Weekly Razor Review

Haircut and Shave ZO74 TI-5 (USA)



When the Haircut and Shave ZO74 is sold as machined finish/ light polish, I will take it any day to save $200US on the price asked for their fully polished models. Sure, there are lightly polished machining marks under the cap, and large dull blotched areas but given five minutes with a soft cloth and metal polish and this razor would glisten. Released this year the H&S’s ZO74 is machined from Grade 5 titanium and comes with a longish solid handle with fine diamond knurling down its length. Strange, isn’t it, that such a simple handle can be so pleasing to both look at and to use. Being titanium, the head is inherently light and with no excess metal in the cap or plate, the balance is very much handle heavy. There are elongated blade posts on the cap that protrude completely through the plate; having that extra length on the post does permit easy blade loading though.

I’ve always had good results while using Gillette Nacet blades and as there was a pack included with the razor, what better blade to grab first up. Knowing full well that the advertising blurb suggests neutral blade feel, I was still dissatisfied with the performance of the ZO74 when this proved to be the case; these days I like to have some positive blade. Efficiency was around that delivered by a Karve CB level #C. Smooth though, this razor is super smooth, and after a bit of tidying up, the shave was presentably close. Hopefully a Feather blade might spice the performance up a little; it didn’t. A user would have to do something very fool hardy to inflict a cut on themselves with the ZO74, it is that refined. With a combination of a mild razor and neutral blade feel, I was quite happy to pack it back in its dedicated plastic case.

Blades Used – Gillette Nacet and Feather
Material – Gr5 Titanium
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 72g
Head Width – 43.69mm
Handle Length – 95.02mm
Handle Diameter – 13.97mm
Availability – Haircut and Shave
Final Word – Not for this Little Black Duck
 
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Robin Classic DE (Canada)



I didn’t even know of this razor existence until I saw this one advertised for sale the other day, so I ordered it. Robin razors are made in very limited numbers in a small home-based workshop in Montreal. All three components are investment cast from a silicon based bronze alloy and then each piece is machine or hand finished. As I unscrewed the handle, it was disappointing to feel the sloppy fit of the handle thread, it worked, but for a premium priced razor, it needs to be much better. I’m sure I’ve seen a similar styled handle on a vintage razor but I just can’t put a name to that razor; ten sides, with some grooves machined for the forward grip; a bit thin but it looks fantastic in polished bronze and should provide positive grip. A very flat looking cap is utilized which helps minimise the thickness of the head, therefore shaving those difficult to get to areas should be no issue. Investment casting is said to deliver a very accurate reproduction of the part being cast therefore I question why there are what looks like machine marks on the back of the cap. Certainly, they are not visible when the Robin is assembled but it would have improved presentation if all marks were polished out before the casting process commenced; all caps would then have an unmarked back. Very few marks are visible on the plate except for the neat looking Robin Razor emblem; extra polishing is evident along the edges of the plate where face contact is made so I’m expecting a very smooth shave. I don’t often make comment on the cases that razors come in (even if I like to store razors in their original cases) but the Robin case is exceptional. It is a coffin shaped two piece wooden construction where each piece fits precisely into the other section, it’s small but there is enough room for two pucks of blades also.

This is one mild razor with efficiency about that of a Karve CB Level #A. To me mild razors, especially those like this Robin with neutral blade feel, are simply plain hard work. It is frustrating having to continually clean up sections that the razor passed over leaving whiskers still standing. As suggested, this razor felt smooth against the skin and after much tidying up, I achieved an acceptably result but that didn’t last long. Fitting a Feather blade achieved nothing. This razor is not for me. I would like to see a revised model with more efficiency and a more positive blade.

Blades Used – Rapira Sweedish Supersteel and Feather
Material – Bronze
Blade Tab - Exposed
Weight – 95g
Head Width – 41.52mm
Handle Length – 89.61mm
Across the Flats – 10.43mm
Availability – Etsy
Final Word – Not good
 
Errol said:
Robin Classic DE (Canada)



I didn’t even know of this razor existence until I saw this one advertised for sale the other day, so I ordered it. Robin razors are made in very limited numbers in a small home-based workshop in Montreal. All three components are investment cast from a silicon based bronze alloy and then each piece is machine or hand finished. As I unscrewed the handle, it was disappointing to feel the sloppy fit of the handle thread, it worked, but for a premium priced razor, it needs to be much better. I’m sure I’ve seen a similar styled handle on a vintage razor but I just can’t put a name to that razor; ten sides, with some grooves machined for the forward grip; a bit thin but it looks fantastic in polished bronze and should provide positive grip. A very flat looking cap is utilized which helps minimise the thickness of the head, therefore shaving those difficult to get to areas should be no issue. Investment casting is said to deliver a very accurate reproduction of the part being cast therefore I question why there are what looks like machine marks on the back of the cap. Certainly, they are not visible when the Robin is assembled but it would have improved presentation if all marks were polished out before the casting process commenced; all caps would then have an unmarked back. Very few marks are visible on the plate except for the neat looking Robin Razor emblem; extra polishing is evident along the edges of the plate where face contact is made so I’m expecting a very smooth shave. I don’t often make comment on the cases that razors come in (even if I like to store razors in their original cases) but the Robin case is exceptional. It is a coffin shaped two piece wooden construction where each piece fits precisely into the other section, it’s small but there is enough room for two pucks of blades also.

This is one mild razor with efficiency about that of a Karve CB Level #A. To me mild razors, especially those like this Robin with neutral blade feel, are simply plain hard work. It is frustrating having to continually clean up sections that the razor passed over leaving whiskers still standing. As suggested, this razor felt smooth against the skin and after much tidying up, I achieved an acceptably result but that didn’t last long. Fitting a Feather blade achieved nothing. This razor is not for me. I would like to see a revised model with more efficiency and a more positive blade.

Blades Used – Rapira Sweedish Supersteel and Feather
Material – Bronze
Blade Tab - Exposed
Weight – 95g
Head Width – 41.52mm
Handle Length – 89.61mm
Across the Flats – 10.43mm
Availability – Etsy
Final Word – Not good
Click to expand...

I had never heard of a Robin razor so I had a few questions to ask. I’ve left Sam to describe his own works, which he has done quite admirably.

Hello Errol,

Thank you for your order and interest. Not a nuisance, BTW, I'm happy to give more info - sorry for the delay in responding to your message or order.

No shame in not having heard of the Robin! -- they've only recently been launched. They are indeed made in very small quantities (just getting past made-to-order at this point). (I hope to ramp up production a little toward end of 2021) I make them in my home workshop, and at a local foundry co-op (for cast parts, such as the three bronze components in the classic razor that you ordered).

As for what you can expect, well, the cast bronze Robin Razor is fairly unique in terms of what is on the market. I'm not sure how familiar you are with DESRs (double edge safety razors); I'm under the impression they are not completely new to you - apologies if I'm mistaken.

Most DESRs are made by die-casting, machining or by metal injection molding. In contrast, the Robin bronze classic safety razors are made by investment casting, and are hand finished (with the exception of the base-plate, which I machine finish).

The bronze classic razors are designed to give a fairly mild shave - I wanted to make something that would be a solid daily driver of a razor. There's a bit of a large-ish cap span (distance from edge of blade to edge of cap, which allows the user to get a bit more aggressive of a shave by applying a bit of pressure - should they so desire. Blade has neutral exposure - doesn't stick out from or recess into the cap and baseplate.

Also notable is that there is a fair bit of heft to them (they're made of solid bronze, after all). I'm casting these razors at what is for the most part an art (ie: bronze sculpture) foundry, and so the polished bronze surfaces will indeed change in appearance over time, with the bronze developing a nice patina (a thin oxidised surface layer) - so the character (or at least it's appearance) will change over time. Artists will indeed intentionally add 'artificial' patinas to bronze sculptures. But if you prefer that shiny new look, you can always polish away the patina every so often - just use a super fine abrasive pad or steel wool, and avoid polishing much on the surfaces that actually make contact with the razor blade itself.

A pretty important difference between my cast bronze razors vs a lot of other DESRs is that mine are hand finished. Unlike some of the ultra-precision machined razors out there, mine are by necessity still precision-made (a DESR kind of has to be), but not with as tight dimensional tolerances as you'll get with CNC machined parts. But each Robin component (with exception of base plate) is carefully hand finished and then inspected for quality. An old-fashioned way of making parts for an old invention! Surface markings or superficial casting defects will occasionally be visible, but I always make sure that they are not impinging on the proper fit or dimensions of the critical surfaces (ie: anything that affects blade geometry).

I hope that this gives you a bit of the kind of info you seek. Please let me know if you have further Qs.
 
Errol said:
Robin Classic DE (Canada)



I didn’t even know of this razor existence until I saw this one advertised for sale the other day, so I ordered it. Robin razors are made in very limited numbers in a small home-based workshop in Montreal. All three components are investment cast from a silicon based bronze alloy and then each piece is machine or hand finished. As I unscrewed the handle, it was disappointing to feel the sloppy fit of the handle thread, it worked, but for a premium priced razor, it needs to be much better. I’m sure I’ve seen a similar styled handle on a vintage razor but I just can’t put a name to that razor; ten sides, with some grooves machined for the forward grip; a bit thin but it looks fantastic in polished bronze and should provide positive grip. A very flat looking cap is utilized which helps minimise the thickness of the head, therefore shaving those difficult to get to areas should be no issue. Investment casting is said to deliver a very accurate reproduction of the part being cast therefore I question why there are what looks like machine marks on the back of the cap. Certainly, they are not visible when the Robin is assembled but it would have improved presentation if all marks were polished out before the casting process commenced; all caps would then have an unmarked back. Very few marks are visible on the plate except for the neat looking Robin Razor emblem; extra polishing is evident along the edges of the plate where face contact is made so I’m expecting a very smooth shave. I don’t often make comment on the cases that razors come in (even if I like to store razors in their original cases) but the Robin case is exceptional. It is a coffin shaped two piece wooden construction where each piece fits precisely into the other section, it’s small but there is enough room for two pucks of blades also.

This is one mild razor with efficiency about that of a Karve CB Level #A. To me mild razors, especially those like this Robin with neutral blade feel, are simply plain hard work. It is frustrating having to continually clean up sections that the razor passed over leaving whiskers still standing. As suggested, this razor felt smooth against the skin and after much tidying up, I achieved an acceptably result but that didn’t last long. Fitting a Feather blade achieved nothing. This razor is not for me. I would like to see a revised model with more efficiency and a more positive blade.

Blades Used – Rapira Sweedish Supersteel and Feather
Material – Bronze
Blade Tab - Exposed
Weight – 95g
Head Width – 41.52mm
Handle Length – 89.61mm
Across the Flats – 10.43mm
Availability – Etsy
Final Word – Not good
Click to expand...
Wow! I'm afraid to ask how much it cost, but I have to know.
 
mtpedals said:
Errol, Thanks so much for these reviews. I find them both wonderfully helpful and am often introduced to a razor I didn’t even know existed. As Razor Burn said, it’s a highlight everytime I come to the forum to read your reviews. Be well, Mark
Click to expand...
Hope you're doing well @mtpedals , always great having you pop by to say howdy. ;)
 
Rocnel Sailor S Adjustable 2021 (Turkey)



This year’s 2021 Sailor S has had a massive 48g carved from last year’s massively overweight effort; some weight has been taken off the head and the shortening of the handle also contributed. Even after losing that huge amount of weight, the head is still massively thick and heavy. Weight has certainly been reduced from the lower section of the plate but while Rocnel persist with utilizing their two spring bottom plate design I cannot see where there can be too much reduction in the plate thickness, those two springs have to sit somewhere. Gone is the gold ring on the adjuster of the 2020 S Sailor, to be replaced with a highly polished stainless steel imitation incorporated into the rear knob/ adjuster. Rocnel have engraved the adjustment positions on that imitation ring but they’re difficult to read; next time Mr Rocnel, please set the engraver a little deeper. It is a hotch-potch of finishes that make up the 2021 Sailor S, a highly polished adjuster, top satin finish on the remainder of the handle, surface grinder finish on the head except for the underside of the cap where there’s machining marks aplenty. Surprisingly, the whole razors looks just come together.

I don’t ever remember purchasing a new razor before where there was a blade actually fitted in the razor; of course, being Rocnel, it was a Feather blade. Rocnel have always had an affiliation with Feather blades and this continues but the Sailor S 2021 will now take all blades. Notwithstanding, the Feather was superb. On picking the razor up, the first observation is the weight, despite the considerable weight loss from last year’s version this is still a head heavy razor. That head heavy feel has been enhanced by the shortening of the handle. The 2021 Sailor S is a two piece razor and there are no alignment marks between the cap and plate; however, fitted one way the #I aligns with the marker post and the other way around – it doesn't. Never following convention, I started the shave on #V; at #V it felt like I was using an overweight R41, with probably more blade feel. When wound back to #III, I was in my comfort zone; somewhere between Karve CB Level #C and #D at a much reduced amount of blade feel. All the lower settings were very usable, even #1 where the blade feel was ever so sweet, delivering a remarkably comfortable and close shave. Don’t ask about settings #VI, I didn’t go there. Rocnel’s 2021 Sailor S shaves exceptionally well and there is a setting there to suit most; the only thing Rocnel has it do now is to design another 40g from the head.

Adjustment Range – #I - #VI with intermediate dots
  • #I – Mild but with positive blade feel, it was very usable
  • #II – Karve CB Level #C minus - pleasant amount of blade feel
  • #III – Karve CB Level #C - #D - pleasant amount of blade feel
  • #IV – Karve CB Level #D plus - positive blade feel
  • #V – R41 - plus plenty of positive blade
Blades Used – Ladas and Feather
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab – Covered
Weight – 134g
Head Width – 45.87mm
Handle Length – 75.1mm
Handle Diameter – 13.96mm
Availability – Rocnel and Bullgoose Shaving
Final Word – Pity about the thick head
 
Homelike Taiga 2 Ti (Russia)



It had to happen. Eventually someone was going to be the first to release a machined titanium adjustable razor; it has now eventuated and the gong goes to the Homelike Taiga 2 Ti. Only thirty of these little beauties were available in the first drop and these seemed to take forever to sell off - Price??? Homelike’s Taiga Ti is based on the second generation of the Taiga. While the first generation of the Taiga was stainless steel with both SB and OC plates plus the option of a titanium handle; this generation of the Taiga comes in both stainless steel and titanium variants with a SB plate only. This week I’m reviewing the titanium version.

Just like the original, the Taiga 2 Ti can be completely stripped to its seven individual parts without the use of tools; remembering that there are both left and right handed threads in the assembly with alignment marks on the cap and both sections of the plate. It was intriguing to observe the quality polished finish on each component. The initial purchase price of the Taiga 2 Ti may have been steep but with the parts laid out in front of me, I can see how the expense has been justified; I was simply blown away, this is manufacturing perfection. One spring maintains pressure between the top and bottom sections of the plate and has been incorporated into the shoulder of the handle thus permitting the plates to be quite thin. When assembled, the thickness of the head does not immediately portray that you are using an adjustable. It would never do for me to strip an adjustable and not apply a drop of oil to each thread; the improvement in smoothness was immense.

With the rotating adjuster on setting #4, the Taiga performed in an area above Karve CB Level #D efficiency with a positive amount of blade feel; very usable but there was better to come. Dropping the setting back to #3 saw an immediate improvement in both the way the razor felt and performed; between Karve CB #C - #D efficiency with a pleasant amount of blade feel, that shave felt relaxed. Setting #2 was very usable and the Taiga performed effortlessly but when I selected #1 it was into my no-go zone – mild and no blade feel, you can be sure I did not spend a lot of time there. I used only the numbered settings but there are marked midway lines between the numbers and even these gaps can be infinitely broken down to refine the shave. When I used the Taiga in the range of settings that worked for me, I was in heaven; importantly, the razor felt light in the hand, was menouverable, secure grip and the head thickness did not pose any problems in those tight parts. Taiga’s Ti 2 Adjustable razor very much appeals to me. Homelike have a Taiga LE listed but it has been sitting there for ages with a note ‘Coming soon in stock’. Now, after sampling the standard Ti, I am a lot more interested in the LE.

Adjustment Range – #1 - #5 with mid position lines
  • #1 - Useless
  • #2 – Karve CB Level #C minus - an amount of positive blade
  • #3 – Karve CB Level #C - #D – an amount of positive blade
  • #4 – Karve CB Level #D plus – positive blade feel
  • #5 – One long cut
Blades Used – Ladas and Triton
Material – Titanium BT3-1
Blade Tab – Covered
Weight – 61g
Head Width – 43.2mm
Handle Length – 84.88mm
Handle Diameter – 11.81mm
Availability – Homelike Shaving
Final Word – Liked it
 
Great review as always and great to read that the Taiga continues to produce with the recent release. (y)
 
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