The Janus Modern Toggle Limited Edition (51) Review

[HDSledge]

I've held on to this Wilkinson Sword box for a while thinking I would find a good use for it. It was too nice to throw away.
Complemented with some padding and felt the box is a perfect fit for the LE. I love the way the makers constructed these cases with metal and wood, they are very sturdy and well made.

 

[romsitsa]

Clever upcycling. Also shows how huge the Janus is.

 

[Clouds]

I took mine for a whirl on Thursday with a used Wizamet SI and a setting of 8.
I decided to try something different and started the first pass AGT and the second WTG - letting the weight do the work.

I ended up with an awesome 2Pass BBS, with no touch-ups.
YMMV but I've figured out how I'm going to be using it in the future.

 

[koenfucius]

I took mine for a whirl on Thursday with a used Wizamet SI and a setting of 8.
I decided to try something different and started the first pass AGT and the second WTG - letting the weight do the work.

I ended up with an awesome 2Pass BBS, with no touch-ups.
YMMV but I've figured out how I'm going to be using it in the future.


View attachment 1226319

I agree. Setting 8 is also what I use, always gives an awesome shave.

 

[kingfisher]

Thanks for posting updates and the pics, guys. Beautiful razor.

I think he is currently still working on yet another version. This will be the third one overall (prototype, LE, then the one he is working on). I know for sure that he did NOT go back to the original specs from the prototype. He is attempting to tweak the LE so that it will be more comfortable on the middle settings. We'll see how it is, if it ever actually materializes.

 

[HDSledge]

Thanks for posting updates and the pics, guys. Beautiful razor.

I think he is currently still working on yet another version. This will be the third one overall (prototype, LE, then the one he is working on). I know for sure that he did NOT go back to the original specs from the prototype. He is attempting to tweak the LE so that it will be more comfortable on the middle settings. We'll see how it is, if it ever actually materializes.

If Eric doesn't completely overhaul the blade gap/exposure the LE II won't fly. Middle range tweaks are not going to cut it.

I fell in love with the steel/gold trim prototype. The original design was perfect and the shave was on a par with my most comfortable razors. When he sends out the next revision for testing the original should be sent as well since it is going to be hard to beat if not impossible.

 

[Ron R]

If Eric doesn't completely overhaul the blade gap/exposure the LE II won't fly. Middle range tweaks are not going to cut it.

I fell in love with the steel/gold trim prototype. The original design was perfect and the shave was on a par with my most comfortable razors. When he sends out the next revision for testing the original should be sent as well since it is going to be hard to beat if not impossible.

I seem to promote this blade more than I should but razors that are a little mild a person should really at least try the
blade because they are wider than a Standard Gillette blade and might help give a person some more setting choices.
The blade is .009 thousands wider or .0045 per side and so you get more blade exposure. Might get some in their sweet spot they enjoy. Have to admit it is a beautiful looking razor & workmanship is stellar IMO.

Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!

 

[never-stop-learning]

I seem to promote this blade more than I should but razors that are a little mild a person should really at least try the View attachment 1226947
blade because they are wider than a Standard Gillette blade and might help give a person some more setting choices.
The blade is .009 thousands wider or .0045 per side and so you get more blade exposure. Might get some in their sweet spot they enjoy. Have to admit it is a beautiful looking razor & workmanship is stellar IMO.
View attachment 1226948
Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!

+1 for Kai blades in mild razors!

 

[kingfisher]

I seem to promote this blade more than I should but razors that are a little mild a person should really at least try the View attachment 1226947
blade because they are wider than a Standard Gillette blade and might help give a person some more setting choices.
The blade is .009 thousands wider or .0045 per side and so you get more blade exposure. Might get some in their sweet spot they enjoy. Have to admit it is a beautiful looking razor & workmanship is stellar IMO.
View attachment 1226948
Have some great shaves! Stay & think safe in these times!

I think you are missing the point here. The problem with the LE is that there is too MUCH blade exposure and too MUCH blade feel, not the opposite.

The way I understand it, he sent the beta-tester out to a number of shavers, at least several of whom are vocal advocates for aggression in razors. The razor was, by report, phenomenally smooth. These macho shavers wanted Eric to make it more aggressive and to give it a lot more blade feel. They also want him to decrease the size of the dome.

I think the magic of the beta-tester was the shape/size of the dome, which produced what amounted to a basically blade-neutral razor with a variable gap, providing for smooth, comfortable shaves. He coulda/shoulda just produced that razor, but he listened to the macho knuckleheads who told him, essentially, that there was no high-end market for a smooth shaver....that experienced shavers wanted razors with a lot blade feel and a lot of aggression.

Eric, being a great engineer but a novice wetshaver (at best), believed the vocal members of his beta-testing team, and re-imagined the razor with a lower dome, lighter weight, more blade exposure, more blade feel, and then sent out the LE, to much moaning and complaining. "Why isn't it smooth like the beta-tester?" Well, because y'all ruined that for everybody by being so vocal about needing more blade feel and more aggression.


The way the whole thing unfolded is really a shame. Eric is a talented designer and worked really hard to make the best razor he could, but he was given bad advice by a few insistent beta-testers.

 

[Ron R]

I think you are missing the point here. The problem with the LE is that there is too MUCH blade exposure and too MUCH blade feel, not the opposite.

The way I understand it, he sent the beta-tester out to a number of shavers, at least several of whom are vocal advocates for aggression in razors. The razor was, by report, phenomenally smooth. These macho shavers wanted Eric to make it more aggressive and to give it a lot more blade feel. They also want him to decrease the size of the dome.

I think the magic of the beta-tester was the shape/size of the dome, which produced what amounted to a basically blade-neutral razor with a variable gap, providing for smooth, comfortable shaves. He coulda/shoulda just produced that razor, but he listened to the macho knuckleheads who told him, essentially, that there was no high-end market for a smooth shaver....that experienced shavers wanted razors with a lot blade feel and a lot of aggression.

Eric, being a great engineer but a novice wetshaver (at best), believed the vocal members of his beta-testing team, and re-imagined the razor with a lower dome, lighter weight, more blade exposure, more blade feel, and then sent out the LE, to much moaning and complaining. "Why isn't it smooth like the beta-tester?" Well, because y'all ruined that for everybody by being so vocal about needing more blade feel and more aggression.


The way the whole thing unfolded is really a shame. Eric is a talented designer and worked really hard to make the best razor he could, but he was given bad advice by a few insistent beta-testers.

I thought it was the other way around, but you could be right. Strange to understand some of the issues because one of the fellows was sent KAI SS blades.

First shave with the Janus Toggle. I’m not a fan of the supplied Kai blades so I loaded the razor with a Personna Super Platinum Chrome Blade.

If the razor is to aggressive the KAI SS Blade would not be ideal blade.

 

[Shavemd]

As one of the original testers I encouraged Eric to keep it like it was, the prototype was extremely smooth and on 9 it was as aggressive as I would ever need and most my daily shaves were at 5 or 6. Eric told me directly after the LE was released and to my surprise very different in shave feel, that there were 2 very experienced razor people who convinced him to increase the blade exposure these 2 gentlemen were not one of the few original testers, like myself who posted their results on another forum. Unfortunate for me, but I do know a few guys who say they are getting great shaves from it. I returned mine as my doors did not close evenly.

 

[muzichead]

Eric's biggest mistake was not sending the final iteration on a pass around to some of the same people that tried the previous version!!

 

[Rhody]

Interesting tale. I remember seeing something about an early possibly the initial design a long time ago. It’s mind boggling to think of the funding for this project.