The "King" Cobra Classic Tour

[Haggises]

Shave 3
King Cobra, Feather Pro(3), Stirling Black Cherry, Shavemac Finest
Not a bad 3 pass shave but still weepers on lip/chin.
Maybe I can only use a Feather Pro with a circle beard...

Enjoying the heft of the razor, still adjusting to the balance.

 

[intotheforge]

Haggises, regarding Shave 2: I put that greenbriar tube in there so that everyone can learn for themselves that they should not buy the stuff despite the nice smell. I love caswell massey bath soaps; and have bought a few of their shaving soaps/creams. They never fail to disappoint. So, the less than optimal lather is not your fault.

There are plenty of good product samples there too.

 

[Haggises]

Haggises, regarding Shave 2: I put that greenbriar tube in there so that everyone can learn for themselves that they should not buy the stuff despite the nice smell. I love caswell massey bath soaps; and have bought a few of their shaving soaps/creams. They never fail to disappoint. So, the less than optimal lather is not your fault.

There are plenty of good product samples there too.

Why you......!

Mark it down as lesson learned!

 

[intotheforge]

lol. Guess I should have included some sort of warning.

 

[poonjaji]

List updated. Point forward I am willing to accept names for a "second round" of the tour, but I do plan to bring the King home for a bit after this list of members have had an opportunity. I only used it a couple times before sending it on the road, and would like to take a turn myself. [emoji6] Please see the first post in this thread for requirements of participation, and contact me if interested in joining the list.

CONUS List
Haggises (shaving)
mielbadger
dfoulk
Moondoggie
texquill
petr
glassmtn99

International List (Uncertain if it will happen, but accepting names)
celestino
targa88
StuMcB
Snuff-Belgium

 

[Haggises]

Sorry for being incommunicado, sent package on 12/24 after getting delayed going to the post office.

 

[mielbadger]

I have the King Cobra. I received it on Saturday, literally an hour after I shaved. Timing is everything. I will shave tonight with it and post my thoughts. I have used the Cobra Classic a lot and have four shaves with the Mongoose. Looking forward to comparing the three. Thanks for putting this together Michael!

 

[mielbadger]

Shave 1

King Cobra, Kai Captain Titan Mild (5), Voigt & Cop brush with a Shavemac D01 2-band knot, Barrister & Mann First Snow, Myrsol F/Extra and Emulsion

The King Cobra is the longest razor I've ever used but didn't have a problem with the length at all. I liked the balance of the razor and while I'm not a fan of the looks of the handle it was very comfortable. I did a three pass shave and used a Kai blade that I had in my Mongoose for the past four shaves. To me the King Cobra is more aggressive than the Mongoose and had a similar feel to my Cobra Classic. The handle is more comfortable on the King Cobra but I prefer the looks of the Classic. I thought the blade was easier to load in the King Cobra. It was a great close shave. I used a alum stick afterwards and not much more feedback than usual. Next time I plan on using a new Kai blade and will post my thoughts.

 

[mielbadger]

Shave 2

King Cobra, Feather Professional (1), Morris & Forndran Chief, Wickham Soap Co. Sheridan's, Krampert's Finest Frostbite

For the second shave I decided to use a new Feather Professional blade. It's been a while since I've used a Feather Pro with the Kai being my preferred blade. From what I remember about using the Feathers is that it takes a shave or two to smooth out. That wasn't the case this time as I got a better shave than I did with the Kai which surprised me. It was very close and smooth with almost no feedback from the alum stick after the shave. Part of the credit could go to the Wickham Sheridan's soap as it offers great protection during the shave. It's becoming one of my favorite soaps. I really like the King Cobra and wish they were more readily available. I'll use it one more time and post my thoughts before I ship it to the next member on Monday.

 

[mielbadger]

Shave 3

King Cobra, Feather Professional (2), Semogue Caravela, Barrister & Mann Lavanille, Myrsol Agua Balsamica and Emulsion

Best shave with the King Cobra yet. The Feather blade was smooth and almost no feedback from the alum stick after the shave. I sanitized the razor and shipped it out yesterday to the next member up and forwarded the tracking info to him. I want to thank Michael for the opportunity and wish that Classic Shaving would restock this razor. I used my Cobra Classic this morning with the same Feather blade to compare the two and I feel like I had a more comfortable shave with the King Cobra. It left me wanting to own both.

 

[dfoulk]

Initial Thoughts:

First off thank you to Michael for doing this. This is the second of his pass arounds that I've benefited from with the first being the Cobra Razor Tour. Offering up your high dollar razor for others to try doesn't come without risk so please know that it is definitely appreciated. So, a sincere thank you to you for doing this.

The King Cobra Razor arrived late last week as I was headed out of town to spend the weekend in Vegas. I did get to open the package before I left but that was about it. I briefly thought about taking it as we were driving but figured I'd better not.
I'll try not to keep the razor too long so that the tour can keep moving. My apologies for it sitting while I was out of town.

Upon opening the package there are a lot of samples. It's in a small flat rate box and it's stuffed full. From memory, as the box isn't in front of me, there's a whole stick of Arko in there as well as quite a few soap samples and aftershaves. There is lots of Bay Rum type stuff including soaps and after shaves. I can take a pic of list the items if someone would like me to do so of we can leave it a surprise.

While I do appreciate the generosity of the additions I worry about adding liquid aftershave samples to something like this as the Postal Service will pull and destroy any leaking package instantly. They are in well sealed containers but I personally don't think it's worth the risk. You guys make the call on them if you want me to remove them and re PIF them or just leave them in there. I'm not a big fan of most Bay Rums and I've already tried a lot of what's there so I'll likely leave all of the sample stuff for others.

There's a pack of Dorko blades in there that I believe Toothpick added a while back. Thank you for adding these. There's still quite a few blades in there so I will try a Dorko blade. I've only used the Feather and Kai Pro style blades in the past so this one will be new for me. There is one additional blade in a plastic bag that is unlabeled. I don't know what this blade is. I might try that one for comparison if I knew what it was.

The razor is quite large and quite heavy. I like it. In comparison to the older Cobra razor I think it's definitely an improvement. It lacks the casting imperfections that the standard Cobra has on the handle. Overall I like this one quite a bit more than the standard Cobra. Some things do leave me scratching my head though. First off why is this razor so expensive at $240 considering the materials it's made from? At this price this razor should definitely be all stainless steel. Charging $240 for a Zamak razor is absurd as I know that's it's likely one drop away from being worthless. I'm sure the coating is higher quality that what you'd find on a EJ or a Merkur but even then, if you're going to make it from low cost materials then give it a low cost price. If it were all stainless I'd already own one as I would have bought it at the initial offering. I almost backed out of this pass around because I already know that I'm not going to buy this razor due to this issue. I'm looking into the all stainless steel Mongoose razor and would have likely already bought one if they weren't sold out. I'm told that they will be available at Bullgoose once this round of pre orders is completed so they'll likely get some of my money then. I do like the sharpness and feel of the Feather Pro style blades so I definitely want to own a razor that uses them.

Secondly, why is the handle a non standard size? If it were to at least use the standard razor handle threading then I could throw an all stainless steel handle on it for a nice upgrade. Making it a unique thread so that the only handle you can use with it is the one the came with it shows poor planning on the part of the manufacturer. It wouldn't have cost any more to make it a standard size.

The handle that came with it is nice with some deep knurling that gives you a nice non slip grip. I do like the black as a nice contrast to the shiny silver that is present everywhere else on the razor. I do wonder what it would be like with one of the larger UFO handles though. Oh well, onto my first shave with the King Cobra...



For my first shave I chose the following:

Razor: King Cobra
Blade: Dorko
Brush: Adoration w/28mm TGN Premium Silvertip knot
Pre Shave: Hot shower
Soap: Strop Shoppe SE w/tallow Alpine Frost
After Shave Balm: Vostok

I busted out my largest brush to plow through some Alpine Frost soap that I'm trying to get rid of. The soap is great stuff and I own about six scents from them but this particular scent just isn't my favorite. It reminds me of a cleaning product type smell. Not bad, just not something that I want to purchase again when I can choose one of their other scents.

I lathered the soap and kept adding water as the soap disappeared into the brush. Once I picked up enough soap I applied the brush to my face. The knot in this brush is great. Really soft but not floppy, dense enough to hold a great shape and give me a nice backbone without being the slightest bit scratchy. Exactly what I look for in a brush. The adoration handle is one of my favorites as well. I prefer a longer handled brush and I really like these and the Rubberset 400's that I use most days.

I used the Dorko blade that's new to me. The loading of the blade is the exact same as with the Cobra razor. Slide the lever, insert the blade and slide it back. I started the first pass and this razor is really smooth. It's been a while since I shaved with the Cobra Razor but this one seems just as efficient but smoother. I don't know if it's the blade or the razor though as I'm not comparing the same blades here. I really like how this razor shaves though, smooth and efficient. The wider blade makes short work of the pass and seems to cut down my normal shave time. This razor feels great, the first pass was effortless and went perfectly. I rinsed my face with some warm water and applied soap for the next pass.

Pass two was more of the same. Very smooth and cutting great. I really like this razor a lot. It's definitely better than the Cobra Classic for me. During this pass I spent a little clean up time with my trouble spots under my right and left jawline, mostly my right side. The blade cut effortlessly and the shave was very comfortable, even with the additional cleanup. Zero irritation as the soap was doing an excellent job as well. The Strop Shoppe se w/tallow soaps are excellent. I've tried hundreds and have about eighty soaps on hand but I find myself using either Strop Shoppe se w/tallow, RazoRock, or Phoenix Artisan soaps most days. I could have stopped the shave here as it was an acceptable shave after two passes and some clean up but I figure I'd go for a perfect shave. So I rinsed with warm water and applied more soap.

The third pass was more of a clean up pass and it went well. No irritation of harshness from the blade at all. It cut great and the shave was extremely comfortable. I finished and got a nice bbs shave from my first use of the King Cobra. I rinsed my face with some cold water after the third pass and the shave was excellent. Once dry, I applied some Vostok after shave balm and it had a nice coolness to it. The bottle of Vostok I have has a nice amount of menthol in it and it gives me a nice face chill to finish the shave.

I rinsed about enough soap to wash my car out of the brush, dried everything off and put everything away. Overall the shave was excellent and I find myself wishing that this razor was all stainless steel.

 

[texquill]

I'm coming up in the rotation (there's only one other person before me), and I have no strong interest in the software that's been added. Perhaps Michael (Poonjaji) will have some thoughts (which will certainly trump mine!), but I have no objection to David PIF-ing the software and passing on just the razor and blades.

 

[glassmtn99]

I'm coming up in the rotation (there's only one other person before me), and I have no strong interest in the software that's been added. Perhaps Michael (Poonjaji) will have some thoughts (which will certainly trump mine!), but I have no objection to David PIF-ing the software and passing on just the razor and blades.

As someone coming up in the tour, I second that thought.

eric.

 

[dfoulk]

I'm coming up in the rotation (there's only one other person before me), and I have no strong interest in the software that's been added. Perhaps Michael (Poonjaji) will have some thoughts (which will certainly trump mine!), but I have no objection to David PIF-ing the software and passing on just the razor and blades.

I'll do whatever you guys want. It's in a small flat rate box now so a few small things traveling with it aren't a problem as long as everything still fits in the box. To me it's just kind of a burden though if it's more than a few small samples of something really nice. I definitely wouldn't want to have to go to the next size box and everyone pay the increased shipping unless something absolutely spectacular is riding along with the razor. It does feel kind of overstuffed now though so cleaning a few things out might be a good thing.

I would definitely feel more comfortable removing the liquid aftershaves though as I'd hate to lose a $240 razor because a dollar worth of aftershave leaked out. Then again it's not my call so I'll do whatever Michael wants me to do I'll do. If he wants me to make the call and rid it of some things that don't need to be there I'd be happy to do that as well.

 

[dfoulk]

I completed another shave with the King Cobra today.

Razor: King Cobra
Blade: Dorko (2)
Brush: Rubberset 400 w/24mm TGN HMW Silvertip knot
Pre Shave: Hot shower
Soap: WSP Rustic Marrakesh
After Shave Balm: Speick After Shave Lotion



Today's shave was quite nice again and pretty uneventful. I used my Rubberset 400 brush and worked a nice lather from the WSP Rustic soap. I've heard of Dr. Selby being called the poor man's Martin de Candre but I find that the $12 WSP Rustic soap shares many more similarities than any other soap I've tried. Ever since John at LASS used the same soap ingredients and shared his recipe there have been many other clones that have appeared. Most aren't really similar to MdC but many are excellent soaps. This soap recipe is as close as anyone has gotten in my opinion. It's not as easy to lather as MdC but then again nothing is. It does give a nice lather that I find similar in texture and consistency. The Marrakesh scent is one that I really like. A tobacco type scent that's not quite as sweet. The scent sticks around for a while and I do enjoy it. But enough of that back to the shave.

With my face lathered I started the first pass, everything went quite well and the shave was going great. No nicks, cuts, or imperfections so far. The first pass was finished and I have a nice shave going.

Pass two was more of the same. The razor is smooth and comfortable while cutting effortlessly. The more I use this razor the more I wish it was all stainless. I honestly would order one today if it weren't Zamak. I'm enjoying shaving with this razor quite a bit. I do like it better than the Cobra Classic. Pass two is finished and on to pass three. I'm running a little late and rushing a bit now.

Pass three was more of the same but more quickly and more careless. No cuts or weepers but a little discomfort due to my rushed technique. Still a great shave going as the stubble is cleared. Now I'm still in a rush so a little final clean up without regard to shaving cream not being present.

I rinsed my face with cold water and have a nice clean shave with a slight bit of irritation.

Onto the Speick after shave. It stung a little which was expected and totally my fault. This was the extent of my irritation as no discomfort followed me throughout the day. I really like the Speick after shave. I normally prefer after shave balms but this one does a really great job in healing and making my face feel great. I use the inexpensive spray travel bottles for all of my aftershaves as it's so much easier to control how much I'm using, it's less wasteful and a lot easier this way. Plus I have the benefit of not having all different sized bottles taking up lots of room in my shave den. The original bottles are put aside and used to refill the spray bottles. I pick these bottles up at WalMart by the travel sized items for 99 cents, they come in all different colors as well. I've gotten some others here hooked on using them so I'm confident that they are a great solution.

Even when shaving with this razor carelessly I felt completely comfortable with it. It was very smooth and still comfortable despite my carelessness.

The Dorko blade is still quite nice and giving great shaves. I'm not sure how many shaves it's good for but my understanding is that these blades will easily go ten or more shaves. It's holding up well so far.

I'd say at this point that this is one of the best razors I've tried thus far. It gives me an excellent shave and I'm going to be sad when I pass it on to the next on the list. I'd buy one in a second and skip the Mongoose all together if this thing was stainless. As it is though I'll likely end up with a Mongoose due to the construction material even if the shave isn't quite as nice. I have no idea why there aren't more razors available that take the pro style blades. I'd love to have more options and might even buy a Zamak razor in this style if the price was right. Maybe Joe at RazoRock can help out and give us some more options. Anyway, that's my shave for the day. Thank you for reading this and thank you to Michael for sharing his razor.

 

[dfoulk]

Today's shave with the King Cobra.

Razor: King Cobra
Blade: Dorko (3)
Brush: Simpson H4
Pre Shave: Hot shower
Soap: Wet Shave Obsession Zaro
After Shave Balm: Neutrogema After Shave Lotion



I soaked the Simpson H4 brush as I took a warm shower. The brush was part of a really great contributor PIF from an excellent member here. I avoid entering most PIF's but happened to enter this particular one as I'd gotten my contributor badge a week before. I really enjoy this brush as it's just what I look for in a brush, a really soft plush feel while not being floppy. It has the perfect soft backbone with not a single bit of scritch. I use the Rubberset 400 most days but I enjoy this brush at least once or twice a week.

I get out of bed early every morning so I can have a nice relaxing quiet shave while my Wife is still sleeping. After a gentle shake to remove a good portion of the water from the brush I circled the brush on the soap. Once the brush contained a good amount of soap I scraped it on the lip of the cheap dollar store salsa bowl to remove the soap from the brush and into the bowl. I went back to the soap again to pick up more. Back to the salsa bowl to drop the soap off then back to the puck for the third and final time before lathering the soap in the salsa bowl. I added a little bit of water to the soap and continued to lather it in the bowl. The lather was perfect and I'm ready for a great shave.

The WSO Zaro soap was given to me by another member here when I mentioned that I wanted to try this brand of soap but missed out on it. I tried to buy some but the soap maker unfortunately had an illness in the family and hasn't made any soap since. So this stuff is now unobtanium. It's unfortunate not only because of the illness and the effect it's had on his family but also because we're all missing out on this really great soap. The scent of this particular puck likely isn't one that I'd choose but I do like it. It's a clean soap type scent that's nice and not offensive at all. I'm happy to have it in my den and grateful to the member here who sent it my way. On to the first pass.

I lather up and started the first pass. The soap is plenty slick and the blade is cutting effortlessly. I still can't get over how smooth this razor is. It doesn't feel the slightest bit aggressive. My daily razor is a ATT Kronos with the H2 plate and it's quite aggressive. I can get an extremely close but still comfortable shave with it but I do know that the aggressiveness is there. The ATT razor will give me a closer shave but I know it will also punish me for sloppy technique. The King Cobra gives me a plenty close shave while still being quite comfortable and forgiving. It's a nice balance that I like. The soap is performing flawlessly and the razor is just gliding through the shave effortlessly.

Pass two is very similar, I'm enjoying the razor and the lather. I finished the pass with some clean up that included zero irritation. I've used this soap about a dozen times since I received it and this might be my most enjoyable shave with it yet. The shave is very close and extremely comfortable.

Pass three is another comfortable pass where everything went extremely well. I feel that the Dorko blade is slightly duller than it was on previous shaves but it's still quite sharp and has a lot of life left in it. I'm gauging the sharpness in how well it's doing on the trouble spot on the side of my neck just below my right jaw line. The sharper the blade the better the easier it clears my most difficult area. I did some additional touch up as I finished this pass. I'm wishing for a couple things at this point. This razor in stainless steel and an open comb version of it in stainless as well. I know that it won't happen but how nice would it be if it did.

I finished the shave with some Neutrogema After Shave Balm. This stuff can be found at any drug store or WalMart for around six bucks and it works great. I like it a lot better that the Nivea one that get recommended most often. It has a very faint clean fresh scent that doesn't interfere with any cologne that I wear. It's not greasy at all, is a little thicker than the Nivea one but not too thick like some of the others I've tried. It feels great and heals me up nicely. This one can hold it's own with some of the more pricey after shaves I own.

This was another really great shave.

Overall, I'm really impressed with the King Cobra razor and wondering if anyone is actually reading these reviews.

 

[texquill]

Dave - Stop it! Your reviews are MUCH too well written, and I'm beginning to get concerned that I won't be able to perform anywhere near your level when the King Cobra arrives on my doorstep in a couple of weeks.

...and, yes, your reviews are actually being read!

 

[dfoulk]

Dave - Stop it! Your reviews are MUCH too well written, and I'm beginning to get concerned that I won't be able to perform anywhere near your level when the King Cobra arrives on my doorstep in a couple of weeks.

...and, yes, your reviews are actually being read!

Ken,

Thanks, I'm not sure how much activity this thread actually gets. I do appreciate you reading the reviews.

David

 

[poonjaji]

I'm coming up in the rotation (there's only one other person before me), and I have no strong interest in the software that's been added. Perhaps Michael (Poonjaji) will have some thoughts (which will certainly trump mine!), but I have no objection to David PIF-ing the software and passing on just the razor and blades.

I am happy to have the items PIF'd within the community. I certainly do not need them, and when the Cobra Tour wrapped up and the box came back to me that is exactly what I did.

And thanks sharing your experience, David. It is always a pleasure to read your posts. Now you just need to go to work on Classic Shaving to produce a stainless steel version of the King.

 

[dfoulk]

I am happy to have the items PIF'd within the community. I certainly do not need them, and when the Cobra Tour wrapped up and the box came back to me that is exactly what I did.

And thanks sharing your experience, David. It is always a pleasure you read your posts. Now you just need to go to work on Classic Shaving to produce a stainless steel version of the King.

Michael, thanks for the kind words, I'm happy to see that you're enjoying the posts so far.

I will remove the majority of the samples and things that are tagging along with the razor then if there is no objection. I have a friend (I won't name any names) that is a very active member here and a super nice guy. He lives on a really tight budget and just simply doesn't have the cash to spend on shave gear. I send him some things every now and then (in private PIF's) that maybe didn't work for me and he's always incredibly grateful. The items get used by him and if they don't work for him he PIF's them along to others so that nothing goes to waste.

I was hoping with the addition of the Mongoose into the marketplace that it would inspire Classic Shaving to produce a stainless steel version or lower the price of the existing version to be more competitive. I personally do have the means to purchase this razor, or pretty much any other razor I'd like, but I just won't let myself do it because of the Zamak construction. Who knows, maybe someone at Classic Shaving will read this thread and will be inspired to be more competitive. I'm sure they've already heard all of the issues I brought up and once Mongoose is able to produce enough to completely satisfy the market demand maybe they will make a change.

I sent a message to the next on the list requesting an address. I'll get a couple more shaves in and try to get this in the mail soon to keep the tour moving.