The World Shave Off Showdown

[Wtd1911]

Great review as always.

 

[AJSharp]

Thanks for that “short” write-up

I’m so sad a titanium (limited production) Paradigm didn’t advance as it’s a very smooth tool. Just goes to show you 1 those vintage Gillettes were well designed, 2 new and expensive is not always better and 3 as always YMMV

 

[Shavemd]

Great review, I too was surprised, but I never did compare those 2 razors side by side. I know they are both good looking smooth razors.

 

[BigJ]

Shave Off report:

Paradigm Ti 2 vs 2nd Gen British Aristocrat SB

Good evening Gentlemen
So as the title says this was the latest Shave Off and I did it yesterday morning and I'm glad I waited to report as I have a clear winner here from an efficiency standpoint but because this Shave Off is more about smoothness we will see what happens when we go to the scoring system.
I personally think both these razors are very handsome in their own way. The Aristocrat in a very classic way and to my eye it's one of my most favorite razors that Gillette ever came out with! The Paradigm is in a way more modernistic but also has resemblance in the handle design to some old German razors I've seen in my travels to other countries online sites.

So it's a Wednesday morning and I've got to go to work so I'm going to make this one a short one if I can as you all know I can be long winded when describing a Shave Off! lol

So I'm glad that some of the members called for this match up as I may have not picked the two to meet up in this round but I'm glad they did as I learned more about both razors. The Aristocrat is from my personal stash and the Paradigm was sent to me by member Jared @Sharp_Obsession who has been very supportive in all my Shave Offs and has sent me a number of razors and brushes for me to try which I'd like to say publicly is very much appreciated!

So as usual I'm doing a 2 pass WTG & ATG Shave Off and I had a full 2 days growth which is more than enough to give most razors a challenge as my beard grows really fast. I used a new Shave soap and aftershave which I just got and it has a nice scent and decent slickness although it lacked a little residual when I was using my SSSST which does tend to demand a little more than less slickness. But bottom line I liked it and I'll probably use it more for when I only have one days growth.

Gear used:
Paradigm Ti 2
British Aristocrat 2nd Gen SB
Brand new Feather blades
A&E SoCal Hipster Shave soap and Aftershave
Paladin two band shave brush
Thayers Witch hazel Lemon

1st Pass WTG - I started out with the Paradigm on my right side face and I remember shaving with this razor a few times last year when I was doing the " Most Efficient Razor Shave Off " and that was a version 1 of the Ti 2 and this one as you can see from the photos is a version 2 of the Ti 2 and with that said the razor did start to slice through my 2 days growth quite nicely as I started my N to S pass it has a little blade feel which btw stayed throughout the entire shave so those that like some this razor delivers it consistently. Audible feedback was minimal but you could still hear it singing it's soft song all the way throughout the Shave Off. The razor feels good in hand and it has a nice balance to it as all the Paradigm razors I've tried seem to have so far. The razor also has good maneuverability which it displayed around my mouth and under my nose. So a very nice 1st pass and a good start to what was going to be a very nice shaving experience provided by both of these two awesome razors. So a very nice pass! On to the neck area still on the right side and heading N to S the Brit Crat went through my tough 2 day growth like it was butter. This is my most difficult area of my face and neck and the Crat handled it perfectly also displaying its great maneuverability and for me it feels excellent in hand and has a wonderful balance of both smoothness and efficiency. The audible feedback on the 1st pass was just a tad louder than the Paradigm Titanium that has its own sound and face feel so I have to always be aware of that and can't really compare the sound as some my like the sound of the Ti and some the classic Aristocrat which btw mellowed out on the 2nd pass where the Paradigm just stayed the same throughout the entire Shave Off as I mentioned before. So another awesome pass and this one goes to the Aristocrat. With Crat in hand I moved over to my left side of my face and began my N to S pass and the 1st Gen really showed it's stuff mowing down my 2 day growth with no problem. Around my mouth and under my nose was also no problem for the Brit and it gave me a wonderful 1st pass. On to the final pass of the WTG pass using the Paradigm and on this pass the Paradigm got a little resistance from some odd pattern on my neck but with a couple extra SSSST strokes it really wasn't a problem at all so the finale of the first WTG pass and the Ti 2 did a good job. Rinsed and relathered up. My Paladin two band is really starting to break in and it seems to get better every time I use it so it's a keeper.

2nd Pass ATG - Ok time to get down to business with the ATG pass as I find that sometimes a ATG pass will either bring out the best or the worse in a razor and these felt and acted differently on this pass but both came through in the end. First up was Brit Crat on the S to N pass beginning at the base of my neck. A little skin stretch and away we go on our journey N and this razor never disappoints as it was cleaning up what little stubble was left from the first WTG pass. It was very noticeable that on the ATG pass the British 2nd Gen smoothed out even more and yet it's efficiency also was present and the razor smoothed out on the 2nd pass which I was delighted about as I like smooth and efficient razors. Got up to my jawline where Paradigm took the steering wheel and it headed upwards and it was also noticeable that the razor although smooth was just a bit behind the Crat in the efficiency category. I was able to go ATG with both razors around my mouth and under my nose with little problem but I have to say the Crat felt better doing it as it did it with both conviction and with a nice smoothness to it where the Paradigm seemed to fight a little with my beard growth although it did end up taking it down it just took a few extra strokes. On to the other side of my face and to the base of the left side of my neck with the Paradigm and this time the Paradigm had no trouble dealing with my neck growth so maybe the best pass it had of this Shave Off. Picking up at the jawline I used the Aristocrat 1st Gen to do the final ATG pass on the left side of my face and what a shear pleasure it is to use this razor. So another excellent razor from 2nd Gen Crat and the end of this Shave Off!

Post shave:
Rinsed with warm then cold water and went into my fridge and got my ice cold thayers which I let dry naturally as I cleaned up my gear. Then a final splash of the A&E SoCal hipster aftershave splash which felt good.


Summary:
Both razors felt good in hand with the Aristocrat just topping the Paradigm by a bit. Also the Aristocrat felt noticeably more efficient than the Paradigm and it was noticed more on the 2nd pass where the Brit really shined!



Scoring system:

Paradigm Ti 11

1. Smoothness = 49 points
2. Efficiency = 14 points
3. Balance = 5 1/2 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 76 1/2 points

Gillette Aristocrat

1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 15 points
3. Balance = 6 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points.
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 78 points

So the winner of this Shave Off is the 2nd Gen British Aristocrat from a #21 set. This was a clear winner and the pass where it really shined! Don't get me wrong the Paradigm is still an awesome razor and if you have a decent beard and you could use either one for a Daily shaver.



Great Shaves my friends!



View attachment 994166

Awesome Aristocrat!!!

Great shave off!!

 

[User 306]

Great review as always.

Thank you! Much appreciated!

Thanks for that “short” write-up

I’m so sad a titanium (limited production) Paradigm didn’t advance as it’s a very smooth tool. Just goes to show you 1 those vintage Gillettes were well designed, 2 new and expensive is not always better and 3 as always YMMV

Yeah it was a shorty! Lol
Yes AJ price is not always what determines the outcome of these Shave Offs as I have learned and I’ve been surprised more than a few times along the way thinking that one razor would certainly beat the other and then an actual side by side proves my preconceived thoughts were wrong. The 2nd Generation British Aristocrats are wonderful shaving razors and I think some people assume that newer is always better which I’ve found that is not always true like in this case.

Great review, I too was surprised, but I never did compare those 2 razors side by side. I know they are both good looking smooth razors.

Yes both lookers for sure and both very nice shavers! As you know Mark from experience side by side shaves really do enable a better evaluation of two razors than going by memory of how the two razors compare to each other. At least that has been my findings.

Awesome Aristocrat!!!

Great shave off!!

Thanks @BigJ yep never underestimate those Aristocrats!

 

[smurfups77]

Nice review of two beautiful razors Frank. I have seen that soap before Haha. How are you liking it?
Happy shaves
Jason

 

[User 306]

Nice review of two beautiful razors Frank. I have seen that soap before Haha. How are you liking it?
Happy shaves
Jason

It smells great and performance is pretty good. I think I wrote it about it in my review and thanks for letting me try yours. Nice summer scent.

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

I’m never sending you my razors again. You keep picking them to lose. I’ll have to do a rematch of this Shave Off when I get my Ti II back. I haven’t done a head to head, but I would have guessed the Ti II to out edge the #21. They are both great razors.

 

[Cal]

I’m never sending you my razors again. You keep picking them to lose.

 

[User 306]

I’m never sending you my razors again. You keep picking them to lose. I’ll have to do a rematch of this Shave Off when I get my Ti II back. I haven’t done a head to head, but I would have guessed the Ti II to out edge the #21. They are both great razors.

Haha!! Honestly Jared I feel awful and it actually surprised me that the 2nd Gen matched the Paradigm in smoothness but it was definitely more efficient and when the Shave Off is over or the 2nd Gen gets eliminated I’ll send it to you to try it and you can do your own Shave Off using the exact same razors.
Sorry but that made me belly laugh!

 

[User 306]

Well guys I just got my brand new High Polished Timeless DC.95 Titanium and besides looking awesome I can't wait to use it so I was thinking of doing a separate Shave Off where I compare its identical brother my SS DC .95 in a match up to see how the two metals compare side by side!

I know I'm curious!

 

[AQU]

Well guys I just got my brand new High Polished Timeless DC.95 Titanium and besides looking awesome I can't wait to use it so I was thinking of doing a separate Shave Off where I compare its identical brother my SS DC .95 in a match up to see how the two metals compare side by side!

I know I'm curious!

If you don’t do it, I’ll forever hold a grudge!

 

[User 306]

If you don’t do it, I’ll forever hold a grudge!

Ok then I better get right to it I can't have anyone putting the voodoo on me! LOL

Glad to oblige my friend! I thought about doing the comparison from the first moment I saw the New Ti at the Maggard show..so it's a go!

 

[Sharp_Obsession]

Haha!! Honestly Jared I feel awful and it actually surprised me that the 2nd Gen matched the Paradigm in smoothness but it was definitely more efficient and when the Shave Off is over or the 2nd Gen gets eliminated I’ll send it to you to try it and you can do your own Shave Off using the exact same razors.
Sorry but that made me belly laugh!

I've got a #21. I just haven't done a shave off between them. I was shocked. But I was obviously joking about being mad.

 

[User 306]

I've got a #21. I just haven't done a shave off between them. I was shocked. But I was obviously joking about being mad.

Of course my friend and like I was telling another of our shaving buddies the thing with Aristocrats is no two shave exactly alike. You know all mine have gone out to Cap for a cleaning and a tune up that may include a alignment and such so when they get back to me they are about as close to brand new as possible and I believe it makes a difference as I once tested my theory with both a 1936 and a British #22 because I had multiples and the ones that were user grade which I didn't send out to Cap I put against the ones I did and there was a noticeable difference and especially with the 36 which was so much better a shaver than the user grade one. I mean it is not 100% foolproof that my theory is correct but for me it has been up till now. That's why I recommended you send your new Aristocrats out to him except for the ones you got from me as came they already made the journey out to Cap and back. IMO Gillette hit the nail on the head with some of the models of Crats and I never take them for granted in a Shave Off as I've been proven wrong sometimes picking another razor over them before doing a Shave Off. This was one of those times as I was also surprised but not shocked!

 

[ShavingPanda]

Shave Off report:

Paradigm Ti 2 vs 2nd Gen British Aristocrat SB

Good evening Gentlemen
So as the title says this was the latest Shave Off and I did it yesterday morning and I'm glad I waited to report as I have a clear winner here from an efficiency standpoint but because this Shave Off is more about smoothness we will see what happens when we go to the scoring system.
I personally think both these razors are very handsome in their own way. The Aristocrat in a very classic way and to my eye it's one of my most favorite razors that Gillette ever came out with! The Paradigm is in a way more modernistic but also has resemblance in the handle design to some old German razors I've seen in my travels to other countries online sites.

So it's a Wednesday morning and I've got to go to work so I'm going to make this one a short one if I can as you all know I can be long winded when describing a Shave Off! lol

So I'm glad that some of the members called for this match up as I may have not picked the two to meet up in this round but I'm glad they did as I learned more about both razors. The Aristocrat is from my personal stash and the Paradigm was sent to me by member Jared @Sharp_Obsession who has been very supportive in all my Shave Offs and has sent me a number of razors and brushes for me to try which I'd like to say publicly is very much appreciated!

So as usual I'm doing a 2 pass WTG & ATG Shave Off and I had a full 2 days growth which is more than enough to give most razors a challenge as my beard grows really fast. I used a new Shave soap and aftershave which I just got and it has a nice scent and decent slickness although it lacked a little residual when I was using my SSSST which does tend to demand a little more than less slickness. But bottom line I liked it and I'll probably use it more for when I only have one days growth.

Gear used:
Paradigm Ti 2
British Aristocrat 2nd Gen SB
Brand new Feather blades
A&E SoCal Hipster Shave soap and Aftershave
Paladin two band shave brush
Thayers Witch hazel Lemon

1st Pass WTG - I started out with the Paradigm on my right side face and I remember shaving with this razor a few times last year when I was doing the " Most Efficient Razor Shave Off " and that was a version 1 of the Ti 2 and this one as you can see from the photos is a version 2 of the Ti 2 and with that said the razor did start to slice through my 2 days growth quite nicely as I started my N to S pass it has a little blade feel which btw stayed throughout the entire shave so those that like some this razor delivers it consistently. Audible feedback was minimal but you could still hear it singing it's soft song all the way throughout the Shave Off. The razor feels good in hand and it has a nice balance to it as all the Paradigm razors I've tried seem to have so far. The razor also has good maneuverability which it displayed around my mouth and under my nose. So a very nice 1st pass and a good start to what was going to be a very nice shaving experience provided by both of these two awesome razors. So a very nice pass! On to the neck area still on the right side and heading N to S the Brit Crat went through my tough 2 day growth like it was butter. This is my most difficult area of my face and neck and the Crat handled it perfectly also displaying its great maneuverability and for me it feels excellent in hand and has a wonderful balance of both smoothness and efficiency. The audible feedback on the 1st pass was just a tad louder than the Paradigm Titanium that has its own sound and face feel so I have to always be aware of that and can't really compare the sound as some my like the sound of the Ti and some the classic Aristocrat which btw mellowed out on the 2nd pass where the Paradigm just stayed the same throughout the entire Shave Off as I mentioned before. So another awesome pass and this one goes to the Aristocrat. With Crat in hand I moved over to my left side of my face and began my N to S pass and the 1st Gen really showed it's stuff mowing down my 2 day growth with no problem. Around my mouth and under my nose was also no problem for the Brit and it gave me a wonderful 1st pass. On to the final pass of the WTG pass using the Paradigm and on this pass the Paradigm got a little resistance from some odd pattern on my neck but with a couple extra SSSST strokes it really wasn't a problem at all so the finale of the first WTG pass and the Ti 2 did a good job. Rinsed and relathered up. My Paladin two band is really starting to break in and it seems to get better every time I use it so it's a keeper.

2nd Pass ATG - Ok time to get down to business with the ATG pass as I find that sometimes a ATG pass will either bring out the best or the worse in a razor and these felt and acted differently on this pass but both came through in the end. First up was Brit Crat on the S to N pass beginning at the base of my neck. A little skin stretch and away we go on our journey N and this razor never disappoints as it was cleaning up what little stubble was left from the first WTG pass. It was very noticeable that on the ATG pass the British 2nd Gen smoothed out even more and yet it's efficiency also was present and the razor smoothed out on the 2nd pass which I was delighted about as I like smooth and efficient razors. Got up to my jawline where Paradigm took the steering wheel and it headed upwards and it was also noticeable that the razor although smooth was just a bit behind the Crat in the efficiency category. I was able to go ATG with both razors around my mouth and under my nose with little problem but I have to say the Crat felt better doing it as it did it with both conviction and with a nice smoothness to it where the Paradigm seemed to fight a little with my beard growth although it did end up taking it down it just took a few extra strokes. On to the other side of my face and to the base of the left side of my neck with the Paradigm and this time the Paradigm had no trouble dealing with my neck growth so maybe the best pass it had of this Shave Off. Picking up at the jawline I used the Aristocrat 1st Gen to do the final ATG pass on the left side of my face and what a shear pleasure it is to use this razor. So another excellent razor from 2nd Gen Crat and the end of this Shave Off!

Post shave:
Rinsed with warm then cold water and went into my fridge and got my ice cold thayers which I let dry naturally as I cleaned up my gear. Then a final splash of the A&E SoCal hipster aftershave splash which felt good.


Summary:
Both razors felt good in hand with the Aristocrat just topping the Paradigm by a bit. Also the Aristocrat felt noticeably more efficient than the Paradigm and it was noticed more on the 2nd pass where the Brit really shined!



Scoring system:

Paradigm Ti 11

1. Smoothness = 49 points
2. Efficiency = 14 points
3. Balance = 5 1/2 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 76 1/2 points

Gillette Aristocrat

1. Smoothness = 50 points
2. Efficiency = 15 points
3. Balance = 6 points
4. Maneuverability = 4 points.
5. Glide = 4 points

Total score = 78 points

So the winner of this Shave Off is the 2nd Gen British Aristocrat from a #21 set. This was a clear winner and the pass where it really shined! Don't get me wrong the Paradigm is still an awesome razor and if you have a decent beard and you could use either one for a Daily shaver.



Great Shaves my friends!



View attachment 994166

Great "shorty" of a write up Frank. This one I was really looking forward to and was a great read. I've been feeling some RAD likely (weird eh) and the Paradigm razors have caught my eye. So this was a timely shave off and gave a good feel of how they shave compared to others.

On the vintage front, I have been running through my vintage razors the last few weeks after mainly focusing on modern ones. I think I forgot how good some of them are, the NEW SC, '36 Crat, and Fatboy stood out this time through the vintage stash.

Looking forward to seeing how that polished Ti Timeless shaves - they sure are beauties!

 

[User 306]

Great "shorty" of a write up Frank. This one I was really looking forward to and was a great read. I've been feeling some RAD likely (weird eh) and the Paradigm razors have caught my eye. So this was a timely shave off and gave a good feel of how they shave compared to others.

On the vintage front, I have been running through my vintage razors the last few weeks after mainly focusing on modern ones. I think I forgot how good some of them are, the NEW SC, '36 Crat, and Fatboy stood out this time through the vintage stash.

Looking forward to seeing how that polished Ti Timeless shaves - they sure are beauties!

Modern razors are great and there are a lot to choose from but I think sometimes we tend to forget how good some of the vintage razors shave.

All the Paradigms I've shaved with have been very good and I've shaved with every model and own the 17 4. The one I like the most is the Titanium 1 which they only made 50 of is my absolute favorite but oh so hard to find. More efficient than the 17 4 and more manuverable IMO.

 

[Keto]

Modern razors are great and there are a lot to choose from but I think sometimes we tend to forget how good some of the vintage razors shave.

All the Paradigms I've shaved with have been very good and I've shaved with every model and own the 17 4. The one I like the most is the Titanium 1 which they only made 50 of is my absolute favorite but oh so hard to find. More efficient than the 17 4 and more manuverable IMO.

Only 50 made and you had the pleasure of using one, that sounds like a treat.

 

[User 306]

Only 50 made and you had the pleasure of using one, that sounds like a treat.

Yes I used it a few times in the " Most Efficient " Shave Off a while back and it was so kindly lent to me by Mark @Shavemd and I connected to it immediately and couldn't understand why at the time of its release back a couple of years or so ago everyone was saying " Way to aggressive " and so Andrew stopped making them at 50 or 51 I believe and what a shame as I found it to be very efficient yes but not aggressive at all and it was also very smooth for such an efficient razor and because of being Ti it was also very manuverable. In fact I know a few people including myself that have sent messages to Andrew asking him to make it again. So far no response. I'd be all in on that release if it should every happen. Secondary market on it is very high if you can find one!

 

[Keto]

Yes I used it a few times in the " Most Efficient " Shave Off a while back and it was so kindly lent to me by Mark @Shavemd and I connected to it immediately and couldn't understand why at the time of its release back a couple of years or so ago everyone was saying " Way to aggressive " and so Andrew stopped making them at 50 or 51 I believe and what a shame as I found it to be very efficient yes but not aggressive at all and it was also very smooth for such an efficient razor and because of being Ti it was also very manuverable. In fact I know a few people including myself that have sent messages to Andrew asking him to make it again. So far no response. I'd be all in on that release if it should every happen. Secondary market on it is very high if you can find one!

To bad he hasn't made more of the, they sound like a great razor. Yeah, I bet one would go for alot. Thanks for the background. On those, and it's nice to have shavin' buddy's.