Atelier Durdan N°7 razor pass around.....

Second shave - 0.7 plate, Astra SS blade, Wald A1 Nimbus, Southern Witchcrafts Samhain

Wow, this razor is loud!  The 0.7 is even louder than the 0.3 plate.  I like the audio feedback and it didn't seem like chatter.  The 0.7 is much more efficient than the 0.3.  Not surprising, since the gap over doubles and the exposure goes from quite a bit negative to a hair positive.  (specs below)  The gap is similar to the Overlander, but the exposure is less, yet the 0.7 No7 is significantly more efficient than the Overlander.  It just goes to show what I keep on learning - specs only tell one part of the story.

I did a 3-pass shave and had a great result.  Most of my face was BBS.  Not all, but very little of my face was BBS with the 0.3.  I was trying to shave mostly neutral again and I could tell from the first pass that it took off much more hair. 

I'm still getting used to it, it is very handle-heavy.  I might want to pair it with one of my Ti handles to balance that out and to encourage a light touch.  I'm going to try the 1.1mm plate next, but I expect that will be too much for my face.  


GAP 0.3 mm : blade exposure -0.12 mm
GAP 0.5 mm : blade exposure -0.05 mm
GAP 0.7 mm : blade exposure +0.01 mm
GAP 0.9 mm : blade exposure +0.07 mm
GAP 1.1 mm : blade exposure +0.13 mm
GAP 1.3 mm : blade exposure +0.18 mm
GAP 1.5 mm : blade exposure +0.23 mm

Second shave - 0.7 plate, Astra SS blade, Wald A1 Nimbus, Southern Witchcrafts Samhain

Wow, this razor is loud!  The 0.7 is even louder than the 0.3 plate.  I like the audio feedback and it didn't seem like chatter.  The 0.7 is much more efficient than the 0.3.  Not surprising, since the gap over doubles and the exposure goes from quite a bit negative to a hair positive.  (specs below)  The gap is similar to the Overlander, but the exposure is less, yet the 0.7 No7 is significantly more efficient than the Overlander.  It just goes to show what I keep on learning - specs only tell one part of the story.

I did a 3-pass shave and had a great result.  Most of my face was BBS.  Not all, but very little of my face was BBS with the 0.3.  I was trying to shave mostly neutral again and I could tell from the first pass that it took off much more hair. 

I'm still getting used to it, it is very handle-heavy.  I might want to pair it with one of my Ti handles to balance that out and to encourage a light touch.  I'm going to try the 1.1mm plate next, but I expect that will be too much for my face.  


GAP 0.3 mm : blade exposure -0.12 mm
GAP 0.5 mm : blade exposure -0.05 mm
GAP 0.7 mm : blade exposure +0.01 mm
GAP 0.9 mm : blade exposure +0.07 mm
GAP 1.1 mm : blade exposure +0.13 mm
GAP 1.3 mm : blade exposure +0.18 mm
GAP 1.5 mm : blade exposure +0.23 mm

i used the Timeless Ti handle. It was better, but the excessive blade feel and discomfort were still present throughout the shaves. There is probably a better handle fit for this head but I couldn't find it.

I don't like much bladefeel and the 0.7 wasn't bad at all. It wasn't uncomfortable during the shave either. And I did not get any irritation and almost no warmth with alcohol astringent after either. So it wasn't hard on my face.

Pass around update:


N*7 Pass Around list:
1. GlazedBoker - North Brunswick, NJ - Completed
2. Phoenixkh - Gainesville, FL - Completed
3. cigarman - St. Louis, MO - Completed
4. rocket - Denver, CO - Completed
5. Dragonsbeard - Webster, NY - Completed
6. Dtownvino - Philadelphia, PA - Completed
7. Keto _ Aurora, MO - Completed
8. Spacemonkey42 - Williamstown, MA - in hand testing
9. Calm_Shaver - NY, NY - next in the que
10. Big_T - King,NC
11. ewk - Goose Creek, SC
12. Bbssboss - Boston, MA
13. wyze0ne - Farmington Hills, MI
14. Marhos24 - Armada, MI
15. Stickshift - Chicago, IL
16. Einar - Appleton, WI
17. jbreakfield - Daphne, AL
18. Rudy Vey - South Plainfield, NJ
19. WVShaver - Mason, WV
20. Lesser - Chappaqua, NY

As a head shaver (daily or every other day) I’m looking for advice with regards to gaps before I place my order for a titanium No 7. I prefer good efficiency but without too much blade feel. 

Can someone compare the efficiency and blade feel of the .50 and .70 gaps to any of the following razors: Rockwell, Karve Bison, BB Lite, Wolfman Guerrilla .54 or .69, Carbon Cx (all plates) or the CF Legacy Ti? 

Thanks a lot in advance!

Third shave - 1.1 plate, Astra SS blade(3), Wald A1 Nimbus, Southern Witchcrafts Samhain

I went into this a little apprehensive. I do not like bladefeel and razors with a lot haven't worked well for me. But when in France, you gotta try it, right? Again, this is a LOUD razor. I am guessing it is blade vibration, due to the fact that the blade is clamped further back, leaving a good amount of blade reveal/clamping distance. Plus that is in the hollow area between the top cap and the baseplate, which might amplify the sound. My wife even commented how loud it was. This is probably also blade chatter, but it hasn't had a negative effect on the shave.

My suspicions were correct, this is too blade forward for me. I took my time and went very light through the shave. I used a Timeless Ti Crown handle as well, to help me keep a light touch. I did a traditional 3-pass shave. The shave result was good - BBS on the easy parts of my face, but less so on challenging parts because I didn't want to push it. I had more zing from the alcohol astringent than I want, but no irritation at all.

I'll go back to the 0.7 for the remainder of my shaves, the 1.1 clearly showed me I do not need to try the 1.5, which has nearly twice the exposure.

After couple days and shaves 1st conclusions about 0.9 and 1.1 gap, please take in consideration I'm relatively novice in wet shaving, still learning.

I took 0.9 and 1.1 gaps in Ti as machined finish

0.9 gap is perfect for daily use. I would say easy as Overlander but more efficient. For me 0.9 gap shave closer as Athena Ti what is one of best mild razors out there in my opinion. I find something similar in 0.9 and WR1 0.67 (0.9 is more efficient for me) both good for daily use with moderate blade feel, nimble heads and easy to use.

1.1 gap is for me challenge to be honest. Blade feel is more present as with Blackbird. until now I'm not able to archive same results as with Blackbird. There is bigger potential for more advanced user with better technique as mine, so I continue to learn and wait for improvements. For me 1.1 gap is more for every second day shave at least.

Overall if you prefer WR1 over WR2 go for N7. There is blade feel but very fine. Also 1.1 gap is easier for skin as feel of blade suggest during shave.
Razor in Ti is extremely good balanced and as machined finish is outstanding. Not easiest razor to use, definitely need more advanced technique but for me one to keep in collection. Happy to have one with two gaps.

0.9 gap is perfect for daily use. I would say easy as Overlander but more efficient. 

I'd add that the 0.7 gap is significantly more efficient than the Overlander.  Both have merits, just know that this razor is more efficient than the specs would suggest.  I don't know yet if the 0.7 is as easy as the Overlander yet though, I need more shaves and thoughts with it.

Looking back to Phoenixkh review, Kim said:

I think the .5 gap might work for me, as the .3 felt way too mild and the .7, for me, was too efficient or more likely. I didn't know what I was doing.

I initially liked milder than Kim, but I think I've closed that gap a bit.  So if the 0.7 is too much for him, no surprise at all that the 1.1 was way too much for me!  I'm interested to return to the 0.7 for a few shaves to see what more I can gather.  It does surprise me that the 0.7 might be so much more efficient than the Overlander, which has the same gap and more exposure.

I did my best to capture the cap, clamping point, and guard in this pic.  I think that is why it is such a loud shaver.  This is the 0.7 head. 



I'd love to hear from the man behind this razor, Atelier DURDAN, about his vision for it. If I had to guess... You can see that the neutral shave plane is clear from the top cap and guard. Then the space there might be to allow for lather/stubble to flow through. Did I get any of this right, and would you share more, Atelier DURDAN?