Weekly Razor Review

Mark1966 said:
For a country that have produced some FANTASTIC designs over the centuries and, as you say, has soem high quality engineers that looks well, pretty amateur!
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For something advertised @ $185AUD on Fendrihan, it's an extremely poor quality finish. But this model also looks a fair bit less refined than most of their other (conventional) DE razors, so maybe not representative of the brand so much as it is a dud model.

I just found this thread, and it's amazing - thank you @Errol for your efforts.
 
Mark1966 said:
For a country that have produced some FANTASTIC designs over the centuries and, as you say, has soem high quality engineers that looks well, pretty amateur!
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I find it always amusing, that in these parts of the world Italian Engineers/Manufacturing is so highly regarded...when you grow up north of the border (from Italy that is - so Austria) and you have German and Swiss Engineering/Manufacturing (as well as Austrian to some extent) as your base line...you would almost expect this from an Italian product, wouldn't you ;)
 
@Errol

Do you think that the complications of the blade loading procedure, combined with a blade that maybe sub standard, could have lead to a blade that may not be properly aligned?

As you are very experienced with Razor testing, do you think there is a flaw in the design of the razor like there was with the Gen 1 Fatip Gentile?
 
alfredus said:
I find it always amusing, that in these parts of the world Italian Engineers/Manufacturing is so highly regarded...when you grow up north of the border (from Italy that is - so Austria) and you have German and Swiss Engineering/Manufacturing (as well as Austrian to some extent) as your base line...you would almost expect this from an Italian product, wouldn't you ;)
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Well we were not talking about German / Swiss engineering...

My ideal product - Italian design, Swiss/German engineering, British production (in the later 1940s/early 1950s)
 
rhodes96 said:
@Errol

Do you think that the complications of the blade loading procedure, combined with a blade that maybe sub standard, could have lead to a blade that may not be properly aligned?

As you are very experienced with Razor testing, do you think there is a flaw in the design of the razor like there was with the Gen 1 Fatip Gentile?
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Good questions @rhodes96

It’s a fiddly operation to load a blade but I’m confident it was correctly seated before I started the shave. Since I purchased my R50, Focus have released a revised version where the head is equipped with couple of pins on the cap to assist locating the blade. It is a positive method of ensuring the blade is seated properly and a great modification.

I’m of the opinion that the Leaf blade is not at fault. I’ve used them previously in both the Leaf and in a DE capacity and found them to be quite a good mid range blade. I chose the Leaf because I’ve got a heap of them and they are used in the Leaf which also uses ½ DE blades.

My theory is that the problem with the R50 is that the spring in the head is too heavy and not allowing the head to flex. On the up stroke I mentioned that the head was sitting at a very acute angle and I feel that was because the heavy spring would not permit the head to flex. When I purchased the razor there was mention of calibration but there were no instructions in the package and I cannot see how to on the razor. To be perfectly honest I’m not going looking to find out how either. There are plenty of good razors out there without looking for a fault in a razor I don’t like.
 
alfredus said:
I find it always amusing, that in these parts of the world Italian and you have German and Swiss Engineering/Manufacturing (as well as Austrian to some extent) as your base line...you would almost expect this from an Italian product, wouldn't you ;)
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People make a lot of fuss about German engineering, but I always find myself wondering... if it's really that great, how come the Murker blade is such crap?
 
Gargravarr said:
People make a lot of fuss about German engineering, but I always find myself wondering... if it's really that great, how come the Murker blade is such crap?
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SpeedyPC said:
Because they’re sharp blade edge is not as good and smoother against the Russian blades.
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the square blocky engineering of the Panzer IV compared to the T34. Which had the better angled edges?
 
Paradigm 2019 Diamondback (USA)



Paradigm have modernised their expression with this razor taking it from the Art Deco style of the 1930’s in their earlier DE releases to what now looks like it’s come out of the 1950’s. This design started life with a couple of prototypes being released for evaluation and known then as the Javelin. It was to be released in aluminium but difficulties in finding a suitable finish for the aluminium saw it finally released in 303 stainless steel and given the model designation, Diamondback. When I put my money down the razor was going to come in a matt finish but during production hold ups, the decision was made to polish the razor. Early photos of the plate show well defined flats and corner lines on the blade side of the plate. During finishing these flats have been polished off effectively rounding the corners leaving me to think the polish job was done in an effort to alter the razor’s efficiency. Usually the underside of the cap is the section to miss the detailed polishing but for some reason on the 2019 Diamondback the underside has received the most attention. The remainder of the polish job on the head has what can best be described as a very second class machine polish. I’m sure that with some metal polish, a soft cloth and ten minutes I could transform this finish to a first class presentation but I shouldn’t have to and I’m not going to. A hexagonal cross sectioned handle with diamond profiles engraved along each flat is the inspiration for the Diamondback naming. These hexagonal handles must be easy to polish because the handle positively sparkles; the finish of the 2019 Diamondback razor is just so all over the place. There are wide flats machined onto the cap but its edge extends past the corresponding flats on the plate; an interesting design. To clear the lather, one long groove is milled into each side of the plate.

Let’s load a blade and see what the end result has been. First pass using the Astra Blue and I kept checking that a blade was fitted, the shave was just so smooth. With an efficiency level about that of a Karve CB Level #B plus, the resultant shave was just so comfortable with just a minute amount of blade feel, the 2019 Diamondback was a real pleasure to use. I was not satisfied with a super smooth and relaxed shave so for the second blade, inserted a Feather. As it turned out, the Feather blade only improved the quality of the shave, if that was possible. Although on the mild side of mid efficiency, this is one very impressive razor.

Blades Used – Astra Blue and Feather
Weepers - None
Material – 303 Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 113g
Head Width – 43.04mm
Handle Length – 91.94mm
Handle Across Flats – 11.5mm
Availability – Out of production
Final Word – A pleasure
 
Paradigm 2020 Diamondback (USA)



For the 2020 Diamondback release, Paradigm done away with using a third party retailer as they have done previously and completed the sales process through their own resources. Personally, I would much prefer to speak with the manufacturer responsible for the razor than go through a third party so for me this is a positive even if I have to go through a shipping company to get the razor into Australia. As soon the packaging is opened, it’s a highly polished razor that greets you. Extremely well finished but only someone who has never inspected a Wolfman will say it’s as good; evidence of machine marks is visible on the back of the cap. Unlike the 2019 version, the flats and corners on the plate have not been rounded off, they remain crisp and sharp. It is a very well made and constructed razor where the thread engagement is both firm and smooth; the whole razor just presents in that quality persona. Paradigm have continued the precedence set with their very first released Titanium of not putting any names or identification markings on any of their razors. Visually the 2020 Diamondback is very similar to the 2019, same handle design same features however the 2020 Diamondback is far better finished overall. If you read the manufacturers description all that is mentioned is the polish job, so Mr Paradigm must be very content with the quality of his work.

After such a pleasurable result from the 2019 Diamondback, I was left to wonder what could have been done to improve the quality of the shave in 2020 update. The fact of the matter is that nothing was done, I could detect no difference between the two and the 2020 Diamondback performed exactly the same as the 2019 Diamondback. There were no complaints from me; super smooth, a pleasant amount of blade feel, close and with the same Karve CB level #B plus efficiency. With the 2020 Diamondback, Paradigm have improved the quality of the finished product and retained the same very pleasant shave experience. Well done.

Blades Used – Gillette Silver Blue and Gillette Wilkinson
Material – 303 Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 113g
Head Width – 43.04mm
Handle Length – 91.94mm
Handle Across Flats – 11.5mm
Availability – Out of production
Final Word – Delightful
 
Another delightful review @Errol. I'm interested to see how the new Paradigm Shaveware and Grooming Dept collaboration goes with the upcoming Apogee razors as they're claiming to ensure they reach a larger audience...?
 
Errol said:
Focus Dynamic R50 (Italy)



Italy is blessed in having some of the best engineers in the world; leaders in the design and manufacturing of anything made of metal including some very desirable automobiles and the most complicated machinery to be seen on the planet; let’s see if they can design and build a razor? When I first read the description for this razor, I had no idea what was being described; hooks, pins, special keys and calibration, what are they talking about? To be perfectly honest I did not know what I was about to purchase. Opening the package, I’m confronted with what is definitely a different looking shaving device. For a start the handle has probably started life as a round piece of stainless steel but has had sections milled off/ out of, but it does feel like it will work OK. When I undone the plastic band around the head, the cap which is a simply plate promptly fell on the floor. Two pins on the cap mate into slotted holes in the bottom plate and with no blade fitted there is no pressure against the cap so as soon as the razor is rotated the cap falls off. Now I’ll be upfront and admit that I’m very predigest when it comes to floppy headed razors, ahhhhhhh! floating head (for the purists) and to make things even more interesting the R50 takes a ½ DE blade. Basically, this is a two piece razor although there are many pieces used in the design so they can get their floppy head working. A very pleasing satin finish has been applied to the R50; looks nice but it’s not enough to get me over the line just yet; the quality of the shave has to do that.

It’s suggested that the DE blade should be broken in two and not cut; the curved portion at the break assists in retaining the cap in position. Sounds like a plan, I’m not a plumber and don’t want to be searching through the gunk in the U bend of the basin looking for a wayward cap. In practice, loading the blade is a fiddly operation that would take time learn and I must admit that I didn’t learn. My first pass is mainly upstrokes and for the most part the razor done an admirable job although the spring action never seemed to be working so this made the cutting angle noticeably acute. Re-lather, downward strokes and all hell broke out. It was not the weepers on my neck that were the problem, it was the two long cuts (12/ 15mm) on the left side of the face and I’d only attempted shaving one side of my handsome mug. Bugger this, I don’t have to put up with this crap so I finished the shave off with another razor and packed the Focus away.

Blades Used – Leaf Super + Platinum
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 93g
Head Width – 44.08mm
Handle Length – approx 102mm
Handle Diameter – 11.9mm
Availability – Focus
Final Word – Not for this little black duck
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I bought the aluminium version a couple of years ago, and the first time I used it, I had the worst shaving experience by far. It was horrible, I looked like Norman Gunston when I was done. The R41 is child’s play compared to the focus; anyway enough ranting.
 
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