Which of these stainless razors?

[Shortknock27]

New guy here, haven't been DE shaving for too long but want to jump in early to the stainless razor and skip buying a bunch of the zamac razors out there (for the time being). Having said that, which of the following would you recommend and why? FWIW, I have semi sensitive skin and use a Gillette Fatboy set at 3 or 4 most of the time.

Feather all stainless
Tradere solid bar
Titan/Atlas in R or M

Thanks for your time and input,
Scott

 

[dpm802]

Not to confuse the issue, but there are other Stainless choices out there. Pils and Ikon come to mind, I'm sure there are others.

I have the Tradere handle which I use with a Stahly head, which I think is also Stainless Steel. It works great no matter what blade I put in there. It seems at its best when tackling a 2~3 day growth of whiskers, but that is due mostly to the Stahly head, not the handle.

Don't ignore the Zamac razors completely. There are a lot of good ones out there. And they are a lot less than Stainless.

 

[dangersteve]

The tradere solid bar has spoiled me; I use nothing else now.

The weight is nice, and the handle gives good puchase. It hides the ears of the blade like most of them, which is nice. It works well with Astra SPs for me, which is good since I have several hundred of them. It is more efficient than the ASD1 and Mühle R89 without being harsh. I leave blades in it for 3-4 days generally, with just a shake to dry it off, and have seen no rust after several months.

I get the best shave with the fewest passes, consistently. That's why I like it.

 

[bosseb]

I shave everyday with a mild razor. I'm very much into razors with a proven track record. For the last 18 months I find myself reaching for my AS-D1 almost constantly. This razor is everything I need, to the extent that I am getting a couple of Ikon baseplates to build a 'system' razor. As you can see my Feather made it in some seriuos company...



Bosse

 

[Sencha]

Love the Atlas R-1. Best SS razor I've used by a long way.

 

[Yuritau]

I have both the Tradere OC and the Tradere SB, and I use the SB almost exclusively (bust out the OC like once a month just cause I can). Haven't had a single non-Tradere shave since I bought the SB, and likely wont for a very long time, unless I somehow get my hands on a darwin.

 

[vsingh]

I shave everyday with a mild razor. I'm very much into razors with a proven track record. For the last 18 months I find myself reaching for my AS-D1 almost constantly. This razor is everything I need, to the extent that I am getting a couple of Ikon baseplates to build a 'system' razor. As you can see my Feather made it in some seriuos company...

View attachment 318073

Bosse

+1. I ccompletely agree and recommend the Feather All Stainless. I have a selection of beautiful English Gillettes but the Feather gets more air time than any other razor.

Its a wonderfully smooth razor and darn good looking one as well. 90 grams of top notch Japanses craftmanship.

 

[celestino]

Not to confuse you more, but the Weber makes a very nice razor for a great price.
It would really depend on you and what works best for you. Unfortunately, you will have to try the razors to see which best suits you. Good luck.

 

[Shortknock27]

OK, I have decided that I want a mild shaver so I'm guessing that the Tradere is out? If so, which between the Titan/Atlas M1 or the Feather AS-D1/D2?

 

[Soldierdan]

OK, I have decided that I want a mild shaver so I'm guessing that the Tradere is out? If so, which between the Titan/Atlas M1 or the Feather AS-D1/D2?

I wouldn't say that the Tradere is out at all. I Got one a little over a month ago, and its one of the mildest that I own. I put a feather blade in it and get DFS for 3 days straight.

 

[Shortknock27]

Has anyone used both the Feather and a Titan M-1 so as to be able to compare aggressiveness between the two? I'm not writing the Tradere off yet but I have read that it is indeed a hair more aggressive than the Feather. I just haven't seen too much about the M head in the Titan as compared to the Feather, which seems to be the standard of ultimate mildness in a DE. Please forgive my many questions, but if I'm going to be spending the extra money, I want to be as sure as I can be without actually being able to sample all of the above.

 

[fl_guy]

Has anyone used both the Feather and a Titan M-1 so as to be able to compare aggressiveness between the two? I'm not writing the Tradere off yet but I have read that it is indeed a hair more aggressive than the Feather. I just haven't seen too much about the M head in the Titan as compared to the Feather, which seems to be the standard of ultimate mildness in a DE. Please forgive my many questions, but if I'm going to be spending the extra money, I want to be as sure as I can be without actually being able to sample all of the above.

I have both the Feather AS-D! and the ATT M1 and for me the Feather is way to mild and the M1 is perfect for a second shave if needed in the evening

 

[mistercitizen]

The Ikon OC is actually a very mild shaver for me as well (I have not tried the Ikon standard baseplate, but I hear it's more aggressive than the OC baseplate). I have not tried the Atlas/Titan M1 or the Feather.... but I would not suggest going with the Atlas/Titan R1, since it is somewhat aggressive IMO. I like moderately aggressive, so I really like the Atlas R1. Based on that, I would say that the M1 plate from Above the Tie might be a good fit for you. I wouldn't rule out the Weber though.... especially for the money. I find it a little more mild than the R1.... about like a Merkur 34c in terms of aggressiveness.... but of course, stainless steel. I have not used a Tradere... both solid bar or open comb, so I can't comment on those either.

Ben

 

[billgoat94]

I appreciate the comments in this thread. RAD has been acting up and I've been struggling to pick a new razor between an Atlas M1, Ikon Open Comb Deluxe, or something completely different in a Merkur Futur. My un-informed thoughts:
- I think I would like the handle the best on the Atlas and I think its the best looking.
- I've never read a bad review on the Ikon Open Comb Deluxe, but I tried an Ikon bulldog handle once on a Muhle r89 once and didn't like the balance. Rationalizing that maybe with the intended SS head the balance would be better.
- I've held the Futur at a AOS store and even though it was big, it was so well balanced. Its usually very positively reviewed and has the most enduring history of any of these three.
I'm sure I'll still be deciding for weeks.

 

[Shortknock27]

Well, I believe I have decided to skip the Feather after having read that there is an apparent lack of QC that means that one may get a complete dud. Maybe I'll try the AS-D2 when it becomes available but for now, I have it narrowed down to:
ATT Titan M1
Tradere SB
Weber
Of the 3 mentioned, the Weber is definitely the least expensive by a considerable margin. As far as smoothness/mildness goes, how does it compare to the other two?

 

[mdevine]

Of my fourteen razors, my Weber Bulldog ARC is my smoothest, even besting my Fat Handled Tech.

Mike

 

[Galhatz]

I have the SB, my favorite DE. I sold the weber.
The SB was at first 'agressive' in such that it taught me not to apply pressure. Once i improved my technique, i got the best shaves out of it.

Whatever you choose, remember not to leave the blade wet in the razor after the shave. The blade can rust and that rust sticks to stainless steel. It looks like the razor develops stains and it is a pain to remove.

 

[OldGreyGuy]

I have the:
- Tradere OC
- Ikon OSS
- Ikon OC Deluxe
- Weber ARC

The Tradere OC is the most agressive, the Weber is really efficient and smooth, The Ikon OC deluxe is probably the razor I like the most. It feels like a SC NEW and is a really comfortable to me , but like everything to do with shaving your results may vary.

 

[Codfish]

I have only tried ATT razors. I started with the Titan H1, went on to get the Atlas handle, and graduated to the ATT 7-piece stainless razor system. The detail and manufacturing quality is top-notch. The shaves are the best and most comfortable I've gotten in my life. How many other manufacturers offer a money back satisfaction guarantee with their stainless razors?

 

[chris.hale]

How does the Ikon deluxe OC shave in comparison to the Weber? I've started hankering after one but if it's milder than the Weber it's probably not worth me going for it.