Weekly Razor Review

Morholt said:
Yes, the price is a problem indeed. Taxes and customs added on top for non-Americans. Plus shipping.

I got an Envoy, way cheaper and a good way to see if I like the style.
I do not see why REX should be so expensive. Price aside, the head didn't impress me shaving wise. It was a huge disappointment. I like the stand though, finally a stand that definitely doesn't fall over...^^

Not a disappointment but always shy of reaching the desired efficiency was the Timeless .95 scalloped bar for me. I liked it enough to give the .5 Slim OC head a try, and boom... together with a scalloped cap, this one is love.
I am afraid they don't plan to make a steel handle version of the Ti Crown handle anytime soon, a pity. Might have to get it in titanium then.

The Pineapple handle was fancy looking, in practice... it rather threatens to scratch the baseplate if ones doesn't use the delrin washer the razor comes with. I replaced it with a 85mm barberpole from Timeless.

A cheap razor I liked recently is the Razorine Flatboy. I have the 72 handle version. It is basically the Razorine shavette head now mounted on a DE handle. The brass head is nice, the handle has machining marks and definitely not for perfectionists. A buddy doesn't like it much, but as long as I do not search for them I do not see them, good enough for me.

For Rex, I do not think their head design, which is unlike "modern" clamping heavy designs I appreciate, will ever do it for me. Lots of exposure, little blade support. Was just not a fan and given the quality I got, their semipolished matte finish, I do not think their price is warranted at all. In general enthusiast razors are expensive, but I think the top end producers can demand such prices. There are many black sheep though when it comes to what they ask and what they deliver in quality and finish.
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What I hated in the finish of the Razorine, the razor more than redeemed itself in the shave. Easily one of the best bang-for-the-buck razor EVER. @Errol you really should give this one a run :D This is one of the super rare diamond in the rough razor... for me at least :)
 
Clumsybull said:
What I hated in the finish of the Razorine, the razor more than redeemed itself in the shave. Easily one of the best bang-for-the-buck razor EVER. @Errol you really should give this one a run :D This is one of the super rare diamond in the rough razor... for me at least :)
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I have had a Razorine for three or four years but haven’t got around to putting a blade in it. One day.
 
Golden Shave OC (Italy)



One day I’m going to surprise myself and read the full advertisement before I buy the razor. A few hours after ordering the Golden Shave I was reading the advertisement again (probably fully for the first time) and they’re talking about an open comb head and a closed comb head. I wondered which one I’d bought, turns out they are both included in the purchase price - GOLDEN SHAVE HANDMADE SAFETY RAZOR - DOUBLE HEAD – Yes, I’d seen that, but I thought the Italian translation had been a little off for double edge. One for me; I’ve paid more than the total purchase price of the razor for just one plate with some other purchases. Toss up - came down OC, so that is the subject of this review (plus, it was the plate fitted as delivered)

When I opened the packaging, I was amazed at the quality of the polished finish but as I studied the head, there was a lot of play noted around the blade post holes in the plate. This play does not seem to have any ill effect on the way the cap sits, it always lined up square as the handle was tightened, I don’t think there will be an issue but will keep a bit of an eye on it for a while. Large flats are machined at the outed edges of the cap and these mate securely with the curved top section of the plate. There are nice thick teeth on the open comb and with the polished finish it is difficult to feel them. I keep getting the feeling that I’m looking at a razor that has a lot of heritage and much in common with razors from the 1930’s era; long blade posts and a short, thin handle with longitudinal grooves running along its length add to this illusion. Thread engagement is very good and there is ample length to the handle post, but the length of the cap is marginally shorter than the plate. Getting back to the polished finish, I’ve not seen before where the underside of the cap is better finished than the underside of the plate where there are marks that look like imperfections from the stock material. It’s not that the underside of the plate is bad, but it is not finished as well as the remainder of the razor.

Karve CB Level #C efficiency, maybe a whisker more, a pleasant amount of blade feel and smooth, oh so smooth, what more could anyone want from a razor. Well, I would like a little bit more girth on the handle, it’s very much on the thin side. Longitudinal grooves along the handle afford good grip, are positive in control and make the Golden Shave very maneuverable. Fitting the Wizamet Polsilver blade made a big improvement to the shave, the performance of the Golden Shave went up a notch, the razor felt just that little bit better all around. For those who work through a selection of blades to gain optimum effectiveness, there are certainly gains to be made by your experimenting, in the two blades I used there was vast difference in performance. This razor is good, in fact, I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend it for those who enjoy a razor on the milder side.

Blades Used – Merkur Super Platinum and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – Brass
Blade Tab – Slight exposure
Weight – 75g
Head Width – 42.16mm
Handle Length – 75.43mm
Handle Diameter – 10mm
Availability – Golden Beard
Final Word – Mild
 
Errol said:
Golden Shave OC (Italy)



One day I’m going to surprise myself and read the full advertisement before I buy the razor. A few hours after ordering the Golden Shave I was reading the advertisement again (probably fully for the first time) and they’re talking about an open comb head and a closed comb head. I wondered which one I’d bought, turns out they are both included in the purchase price - GOLDEN SHAVE HANDMADE SAFETY RAZOR - DOUBLE HEAD – Yes, I’d seen that, but I thought the Italian translation had been a little off for double edge. One for me; I’ve paid more than the total purchase price of the razor for just one plate with some other purchases. Toss up - came down OC, so that is the subject of this review (plus, it was the plate fitted as delivered)

When I opened the packaging, I was amazed at the quality of the polished finish but as I studied the head, there was a lot of play noted around the blade post holes in the plate. This play does not seem to have any ill effect on the way the cap sits, it always lined up square as the handle was tightened, I don’t think there will be an issue but will keep a bit of an eye on it for a while. Large flats are machined at the outed edges of the cap and these mate securely with the curved top section of the plate. There are nice thick teeth on the open comb and with the polished finish it is difficult to feel them. I keep getting the feeling that I’m looking at a razor that has a lot of heritage and much in common with razors from the 1930’s era; long blade posts and a short, thin handle with longitudinal grooves running along its length add to this illusion. Thread engagement is very good and there is ample length to the handle post, but the length of the cap is marginally shorter than the plate. Getting back to the polished finish, I’ve not seen before where the underside of the cap is better finished than the underside of the plate where there are marks that look like imperfections from the stock material. It’s not that the underside of the plate is bad, but it is not finished as well as the remainder of the razor.

Karve CB Level #C efficiency, maybe a whisker more, a pleasant amount of blade feel and smooth, oh so smooth, what more could anyone want from a razor. Well, I would like a little bit more girth on the handle, it’s very much on the thin side. Longitudinal grooves along the handle afford good grip, are positive in control and make the Golden Shave very maneuverable. Fitting the Wizamet Polsilver blade made a big improvement to the shave, the performance of the Golden Shave went up a notch, the razor felt just that little bit better all around. For those who work through a selection of blades to gain optimum effectiveness, there are certainly gains to be made by your experimenting, in the two blades I used there was vast difference in performance. This razor is good, in fact, I was very pleasantly surprised and would recommend it for those who enjoy a razor on the milder side.

Blades Used – Merkur Super Platinum and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – Brass
Blade Tab – Slight exposure
Weight – 75g
Head Width – 42.16mm
Handle Length – 75.43mm
Handle Diameter – 10mm
Availability – Golden Beard
Final Word – Mild
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Just ordered one. It seems thaey ship free to U.S.
 
Ummm...is this just another Fatip 'clone'?
Looks so much similar to my Piccolo, and supplied with both OC and SB plates...then surely it's just a rebadged Fatip SE kit (Special Edition) and with gold only (no two tone gold/black)? Plus it has the Fatip foibles that we all love and admire...slightly sloppy finish and blade alignment issues.
But this is just added character.
https://www.fatip.it/en/piccolo/piccolo-special-edition/
Should mention that I do still enjoy my wee Fatip Piccolo.
 
Blackie said:
Ummm...is this just another Fatip 'clone'?
Looks so much similar to my Piccolo, and supplied with both OC and SB plates...then surely it's just a rebadged Fatip SE kit (Special Edition) and with gold only (no two tone gold/black)? Plus it has the Fatip foibles that we all love and admire...slightly sloppy finish and blade alignment issues.
But this is just added character.
https://www.fatip.it/en/piccolo/piccolo-special-edition/
Should mention that I do still enjoy my wee Fatip Piccolo.
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Yep, it does very much look like my Fatip Piccolo.
 
Blackie said:
Ummm...is this just another Fatip 'clone'?
Looks so much similar to my Piccolo, and supplied with both OC and SB plates...then surely it's just a rebadged Fatip SE kit (Special Edition) and with gold only (no two tone gold/black)? Plus it has the Fatip foibles that we all love and admire...slightly sloppy finish and blade alignment issues.
But this is just added character.
https://www.fatip.it/en/piccolo/piccolo-special-edition/
Should mention that I do still enjoy my wee Fatip Piccolo.
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Hos said:
Yep, it does very much look like my Fatip Piccolo.
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Depends, IF, the head and base plate blade geometry are slightly different from the original Fatip Piccolo. Only @Errol can comment on this between two razors Fatip Piccolo vs Golden Shave.

Also @Errol is the thread diameter M5 or I think is M3 from the original Fatip?

il_1140xN.2215443575_mloy.jpg
 
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Barbaros TR-2 Titanium (Turkey)



I’ve heard it said that titanium is ridiculously expensive in Turkey so I wasn’t sure if it was an April fools joke when Bullgoose advised they were releasing the Barbaros TR-2 Ti on 1st April; turned out to be true though. Stainless steel versions of the TR-2 razor has been around for some time, initially machined from 316L stainless steel and 304 stainless steel used in their later versions. Presented in a bead blasted finish, the TR2 Ti looks stunning; there’s something about bead blasted finishes and titanium, they compliment each other so well. A thinnish cap with large flats on its outer edge edge is utilised but this feature is a little lost because the flats on the plate are set a inside the line of the cap. There is sufficient length of handle post to allow for use of the supplied nylon washer and the thread engagement feels both smooth and positive also. Barbaros razors have been fitted with their Levend style handle since their first released TR-1 razor; a simple cylindrical shape with deep spiraling grooves down its length and true to form, this remains true for the TR-2 Ti.

With a combination of a solid feeling handle, spiraling grooves and the natural ability of bead blasted titanium to grip, the TR-2 Ti felt very secure in the hand; my ideal length of handle also permitted the razor to be very maneuverable. With a Gillette Minora blade fitted the efficiency of the TR-2 Ti was marginally above the Karve CB level #C; however, the Feather blade upped the efficiency to just under Karve CB Level #D and the shave felt so much improved. Both blades delivered shaving smoothness and luckily this smoothness translated to a close shave that lasted. This razor felt as safe as a house and that inspired the confidence to allow the mind to work in neutral and not have to worry about any consequences. While the TR-2 Ti delivered a pleasant enough shave with the Gillette Minora blade, it was only with the Feather blade that I really appreciate the ability of the TR-2 Ti. Take time to explore different blade options and you will be well rewarded.

Blades Used – Gillette Minora and Feather
Material – Titanium
Blade Tab – Small exposure
Weight – 70g
Head Width – 42.03mm
Handle Length – 84.96mm
Handle Diameter – 13.97mm
Availability – Bullgoose
Final Word – Feather please
 
I don't know the planned schedule, just want to throw in that I love the relatively new Razorock Lupo .95 OC. It gives a closer shave way more effortlessly than the .95 SB. I cannot overstate how much more I like the Lupo with the OC baseplate.

As I like the Lupo .95 OC so very much, I have set my eyes on Wolfman as the Lupo is supposedly a Wolfman inspired copy, and wonder if a .95 OC Wolfman would be close to the Razorock Lupo .95 OC? Or if it is still different. Maybe it could also be roughly compared to other Wolfman plates. Narrowing it down to 1-2 would be extremely helpful and money-saving.
 
Morholt said:
I don't know the planned schedule, just want to throw in that I love the relatively new Razorock Lupo .95 OC. It gives a closer shave way more effortlessly than the .95 SB. I cannot overstate how much more I like the Lupo with the OC baseplate.

As I like the Lupo .95 OC so very much, I have set my eyes on Wolfman as the Lupo is supposedly a Wolfman inspired copy, and wonder if a .95 OC Wolfman would be close to the Razorock Lupo .95 OC? Or if it is still different. Maybe it could also be roughly compared to other Wolfman plates. Narrowing it down to 1-2 would be extremely helpful and money-saving.
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I haven’t used the Lupo .95 OC but if your saying it is producing a more effortless shave than the SB, I still would not go past a Wolfman .74 in efficiency, more likely a .67. There is no correlation between the two sets of numbering used by Wolfman and Razorock.
 
Matti Lindholm MLS21 OC (Sweeden)



JJ Shaves offered an enhanced version of the Matti Lindholm MLS21 with extra polishing for what seemed like a reasonable price, so I took them up on their offer and purchased one. I also grabbed the standard version as delivered by Matti Lindholm and it is the standard version being reviewing this week. Matti Lindholm has interests in all aspects of shaving but specializing in straight razors, their manufacture, offers a honing service and the production of the MLS21 is an extension of his skills with a genuinely handmade DE razor. Both the cap and plate are fabricated from flat sheet stainless steel that is later curved over an anvil with a die in a hydraulic press. My first observation was just how thin the two pieces of the head are but in no way are they flimsy; they do give new meaning to a thin head though. There is no neck on the cylindrical shaped handle which produces a distinct contrast to the light plates of the head. Grooves machined into the handle shaft add visual touches and they should provide a confident grip level.

Maybe it’s Matti’s straight razor background coming to the fore but a Feather blade was included in the packaging, I can take a hint so a Feather was my first blade choice. Because the MLS21 is genuinely handmade, I paid particular attention to the blade gap; everything was parallel, all the gaps looked equal so there was nothing to be concerned about, perfection. I’m going to put my head on the chopping block a bit here and say that efficiency is around that of a Karve CB #D plate, but with so much blade feel it is very difficult to tell. A smooth shave and the MLS21 will not be included in the same sentence, the amount of blade exposure sees to that. While I’m on about the amount of blade exposure, I did not feel vulnerable and didn’t mind using the MLS21 but anyone with an aversion to blade feel would be well advised to look elsewhere for a razor. With each stroke, whiskers were sheared off and the shaved area felt slick. There was plenty of grip available with the handle, wet or dry and control of the razor was not an issue. More than ample blade exposure was the only real fault identified with the razor, a lack of smoothness is the result of the amount of positive blade feel. If only blade exposure were to be tamed a little, this would be an exceptional low-cost razor.

Blades Used – Feather and Merkur Super Platinum
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 89g
Head Width – 42.74mm
Handle Length – 90.06mm
Handle Diameter – 11.93mm
Availability – JJ Shaves
Final Word – Blade feel by the bucket load
 
Errol said:
REX Konsul Slant Adjustable (USA)



There had been speculation for some time of another well known razor brand producing an adjustable slant razor, but it was REX who got the jump and delivered the first public release of an adjustable slant machined from stainless steel. This Konsul is one of the original 150 released in the first batch. One look at the Konsul and a family resemblance to the Ambassador is immediately obvious, similar dimensions, two piece Gibbs style bottom plate, finish and the quality of manufacture are all good indicators it was produced with the same thinking in mind. With the knob to disassemble secured inside the handle, the Konsul is for all intents and purposes, a two piece razor, the handle/ plate assembly and the cap. It’s the two piece Gibbs style plate that had me intrigued, the top piece of the plate sits square to the handle while the bottom plate has angled edges. As a blade is pressed into the Konsul’s cap for loading, the twisting of the blade in two different planes is both felt and seen, the blade has to be held in position for fitting to the plate assembly. Pressure is maintained between the edges of the plate and the cap as the knob is tightened thus indicating torqueing of the blade.

REX don’t allow for the disassembly of their adjustable razors so their internals remain a mystery. Probably my biggest disappointment in not being able to strip the razor is that any oil I manage to get into the razor has to come from the outside and I just hope that some of the liberal amounts dripped around get to their desired destination. Deeply cut diamonds machined into the handle provide not only good looks but unmatched control of the razor. Engraved around the shoulder of the handle are the easy to read setting numbers #1 - #6 with dots between. A red dot on the adjuster ring makes identification of the setting fool proof even for those of us with declining eyesight. External surfaces are presented in what I’ll call a quality satin finish except for the back of the plate where fine circular machining marks are exposed.

Houston, we have a problem - the adjusting ring would rotate below the dot between #3 and #4. Two answers came back from Razor Emporium; run extremely hot water over the razor while trying to rotate the adjuster ring, send the razor straight back for repair immediately. I decided if the hot water suggestion did not work, it would be sent back. Rippa tune Boris, a combination of boiling water, brute force and a lot of rotating of the ring has the adjuster ring rotating down to #1, that’s without a blade. Whatever thread locker REX used to seal the internals from intruders had migrated to the thread of the adjuster ring and the boiling water softened it enough to clear the fault.
This little adjustable slant with its guillotine like action is a remarkable piece, useable throughout its whole range of settings and smooth as. Combine this with a wee amount of blade feel right through its shaving range, which REX has managed to do successfully, and they’ve won me. As I often do when reviewing adjustable razors, I commenced at the mid point, setting #3. At this point, the Konsul delivered my near perfect shave and I’d have been quite happy to leave it right there for the remainder of the review and just carry on forever using it at that setting, it was impressive. Only at setting #1 was the razor a bit on the mild side but still usable. Wound up to setting #6, the Konsul was only at Karve CB level #D, so it has a spread of usability right through its range. This is the smoothest of the REX adjustables and it’s one I’m going to remember for all the right reasons. I would label the Konsul adjustable slant razor a success.

Adjustment Range – #1 - #6 (with dots between)
  • #1 – Lower than Karve CB Level #B
  • #2 – Karve CB Level #C
  • #3 –Karve CB Levels #C plus
  • #4 – Between Karve CB Levels #C and #D
  • #5 – Between Karve CB Levels #C and #D
  • #6 - Karve CB Level #D
Blades Used – Ladas and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 104g
Head Width – 44.08mm
Handle Length – 77.25mm
Handle Diameter – 12.85mm
Availability – Razor Emporium
Final Word – A champion
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Thanks for the review @Errol . I now want a Konsul. :) I have an Ambassador and I appreciate Rex Supply Company's commitment to quality and very happy to hear their production of a slant is a success.
 
Vikings Blade The Emperor Meiji (China)



I’d not taken any notice of the Vikings Blade brand till @SpeediePC pointed them out to me. At first glance they looked like many other adjustable razors made in China. A bit of research has them produced in PRC (in my book that’s China) but the point that attracted my attention was that they claim to be a company with Australian interests, employ Australian supervisors and have Australians doing their quality control. There has been speculation that this razor may be a rebranded Baili Butterfly TTO, however this idea has been totally rejected by Vikings Blade. It was the weight of the razor, about double that of other Chinese brands that finally had me thinking they may be worth a try. On the downside, Vikings Blade is based in Wilmington DA and they do not ship outside of USA, I used an on-forwarding company but later found that Vikings Blade razors are available on Amazon so international freight would not an issue if you went down that path.

Vikings Blade The Emperor Meiji is an adjustable razor using a twist to open style action head. If looks have anything to do with how a razor performs, Meiji is a world beater, it has the appearance and feel of a quality product. Straight out of the box everything felt smooth, the wings opened and closed in unison and not surprisingly, the wings folded flat when closed. Common to many twist to open razors the head is made of brass; well everything looks to be made of brass, and to the Meiji’s credit the head is quite thin. On the shoulder of the plate are the gold painted settings #1 through to #9 plus a gold coloured indicator on the rotating ring, this gold painting is very difficult to read; engraving and painted red or black would have better indicated the efficiency level. Probably the only blemish I can find with the finish of the Meiji is a visible gap between the rear of the adjusting ring and the shaft of the handle, the more I look at that gap, the larger it appears. Trouble is, the gap does get wider as the efficiency levels diminish, a bit of engineering on the rotating ring could have prevented the user seeing the gap at all. Clear lacquering covers the brass wings, side plates and rotating ring; the remainder of the razor has a dark smokey grey finish, it presents very nice now but how is that lacquered brass going to hold out with a bit of wear and a few scratches? Between the shaft of the handle and TTO knob is a bright red ring, does nothing but gee it looks good; it done its job and attracted my attention at the time of purchase. What would an Errol review of an adjustable be without some oil being applied to the threaded portions and all the likely wear points. Oil took what was already a smooth to operate razor to another level; can’t recommend that rod oil enough.

When I fitted the blade everything was square and there was no alignment issues. I usually commence a review of a new adjustable at the midway point – 9 settings – half of 9 is 4 ½ - #5 rounded – I’ll start at setting #6. Great selection Errol, just under Karve CB Level #D efficiency, smooth as and feels so very pleasant as it glides over the skin. Vikings Blade have provided a small amount of positive blade, and that is consistent right through the efficiency range. Somehow, even as nice as the shave felt I managed to inflict a couple of cuts on myself during the first shave, operator error because that was the only instance. This is a hefty razor to wield with the weight mainly confined to the handle. There is a usable range of settings, from as low as #4 right through to the top setting #9, giving this razor a wide selection of efficiency levels. It’s an extremely pleasing razor to use, delivering a smooth and close shave, highly recommended.

Adjustment Range – #1 - #9
  • #2 – Unusable
  • #3 – Bearly usable
  • #4 – Karve CB Level #C
  • #5 – Between Karve CB Levels #C and #D
  • #6 – Just under Karve CB Level #D
  • #7 - Karve CB Level #D
  • #8 – In excess of Karve CB Level #D
  • #9 – In excess of Karve CB Level #D
Blades Used – Ladas and Gillette Silver Blue
Material – Brass
Blade Tab - Exposed
Weight – 121g
Head Width – 42.47mm
Handle Length – 86.19mm
Handle Diameter – 14.12mm
Availability – Vikings Blade and Amazon
Final Word – Blame Speedie
 
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