a lot of soap on my fingers as I shave (I need to work on rinsing my razor more frequently) but not once have I felt as though I did not have an entirely secure grip, quite the opposite in fact. In my admittedly limited experience, the dimpling works. I won’t pretend to know how it manages to feel as “sticky” in the hand as is does, but… It does. I can appreciate the aesthetic is probably not to everyone’s taste, but personally, I like it.
I guess what some may be wondering is, do I prefer the Tatara over my Rockwell 6S? I will say there’s a LOT to like about the Tatara; a whole heck of a lot. But I can say the same of my 6S, too. In all honesty I don’t think it would be fair to make a decision with only half a dozen passes under my belt with an entirely new razor; I need time to dial in my technique and find a blade I feel really brings out the best the Tatara has to offer. So, all that being said, I’m going to kick this down the road and say the jury hasn’t yet returned a verdict yet. Things are looking very, very good for the Tatara, though.
So, those are my initial impressions. I may update this post as time goes on and, in the meantime, I’ll be experimenting and looking for my Goldilocks blade. Wish me luck.
Cheers!
After opening the box and handling the razor for the first time, I’ll admit to being impressed with the fit and finish; both are top notch. Every edge is smooth and there’s not a single machining mark or mold line to be found… Anywhere. Screwing the razor together, sans blade, feels smooth and tight. After popping in a blade and reassembling I can’t help but notice how everything locks up with the last few turns… Like a bank vault closing. So yeah, first impressions are good. Is my heart beating out of my chest, or my jaw dropping in absolute astonishment? No. But it is an impressively finished razor with blade clamping that is equally impressive and I want to give credit where I feel it’s due. I also notice the handle on the Tatara is a little thinner than on my Rockwell and that has me paying more attention to how it feels in my oversized, Midwestern mitt’s. After handling it for a few minutes I’m thinking the thinner head might make the Tatara a bit nimbler than my 6S and I’m no longer thinking so much about the thinner handle.
.....
.....
.....
.....
.....
Shave #1: Mirroring my usual shave set-up for my first shave with this razor, I select Stirling Orange Chill, my Simpsons Trafalgar T3 and a Gillette Platinum blade (second shave on this blade). I’m going to cut right to the chase here: This shave did not go well... AT ALL. The shave both felt, and sounded, like a putty knife being dragged across 80 grit sandpaper. I power through one WTG pass, rinse my face, clean up and put everything away. I’m convinced this was either a horrible blade choice, that my technique is wrong for this razor, that this razor simply isn’t for me, or some combination thereof. Whatever the cause, I’m done shaving for today. Full stop. My face is feeling “warm” from the shave and I hate that. Some Nivea Sensitive ASB helps but doesn’t entirely knock out the heat. It’s a mild irritation, but noticeable, nonetheless. I decide to skip shaving entirely the following morning, which is typical for me; I’m more of an every-other-day sort of shaver.
Shave #2: For this shave I’m sticking with Stirling Orange Chill but changing to a fresh Astra Stainless Steel blade (the sharpest blade I have in my current inventory), and I’ll be using the Trafalgar T3 again. This shave goes much better right from the start. I paid a lot more attention to trying to find and use the suggested 24 degree shaving angle while using zero pressure. Immediately I notice how much smoother and quieter the shave is going on this WTG pass. Feeling relieved, and a bit more confident, I lather up for pass two (XTG). This pass also goes extremely well. Maintaining the right angle is proving a little tricky but when I find it, I know it immediately. It’s not that it’s particularly hard to find the right angle, it’s just not the angle I’m used to using. I had the most trouble with blade angle on the underside of my chin and jawline but can tell this is a learning curve sort of thing and nothing more. Shaving the area under my nose goes well and I’m starting to better appreciate how the Tatara handles; it’s different than what I’m used to, but I think I’m starting to “get” this razor to some degree. I do a little buffing on my chin to wrap up and, not wanting to tempt fate, end the shave at this point. After letting my face dry out for a few minutes, and without having applied any aftershave, I’m struck by just how good the shave is. Wow it’s good. I typically avoid using phrases like BBS, DCS, etc. to describe a shave so suffice it to say, this was a really, really good two-pass shave for me. I’m suitably impressed. Later, I find a couple spots I missed, or where I lost the correct angle, but I’m nit-picking at this point and, in all honesty, they’re spots I frequently miss with my 6S as well. I skip shaving the following morning and shave the day after, per usual for me.
Shave #3: Today I’m shaving with Southern Witchcraft’s Necromantic, the same Astra Stainless Steel blade (shave #2 for this blade) and the aforementioned T3. I’ve already decided to do a full three-pass shave this morning. Cutting to the chase once again, this shave was marvelous. I had a little trouble maintaining the shaving angle, particularly on the ATG pass, but I’m getting better. Using nothing more than the weight of the razor, all three passes felt effortless and considerably smoother. I’m not convinced the Astra SS is “the” blade for this razor, but I’m seeing the potential and thinking of trying a Gillette Nacet to see how it fares with the Tatara.
And finally, a note on the dimpled, “golf ball” texturing on the handle: I think it’s great, personally. I tend to get a lot of soap on my fingers as I shave (I need to work on rinsing my razor more frequently) but not once have I felt as though I did not have an entirely secure grip, quite the opposite in fact. In my admittedly limited experience, the dimpling works. I won’t pretend to know how it manages to feel as “sticky” in the hand as is does, but… It does. I can appreciate the aesthetic is probably not to everyone’s taste, but personally, I like it.
I guess what some may be wondering is, do I prefer the Tatara over my Rockwell 6S? I will say there’s a LOT to like about the Tatara; a whole heck of a lot. But I can say the same of my 6S, too. In all honesty I don’t think it would be fair to make a decision with only half a dozen passes under my belt with an entirely new razor; I need time to dial in my technique and find a blade I feel really brings out the best the Tatara has to offer. So, all that being said, I’m going to kick this down the road and say the jury hasn’t yet returned a verdict yet. Things are looking very, very good for the Tatara, though.
So, those are my initial impressions. I may update this post as time goes on and, in the meantime, I’ll be experimenting and looking for my Goldilocks blade. Wish me luck.
Cheers!
