Errol
Razor Review Guru
Blackland Blackbird – Polished OC (USA)
When the Blackbird is removed from the package it is the high quality polished finish that immediately grabs the attention. Both sides of the plate, the top of the cap and the handle have all received the work over while on the underside of the cap, it’s a machine finish greets you. I once tried to give the underside of a Blackbird cap the perfect polished finish and despite putting hours of work into the project, I would still only give myself 7/10 for the job; I now know just how hard it is to achieve a perfect polished finish on that underside of any cap. Clamping is well inboard and not at the outed extremities of the cap as is my preferred option. Compensating for the inside clamping, there is quite a lot of stiffness generated on the blade due to its curvature. Normally I would say that a handle of just under 11mm effective diameter is too thin, but somehow it seems about right on the Blackbird. Two length handles are available for the Blackbird: 85mm and 101mm and I use the 85mm handle. There is a flanged section at the front of the handle but for me, it was too far forward so apart from the artistic value was immaterial but the eight longitudinal grooves machined into the length of the handle provided a positive grip.
Blackland’s Blackbird OC did not disappoint. With an efficiency level equivalent to that of a Karve CB #D plate and a noticeable, but pleasant amount of blade feel, it was a delight to use. To be honest, the Blackbird’s first shave was in trying circumstances; that horrible Lord Cool blade used last week had scraped my face in a few places and it had not recovered when I used the Blackbird OC for the first time. I could certainly feel the Blackbird working over the affected areas but it did not aggravate the situation; all other shaves were pretty much as would be expected using such a great razor. With that shortish handle the Blackbird OC could be manoeuvred around quite freely and the low-profile head was beneficial in those tight spots. Shaves were smooth and certainly close, here is a razor to be appreciated.
Blades Used – Gillette Platinum and Willy’s Premium
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab – Slightly exposed
Weight – 95mm
Head Width – 41.96mm
Handle Length – 82.05mm
Handle Diameter – 10.86mm
Availability – Blackland
Final Word – A pleasure
When the Blackbird is removed from the package it is the high quality polished finish that immediately grabs the attention. Both sides of the plate, the top of the cap and the handle have all received the work over while on the underside of the cap, it’s a machine finish greets you. I once tried to give the underside of a Blackbird cap the perfect polished finish and despite putting hours of work into the project, I would still only give myself 7/10 for the job; I now know just how hard it is to achieve a perfect polished finish on that underside of any cap. Clamping is well inboard and not at the outed extremities of the cap as is my preferred option. Compensating for the inside clamping, there is quite a lot of stiffness generated on the blade due to its curvature. Normally I would say that a handle of just under 11mm effective diameter is too thin, but somehow it seems about right on the Blackbird. Two length handles are available for the Blackbird: 85mm and 101mm and I use the 85mm handle. There is a flanged section at the front of the handle but for me, it was too far forward so apart from the artistic value was immaterial but the eight longitudinal grooves machined into the length of the handle provided a positive grip.
Blackland’s Blackbird OC did not disappoint. With an efficiency level equivalent to that of a Karve CB #D plate and a noticeable, but pleasant amount of blade feel, it was a delight to use. To be honest, the Blackbird’s first shave was in trying circumstances; that horrible Lord Cool blade used last week had scraped my face in a few places and it had not recovered when I used the Blackbird OC for the first time. I could certainly feel the Blackbird working over the affected areas but it did not aggravate the situation; all other shaves were pretty much as would be expected using such a great razor. With that shortish handle the Blackbird OC could be manoeuvred around quite freely and the low-profile head was beneficial in those tight spots. Shaves were smooth and certainly close, here is a razor to be appreciated.
Blades Used – Gillette Platinum and Willy’s Premium
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab – Slightly exposed
Weight – 95mm
Head Width – 41.96mm
Handle Length – 82.05mm
Handle Diameter – 10.86mm
Availability – Blackland
Final Word – A pleasure