Blackland Blackbird

I love seeing those short handles and original boxes. Off the top of my head I think there are only about 20-40 wooden boxes out there.

I had no idea they were so rare. I definitely feel lucky to have it. Maybe I should play the lotto?

I only wish I had tried the BB sooner! It's a truly remarkable razor, and it could be my only razor. I've shaved with more efficient razors, but none with greater smoothness and comfort, with as much efficiency.

When I originally launched in summer 2015, the cherry wooden boxes were supposed to be the standard packaging option. The problem was that they were crazy expensive and added ~$20 or more to the total price (without adding any profit). So I eliminated them to help lower the price and instead made them available as an upgrade. They were only ever offered once so those people who took the upgrade are the only ones who got them. They are also obsolete now since they are made for the 70mm, 101mm, or both handles and the 85mm wouldn't fit. I feel like 21 people bought them, but that number could be made up.

Brassbirds are coming along nicely!

Looking really good Shane, Will they be polished? Will there be a coating on them, or will they patina?

Brassbirds are coming along nicely!

That’s a lot of Brassbird Love right there, I can’t wait!

Looking really good Shane, Will they be polished? Will there be a coating on them, or will they patina?

We’ll have machined and polished finishes. They will patina and will not have a coating, though the polished version should patina less. The stainless version is the better choice for a customer who doesn’t enjoy patina.

Shane Blackland Razors- do you have a guesstimate on when the Brassbirds will be available? I’m hoping to get a complete Machined set to let Patina, and a complete Polished set to have plated. Can’t wait!

Shane Blackland Razors- do you have a guesstimate on when the Brassbirds will be available? I’m hoping to get a complete Machined set to let Patina, and a complete Polished set to have plated. Can’t wait!

January is looking highly likely. We do have some family things going on right now, though, so I’ll switch the release date as needed to make sure I’m around to manage the launch.

Got a wild hair and decided to try a KAI blade in my machined SB.

The KAI is widely misunderstood. It’s wider than normal, but not particularly sharp. The increased blade engagement does ramp up the efficiency in some razors though, which leads some to believe it is sharper than it really is.

I thought that might be an interesting experiment in the Blackbird. The steep blade angle seems to wear out the sharpest blades quickly, though I suspect the edge is really just curling a bit. Maybe something like the KAI would hold up better without giving up any efficiency.

I tried it with minimal prep as a workday shave. Just some Proraso Red Preshave, Aveeno Therapeutic goo, and didn’t even wait for the water to get hot.

The result was a quick, easy, and forgiving BBS shave with no irritation. Time will tell whether it can hold up for several shaves, or whether the shave will last as long as what I get from a Personna, but it looks promising as a workweek daily driver.