What Makes Titanium DE & SE Razors Special?

[never-stop-learning]

What Makes Titanium DE & SE Razors Special?

I now have direct experience with two sets of world class razors in both Titanium and Stainless metals.

Shaving with the Titanium Blackbird SB vs. the Stainless Blackbird SB, my face felt much smoother (not in the BBS sense - results are pretty much the same) and more relaxed than when I use the Stainless version. The Ti Blackbird just flat feels better on my face.

Now I have both the Titanium and Stainless Vectors. Same sensation. The Titanium Vector eclipsed its Stainless "Den Mate" after the first shave. Objectively equal efficiency, but my face absolutely prefers the post-shave face feel of the Titanium razor.

I'd appreciate feedback from others who have, and have compared, Titanium and Stainless versions of any razors out there, DE and SE.

Thank you.

 

[Brutus]

I have Tataras Nodachis in stainless and titanium and I by far prefer the titanium one.

There is some evidence that titanium feels different (“warmer”) on the skin, but for me the main advantage is that titanium with its lower mass can be manoeuvered much more precisely and effortlessly.

In simple terms, it’s like comparing a Bowie knife against a scalpel…



B.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I have Tataras Nodachis in stainless and titanium and I by far prefer the titanium one.

There is some evidence that titanium feels different (“warmer”) on the skin, but for me the main advantage is that titanium with its lower mass can be manoeuvered much more precisely and effortlessly.

In simple terms, it’s like comparing a Bowie knife against a scalpel…



B.

Agreed. I have noted the increase in the nimble and maneuverable attributes with both the Ti Vector SB and the Ti Blackbird SB vs. their Stainless counterparts.

Do you also notice a difference in post-shave face feel between the Ti and Stainless Tataras?

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I think it’s just a lighter weight, and that can affect your shave in different ways. I suspect if you feel you get a smoother shave it is just because of the way the weight causes your technique to change.

I don’t find titanium smoother or anything like that. I’ve done side-by-side shaves with the same razors and I didn’t detect that. Mostly I do not prefer titanium because it feels lower quality to me - it doesn’t have the weight that you expect a grey metal to have, so it can sometimes feel cheap and flimsy. I do think titanium adds manoeuvrability and can increase the sense of precision due to being a contrasting material to the blade. But overall, for me, titanium razors were a short-lived novelty and I found over time that I prefer steel and copper/brass/bronze.

Bronze might give me a smoother shaving feel, or at least a warmer, softer face feel.

 

[ShavingPanda]

I have the exact razor in SS and Ti, a 0.86 OC WR1 with the WRH2 handle. I have had the SS one for probably 3 years now and has been my favourite razor and the benchmark for all others. I have said a Ti WR1 would suit me perfectly, so I acquired one after the SS WR1. I do have experience with Ti razors, I've owned a Ti WR2 and Carbon Ti, and currently own a Paradigm Ti 1. I am interested in the Blackbird Ti, perhaps one I'll have to try for science.

Ti feels almost soft the face. With the lighter weight of Ti, it almost gives the feel of the hairs cutting, which I think may be considered rough but I think it provides more feedback and can reduce pressure, which I think some of this sensation is muted in SS. I have found with the Ti, I feel I have more control and is a bit more forgiving.

Here are my two Ti's.

 

[StewB]

I like the weight of stainless steel. I find it unlikely I will buy a titanium razor since they are lighter and a good deal more expensive.

 

[Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker]

What Makes Titanium DE & SE Razors Special?

I now have direct experience with two sets of world class razors in both Titanium and Stainless metals.

Shaving with the Titanium Blackbird SB vs. the Stainless Blackbird SB, my face felt much smoother (not in the BBS sense - results are pretty much the same) and more relaxed than when I use the Stainless version. The Ti Blackbird just flat feels better on my face.

Now I have both the Titanium and Stainless Vectors. Same sensation. The Titanium Vector eclipsed its Stainless "Den Mate" after the first shave. Objectively equal efficiency, but my face absolutely prefers the post-shave face feel of the Titanium razor.

I'd appreciate feedback from others who have, and have compared, Titanium and Stainless versions of any razors out there, DE and SE.

Thank you.

Hello again. I have a Timeless Titanium TI95 razor, and I have a couple of stainless razors, I've used a Feather AS-D2, which I don't like, and a Rex Ambassador, both same grade 316L stainless. I've also used a Merkur Futur, that while is not made of stainless steel construction, its brass, and weighs even more then my stainless steel razors.

I think the reason why the Titanium razors are shaving smoother to us, is due to the fact they have less weight. Less overall weight means, less the amount the blade is pressing against your skin. This will natural result in having a smoother shave. 316L stainless and heavy brass razors like the Futur, they apply a lot more blade force, and this results in a more aggressive shave.

Plus, the material makeup of titanium is softer feeling to the skin. Titanium will always feel better against the skin, then stainless I think. Aluminum razors are even lighter still, less blade feel. But aluminum makes a user want to apply pressure in order to achieve the desired result. Titanium razors, like my Timeless TI95, with a blade gap of .095, it doesn't require any pressure.

If anything, sometimes I feel like I have to barely let it touch my skin, when doing the moostash area, as that is one of the typical difficult areas for most folks like me, who have course whiskers. Hopefully this made sense.

 

[Brutus]

I think it’s just a lighter weight, and that can affect your shave in different ways. I suspect if you feel you get a smoother shave it is just because of the way the weight causes your technique to change.

I don’t find titanium smoother or anything like that. I’ve done side-by-side shaves with the same razors and I didn’t detect that. Mostly I do not prefer titanium because it feels lower quality to me - it doesn’t have the weight that you expect a grey metal to have, so it can sometimes feel cheap and flimsy. I do think titanium adds manoeuvrability and can increase the sense of precision due to being a contrasting material to the blade. But overall, for me, titanium razors were a short-lived novelty and I found over time that I prefer steel and copper/brass/bronze.

Bronze might give me a smoother shaving feel, or at least a warmer, softer face feel.

I was trained as an aeronautical engineer and to me the “I do not prefer titanium because it feels lower quality to me - it doesn’t have the weight that you expect a grey metal to have” and “it can sometimes feel cheap and flimsy” argument makes no sense whatsoever. For me, the feeling of “flimsiness” is related to (lack of) stiffness and how a piece bends and flexes under work loads, and not to the mass of the piece per se.
Ultimately, it does not matter how something “feels”, it matters how it performs - and if it performs well people will become accustomed to the new feel of the material and it becomes the new norm.

With new materials the “doesn’t have the weight that you expect” argument sounds quite absurd as well.
If we followed that logic, we wouldn’t be building new airplanes from composites or design jet engines with titanium or ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) rather than steel components, and your favourite razor might be made from lead.
But I agree; some who traditionally prefer a heavier razor may never take to titanium or other light materials.

I also find your “titanium razors were a short-lived novelty” statement rather questionable, as it implies that titanium razors are a thing of the past, while I believe that we may see a lot more titanium razors appear in the future.
What will ultimately determine which share titanium razors are going to take is whether people consider the advantages of titanium worth the higher price, or whether other, even better suited materials may offer a more cost-effective solution.

And only time will tell whether your or my point of view will prevail.




B.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I was trained as an aeronautical engineer and to me the “I do not prefer titanium because it feels lower quality to me - it doesn’t have the weight that you expect a grey metal to have” and “it can sometimes feel cheap and flimsy” argument makes no sense whatsoever. For me, the feeling of “flimsiness” is related to (lack of) stiffness and how a piece bends and flexes under work loads, and not to the mass of the piece per se.
Ultimately, it does not matter how something “feels”, it matters how it performs - and if it performs well people will become accustomed to the new feel of the material and it becomes the new norm.

With new materials the “doesn’t have the weight that you expect” argument sounds quite absurd as well.
If we followed that logic, we wouldn’t be building new airplanes from composites or design jet engines with titanium or ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) rather than steel components, and your favourite razor might be made from lead.
But I agree; some who traditionally prefer a heavier razor may never take to titanium or other light materials.

I also find your “titanium razors were a short-lived novelty” statement rather questionable, as it implies that titanium razors are a thing of the past, while I believe that we may see a lot more titanium razors appear in the future.
What will ultimately determine which share titanium razors are going to take is whether people consider the advantages of titanium worth the higher price, or whether other, even better suited materials may offer a more cost-effective solution.

And only time will tell whether your or my point of view will prevail.




B.

Perceived quality is entirely different to mechanical properties. I am no expert in the field but perceived quality is certainly affected by weight (heavier weight is usually perceived as higher quality). Colour, reflectiveness, sound, softness, and all sorts of other properties affect perception of quality. Look at the interior of an expensive car and the types of materials that are selected. Talk to an architect or an interior designer who would know about this field. Ask a professional photographer why he uses a heavy metal camera instead of a light polycarbonate camera that is more resilient. It’s all about perception, and that is what I talked about. It is absolutely important how something feels. You pay more for a Mercedes because the materials feel better, they make better sounds, they look better - relatively little to do with the mechanical properties of the materials, which may well be inferior in many mechanical ways.

It’s a bit high-handed to say my comment was absurd merely because it does not fit into your particular field of knowledge, which has little to do with the point. I suspect the mechanical properties of materials used in a razor are not generally important - razors function perfectly well whether made of metal (any metal) or plastic. A razor is not a spaceship, it is just a holder for a blade. But when you hold it in your hand and apply it to your skin the way it feels does matter.

 

[BigJ]

I like the weight of stainless steel. I find it unlikely I will buy a titanium razor since they are lighter and a good deal more expensive.

+1! Tried one Ti razor that provided a very fine shave equal to SS. For, me the SS weight ’feels’ better!

YMMV for sure!!

 

[Blackland Razors]

We covered this topic recently. This video is geared primarily toward our razors, but the principles apply to any titanium razor.

 

[sm29]

I have two titanium razors, a Timeless Titanium 0.68 SB and a Blackland Ti Blackbird. I also have a SS Blackbird.

My observations include finding the Timeless Titanium gives a very different and “soft” face feel. The Titanium Blackbird is nimble but does not have the same soft face feel. I’m not an engineer and know very little about metallurgy but suspect that titanium on my face is what produces the soft face feel, but because the Blackbird has significantly greater blade exposure, I’m feeling much more steel blade before the titanium.

The nimbleness of the Ti Bird becomes a given and when I use the SS Bird, it takes less than half a pass to get used to the weight and becomes very enjoyable to use. After returning to the Ti Bird, I then feel the nimbleness immediately.

Summarizing my experience, Titanium is softer unless offset by increased blade exposure. Titanium is lighter, more maneuverable and more nimble.

I pick the Ti Bird first, then the SS Bird and last the Timeless Titanium. All are excellent razors.

 

[RazorDragon]

I see both SS and Ti as being lovely for completely different reasons. They have a different feel and I guess I just find each unique and special in its own way. I thus usually have one of each for a given razor.

 

[N6GQ]

You guys are making me want to try a Ti razor. What are the accepted favorites? Blackland, Rex, Tatara, right? Is there a favorite amongst these?

 

[CCS]

We covered this topic recently. This video is geared primarily toward our razors, but the principles apply to any titanium razor.

Sorry, that's sounds like wishful marketing speak to me. I see no benefits other than one spending more money. Horses for courses. And seriously, how hard is it to maneuver a razor on ones face?? Get a shorter handle if that's an issue for you.

 

[CCS]

You guys are making me want to try a Ti razor. What are the accepted favorites? Blackland, Rex, Tatara, right? Is there a favorite amongst these?

Taking the advice of people on online forums is often, if not usually, folly. You want to try a razor? Make sure you can return it. What I like or some other guy likes has little to do with what you might like.

 

[Blackland Razors]

Sorry, that's sounds like wishful marketing speak to me. I see no benefits other than one spending more money. Horses for courses. And seriously, how hard is it to maneuver a razor on ones face?? Get a shorter handle if that's an issue for you.

Lol okay. Perhaps you can ask some of the many members here who have both versions and can attest to the accuracy of my wishful marketing speak.

 

[CCS]

Lol okay. Perhaps you can ask some of the many members here who have both versions and can attest to the accuracy of my wishful marketing speak.

No need to be defensive or snarky (and putting off a potential customer). It's a legitimate question. But you guys do you and try to make this an us against him contest.

 

[Mr. Shavington]

You guys are making me want to try a Ti razor. What are the accepted favorites? Blackland, Rex, Tatara, right? Is there a favorite amongst these?

Notwithstanding what CCS said, which isn’t wrong, I’ll say that the titanium razors I liked most compared to the steel equivalents are my Timeless razors. I think they have enough meat on the bones for titanium to make them feel refreshingly nimble and not too lightweight. I would say they’re very good razors by any standard, and a good place to start. The Slim 0.5 is a highly efficient razor (my favourite one), the 0.95 and 0.68 are medium and mild, respectively. All the parts are interchangeable between razors to you can just buy different base plates to try different razor models.

I like my Haircut & Shave P076 titanium a lot, but only with a 95mm handle. That’s a superb medium-high efficient razor with pleasant blade feel. But it was too light in titanium with the shorter 80mm handle, for my taste. The ultra-slim head really complements the light titanium build. It’s pricey, but so is the titanium Blackbird, really.

But maybe light weight is what you would like, so there are lots of other options. The Carbon Cx titanium razors are crazy light, though, and probably to the extent that they are quite polarizing (well below 40g, including handle). I bought one and it was a mistake, for me.

 

[never-stop-learning]

What Makes Titanium DE & SE Razors Special?

I now have direct experience with two sets of world class razors in both Titanium and Stainless metals.

Shaving with the Titanium Blackbird SB vs. the Stainless Blackbird SB, my face felt much smoother (not in the BBS sense - results are pretty much the same) and more relaxed than when I use the Stainless version. The Ti Blackbird just flat feels better on my face.

Now I have both the Titanium and Stainless Vectors. Same sensation. The Titanium Vector eclipsed its Stainless "Den Mate" after the first shave. Objectively equal efficiency, but my face absolutely prefers the post-shave face feel of the Titanium razor.

I'd appreciate feedback from others who have, and have compared, Titanium and Stainless versions of any razors out there, DE and SE.

Thank you.

In my opinion, Ti razors feel better on my face, provide a shave that is at least effective and provide a better post-shave face feel.

I started this thread to see if others have experienced similar findings.

The razors where I own both versions and have direct and extensive comparative experience:

@Blackland Razors Vector SB (Ti & SS)
@Blackland Razors Blackbird SB (Ti, Brass & SS)
Timeless 0.68 SB (TI & SS)

I also have the Timeless Ti Slim SB.

Originally, I thought that Ti was marketing hype. Owning and using these Ti razors has changed my mind.

Just my opinion.

I would still like to hear from folks who have actually compared Ti versions with Stainless, Brass, Aluminum versions of the same model razor. Especially if you've been able to do so over a number of shaves.