Time To Do A SE Razor Shaving Comparison

[never-stop-learning]

Colonial General V2 is my top pick for AC razor. I've yet to try Hawk V3 and Vector though.

I'm getting the Vector for Father's Day.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Shave 20200620

Razor: RazoRock Hawk V3-OC, TiBam Titanium "Antique" Handle
Blade: Kai Captain Titan Protouch w/Guard (7)
Brush: @Rudy Vey AS3M w/25mm Mühle STF Knot
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: Zingari Man, 'The Wanderer':
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Stetson Cooling and Moisturizing
Cologne: Original Stetson

WTG, XTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

DFS++ (really close to BBS) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

Really comfortable, close, effortless - top flight! The V3-OC and the Colonial General V2 are definitely my current favorite AC razors. Getting the Blackland Vector for Father's Day and can't wait to compare it to these wonderful razors.

Outstanding shave!

 

[never-stop-learning]

Father's Day and Single Edge Sunday Shave 20200621

Razor: @Blackland Razors Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional (8)
Brush: @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: Le Père Lucien Oud-Santal
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Reuzel
Cologne: Classic Match Eau de Toilette Spray (Belcam version of Polo Supreme Oud)

WTG, XTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

BBS (Bride Approved) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

Where to start.....

The @Blackland Razors Vector is an incredibly elegant razor. Efficient, really nimble, the small head does the 'hard to get' areas really well, smooth, light (more on this). It seems to prefer a 'slightly steep side of neutral' angle for the best performance.

The small, light head presents the only challenge: It's so light that you need to apply the slightest (and I do mean slightest) bit of 'help' (pressure) to get the best efficiency. Barely any will do the trick. Applying that tiny bit of help does the trick! To me, this is a worthwhile trade-off as the head is so nimble that I can comfortably shave the area between my top lip and nose effectively, efficiently and comfortably.

Even after only one shave, I can telI that I really like the Vector - a lot. To properly place it in my SE Razor Pantheon, I will be shaving with the Vector a lot more and comparing it to not only the Colonial General and RR Hawk V3-OC AC razors but also the GEM-based @Blackland Razors Sabre and GEM Featherweight Deluxe and the Supply V2.0 and Schick Injector razors.

It's a tough job, but someone has got to do it.

My new @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip is a beautiful brush. Lathers great. Feels wonderful on my face. Easy to hold. The Beehive has already been elevated to my 'Top Tier Brushes Rotation'.

Wonderful Father's Day Shave!

 

[Steve_in_CT]

Father's Day and Single Edge Sunday Shave 20200621
View attachment 1116024
View attachment 1116025
Razor: @Blackland Razors Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional (8)
Brush: @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: Le Père Lucien Oud-Santal
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Reuzel
Cologne: Classic Match Eau de Toilette Spray (Belcam version of Polo Supreme Oud)

WTG, XTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

BBS (Bride Approved) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

Where to start.....

The @Blackland Razors Vector is an incredibly elegant razor. Efficient, really nimble, the small head does the 'hard to get' areas really well, smooth, light (more on this). It seems to prefer a 'slightly steep side of neutral' angle for the best performance.

The small, light head presents the only challenge: It's so light that you need to apply the slightest (and I do mean slightest) bit of 'help' (pressure) to get the best efficiency. Barely any will do the trick. Applying that tiny bit of help does the trick! To me, this is a worthwhile trade-off as the head is so nimble that I can comfortably shave the area between my top lip and nose effectively, efficiently and comfortably.

Even after only one shave, I can telI that I really like the Vector - a lot. To properly place it in my SE Razor Pantheon, I will be shaving with the Vector a lot more and comparing it to not only the Colonial General and RR Hawk V3-OC AC razors but also the GEM-based @Blackland Razors Sabre and GEM Featherweight Deluxe and the Supply V2.0 and Schick Injector razors.

It's a tough job, but someone has got to do it.

My new @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip is a beautiful brush. Lathers great. Feels wonderful on my face. Easy to hold. The Beehive has already been elevated to my 'Top Tier Brushes Rotation'.

Wonderful Father's Day Shave!

The Vector is the AC style razor that I have always wanted to buy, but which I haven't bought because of the price. I have the Aluminum Hawk, the Enoch and a stainless steel Mongoose. I also had and sold the Hawk V3, both the safety bar and open comb. What's odd is that I get my best AC shaves with what I can only imagine is the anti-Vector, also known as the Mongoose. The Vector has a small, light head. The Mongoose has a massive and very heavy head. If, as you suggest, the Vector requires that you provide some pressure, the Mongoose demands that you apply none and let its weight provide the pressure.

One of the keys to my success with the Mongoose is the choice of blade. It is the only AC razor I've tried so far that works well with a Feather Pro Super. These blades are wider and thicker than the Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades, resulting in a closer shave. Along with that closeness is a lot of blade feel - too much for me in the other AC razors I've tried. I wonder how the Vector would handle those blades.

 

[never-stop-learning]

The Vector is the AC style razor that I have always wanted to buy, but which I haven't bought because of the price. I have the Aluminum Hawk, the Enoch and a stainless steel Mongoose. I also had and sold the Hawk V3, both the safety bar and open comb. What's odd is that I get my best AC shaves with what I can only imagine is the anti-Vector, also known as the Mongoose. The Vector has a small, light head. The Mongoose has a massive and very heavy head. If, as you suggest, the Vector requires that you provide some pressure, the Mongoose demands that you apply none and let its weight provide the pressure.

One of the keys to my success with the Mongoose is the choice of blade. It is the only AC razor I've tried so far that works well with a Feather Pro Super. These blades are wider and thicker than the Feather Pro or Schick Proline blades, resulting in a closer shave. Along with that closeness is a lot of blade feel - too much for me in the other AC razors I've tried. I wonder how the Vector would handle those blades.

I believe I have some Feather Pro Super blades in the blade stash. Will definitely give them a try.

 

[never-stop-learning]

Micromatic Monday Shave 20200622

Razor: GEM Featherweight Deluxe
Blade: Personna GEM (5)
Brush: @Graydog 'Chubby' w/26mm Full Moon Knot
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: A&E L'Orange Verte
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Clubman Osage Rub
Cologne: Pinaud Clubman Lime Sec

WTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

DFS++ (BBS except nose to top lip) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

The GEM Featherweight Deluxe performs beautifully every time I use it. Definitely punches well above its weight.

Close, comfortable and extremely pleasant shave!

 

[never-stop-learning]

Shave 20200623

Razor: @Blackland Razors Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional Super (1)
Brush: @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: La Toja Stick (grated and pressed into a tin)
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Clubman Osage Rub

WTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

DFS++ (very close to BBS) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

'A blade. A blade! My kingdom for a blade!' (With apologies to William Shakespeare.)

Loaded up a new Feather Artist Club Professional Super for shave #2 with my new @Blackland Razors Vector, lathered up and proceeded to enjoy an effortless, comfortable and close shave. The Super rocks in the Vector, the Vector rocks with the Super - this is a great match. Much better than the regular Feather AC Professional.

With the Vector/Super combination, the perception of needing slight pressure to gain efficiency is gone - just kept the head steadily and consistently in contact with my face.

I need more shaves with this combination to calibrate where the Vector stands in my personal pantheon of 1) the AC razors in my Den and 2) the SE razors (AC, GEM and Injector) in my Den.

Really great shave!

 

[Baunseribicu]

I also prefer

Shave 20200623
View attachment 1117067
Razor: @Blackland Razors Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional Super (1)
Brush: @Rudy Vey Butterscotch Beehive w/24mm Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: La Toja Stick (grated and pressed into a tin)
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Clubman Osage Rub

WTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

DFS++ (very close to BBS) with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

'A blade. A blade! My kingdom for a blade!' (With apologies to William Shakespeare.)

Loaded up a new Feather Artist Club Professional Super for shave #2 with my new @Blackland Razors Vector, lathered up and proceeded to enjoy an effortless, comfortable and close shave. The Super rocks in the Vector, the Vector rocks with the Super - this is a great match. Much better than the regular Feather AC Professional.

With the Vector/Super combination, the perception of needing slight pressure to gain efficiency is gone - just kept the head steadily and consistently in contact with my face.

I need more shaves with this combination to calibrate where the Vector stands in my personal pantheon of 1) the AC razors in my Den and 2) the SE razors (AC, GEM and Injector) in my Den.

Really great shave!

I have the same results with Pro and Super Pro in my Hawk v3 SB. Super Pro definitely shaves me better than Pro, but has just a bit more blade feel than I like. Proline is somewhere in the middle: less blade feel than Super Pro, but a bit less efficient as well. Have you tried Proline in Vector yet?

Would you say Vector is less efficient than Hawk v3 OC?

 

[vates]

I've ordered some Supers to try with my Hawk V.3 SB too.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I also prefer


I have the same results with Pro and Super Pro in my Hawk v3 SB. Super Pro definitely shaves me better than Pro, but has just a bit more blade feel than I like. Proline is somewhere in the middle: less blade feel than Super Pro, but a bit less efficient as well. Have you tried Proline in Vector yet?

Would you say Vector is less efficient than Hawk v3 OC?

To me, the Hawk V3-OC is more aggressive than the Vector (or the Colonial General V2, for that matter).

The regular Feather Pro was borderline for me in the V3-OC. I will certainly try the Feather Pro Super in my V3-OC to see for myself, but it will not surprise me if the V3-OC/Pro turns out to be a bit aggressive for my taste.

I am also quite interested to see how the Feather Pro Super matches up with the Colonial General V2.

Just my opinion.

 

[Baunseribicu]

To me, the Hawk V3-OC is more aggressive than the Vector (or the Colonial General V2, for that matter).

The regular Feather Pro was borderline for me in the V3-OC. I will certainly try the Feather Pro Super in my V3-OC to see for myself, but it will not surprise me if the V3-OC/Pro turns out to be a bit aggressive for my taste.

I am also quite interested to see how the Feather Pro Super matches up with the Colonial General V2.

Just my opinion.

Thanks so much!

 

[JohnN]

Kai ProTouchs are still my favorite so far in the Hawk OC. Tried some Feather Pro-guards they just weren’t as smooth as the Kai’s. Prolines didn’t work for me at all.

Of couse i am fairly new to wetshaving so my technique or lack thereof may be the problem.

Definitely considering picking up a Colonial General end of the month.

 

[never-stop-learning]

The @Blackland Razors Vector, the Colonial General V2 and the RazoRock Hawk V3-OC are the three best AC blade razors I've shaved with to date. How do they rank against each other? That will take more shaves to definitely assign an overall standing.

SCIENCE does require a sufficient data.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

The @Blackland Razors Vector, the Colonial General V2 and the RazoRock Hawk V3-OC are the three best AC blade razors I've shaved with to date. How do they rank against each other? That will take more shaves to definitely assign an overall standing.

SCIENCE does require a sufficient data.

I haven't tried the Vector or the General V2, but I prefer the Enoch (Proline or Feather Pro) and the Mongoose (Feather Pro Super) to the Hawk V3-OC and SB.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I haven't tried the Vector or the General V2, but I prefer the Enoch (Proline or Feather Pro) and the Mongoose (Feather Pro Super) to the Hawk V3-OC and SB.

Please comment further. What differentiates the Enoch and the Mongoose from the RR Hawk V3-OC?

 

[never-stop-learning]

Shave 20200624

Razor: @Blackland Razors Vector
Blade: Feather Artist Club Professional Super (2)
Brush: OMEGA Jade 011842 Premium Pure Bristle
Bowl: Captain's Choice Copper
Soap: Cella Extra Extra Bio
Post-shave: Gentleman Jon Alum Block
Aftershave Balm: Hyaluronic Acid
Aftershave: Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal

WTG, XTG & ATG. Minor touch-up.

DFS++ with no nicks, cuts, weepers or irritation.

Second shave with the @Blackland Razors Vector razor and Feather Artist Club Professional Super blade was just as good as the first. This is an outstanding combination.

To clarify the point I made yesterday regarding pressure: The Vector is not a razor that you can just lay on your face and let the weight of the razor do the work. With the Vector, the user does the shaving. The user keeps the head and blade steadily and consistently in contact with your face. It's difficult to describe. You have to let the feel of the razor guide you. Once you feel what I'm doing such a crappy job trying to describe, you'll quickly understand how you need to shave with the Vector.

Another outstanding shave!

Tomorrow, the Colonial General razor and Feather Artist Club Professional Super blade combination is up to bat.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

Please comment further. What differentiates the Enoch and the Mongoose from the RR Hawk V3-OC?

I find the Enoch to be just as efficient as the Hawk V3-OC, but much smoother. My evaluation of razors is very straightforward: I do the same two pass shave (with minor touch-ups) regardless of the razor used. I use a "natural angle", which to me is just the way the razor seems to naturally lie on my face. The one time I tried to alter that angle (I don't remember with which razor) I cut myself pretty badly. After 55 years of wet shaving (with a few years of cartridges thrown in) I rely heavily on routine and muscle memory to shave.

So with the same technique, efficiency is a measure of how close the resulting shave is. Smoothness/aggressiveness is a measure of how comfortable the shave is. Generally I use smoothness to describe the comfort level during the shave and aggressiveness to describe the comfort level post shave. The only other term I typically use is maneuverability/agility to describe how easily I can move the razor around my face and into tight spaces like the upper lip. With all that said, then, the Enoch is equal to the Hawk V3-OC in efficiency, but smoother, less aggressive and more agile. The only area in which it trails the Hawk is blade changing, although that is no longer an issue for me, as I have become adept at the fiddly blade changing process it requires.

I found that I cannot use the Feather Pro Super blades in either of those razors. Smoothness declines to a level of discomfort that makes the shave unpleasant. The results are excellent, but it transforms an activity I find pleasurable into one which is decidedly unpleasant.

The Mongoose is entirely unlike either the Enoch or the Hawk. It is a very heavy razor (although I don't have the actual weight, I can weigh it if anyone is interested). It is also not a particularly efficient razor with a Feather Pro or Proline blade. Put in a Feather Pro Super, however, and you have an extremely efficient razor. It is also a very smooth shaver. Where it suffers in comparison to the Enoch and Hawk is when it comes to agility. It is bulky, where they are sleek, and it is heavy where they are light. I enjoy using it from time to time, especially if I want the closest shave I can get, but I don't generally care for heavy and bulky razors.

I hope that clarifies my earlier response about the three AC razors, why I reach for the Enoch more often than not and why I'm still considering a Vector.

 

[fistfullofbeer]

@never-stop-learning So how do you like your fathers day present so far?

I love the Vector. I can easily say the mix of uniqueness and quality of shave makes it my go-to razor for any occasion. I would like to put the Sabre up there but its just a few notches below because I am just unable to get as close shaves with my Sabre L2 as I do with my Vector. How would compare those two in that regard with your first few uses with the Vector? Do you feel it gets you closer than the Sabre?

 

[never-stop-learning]

I find the Enoch to be just as efficient as the Hawk V3-OC, but much smoother. My evaluation of razors is very straightforward: I do the same two pass shave (with minor touch-ups) regardless of the razor used. I use a "natural angle", which to me is just the way the razor seems to naturally lie on my face. The one time I tried to alter that angle (I don't remember with which razor) I cut myself pretty badly. After 55 years of wet shaving (with a few years of cartridges thrown in) I rely heavily on routine and muscle memory to shave.

So with the same technique, efficiency is a measure of how close the resulting shave is. Smoothness/aggressiveness is a measure of how comfortable the shave is. Generally I use smoothness to describe the comfort level during the shave and aggressiveness to describe the comfort level post shave. The only other term I typically use is maneuverability/agility to describe how easily I can move the razor around my face and into tight spaces like the upper lip. With all that said, then, the Enoch is equal to the Hawk V3-OC in efficiency, but smoother, less aggressive and more agile. The only area in which it trails the Hawk is blade changing, although that is no longer an issue for me, as I have become adept at the fiddly blade changing process it requires.

I found that I cannot use the Feather Pro Super blades in either of those razors. Smoothness declines to a level of discomfort that makes the shave unpleasant. The results are excellent, but it transforms an activity I find pleasurable into one which is decidedly unpleasant.

The Mongoose is entirely unlike either the Enoch or the Hawk. It is a very heavy razor (although I don't have the actual weight, I can weigh it if anyone is interested). It is also not a particularly efficient razor with a Feather Pro or Proline blade. Put in a Feather Pro Super, however, and you have an extremely efficient razor. It is also a very smooth shaver. Where it suffers in comparison to the Enoch and Hawk is when it comes to agility. It is bulky, where they are sleek, and it is heavy where they are light. I enjoy using it from time to time, especially if I want the closest shave I can get, but I don't generally care for heavy and bulky razors.

I hope that clarifies my earlier response about the three AC razors, why I reach for the Enoch more often than not and why I'm still considering a Vector.

Thank you very much for your kind, and extremely thorough, response.

 

[never-stop-learning]

@never-stop-learning So how do you like your fathers day present so far?

I love the Vector. I can easily say the mix of uniqueness and quality of shave makes it my go-to razor for any occasion. I would like to put the Sabre up there but its just a few notches below because I am just unable to get as close shaves with my Sabre L2 as I do with my Vector. How would compare those two in that regard with your first few uses with the Vector? Do you feel it gets you closer than the Sabre?

I really like the Vector - a lot. Especially with the Feather Pro Super blades.

Next step is to try the Super blade in the Colonial General to see how it compares to the Vector.

After I get that dialed in, I'll concentrate on the Sabre vs. Vector comparison.

I can comment that they shave differently but both provide incredibly good results.

My initial impressions have been more of preferences and moods than of proficiencies and results. More to follow when I alternate shaves with the Vector and the Sabre.