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What Makes Titanium DE & SE Razors Special?

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.

No snark at all! Just laughing. This is a thread full of people discussing the benefits of titanium and you can also access the Blackbird Ti thread which tells the same story. To call my video wishful marketing speak just isn’t accurate and those threads will confirm as much. Particularly since I make it clear that the value of titanium is up to each person depending on their priorities. It sounds like the benefits aren’t worth it to you. That’s perfectly fine, but it doesn’t make them not real. I’m not much for sales tactics and the benefits of titanium were a real surprise to me when we made the Blackbird Ti. If I had known, we would’ve made it years earlier.
 
The cost/benefit of titanium is not there for me--not even close. There's no way I can justify the added cost of a titanium regardless of whatever other benefits there are (and to me, being lighter is not a benefit). Take even perfunctory care of a stainless steel one and it will last basically indefinitely.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
The cost/benefit of titanium is not there for me--not even close. There's no way I can justify the added cost of a titanium regardless of whatever other benefits there are (and to me, being lighter is not a benefit). Take even perfunctory care of a stainless steel one and it will last basically indefinitely.
Each person has to do their own cost/benefit analysis and decide from there.

Have you had the opportunity to try Ti and Stainless versions of any of your preferred razors?
 
No, and I feel just fine about that.

I have no objections to those who have the disposable income to afford them and like the lighter material.

Right now I'm not one of those people. If titanium becomes more affordable, or if I decide I like lighter razors, this could change, obviously.
 
FWIW, I’ve used the following razors in both titanium and another metal.

Timeless Slim 0.5 - titanium, steel
Blackland Blackbird - titanium, steel, brass
Blackland Vector - titanium, steel
H&S P076 - titanium, copper

I preferred the Timeless Slim in titanium, comfortably, over steel - it feels more alive and fun to use. I preferred the Blackbird in brass, slightly, but all three are pretty close, the weight of brass felt more ‘right’ to me on this razor and the warm face feel of brass is good. I very slightly prefer the Vector in titanium - it just added a slightly greater sense of definition and precision - but the difference is small and not worth the titanium price premium to me. I prefer the P076 in copper but I like both a lot and they are different enough in the shaving experience to have both.

It all depends on the razor for me. As I say, the biggest difference with titanium is the weight, and any other differences are quite small to me. I would usually choose the metal based on what weight feels better for a particular razor. Titanium is worth it if I like a lighter version of the razor significantly more (like the Timeless).

If I like the different weights equally - as I do with the Vector - then I might lean towards preferring titanium, but the titanium price difference is a lot for just marginal gains and I would only actually buy the titanium if it was really a favourite razor and I wanted my favourite version of it. And if there was no copper version, which I would probably like more.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
No, and I feel just fine about that.

I have no objections to those who have the disposable income to afford them and like the lighter material.

Right now I'm not one of those people. If titanium becomes more affordable, or if I decide I like lighter razors, this could change, obviously.
Understood. Thank you for the feedback. :)
 

Phoenixkh

I shaved a fortune
As some of you know, I don't have any razors with titanium heads but I do use the Timeless Ti Crown handles on several of my stainless steel head razors. I find the slightly lighter weight really adds something to those razors. It shifts the balance more toward the head. Several of them feel balanced more toward the handle because solid stainless steel handles have quite a bit of heft to them.

The razors to which I'm referring are the Claymore Evolution, the Blutt BR-1, the RR Lupo 95OC and the ATT X1 AC slant. The Crown handles feel a bit too heavy for my Vintage Gillettes. They are longer than I like on those razors: i.e., the British Flat Bottom Tech and the British NEW Raised Flat Bottom.
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
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?

That makes me happy to hear. And if titanium alloy on your face, ends up making you happy, then I call that a win win situation. Out of your list, please don't forget Timeless! Timeless titanium razors are made in the USA, super high quality standards, superb machining, excellent QC, and wonderful customer service. When I spent a lot of money on my Timeless razor, I was a bit annoyed that all I got with it, was a thin micro fiber polishing cloth with it.

I saw lots of video's on Youtube, as well as posts on B&B, with folks showing their high quality Timeless face cloths with it. So I contact their customer service, they confirmed they don't send out the high quality face clothes with them, but agreed to give me a 50% coupon code, so that I could buy their high quality face cloth for a half price reduction. Them willing to honor that, was beyond amazing to me.

It showed a company that not only is willing to make high quality razors, but also the willingness to work with their customers, to insure that they are happy. Along with my face cloth order, they also sent me one of their shave soap samples along with it for free. I couldn't have been more happier!

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Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
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.
I suspect you have never machined anything or have ever held an actual metal cutting tool. The materials a blade or any cutting tool holder is made from is extremely important.

I'm a machinist, and have seen what happens with tool holders made from the wrong materials. And a razor is a tool holder.
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.
Lead is a grey metal. Titanium is a grey metal. I'm not sure where you get the correlation of quality by the color of the material.
Lead is soft.
Titanium is stiff, very stiff.
Only Carbon Fiber razors are stiffer.

Your statement implies that a stiff material is cheap and flimsy.
I respectfully disagree.
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.
Reading how everyone seems to feel that Titanium feels soft on the face just gave me a revelation.

Because titanium is stiffer than SS, how can it feel softer?

Answer: Titanium is a better conductor of temperature, and does not hold heat in like Stainless Steel does.

When SS touches your skin it maintains the temperature longer, but titanium adjusts to your skin temperature much faster, thus giving a softer feeling.
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.
I pretty much agree with all that @Brutus has said.

~doug~
 
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ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
Properly treated titanium can be as hard as steel.
And manufacturing uses alloyed titanium instead of pure titanium, which in turn gives the finished product better mechanical strength.

Since I shave my head with the DE, I have to hold my hand up for longer periods of time, and the solid stainless steel or solid brass handle will accelerate fatigue and cause an inconsistent shave.
In comparison, the titanium razor/handle is moderately heavy and has the solid and sturdy quality I love.

Beyond that, titanium is known to be a very difficult metal to machine, so a beautifully machined titanium razor is an industrial marvel in itself; having a few titanium razors and handles adds to the charm of my collection.

Timeless is one of the few brands in the razor industry that combines WEDM processing, so it can create a unique H-shaped base plate; it can clamp the edge of the blade stably, and has a wide foam storage space to avoid clogging.
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ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
No, and I feel just fine about that.

I have no objections to those who have the disposable income to afford them and like the lighter material.

Right now I'm not one of those people. If titanium becomes more affordable, or if I decide I like lighter razors, this could change, obviously.
Titanium is the fourth largest metal reserve on earth, so titanium itself is not expensive; the real factor that increases the price is that titanium is difficult to process, it will stick to the processing machinery and slow down the cutting speed, and the powder is flammable.

Since China is the region with the most titanium metal deposits in the world, local titanium alloy processing is also the cheapest in the world.
So I occasionally buy some of titanium razors/handles from China, they tend to be cheaper than Merkur's adjustable razor and have decent quality.
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
titanium itself is not expensive; the real factor that increases the price is that titanium is difficult to process, it will stick to the processing machinery and slow down the cutting speed, and the powder is flammable.
Yep, all the above is true.

The last 35 years of my career was spent machining titanium and heat treated steel for the medical manufacturing industry.
We kept a 100 pound Halon fire extinguisher next to my titanium workcell, and I had to use it a few times. It gets pretty exciting when you open the door on a machine to pick up a part and see flames coming out.
The last two years I worked there I put out 4 oil and metal fires, and yes, I got an award to prove it, somewhere...I'm retired.

~doug~
 
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.

I dunno, he makes a pretty strong argument for Ti. Kinda makes me wish that Feather would offer a AS-D2Ti. 😄

Seriously though: I am perfectly happy with the weight, efficiency, and maneuverability of my SS Vector - it's a fine and innovative razor. The Ti version may well be an improvement for some, but I can't see any real benefit in a Ti upgrade for me as the Vector is already pretty svelte. I suppose the difference between SS and Ti might be more apparent with larger razors but I am not convinced that it makes enough of a difference to pay a 30-40% premium to find out.
 
I dunno, he makes a pretty strong argument for Ti. Kinda makes me wish that Feather would offer a AS-D2Ti. 😄

Seriously though: I am perfectly happy with the weight, efficiency, and maneuverability of my SS Vector - it's a fine and innovative razor. The Ti version may well be an improvement for some, but I can't see any real benefit in a Ti upgrade for me as the Vector is already pretty svelte. I suppose the difference between SS and Ti might be more apparent with larger razors but I am not convinced that it makes enough of a difference to pay a 30-40% premium to find out.
Not ever having shaved with a titanium razor, I really don't understand how they're more maneuverable. I mean, how hard is it to move a 3 oz razor around one's face? I'm having zero issues with the Masamune which is 3ish ounces.
 
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