Which to choose? High-End DE razor

[dkeppel]

The Blackland Razors Ti Blackbird SB is my favorite Modern DE razor.

The Lambda Athena is tied for number two with the Wolfman Ti WR2 1.25 SB (the Wolfie is well above your price cap).

The Rex Envoy is well under your price cap and is in my frequent rotation with the above-mentioned razors.

Personally, I prefer shaving with any of these razors over the Yates (I don't care for the feel of the Stonewashed finish).

Card carrying member of the Steep Angle Shaving Alliance (SASA). I shave steep with the Blackbird and prefer the feel and results of a steep angle compared to a shallow angle.

Looks like the Blackbird is back on the list

The Rex is sold by a local supplier but currently out of stock, might look at picking one up when they're back in stock

I was looking at the "as-machined" Yates because I was concerned about the other finishes causing drag(Also because I would polish it), I wonder if polishing the stonewash finish would make it more to your liking?

Oh, I know those Wolfman razors are beautiful but dam expensive, may be if I win the lottery.

Lambda Athena seems very popular to and its very beautiful, I just wish they made it in SS or Ti.

I'm back to leaning towards buying the Blackbird now.

I received my Fatip Piccolo OC and Muhle STF brush today, extremely impressed with the brush it's a huge step up from my other brush, the knot is at least twice as thick, it has more back bone, its softer and dam does it lather fast! I use MWF and its at least 3 times faster than my previous brush.

The Piccolo shaves very well, one minor knick on the first shave using a Nacet, two passes produces a passable shave, I knew the machining tolerances were poor, alignment is a bit of a pain but otherwise cannot complain, it's a dam good razor for the price!

 

[CJB3]

Card carrying member of the Steep Angle Shaving Alliance (SASA). I shave steep with the Blackbird and prefer the feel and results of a steep angle compared to a shallow angle.

I agree with David. Steep angle works just fine with the BB. I also prefer to use a steep angle with my BB Ti.

 

[never-stop-learning]

I agree with David. Steep angle works just fine with the BB. I also prefer to use a steep angle with my BB Ti.

SASA Rocks!

 

[walpan]

I have the Blackbird Ti and it is a wonderful razor. But, the Lambda Ares V2 is more efficient and smoother. The problem is being able to buy one. I would suggest getting on the waitlist.
welcome to this board.

 

[Asland408]

Welcome to B&B. Oh…have fun trying out razors. Only one part of the journey.

 

[dkeppel]

Welcome to B&B. Oh…have fun trying out razors. Only one part of the journey.

Thank you sir, with my taste it's an expensive journey. However hopefully that expense is spread out over a long time and it doesn't feel like an expensive journey and I never calculate what I've spent on that journey.

 

[LRod]

I was looking at the "as-machined" Yates because I was concerned about the other finishes causing drag(Also because I would polish it)

I initially ordered my Yates in the "as machined" finish and changed the order a week later to brass. Luckily I still had time for the change!
So I don't want to throw in another variable but the brass is awesome. And I polish all my brass razors periodically. The Yates in brass is not only beautiful but it's smooth as silk.

 

[NorthernSoul]

Thank you sir, with my taste it's an expensive journey. However hopefully that expense is spread out over a long time and it doesn't feel like an expensive journey and I never calculate what I've spent on that journey.

In this game, you don't have to spend a lot to get a great, close shave.

I think you are on a good path with the Fatip OC. Give yourself some time to practice with it, a few weeks or so. I prefer the steep angle approach, also.

One tip to load the blade in a Fatip, put the cap upside-down in one palm, put on the blade, then the base plate and handle. Keep everything upside-down as you tighten the handle down. Usually the blade will center itself on the posts and you don't have to fiddle with it.

Another close-shaving razor is the Muhle R41. Save yourself some trouble and just buy the razor head as a replacement part. The Muhle handles are not very good. Put the head on a heavier stainless steel handle instead for a big improvement. This is probably my closest shaving DE razor and it cost me around $25!

Welcome to the forum, BTW.

 

[dkeppel]

I initially ordered my Yates in the "as machined" finish and changed the order a week later to brass. Luckily I still had time for the change!
So I don't want to throw in another variable but the brass is awesome. And I polish all my brass razors periodically. The Yates in brass is not only beautiful but it's smooth as silk.

I don't currently have a brass razor on my wishlist... which currently is the Blackbird, Ares V2 and Superslant OC L3. I suppose I should have a brass razor on my list, I gave up on my goal of only one higher-end razor I've got many more years to live, plenty of time to collect razors.

In this game, you don't have to spend a lot to get a great, close shave.

I think you are on a good path with the Fatip OC. Give yourself some time to practice with it, a few weeks or so. I prefer the steep angle approach, also.

One tip to load the blade in a Fatip, put the cap upside-down in one palm, put on the blade, then the base plate and handle. Keep everything upside-down as you tighten the handle down. Usually the blade will center itself on the posts and you don't have to fiddle with it.

Another close-shaving razor is the Muhle R41. Save yourself some trouble and just buy the razor head as a replacement part. The Muhle handles are not very good. Put the head on a heavier stainless steel handle instead for a big improvement. This is probably my closest shaving DE razor and it cost me around $25!

Welcome to the forum, BTW.

The Piccolo shaves perfectly fine but I have had a lot of issues with the alignment, I knew that before purchasing, and I have been using the process you've described when putting the razor together however it doesn't seem to work for me. It appears to me that the comb is off centre, and won't move any further over. I end up with an aggressive and mild side of the razor but it shaves perfectly well, I like to pretend it's a feature of the razor.

I almost brought the R41 but went cheap, if the handles are poor might be for the best and I'll pick up the head sometime in the future.

Thank you!

 

[LRod]

The Piccolo shaves perfectly fine but I have had a lot of issues with the alignment, I knew that before purchasing, and I have been using the process you've described when putting the razor together however it doesn't seem to work for me. It appears to me that the comb is off centre, and won't move any further over. I end up with an aggressive and mild side of the razor but it shaves perfectly well, I like to pretend it's a feature of the razor.

I had a Fatip that had that same problem but worse. It was twisted which means you'd get a mild shave from 2 corners and an aggressive shave from the other 2 corners (in theory, LOL!) I ended up throwing it in the trash!
I've had I believe over 6 Fatip's and only one hasn't had bad alignment issues. Some are worse than others!
When I read about someone saying they don't have any alignment issues with their Fatip, I find it weird!
I honestly think they either got lucky dropping the blade in correctly when changing it, they just shave and don't notice the misalignment and/or haven't taken a good "birdseye" look at the blade after loading it to see the misalignment. Or of course, I have possibly been very unlucky with over half a dozen Fatip's, LOL!!
The fact is that the two blade posts on all Fatip's are of less diameter than the slots on the blades. That means that the blade will always have some play before tightening. Meaning, it has to be aligned unless you get lucky on that particular blade change! The last one I got is the Ibrido which is hybrid. Half of the head is SB and the other half is OC. It's been the only Fatip that has very very minor alignment issues. It's the latest Fatip so maybe they're now getting better QC! The good news is that when you do get one aligned (which takes a couple of seconds), you get a fantastic shave. Regardless of the QC issues, they're charming razors!

 

[Mr. Shavington]

I don't currently have a brass razor on my wishlist... which currently is the Blackbird, Ares V2 and Superslant OC L3. I suppose I should have a brass razor on my list.

The Lambda Ares is bronze, by the way.

 

[Patrice]

Brass VS Bronze, what's the difference in look and feel?

 

[Iridian]

Brass VS Bronze, what's the difference in look and feel?

Well, there are different types of both. Bronze has more copper and in general is more expensive/valuable. Characteristics are pretty much identical. The alloy used for razors by Lambda and Timeless seems to have more aluminum and allows for a more golden than reddish tone.

Metal Alloy Comparison Guide: Copper, Brass, & Bronze - SB&C Blog

Sequoia Brass & Copper is a leading distributor of copper, brass, and bronze. Each is available in different grades and offers distinct properties.

www.sequoia-brass-copper.com

Metal Comparisons: Brass vs Bronze - Sequoia Brass and Copper

Brass and bronze are copper-based alloys that produce different properties and have individual characteristics. Learn more about their differences.

www.sequoia-brass-copper.com

TL;DR: For razors, it barely matters.

It is an extremely popular question, not only regarding the use for razors, though.

 

[Patrice]

Thank you @Iridian, I'll have a look.
I know that razor brass and bronze are not average brass and bronze and contain more aluminum and are therefore a bit lighter and I was wondering how it feels for the users.
I don't know any brand that has both brass and bronze, right?
It's usually brass except Wolfman and Lambda which has bronze.
It looks like bronze is more high end.
Here is what Lambda says on their website: " It was a razor made by a special Al-Ni bronze alloy, which has relatively high corrosion resistance, much higher that plain brass but being a lot more expensive."

 

[dkeppel]

I had a Fatip that had that same problem but worse. It was twisted which means you'd get a mild shave from 2 corners and an aggressive shave from the other 2 corners (in theory, LOL!) I ended up throwing it in the trash!
I've had I believe over 6 Fatip's and only one hasn't had bad alignment issues. Some are worse than others!
When I read about someone saying they don't have any alignment issues with their Fatip, I find it weird!
I honestly think they either got lucky dropping the blade in correctly when changing it, they just shave and don't notice the misalignment and/or haven't taken a good "birdseye" look at the blade after loading it to see the misalignment. Or of course, I have possibly been very unlucky with over half a dozen Fatip's, LOL!!
The fact is that the two blade posts on all Fatip's are of less diameter than the slots on the blades. That means that the blade will always have some play before tightening. Meaning, it has to be aligned unless you get lucky on that particular blade change! The last one I got is the Ibrido which is hybrid. Half of the head is SB and the other half is OC. It's been the only Fatip that has very very minor alignment issues. It's the latest Fatip so maybe they're now getting better QC! The good news is that when you do get one aligned (which takes a couple of seconds), you get a fantastic shave. Regardless of the QC issues, they're charming razors!

I could imagine Fatip customer support laughing at me because the razor works well but has the duel aggression feature they might call it. It's about 1mm off centre, with the tolerance feature provided by Fatip I can get it to under 0.5mm off centre but it's hard to measure exactly. I'll count myself lucky it shaves well, and was cheap. I actually prefer it to the better made Merkur 41c, and I have the Sentinel 1.5 OC on the way to try the Chinese razor heads, might see that in a month.

The Lambda Ares is bronze, by the way.

Nickle bronze alloy, I know the stuff it's used on yachts quite a bit, different colour and lighter than brass. Most importantly I want it

Thank you @Iridian, I'll have a look.
I know that razor brass and bronze are not average brass and bronze and contain more aluminum and are therefore a bit lighter and I was wondering how it feels for the users.
I don't know any brand that has both brass and bronze, right?
It's usually brass except Wolfman and Lambda which has bronze.
It looks like bronze is more high end.
Here is what Lambda says on their website: " It was a razor made by a special Al-Ni bronze alloy, which has relatively high corrosion resistance, much higher that plain brass but being a lot more expensive."

Yeah it's a really nice material decently hard, light, corrosion resistant etc and pretty, accompanied by the mahogany-style box it reminds me of one of grandpa's old boats. It's the boat loving grandpa tribute razor, or that is my excuse to buy it.

 

[LRod]

Brass VS Bronze, what's the difference in look and feel?

I have both!
They look totally different and feel different because of the weight.
And you asked on post #54 if any manufacturer has both bronze & brass. Stando razors from Poland has a razor that has a bronze head and brass handle:

Wszystko do golenia

Wszystko do golenia

www.standoshop.pl

And I'm sure that the custom shops like Atelier Durdan in France will make you a combo however you want. They offer all the metals as a choice.

 

[GaryTha]

I suggest that before you buy a high-end razor, you try ARKO.

 

[SalS]

If you want a high end razor the Henson Ti is the one to buy, that is if you want the best, most easily repeatable, drama free shave.

 

[LeroyR]

Another close-shaving razor is the Muhle R41. Save yourself some trouble and just buy the razor head as a replacement part. The Muhle handles are not very good. Put the head on a heavier stainless steel handle instead for a big improvement. This is probably my closest shaving DE razor and it cost me around $25!

I feel like this is poor advice. Not the R41, but putting it on a heavier handle without experience with the razor. I advocate for the R41 for beginners and experienced users alike, but putting it on a heavier handle will cause it to shave more aggressively than normal, which I don’t think is best for beginners, or even some with a moderate amount of experience. The R41 handle isn’t the best, agreed, but it’s a good-enough, lightweight handle for a razor that deserves one.

I otherwise believe lighter razors lead to better shaves than heavier razors, but that’s another discussion for another time. Here I’m just talking about aggression levels for people without that experience.

@dkeppel Just buy a razor, homie. I know all the discussion is fun and the analytics are entertaining, but literally none of this matters until the steel makes contact with your face. You can be 100% sure that a razor is for you, and once it hits your face you run the risk of being 100% incorrect. I know we all love the discussion, but that’s all this is, and it has almost no basis in reality for you until you actually shave with your new gear. You’re going to have tons of people recommending the razors they’ve used, and almost none that they haven’t, so you’re going to have a pretty big gap in your search just from that - and everyone is going to have an opinion that ultimately differs from yours. Your experience with a highly-rated razor will almost definitely be different than mine, so my recommendations should be taken with a grain of salt anyway. I’m not trying to be Mr Grumpy Gills over here, I’ve just spent enough on razors I didn’t love and now I feel the need to warn people of this trap.

The pass-arounds are great, but I almost wish there was a place to rent these things so you can try before you buy. You can buy used in the meantime, which is a wonderful way to allow someone else to pay the depreciation tax on expensive shaving gear.

 

[NorthernSoul]

I feel like this is poor advice. Not the R41, but putting it on a heavier handle without experience with the razor. I advocate for the R41 for beginners and experienced users alike, but putting it on a heavier handle will cause it to shave more aggressively than normal, which I don’t think is best for beginners, or even some with a moderate amount of experience. The R41 handle isn’t the best, agreed, but it’s a good-enough, lightweight handle for a razor that deserves one.

I otherwise believe lighter razors lead to better shaves than heavier razors, but that’s another discussion for another time. Here I’m just talking about aggression levels for people without that experience.

Fine, then by all means use a lighter handle, there are plenty of them to choose from. The point is you can just get the head by itself. There might even be a compatible handle already in a person's collection. Kindly state your preference instead of dogmatically claiming those who disagree with you are dispensing poor advice.

The handle I usually use is the Maggard MR11, BTW, which is a mid-short bulldog style handle that weighs a whopping 58g (not a tank)! It provides a nice balance which IMHO is too head heavy with light handles, and not as smooth. What you want to avoid IME with the R41 is having the head skipping around or the razor slipping in your hand.

MR11 Handle Dimensions:
Handle Length: 3.14"
Handle Weight: 58g
Handle diameter: 0.485"

The Muhle factory stainless version of the R41GS weighs over 110g assembled, BTW! That's pretty heavy.