Timeless .95 ss tour pass-around!!
- Thread starter P@tsfan6484
- Start date
Alright folks. Here it is in all its glory. First shave tomorrow morning.
Alright amigos, here we go ...
First Impressions
Looking at this razor right out of the box, it's a rather elegant looking razor. It has a beautiful shine to it and the weight is down right near perfect. The knurling on the handle is just superb. I'm big on knurling with my beefy hands and fingers on the shorter side, so I like something that I feel I will not lose my grip on, but that doesn't rip into my fingers and tears the skin off. This razor is perfect in that regard. It gives awesome grip but it is not really sharp. I'm loving it so far.
The Shave
I started by putting the Timeless through the Steel Wool test. Don't worry, it's my steel wool stubble, not actual steel wool. So, for my first shave, used a Super Iridium that has 2 shaves on it already so it was broken in. For the rest of the gear, I used Stirling Pumpkin Spice Soap and a Yaqi Rainbow 26mm Synthetic Brush and had just one day of growth. All lathered up, I put the razor to my face and began the gentle strokes. I did a 3 pass shave with a little touch up under the chin. The shave was ... wait for it ... an amazingly "just okay" kind of shave.
I was sort of expecting the heavens to open and I was going to hear
singing. Nope, not this morning. The razor was smooth, but not amazingly smooth. The blade gap was somewhat perfect. It was enough to be fairly efficient, but with the exception on one little spot that I can attribute to a split second lazy angle moment, there was absolutely no blade feel, which I appreciated. For kicks and giggles, I carefully but intentionally added pressure to my stroke going across my jaw line and found the razor to be very forgiving. It did not penalize me with irritation or blade feel, which was nice. After my 3 passes and a little clean up, I would say that I got a CCS, but it really wasn't great and wasn't any more efficient than some of my less expensive razors. Any mild irritation was on par with those razors as well.
I can honestly say that as far as this morning was concerned, I got a hard-knock lesson in YMMV.
Reflection
How could I have possibly been so far off the mark compared to the other glorious experiences that so many wet shavers have had? Maybe the Timeless and the Super Iridium just don't like each other? Maybe my lather was a bit off and I didn't realize it. Maybe my technique stunk because I was running on 4 hours sleep this morning when I shaved? Maybe it was just some stupid fluke? I have no idea, but I am not willing to give up on this razor just yet.
Tomorrow morning, I intend to do a side-by-side shave. The battle will be between the Timeless .95 SS and my Rockwell 6S razor with a 6 plate. I will be using fresh Astra Superior Stainless blades in both, which are currently my favorite blades. I'm hopeful that tomorrow's shave will be a complete turnaround and will also give me a fair comparison with the Rockwell in the ring.
More to come tomorrow, amigos. Happy shaving!
First Impressions
Looking at this razor right out of the box, it's a rather elegant looking razor. It has a beautiful shine to it and the weight is down right near perfect. The knurling on the handle is just superb. I'm big on knurling with my beefy hands and fingers on the shorter side, so I like something that I feel I will not lose my grip on, but that doesn't rip into my fingers and tears the skin off. This razor is perfect in that regard. It gives awesome grip but it is not really sharp. I'm loving it so far.
The Shave
I started by putting the Timeless through the Steel Wool test. Don't worry, it's my steel wool stubble, not actual steel wool. So, for my first shave, used a Super Iridium that has 2 shaves on it already so it was broken in. For the rest of the gear, I used Stirling Pumpkin Spice Soap and a Yaqi Rainbow 26mm Synthetic Brush and had just one day of growth. All lathered up, I put the razor to my face and began the gentle strokes. I did a 3 pass shave with a little touch up under the chin. The shave was ... wait for it ... an amazingly "just okay" kind of shave.
I was sort of expecting the heavens to open and I was going to hear
singing. Nope, not this morning. The razor was smooth, but not amazingly smooth. The blade gap was somewhat perfect. It was enough to be fairly efficient, but with the exception on one little spot that I can attribute to a split second lazy angle moment, there was absolutely no blade feel, which I appreciated. For kicks and giggles, I carefully but intentionally added pressure to my stroke going across my jaw line and found the razor to be very forgiving. It did not penalize me with irritation or blade feel, which was nice. After my 3 passes and a little clean up, I would say that I got a CCS, but it really wasn't great and wasn't any more efficient than some of my less expensive razors. Any mild irritation was on par with those razors as well.I can honestly say that as far as this morning was concerned, I got a hard-knock lesson in YMMV.
Reflection
How could I have possibly been so far off the mark compared to the other glorious experiences that so many wet shavers have had? Maybe the Timeless and the Super Iridium just don't like each other? Maybe my lather was a bit off and I didn't realize it. Maybe my technique stunk because I was running on 4 hours sleep this morning when I shaved? Maybe it was just some stupid fluke? I have no idea, but I am not willing to give up on this razor just yet.
Tomorrow morning, I intend to do a side-by-side shave. The battle will be between the Timeless .95 SS and my Rockwell 6S razor with a 6 plate. I will be using fresh Astra Superior Stainless blades in both, which are currently my favorite blades. I'm hopeful that tomorrow's shave will be a complete turnaround and will also give me a fair comparison with the Rockwell in the ring.
More to come tomorrow, amigos. Happy shaving!
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #124
Great honest review. I do hope your next shave is a better one.
LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s bout will be to decide the belt for the Stainless Steel Razor Champion of the World (or at least my shave den). On the left side, visiting from Apopka, Florida and weighing in at 116 grams, wearing a polished finish, the Timeless Stainless Steel .95 Scalloped Comb Razor. And on the right side, right from this very shave den and weighing in at 120 grams, wearing a matte finish, the Rockwell Razor 6S 6 Plate Solid Bar Razor.
The Shave
Today’s gear consisted of fresh Astra Superior Stainless blades in each razor with RazoRock Mudder Focker Shave Soap and a Badger & Blade Essential Finest Badger Brush (a nod to this community that made this great pass around by @P@tsfan6484 a possibility). Before we get into it, I’ll start by saying that today’s experience was very different than yesterday’s.
Smoothness: I’ve always been impressed by how smooth the Rockwell has glided across my face. It puts my other razors to shame in this regard and I have attributed that to the smooth, matte finish. Both razors were really smooth shavers today with little to no resistance on either half of my face. While it wasn’t by a lot, I actually found the Timeless to be ever-so-slightly easier to glide than the Rockwell, so I stand corrected. Matte vs polished is not the deciding factor on smooth glide. The nod goes to the Timeless on smoothness today.
Efficiency: The efficiency of both razors was above average. For me, BBS is a nirvana that I have yet to achieve, and honestly, I do not chase. DFS is good enough for me on any given day. Unlike yesterday’s shave, the Timeless did deliver a DFS today, as did the Rockwell. The Timeless’s base plate clearly is set with a blade gap of .95 mm while the 6 plate of Rockwell 6S is said to have a blade gap of .79 mm. Based on that difference, one could expect the Timeless to be more efficient than the Rockwell. As I feel my cheeks and neck right now, there is only a small difference in the final feel and as I felt the face in between passes, I would say that these two razors are on par with each other. The Timeless might have felt a hair closer, but not by as much as the difference in gaps would imply. For me, this one is a tie between the two razors.
Overall Shave Quality: As I mentioned, I would say that both razors delivered a DFS today. The Timeless did give me on little weeper by my lip, but I’m not really sure that I can blame the razor for that one. I do think that the Astra is a really good pairing with both razors and the alum block shows an equivalent amount of sting (albeit not a lot) on both sides. I would really consider this one a tie as well between the two razors.
The Decision
For this bout, I think we have ended in a split decision, with the Timeless just edging out the Rockwell, primarily due to the Timeless’s moderately superior smoothness and it delivering a just barely closer shave.
As you can see, much better experience today then yesterday, which actually makes me feel better. I was afraid that I had entered the Twilight Zone yesterday or something.
I really enjoyed the shave this morning and the result was more than acceptable. Does it crush the Rockwell? Well no, but it did just edge it out and has shown my that it truely is a quality razor as everyone else that has used it seems to have surmised. Tomorrow, I plan to compare the Timeless to the RazoRock GC .84 OC razor. I have not used the GC yet, so this should be a lot of fun.
More to come tomorrow! Happy shaves, amigos!!
Ladies and gentlemen, today’s bout will be to decide the belt for the Stainless Steel Razor Champion of the World (or at least my shave den). On the left side, visiting from Apopka, Florida and weighing in at 116 grams, wearing a polished finish, the Timeless Stainless Steel .95 Scalloped Comb Razor. And on the right side, right from this very shave den and weighing in at 120 grams, wearing a matte finish, the Rockwell Razor 6S 6 Plate Solid Bar Razor.
The Shave
Today’s gear consisted of fresh Astra Superior Stainless blades in each razor with RazoRock Mudder Focker Shave Soap and a Badger & Blade Essential Finest Badger Brush (a nod to this community that made this great pass around by @P@tsfan6484 a possibility). Before we get into it, I’ll start by saying that today’s experience was very different than yesterday’s.
Smoothness: I’ve always been impressed by how smooth the Rockwell has glided across my face. It puts my other razors to shame in this regard and I have attributed that to the smooth, matte finish. Both razors were really smooth shavers today with little to no resistance on either half of my face. While it wasn’t by a lot, I actually found the Timeless to be ever-so-slightly easier to glide than the Rockwell, so I stand corrected. Matte vs polished is not the deciding factor on smooth glide. The nod goes to the Timeless on smoothness today.
Efficiency: The efficiency of both razors was above average. For me, BBS is a nirvana that I have yet to achieve, and honestly, I do not chase. DFS is good enough for me on any given day. Unlike yesterday’s shave, the Timeless did deliver a DFS today, as did the Rockwell. The Timeless’s base plate clearly is set with a blade gap of .95 mm while the 6 plate of Rockwell 6S is said to have a blade gap of .79 mm. Based on that difference, one could expect the Timeless to be more efficient than the Rockwell. As I feel my cheeks and neck right now, there is only a small difference in the final feel and as I felt the face in between passes, I would say that these two razors are on par with each other. The Timeless might have felt a hair closer, but not by as much as the difference in gaps would imply. For me, this one is a tie between the two razors.
Overall Shave Quality: As I mentioned, I would say that both razors delivered a DFS today. The Timeless did give me on little weeper by my lip, but I’m not really sure that I can blame the razor for that one. I do think that the Astra is a really good pairing with both razors and the alum block shows an equivalent amount of sting (albeit not a lot) on both sides. I would really consider this one a tie as well between the two razors.
The Decision
For this bout, I think we have ended in a split decision, with the Timeless just edging out the Rockwell, primarily due to the Timeless’s moderately superior smoothness and it delivering a just barely closer shave.
As you can see, much better experience today then yesterday, which actually makes me feel better. I was afraid that I had entered the Twilight Zone yesterday or something.
I really enjoyed the shave this morning and the result was more than acceptable. Does it crush the Rockwell? Well no, but it did just edge it out and has shown my that it truely is a quality razor as everyone else that has used it seems to have surmised. Tomorrow, I plan to compare the Timeless to the RazoRock GC .84 OC razor. I have not used the GC yet, so this should be a lot of fun.More to come tomorrow! Happy shaves, amigos!!
- Thread starter
- #126
I am so glad that it was better for you today. Great review and comparison. I look forward to tomorrows comparison. I do not have the GC OC but i do have the .84 SB so it will be great to see.
How do you feel the Timeless compared to the GC .84 SB? (I just ordered a GC, so interested to hear!)
- Thread starter
- #128
Lets just say I would not part with either. The Timeless is in a bit different category as far as beauty. They are both excellent shavers and super quality and for the $$ you cannot beat the GC. IMO. You will have to tell me after your go around with the Timeless.
I definitely will! I should get the GC next week, so I'll have some time to try it out. I'm looking forward to using it, as well as trying the Timeless!
Today, I decided to go with a barbershop theme for shaving. Why? Just for fun and nothing more.
As I mentioned yesterday, today's shave was a side-by-side between my new RR GC .84 OC and the Timeless SS .95 Solid Bar. Let me tell you, both of these razors were fantastic, but one definitely beat out the other. I used the same Astra blades as yesterday, so each blade was going on its second shave today. I used a Yaqi Barberpole brush with a Mew knot and CBL's new Tonsorial Soap in Barber's Chair scent which performed nicely. Along with the alum block and witch hazel, I finished it off with some classic Clubman to round out the barbershop theme. It was my standard 3 pass shave, WTG / XTG / ATG shave with no clean up passes.
The Handles
The RR had on it their SS Super Knurl handle while the Timeless has its beautiful SS handle that has been touring the country. As I mentioned a few posts up, I'm big on knurling and as one would expect, the RR Super Knurl was super, but not super enough. I think the Timeless may just have the best handle ever made. Okay, I haven't used that many handles, but still. The Timeless handle feels like perfection, not only in knurling, but in weight and balance too. It is simply top notch and where you hold it is where you will hold it until you decide to change your hold. I chalk the grip differences to the size of the knurls as well as the spacing. While the RR has bigger knurling, it seems to be more spaced out while the Timeless's finer and tighter design allows for absolutely no slipping and I absolutely love it. The handle is one with my hand.
The Shave
The Timeless and the RR were equally smooth and both seem to partner really well with the Astra SS blades. I would say that both are similarly matched from an aggressiveness and both were pretty efficient for my steel wool stubble. However, the OC design of the RR with a smaller blade gap could not overcome the closeness that came from the Timeless's bigger gap. The right side of my face, which was cut by the Timeless ended in a slightly, but noticeably closer shave than the left side of my face, which was cut by the RR. I would describe my shave a DFS, not quite BBS on either side, but darn close. Irritation was not a lot based on the alum test and fairly equal in sting on both sides, so they were on par in that regard.
The RR seems like a great razor and will definitely be in my rotation for years to come, but the Timeless definitely proved its worth as a razor in this side-by-side. I find it to be a superior razor, but at clearly a much higher price point. But that handle! OH MY, that handle!!
Tomorrow will be my final shave with the Timeless before I send on to continue its journey. No side-by-side tomorrow. I will be letting the Timeless shine in all its glory tomorrow with a more classic gentleman's shave theme.
More to come tomorrow, amigos. Happy shaving!
As I mentioned yesterday, today's shave was a side-by-side between my new RR GC .84 OC and the Timeless SS .95 Solid Bar. Let me tell you, both of these razors were fantastic, but one definitely beat out the other. I used the same Astra blades as yesterday, so each blade was going on its second shave today. I used a Yaqi Barberpole brush with a Mew knot and CBL's new Tonsorial Soap in Barber's Chair scent which performed nicely. Along with the alum block and witch hazel, I finished it off with some classic Clubman to round out the barbershop theme. It was my standard 3 pass shave, WTG / XTG / ATG shave with no clean up passes.
The Handles
The RR had on it their SS Super Knurl handle while the Timeless has its beautiful SS handle that has been touring the country. As I mentioned a few posts up, I'm big on knurling and as one would expect, the RR Super Knurl was super, but not super enough. I think the Timeless may just have the best handle ever made. Okay, I haven't used that many handles, but still. The Timeless handle feels like perfection, not only in knurling, but in weight and balance too. It is simply top notch and where you hold it is where you will hold it until you decide to change your hold. I chalk the grip differences to the size of the knurls as well as the spacing. While the RR has bigger knurling, it seems to be more spaced out while the Timeless's finer and tighter design allows for absolutely no slipping and I absolutely love it. The handle is one with my hand.
The Shave
The Timeless and the RR were equally smooth and both seem to partner really well with the Astra SS blades. I would say that both are similarly matched from an aggressiveness and both were pretty efficient for my steel wool stubble. However, the OC design of the RR with a smaller blade gap could not overcome the closeness that came from the Timeless's bigger gap. The right side of my face, which was cut by the Timeless ended in a slightly, but noticeably closer shave than the left side of my face, which was cut by the RR. I would describe my shave a DFS, not quite BBS on either side, but darn close. Irritation was not a lot based on the alum test and fairly equal in sting on both sides, so they were on par in that regard.
The RR seems like a great razor and will definitely be in my rotation for years to come, but the Timeless definitely proved its worth as a razor in this side-by-side. I find it to be a superior razor, but at clearly a much higher price point. But that handle! OH MY, that handle!!
Tomorrow will be my final shave with the Timeless before I send on to continue its journey. No side-by-side tomorrow. I will be letting the Timeless shine in all its glory tomorrow with a more classic gentleman's shave theme.
More to come tomorrow, amigos. Happy shaving!
- Thread starter
- #131
Great review. I do have to say that the handle is unbelievable.
Today was my final shave with the Timeless SS .95 Razor before sending her off to continue on her journey. I took a simpler approach today with more of a traditional twist. I paired the Timeless with a fresh Gillette Nacet blade just to try something a little different. My other gear included my Simpson Chubby 2 Super Badger Two Band, some Proraso Green Shaving Cream and some Proraso Green Liquid After - Shave Balm.
Today was a really nice shave and a great way to part ways with the Timeless. The razor definitely pairs nicely with the Nacet, which is a blade I had not used before but was curious about. This dynamic duo made quick work of my steel wool stubble and got me closer to BBS than pretty much any other shave I've had in recent days. That did come with a cost however, as I did feel a bit more irritation than I do normally even with the excellent slickness that the Proraso provided today, but nothing off the charts.
There is no denying that this razor is an excellent, mid-aggression razor. Our relationship has clearly improved from the rocky start we had on Thursday. I really cannot say enough about the handle, which is close to perfection for me. The head is efficient and does not give much blade feel, which for me a a really nice balance. The total package is just elegant and fun to use. If I had this razor for a longer amount of time, I might be able to master the technique for its use but our time together has come to an end. Unfortunately, my purchasing one is not in the cards at the moment, but this is going to definitely find a spot in my wish list for when I fine money that starts to burn a whole in my pocket.
I would like to thank @P@tsfan6484 for his immense generosity in offering this razor to our community. You are a true and selfless gentleman, sir. As for those of you waiting patiently for your turn, all I'll say is that you are in for a treat.
That's it for now, amigos. Happy shaves!
Today was a really nice shave and a great way to part ways with the Timeless. The razor definitely pairs nicely with the Nacet, which is a blade I had not used before but was curious about. This dynamic duo made quick work of my steel wool stubble and got me closer to BBS than pretty much any other shave I've had in recent days. That did come with a cost however, as I did feel a bit more irritation than I do normally even with the excellent slickness that the Proraso provided today, but nothing off the charts.
There is no denying that this razor is an excellent, mid-aggression razor. Our relationship has clearly improved from the rocky start we had on Thursday. I really cannot say enough about the handle, which is close to perfection for me. The head is efficient and does not give much blade feel, which for me a a really nice balance. The total package is just elegant and fun to use. If I had this razor for a longer amount of time, I might be able to master the technique for its use but our time together has come to an end. Unfortunately, my purchasing one is not in the cards at the moment, but this is going to definitely find a spot in my wish list for when I fine money that starts to burn a whole in my pocket.
I would like to thank @P@tsfan6484 for his immense generosity in offering this razor to our community. You are a true and selfless gentleman, sir. As for those of you waiting patiently for your turn, all I'll say is that you are in for a treat.
That's it for now, amigos. Happy shaves!
Great shave reports gentlemen!
As for the master kit, yes please! That would definitely help enhance the experience of many & aid in making informed decisions about the Timeless. Thanks again @P@tsfan6484 for your generosity in doing this incredible passaround!
As for the master kit, yes please! That would definitely help enhance the experience of many & aid in making informed decisions about the Timeless. Thanks again @P@tsfan6484 for your generosity in doing this incredible passaround!
Great review! I am using and comparing the GC .84 and the Timeless Ti .95, and your review was very helpful for my thinking about them. I love the HD handle on the GC .84, and the difference in weight between the two makes for different experiences from that point of view. The more maneuverable head of the GC is a big plus for me, and you can also let the weight of the razor do a lot of the shaving for you. On the other hand, the titanium of the Timeless has a wonderful soft feel against my skin, and the lighter weight makes for a smooth shave. Still testing them out, but so far they are both great razors and ones that I want to keep in my not so big den.
- Thread starter
- #135
Thank you to all that are in the pass-around for your patience. As soon as the razor is here I will load up the master kit box and get it out to @cgr86. It will definitely be back on the road before the end of week!!!
This fantastic pass around just got even better. Thank you P@tsfan6484!
That's outstanding to include the whole master kit. Kudos on that and for letting everyone get to experience all the options for this. Bet it'll help sell ever more people on these excellent razors
- Thread starter
- #139
Hello to everyone in the pass-around.
Due to some holiday travel plans for many of the participants I am going to hold off on mailing out the master kit until @cgr86 is available. This should only delay for about 1 week.
I am very sorry for any issues this may cause anyone on the list.
Thanks
Denny
Due to some holiday travel plans for many of the participants I am going to hold off on mailing out the master kit until @cgr86 is available. This should only delay for about 1 week.
I am very sorry for any issues this may cause anyone on the list.
Thanks
Denny
No complaints from the fine gents here!!
