Aylsworth Drakkant DE Razor, DFS pass around

Quick thoughts.

The Razor has some nice heft with pretty good overall balance. In hand it feels secure and provides very good tactile grip that is different but, welcome in my eyes. The top cap and base plate locks the blade in firmly and securely with a real nice feel when twisting the handle onto the threaded top cap stud. There’s not a whole lot of blade reveal/exposure and to be honest I was a bit tentative in thinking this might not provide the feel I’m accustomed too. But, I had faith in the Feather and those thoughts would quickly dissipate once the shave began. On skin blade feel is minimal but, there’s enough to give instant feedback that whiskers are being sliced & diced. Angle of attack was just about neutral for me, nor cap or guard dependent. The angle was relatively easy to maintain throughout the shave regardless of what direction of passes I was in (atg, wtg & xtg). Audible feedback on this shave was rather muted as this is not a very loud shaver yet feel on skin was very smooth & comfortable. A normal 3 pass shave with just a slight buff on the chin and a quick touch up on either side of Sir Adam. No nics or cuts with just 3 tiny weepers at the corners of the stache. Irritation was non existent. Smooth and easy shave that did not require a whole bunch of thought or adjustments. Like I’ve shaved with it a few dozen times. Not bad.

Very nice first shave. Gillette Platinum is in the batter’s box for the next shave. 

If GlazedBoker doesn't touch up Sir Adam, it isn't a shave Nice job Gus !

Quick thoughts.

The Razor has some nice heft with pretty good overall balance. In hand it feels secure and provides very good tactile grip that is different but, welcome in my eyes. The top cap and base plate locks the blade in firmly and securely with a real nice feel when twisting the handle onto the threaded top cap stud. There’s not a whole lot of blade reveal/exposure and to be honest I was a bit tentative in thinking this might not provide the feel I’m accustomed too. But, I had faith in the Feather and those thoughts would quickly dissipate once the shave began. On skin blade feel is minimal but, there’s enough to give instant feedback that whiskers are being sliced & diced. Angle of attack was just about neutral for me, nor cap or guard dependent. The angle was relatively easy to maintain throughout the shave regardless of what direction of passes I was in (atg, wtg & xtg). Audible feedback on this shave was rather muted as this is not a very loud shaver yet feel on skin was very smooth & comfortable. A normal 3 pass shave with just a slight buff on the chin and a quick touch up on either side of Sir Adam. No nics or cuts with just 3 tiny weepers at the corners of the stache. Irritation was non existent. Smooth and easy shave that did not require a whole bunch of thought or adjustments. Like I’ve shaved with it a few dozen times. Not bad.

Very nice first shave. Gillette Platinum is in the batter’s box for the next shave. 

Sounds like you had a pretty enjoyable first shave! Glad to hear it

Shave two earlier this evening with the Drakkant and this time paired with a fresh Gillette Platinum. And again, another very smooth shave but, all I needed were two passes and a very light chin buff. Yesterday’s shave with the Feather actually proved to be a better shave than I had previously thought as I did not start feeling any stubble until about 9-9:30 this morning. That’s close to 13 hours. I did have my 5 O’clock shadow by this evenings shave but, the stubble was a bit lighter and hence only 2 full passes were needed. I’d like to mention as I had missed to mention it in my first shave with the Drakkant. This razor rinses cleanly phenomenally well. The lather channels provide plenty of escape for soap infused hairs allowing a couple extra strokes for clearing out stubble. Might be a small and insignificant thing but, for those that like too see the point of shave attack from their razor still clear is an added benefit. Nothing clogs the business end of this razor. Really nice to see that. I think my shave with the Feather was a bit more satisfying but, this was not a bad shave by any means. Smooth & comfy with a DFS result.

On to the Lord Platinum’s for the next shave happening.

Changed it up today and decided to forgo the Lord Platinum and jump right into the KAI blade. The 2 previous shaves that I’ve had have already proven what the designer had in mind and that’s to present a mild and smooth shaving tool that is both easy on the skin yet efficient enough to tackle a couple days of whiskers and simultaneously being an easy daily user. With the Feather blade installed on the first shave, it was very good indeed. The Gillette Platinum, though good and smooth did not match the shave performance of the Drakkant & Feather combo. I don’t think the Lord Platinum would have faired better that the Gillette Platinum and certainly would be no match for the Feather. So, how was the KAI? Exceptionally good. I know, the KAI blade for some is a dog and for others it borders on shave nirvana (or almost). I enjoy the KAI and it’s always in my top 5 of blade choices, maybe even top 2. Plenty sharp with that tiny, tiny bit of extra overall width from blade edge to blade edge, it helps in most instances (in my experience) with razors that are designed with negative or neutral blade exposure in giving a bit more feel and in enticing audible feedback. Two solid passes on nearly 2 days growth with very minimal buffing and touch ups required around the usual spots. Blade on skin feel was ever so slightly boosted yet while still retaining the smooth nature of the Drakkant in both WTG & ATG passes. I can’t tell you how the Drakkant works in the stache area since I maintain one but, I see no reason on how this razor would not work equally as well in that area with its low profile design. A quick cold water splash and an alum face run proved nothing except for a smooth and irritation free shave. 3 different soaps so far and the razor rinses out quickly and easily with no clogging. This razor kind of reminds me of the Merica razor from Wet Shave Club. Less blade feel than the Merica but with equal if not better efficiency with hardly none of the drag type feel that the Merica exhibits. At least to me it feels as such.

Next shave I’ll be going back to the Feather and then right back to the KAI and wrap this thing up.

Went back to the Feather today and just a real good shave. As I’ve stated in my previous posts in this pass around, the term smooth and effectively efficient is the theme with this razor. The Feather blade just works exceptionally well as the Drakkant tames the harshness that the Feather can deliver, especially during the first shave. Today it was super smooth and just as efficient as its first shave a few days back. My skin feels no irritation and is free of any nics, cuts and weepers. It was 2.5 passes but, I’ll call it 3 even though that last one was for a slight chin buff and some clean up around the Adam’s apple. It reminds me of a couple of razors in my den in terms of feel and performance but, I’ll save that comparison for my final thoughts and summation on the Drakkant. Today it was simply a mahvelous shave.

Went back to the Feather today and just a real good shave. As I’ve stated in my previous posts in this pass around, the term smooth and effectively efficient is the theme with this razor. The Feather blade just works exceptionally well as the Drakkant tames the harshness that the Feather can deliver, especially during the first shave. Today it was super smooth and just as efficient as its first shave a few days back. My skin feels no irritation and is free of any nics, cuts and weepers. It was 2.5 passes but, I’ll call it 3 even though that last one was for a slight chin buff and some clean up around the Adam’s apple. It reminds me of a couple of razors in my den in terms of feel and performance but, I’ll save that comparison for my final thoughts and summation on the Drakkant. Today it was simply a mahvelous shave.

Awesome! Sounds like you're getting some overall satisfying shaves. The consensus does seem to be that the Feather or Kai were made for this razor too. I'll be interested to see what sort of efficiency people see with the upcoming H and OC plate prototypes, and whether or not a one or two pass BBS will be possible with a milder blade

Got my last shave in with the Drakkant this evening and with the KAI blade on its second go around. Had a nice 2 days worth of growth and was looking forward to the enhanced blade feel that the KAI provides. No disappointments from a near 3 pass shave that was easy, felt great on the skin and with good audible feedback. The Ethos soap just simply brings it. Slickness, protection and post shave that is top notch. I had 5 total shaves and 4 of them (2 each with the Feather & KAI) were just really outstanding shaves. I think my results with the Feather were a notch better than with the KAI but, it was very close. The Drakkant from Aylsworth really excelled for me with those two blades.

I’m getting the razor & package ready for the next participant in the pass around which I think is Dave in KY and will have it set to go by tomorrow. I’ll have a summation and my overall thoughts on the Drakkant sometime tomorrow as I just don’t have the time at the moment to put thoughts down on the screen.

Stay tuned…..

Amazing!  Thank you so much for participating and really glad to see that you enjoyed your time with it!!

Some more recent feedback I've received off forum:

Jason (The Razor Company):
'Enthusiast perspective: Takes into account my personal preferences and what features/benefits I look for in a high end razor.

• Weight of the razor seems appropriate and is comfortable to hold.  I found the balance to be a little handle heavy.  I generally prefer neutral or top heavy.
  
  

• Handle length was comfortable and knurling/grip was fantastic.  This was the perfect combination of grip and comfort.  Some razors have knurling that is too sharp. My first preference for handle length is a little shorter (80mm), but I was still able to use this comfortably.  I really like the handle design.  It’s unique and esthetically appealing.
  
  
• Level of aggression was on the mild side.  I tend to prefer more blade feel.  I was able to get a close shave with 3 passes and some clean up, all 3 times I used the razor.  The razor shaves well and is not menacing at all.
  
  

• Top cap - I felt some drag while shaving.  I’m certain this has to do with the amount surface area that comes into contact with my face while shaving.  It reminds me of my Henson razor.  This did not affect the quality of the shave in my opinion, but was noticeable.
  
  

• Scent.  The raw steel smell from the razor was very noticeable every shave.  I tend to use shave soap that would be a 5-7 in scent strength, and I was able to smell the steel of the razor, over the scent of the soap.
  

Overall, I would sum up my experience with a few pro’s and con’s

• Pro - I love the ascetics.  It’s very attractive to look at and has a unique handle design.
  
• Pro - Knurling and grip where absolutely fantastic.  Not too sharp, but comfortable to hold with a very secure feeling grip.
  
• Pro - Covered blade tabs.
  
• Con - Scent of raw steel
  
• Con - Mild drag (noticeable)
  

I will definitely purchase this razor.  I like it a lot.  I will probably opt for a polished finish, more aggressive plate, and shorter handle (if available).  I think you did a great job.

TPearen