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Well [email protected] Blackbird has ruined all other razors for me!...

never-stop-learning

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You might want to consider the Vector. I find it to shave very similarly to the Bird as far as efficiency goes. Great razor.

. I also second the Vector vote above. It’s similarly unique in the SE world.

I concur! :cool:

The Ti Blackbird is my favorite DE razor, but the Ti Vector SB is my overall favorite razor! :)
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
Oops! Sorry (not really) for that. Nothing shaves quite like the Blackbird, but we have a few more razors coming out. Maybe one of those will be a good sidekick. I also second the Vector vote above. It’s similarly unique in the SE world.
I know there is no exact date you can share at the moment about when your new razors will be released but I was wondering if you could provide which quarter this year you hope to have them on the market.
 
Me too! Love big heavy razors, which is why I failed to believe that the Ti would be better. I hate light razors. But I'm a believer in the Ti Bird. It just works.

I may have to keep this in mind.
Although at 54g, I'm very wary to try it out since I don't have access to the 30 day trial period.
All the aluminium razors I've used, I absolutely hated because the razor would vibrate so much and skip over my beard.

I used karve AL with D plate and it was a rubbish experience compared to karve brass with D plate.

:thumbup:
You're right, but for traveling I still have a Merkur 33c (like the 34c, but as a three piece) in my toiletry bag.
But a Blackbird travel razor would be nice.

I don't prefer to travel with the blackbird as we move around a lot. Starting with families, at hotels etc. Higher risk of losing the razor.
But it looks like I may be left with no choice but to take the blackbird with me.

That would certainly not be the worst thing. After all, there are other options for variety.
You can buy and try many shaving soaps and brushes.

My den has gone from 100+ soaps to just 7.
I mostly use my own unscented soap now, which I've tailored to my skin requirements.

I'm also fairly settled on brushes now: Muhle STF, G5C and Simpson Commodore badger. Although I'll likely get the G5A at some point.

I was hoping to find another razor that behaves like the blackbird, but I don't think that's thing to happen.

Your not alone, I could have typed everything you typed out of my own head! Every time I think... what about... like the meme, then nope. There is something that just doesn't quite match the Blackbird. You might find something as efficient, as you say, but there is a certain feel to shaving with a Blackbird that nothing else replicates. So no more razors for me either, but my brushes are breeding again though...

Yeah, that shave feel in very unique to the blackbird and it's so special!
I've never experienced it with any other razor!

It is tough to beat the Bird.....it's at the top of my den as well. My Yates H plate comes real close, and at times I think it's better, until I pull the Bird out again. I have a Ti Slim OC that competes as well, but just lags behind in the efficiency dept. My new Athena and Green Cult 2.0 are getting some love at the moment. The Athena maybe the best mannered daily razor I've ever used. Very good efficiency and super comfortable with out of this world ATG behavior. It's not quite as efficient as the Blackbird, but is definitely more comfortable and is begging me to use it every day.

You might want to consider the Vector. I find it to shave very similarly to the Bird as far as efficiency goes. Great razor.

Oops! Sorry (not really) for that. Nothing shaves quite like the Blackbird, but we have a few more razors coming out. Maybe one of those will be a good sidekick. I also second the Vector vote above. It’s similarly unique in the SE world.

I concur! :cool:

The Ti Blackbird is my favorite DE razor, but the Ti Vector SB is my overall favorite razor! :)

I have amassed 5,000 of my favorite DE razor blades (Wizamet and BIC) so I would really prefer to stick with DE razors for now.

Also, for some reason, I never enjoyed the wide coverage of AC and injector razors.

The Athena seems like a great shaver but looks wise, it's not my style unfortunately (not to say it's not beautiful though!).

Blackbird is one of my "Magnificent Six", also.
(I arbitrarily self-limit myself to 6 total razors, no exceptions...)

Others in my 6:
Wolfman WR2 1.15
Blutt BR-1 1.25
Lambda Athena
Yates SB and OC H Brass <<< yes, I count this as "1". :p
Fatip Lo Storto Originale

I'm considering a WR1 OC someday, and will likely boot the FOCS when I do.
(or maybe chuck that one in a drawer. no re-sale value, to speak of...)

ALL of the razors I have now offer very efficient and comfortable shaves.
I like them all, and rotate amongst them freely and often.
I, like you, have tried others like Karve, Timeless, etc. and didn't love the results of them.

I would strongly recommend a Lambda Athena.
It's a very nice compliment to the Blackbird, in both feel and performance.

I had a brass Blackbird OC for a while, but found the teeth on the OC a bit harsh and "pointy".
Comfort was only achieved at very shallow angles. I sold it.

Thanks for the feedback on the OC.
That was my fear and the biggest reason I didn't go for the OC.

The Athena is unfortunately not to my preference, looks wise. I do think it's beautiful but not enough for me to own one.

I highly regard the Yates H but it was a little much for daily 4 pass shaves. The efficiency was lower than the blackbird but with added skin aggression.

FOCS I didn't like from day one. It added literally nothing positive to my shaving experience.

Same! All my other razors collect dust. The only other razor that I occasionally use is the Dart. I even sold my Wolfman and my Timeless is going on BST soon!

Seems like you're in the same boat as me!
As soon as I got comfortable with the blackbird, I knew it was the end for all my other razors!

What aspects in the design lead to those other razors listed failing (or succeeding) in one aspect or another?

Firstly, there's a balance between efficiency and comfort (I.e. The absence of skin inflammation).

I need high efficiency as much as I need total skin comfort. Otherwise, four passes daily takes a toll on the skin.

Secondly is what I refer to as post-shave-shadow. Olive skin with black stubble is a pain! The blackbird and progress are the razors that achieve the lightest post shave shadow of any razors I've used...with minimal aggression on the skin.

for me its a simple criteria:
can I get a really close shave without weepers and/or post shave irritation

I generally don't get weepers with any razor but my issue is more the toll of four passes daily. My skin can start to feel a little raw with big gap razors. Whereas the blackbird has never, ever caused me to feel this in the entire 12 months of use!
 
Ive discovered an interesting thing about the Blackbird.

Most of the time I like mild-moderate razors. I like the Karve on C and D. I like the Rockwell on 3. The Rex Ambassador on 2. The GC .68 as a daily driver. The most aggressive I get is a NEW SC with a Feather, on two days growth.

That said, after receiving the Blackbird about a month ago, Im finding myself almost addicted to the blade feel. I thought Id end up using Lite plate everyday, and the regular for two days growth. But whenever I grab it I look forward to that regular blade feel and super close results.

Think I may daily drive the regular unless I start to get some irritation.
 
I couldn't get the Blackbird to work all that well for me, so I sold it. I found that I much preferred the Dart, as well as a few other efficient (and less expensive) razors. Currently I'm having a hard time using anything other than my RazoRock SuperSlant L3. The SuperSlant is just a pleasure to use despite the rather massive head, and always provides a comfortable, irritation free BBS result. I still use the Dart, a Christopher Bradley (G Safety Bar), a Lupo .95 OC, a Rocca and a Yaqi Tile for variety. The last two are not quite as efficient as the others, but are enjoyable to use and provide a very close, if not BBS, shave.
 
I’ve got both the BB Ti and Vector Ti.
I’ve only used each once, so take that for what it is. But the Vector is BY FAR the most comfortable shave I’ve ever had.

I’ve only been using safety razors for a few weeks but used straights for a good 3-4 years before that.
 

JCarr

More Deep Thoughts than Jack Handy
The only razor I have that beats my Blackbird in comfort (but not efficiency) is my Timeless.
The only razor I have that beats my Blackbird in efficiency (but not comfort) is my Muhle R41.
My Rex Envoy is as efficient but not as comfortable as the Blackbird.
My Tatara Masamune with Nodachi top cap is as comfortable as the Blackbird but not as efficient.
My Lambda Athena is more comfortable than the Blackbird but not quite as efficient.

Those are all of my top razors. My other razors: Rocca, Christopher Bradley, Game Changer, Lupo, and Rockwell 6C are a notch below those. And I have some others a notch below those that I should probably sell.

I'll keep wondering if a Wolfman, Sailor, Charcoal Goods, Haircut&Shave, etc can top any of my top razors. I've spent too much already. LOL

Of course, all of this is JMHO, YMMV, etc etc etc....

You kinda do get to a point where further expenditure and curiosity top out. 🤣
 
Ive discovered an interesting thing about the Blackbird.

Most of the time I like mild-moderate razors. I like the Karve on C and D. I like the Rockwell on 3. The Rex Ambassador on 2. The GC .68 as a daily driver. The most aggressive I get is a NEW SC with a Feather, on two days growth.

That said, after receiving the Blackbird about a month ago, Im finding myself almost addicted to the blade feel. I thought Id end up using Lite plate everyday, and the regular for two days growth. But whenever I grab it I look forward to that regular blade feel and super close results.

Think I may daily drive the regular unless I start to get some irritation.

This has been my experience.
I love the blade feel without any aggression on the skin.

I've been using my BB for about 14 months and I've never once felt my skin was aggravated or feeling raw.

This razor is just pure magic!
 
I may have to keep this in mind.
Although at 54g, I'm very wary to try it out since I don't have access to the 30 day trial period.
All the aluminium razors I've used, I absolutely hated because the razor would vibrate so much and skip over my beard.

I used karve AL with D plate and it was a rubbish experience compared to karve brass with D plate.



I don't prefer to travel with the blackbird as we move around a lot. Starting with families, at hotels etc. Higher risk of losing the razor.
But it looks like I may be left with no choice but to take the blackbird with me.



My den has gone from 100+ soaps to just 7.
I mostly use my own unscented soap now, which I've tailored to my skin requirements.

I'm also fairly settled on brushes now: Muhle STF, G5C and Simpson Commodore badger. Although I'll likely get the G5A at some point.

I was hoping to find another razor that behaves like the blackbird, but I don't think that's thing to happen.



Yeah, that shave feel in very unique to the blackbird and it's so special!
I've never experienced it with any other razor!







I have amassed 5,000 of my favorite DE razor blades (Wizamet and BIC) so I would really prefer to stick with DE razors for now.

Also, for some reason, I never enjoyed the wide coverage of AC and injector razors.

The Athena seems like a great shaver but looks wise, it's not my style unfortunately (not to say it's not beautiful though!).



Thanks for the feedback on the OC.
That was my fear and the biggest reason I didn't go for the OC.

The Athena is unfortunately not to my preference, looks wise. I do think it's beautiful but not enough for me to own one.

I highly regard the Yates H but it was a little much for daily 4 pass shaves. The efficiency was lower than the blackbird but with added skin aggression.

FOCS I didn't like from day one. It added literally nothing positive to my shaving experience.



Seems like you're in the same boat as me!
As soon as I got comfortable with the blackbird, I knew it was the end for all my other razors!



Firstly, there's a balance between efficiency and comfort (I.e. The absence of skin inflammation).

I need high efficiency as much as I need total skin comfort. Otherwise, four passes daily takes a toll on the skin.

Secondly is what I refer to as post-shave-shadow. Olive skin with black stubble is a pain! The blackbird and progress are the razors that achieve the lightest post shave shadow of any razors I've used...with minimal aggression on the skin.



I generally don't get weepers with any razor but my issue is more the toll of four passes daily. My skin can start to feel a little raw with big gap razors. Whereas the blackbird has never, ever caused me to feel this in the entire 12 months of use!
I have the same affliction. I can get a BBS feeling shave from many razors but the Blackbird makes the shadow of whiskers (within the hair follicles) disappear without the need to over shave. The BB also seems to provide a unique post shave feel. It leaves my skin super soft somehow.
 
I have the same affliction. I can get a BBS feeling shave from many razors but the Blackbird makes the shadow of whiskers (within the hair follicles) disappear without the need to over shave. The BB also seems to provide a unique post shave feel. It leaves my skin super soft somehow.

It's bizarre right?!
I don't know how it achieves these things, as I've used so many positive exposure razors.

But nothing compares to the blackbird for the combo of efficiency, comfort and light post-shave-shadow.
 
So I have a Ti Blackbird OC, and it is very efficient, and is one of my "top shelf" razors (meaning in a rotation of razors I use somewhat regularly). I like it, but its not my *favorite*. My favorite is the Yates 921EH. The Yates Ti 921 is a few grams lighter than the Ti Bird, and IMHO is a better shave in terms of efficiency and comfort. As an added bonus, the audible feedback of the Yates is one of the best around. I think there's an honorable mention here also, the H&S Ti Efficient - its not *quite* as efficient as the Yates or the Bird, but for me it has one of the longest lasting BBS shaves of any razor I have or have tried. I'm not sure what the mechanism is here, but its noticable. The best blade I've found for all these razors is still the Gillette Platinum, at least for my skin and technique.
 
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