Aggressive/Efficient Razor Comparison Experiment: The Face Of Fear

Is it really a comparison of aggressive razors if the iKon Tech isn’t in the mix? 

I only had an iKon slant many, many years ago. I sold it when I got off my slant kick.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

Is it really a comparison of aggressive razors if the iKon Tech isn’t in the mix? 

I only had an iKon slant many, many years ago. I sold it when I got off my slant kick.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

I only had an iKon slant many, many years ago. I sold it when I got off my slant kick.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

If I’m remembering correctly, the X3 was a true slant that twisted/torqued the blade, while the 102 was more of an off-kilter head that was still a straight bar. I had both a long time ago and didn’t love either but in all fairness to the razors it was when I wasn’t as experienced with DE shaving.

I only had an iKon slant many, many years ago. I sold it when I got off my slant kick.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

The X3 and 102 slants are mild razors. The Tek is a totally different animal. If you are a fan of aggressive razors I would venture to say it's pretty much the pinnacle. It's very efficient with lots of blade feel, but still smooth unlike the harsher feeling of the R41. I'm not 100% sure on the material, but I think it's some kind of cast or MIM aluminum alloy, same as the aforementioned slants. They used to have just the head on sale for $25. Looks like that option is sold out now.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

The X3 and 102 slants are mild razors. The Tek is a totally different animal. If you are a fan of aggressive razors I would venture to say it's pretty much the pinnacle. It's very efficient with lots of blade feel, but still smooth unlike the harsher feeling of the R41. I'm not 100% sure on the material, but I think it's some kind of cast or MIM aluminum alloy, same as the aforementioned slants. They used to have just the head on sale for $25. Looks like that option is sold out now.

100% true on the Tek. I tried one and don’t think I made it through more than 2 shaves. Way too much blade feel for my sensitive mug.

The ikon 102 slant is a good razor. The Tech is frightening. Not to be confused with a Gillette Tech which are very mild. ikons aren’t discussed much anymore.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

The X3 and 102 slants are mild razors. The Tek is a totally different animal. If you are a fan of aggressive razors I would venture to say it's pretty much the pinnacle. It's very efficient with lots of blade feel, but still smooth unlike the harsher feeling of the R41. I'm not 100% sure on the material, but I think it's some kind of cast or MIM aluminum alloy, same as the aforementioned slants. They used to have just the head on sale for $25. Looks like that option is sold out now.

I looked again and the handle is stainless. No specific type, just stainless. Not sure of the head. I like efficient, but don't like an uncomfortable feel. Blade fell can be fine, just not overly aggressive, or scrapey/scratchy. I remember selling my R41 for that reason. And my Dollar Tree razor and blades. Efficient, but horrifically uncomfortable. At the current price, I am tempted by the Tek and the short comb.

Comparison #8

Karve OC-G vs. Yaqi Sentinel 1.50 OC

Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium

OC-G Blade Gap: 1.36mm • Blade Exposure: 0.25mm
Sentinel 1.50 OC • Blade Gap: 1.50mm • Blade Exposure: N/A

Impressions:

Both did a good job on the WTG pass. It’s pretty close. The Karve is definitely smoother. When I first hit my face with the Yaqi, I was stunned. Actually, I thought the Yaqi felt like it might be little bit smoother initially,  but as I continued the pass, there was definitely noticeably more blade feel from the Yaqi. Nothing horrendous for me, but noticeable.

The XTG pass was a bit more close. Though the Yaqi was still a little bit more blade forward, but not as much as on the WTG pass. It could’ve been maybe the fact that I had seven days growth, I’m not sure. The Yaqi also felt a little bit more blade forward and was a bit less comfortable on my neck area than the Karve was.
The ATG pass was very similar to the across the grain. Noticeably more blade feel on the Yaqi side. Not a lot, not objectionable. But it is definitely noticeable. I would definitely say the Karve is much smoother. Both razors are incredibly efficient after three passes. No touchups were needed.

With the alcohol based A/S, there was a slight bit more burn on the Yaqi side as I kind of had expected. I’m assuming this is from the blade feel and it probably shaved a little closer or deeper than the Karve did. Not by any means an objectionable burn, but there was virtually none on the Karve side.

My conclusion:

Both razors are pretty close and efficiency. Smoothness and comfort definitely goes to the carve. It's not to say that the yucky is necessarily uncomfortable, but it does possess more blade feel. While I don't think the blade feel is by any means excessive, especially compared to an R 41, but if you're not a fan of Blade, you will likely not enjoy the hockey. That said, it is available in a straight bar, but I don't know how much more comfortable that feels compared to the open comb as I do not have it. I remember being surprised with the G plate, both in the open comb and stray bar version, how smooth and comfortable they were compared to what I expected for being the most aggressive in the car line.
So, if you're looking for efficiency and smoothness, it is definitely the Karve. If you don't mind some blade feel, you'll definitely enjoy the Yaqi as well. If you're not a fan of blade feel, you likely will not. As usual, it comes down to your preferences. I don't have any doubt that for me personally, while I don't mind blade feel, I would definitely reach for the Karve more often.

I believe I had the X3 I'm guessing. I bought it some years ago and I was just looking again. I am sure tempted for the advertised $39.99 "sale" price. I remember when I bought my slant it was a sale price. Is the iKon always usually $50? Do you know about the materials? Aluminum, zin alloy, zamak, etc. I'm not expecting 316L at this price, though Razoock comes close. Any ideas on the blade gap/exposure? I find the lack of any info a bit frustrating. I am tempted for the price and a fan of the scary razors!

The X3 and 102 slants are mild razors. The Tek is a totally different animal. If you are a fan of aggressive razors I would venture to say it's pretty much the pinnacle. It's very efficient with lots of blade feel, but still smooth unlike the harsher feeling of the R41. I'm not 100% sure on the material, but I think it's some kind of cast or MIM aluminum alloy, same as the aforementioned slants. They used to have just the head on sale for $25. Looks like that option is sold out now.

I looked again and the handle is stainless. No specific type, just stainless. Not sure of the head. I like efficient, but don't like an uncomfortable feel. Blade fell can be fine, just not overly aggressive, or scrapey/scratchy. I remember selling my R41 for that reason. And my Dollar Tree razor and blades. Efficient, but horrifically uncomfortable. At the current price, I am tempted by the Tek and the short comb.

The Ikon Tek and the 2011 R41 are both terrible razors. There are much more comfortable ways to achieve the same results.

Comparison #9

Razorock Lupo 95 vs. Razorback Lupo 95OC




Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium

Lupo 95 Blade Gap: .95mm • Blade Exposure: Positive
Lupo 95 OC Blade Gap: .95mm • Blade Exposure: Positive

Impressions:


Both are pretty smooth, with a slight edge going to the safety bar. Efficiency is pretty close. I don’t know that there’s a whole lot of difference in this first pass. I almost swear that the safety bar might’ve been just a little bit closer and I thought this the first time I used the 95 safety bar when I got it that it felt like it was incredibly efficient. 


Again, across the grain, the safety bar is definitely smoother and there’s a little bit more blade feel on the open comb, but not overwhelmingly so. Both were very smooth on both passes, efficient, and very maneuverable under my nose.


Against the green was nice with both. Though it actually turns out that I need a little bit more touchup on the open comb side where I really didn’t do too much touchups if at all on the safety bar side. Maybe it’s an illusion, maybe I’m crazy, but I swear the safety bar is a little bit more efficient than the open comb is. And like I said earlier on, that was kind of my first impression. The first time I used the safety bar. I remember thinking to myself "wow this is incredibly efficient, even more so than the open comb." It seems that I may very well have been correct on that, at least for me.

Applying the alcohol based aftershave afterwards, it was virtually no burn on either side. It would seem that neither razor went too deep or got too close.

My Conclusion:

Both razors did a great job, though I do feel I got a little bit closer with the safety bar, which is interesting. Neither one of these will do you wrong, so if you have a preference towards one or the other, would you say pick it up and I think you'll be happy. The difference in smoothness and blade feel is minimal and they're pretty close. Personally, for me, I feel I'm definitely gonna be reaching for the safety bar version much more. I have no issues with the open comb, I just really have been enjoying the safety bar shaves more.

Comparison #10

Blackland Blackbird OC vs. Yaqi Beast Slant

Blade: Wizamet Super Iridium

Blackbird Blade Gap: N/A • Blade Exposure: N/A
Yaqi Blade Gap: N/A • Blade Exposure: N/A

Two beasts, one shave. One on the lower end of the price spectrum, one on the higher. How do they compare? Read on.....


Impressions:

Both razors are definitely on the significant blade feel side, though the blade feel definitely goes to the Blackbird. I’m almost tempted to say it felt a little bit smoother and a little bit more comfortable with the Yaqi than it did with the Blackbird.  I have always found the Blackbird open comb perhaps to be a bit much for me. And I like blade feel. I don't find myself reaching for the Blackbird OC plate often. 

It is reasonably close in terms of feel, but I feel the Yaqi was just a little less scrapey feeling, and perhaps was a touch smoother believe it or not. In terms of efficiency, both left me BBS after three passes without the real need for any touchups. The alcohol based after splash had virtually no burn on either side, so it looks like neither razor actually went too deep or I went too hard with either them.

My Conclusion:

Both razors achieved BBS status, but after a while and checking my face, the Blackland either got a little bit more BBS than the Yaqi or the Blackland shave lasts longer as that side of my face felt just a touch smoother. It would seem efficiency would go to the Blackbird. If you don't like blade feel, you likely will not like either razor. I have to say I honestly enjoyed the Yaqi shave more. Now, it's not knocking the Blackbird. I own them in brass, SS, and titanium. I just feel the OC plate is bit much for me, even though I like blade feel. I honestly expected the Yaqi to be a bit scarier than it turned out to be.