(This post was last modified: 03-24-2022, 09:21 AM by GlazedBoker.)
The razor was shipped out to the next pass around participant earlier this evening. Now, my final thoughts on the Drakkant by Aylsworth Razors. I’ll keep it as short and sweet as I possibly can.
I think the razor is well made and the shave geometry that it is designed with is a good starting point. Balance on the razor is quite good though, I wish the weight bias was geared more towards the head and not so neutral feeling along the razors length. It’s not that I find the razor bad as some might prefer how it feels as is but, I tend to steer towards razors with a bit more top heaviness. Tactile grip is better than average and maneuverability along the length of the razors handle is easy to execute if one wants to choke up on it for finer detail work or drop down on it for long clearing strokes. Neutral blade exposure as not to feel overly aggressive with ease of use & comfort seems to me to be a priority in this razor makers agenda. And I believe it’s the right way to start things off for a new artisan razor maker in getting their feet wet in the razor producing game, at least in my opinion. Down the road the maker can decide where to go based on user feedback and on their idea of where the performance end of the razor wants to get to or achieve. I mentioned previously in one of my previous posts that the Drakkant reminds me of a few razors in my shave den and some of those are the RR Gamechanger .68, Mamba .70, Timeless .68 SS & Ti, Blackland Dart & the Merica razor. It has similarities with all yet does not shave identical to any of them. If I were to pinpoint it or place it to any of these mentioned I would mark it nearer the RR GC .68 & Mamba .70. The mildness and easy smooth nature of the Mamba with the efficiency of the RR GC .68. Design wise it looks closer to an RR Lupo but, shares nothing with how that razor series shaves in my experience. I think the Timeless duo in both SS & Ti in the .68 configuration ups the razor cutting ability over the Drakkant while actually being just as smooth and maybe even smoother just my perception of course. The Merica has nearly the same feel but, is not as smooth and easy on the skin. The Dart is a mixed bag because when I use it engaging the safety bar, it shaves every bit as good as the Drakkant and actually gives me a better resulting shave. The Dart with a neutral or even gearing towards the cap turns the blade feel up quite a bit and efficiency but, at the cost of smoothness & comfort. The Drakkant for me worked best at a near neutral position throughout my shaves. If I moved it towards either end of the spectrum whether it be towards the safety bar or top cap, I lost all cutting ability or it suffered in its ability to be as efficient as possible. The ability for the Drakkant to offer any sort of adjustment in angle of attack is pretty much static and neutral is its calling card. It was easy to keep it there and maintain it in that optimal cutting position and it produced quality shaves with quality results. I think the Feather & Drakkant were made for each other as the razors inherent design actually tamed the harshness that a Feather can exhibit while still allowing the superb sharpness of that blade to slice up whiskers. The KAI was an extremely close second while turning up the blade feel that was not at all intimidating and was still exceptionally smooth on the skin. Also while with the KAI blade the audible aspect was turned up nicely sending good shave vibes and sounds to the ears. Blades are held rigidly and near enough to the cutting edge and I never felt any skipping or blade deflection while in attack mode. Great lather channels keep lather and hairs away from the shave area with no overflow into the working end of the razor and rinsing it clean was a quick shake in the water or a quick faucet blast. Blade tabs are covered so to some that would be a plus. I find no issue with tabs covered or exposed, I’m neutral on that design aspect. In terms of performance, it’s irrelevant. If your all thumbs, you’ll appreciate the covered blade tabs.
I really don’t have much negative to say except for a couple of things. To me and in my brief experience with the Drakkant the potential inability to use more blades other than the Feather & KAI for my desired shave parameters is a bit concerning. Granted, the neutral blade design of the Drakkant has something to do with it but, not being able to use a full gambit of blades in this razor limits my ability to warm up to it. Others may find that it works perfectly well for them with whatever blade they install in it. It’s a subjective matter, that I know but, I view a razor as performance #1 & comfort #2. Others have it the other way around and I respect that. This is just my take. Another which is more important is the potential price point. I never will ever begrudge a razor maker in putting a price on a razor that they believe to be fair and still be profitable. Thing is, a few of those razors that I previously mentioned above are anywhere between a 1/3 to 2/3rd’s lower versus the price of the Drakkant while employing the same alloy 316/L SS (304 for the Dart) and giving me nearly the same exact performance and truthfully, they perform better for my shave parameters. And to be honest, in hand they offer a better finish over the Drakkant with their machine finish and basic polish looks. Again, these are just my observations and my opinion. Sample for yourself as that’s what the pass around is for. It’s a great benefit that these artisan razor makers provide to us wet shavers and potential consumers the opportunity to test these products out.
It’s a good razor that is soundly designed and produced from one of the better manufacturers in the business in Yates Precision. Perhaps with their further development and offerings in the future I might be pulled into acquiring a Drakkant with a more efficient nature. As it stands I find it redundant to own as I have razors that match it and surpass it in price, performance & value.
Big thank you to Aylsworth Razors for supplying the razor and I wish them nothing but success and continued growth for their current & future razor endeavors. Also a big thanks to the DFS Administrators for putting this pass around together for us to experience. Truly appreciate the effort that goes into these events.
Great shaves to all…..
Thanks again for participating! It's been an enjoyable ride.
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