Blackland DART

Please don't give up on the Dart. But if you do, let me know; I'll buy a spare.

What is the Dart? It's the best stainless steel razor on the market for under $100. Now, I haven't tried stainless razors that are even less expensive, though I've seen a few. But I'm willing to go out on a limb and argue that the Dart is peerless at its price. 

It's also not at either extreme of the scale as far as efficiency. The Feather AS-D2 is extremely mild for my face and beard. I have not used it daily for a few weeks but the only real advantage it offers me is that I can easily shave daily with it, even twice a day, without irritation or weepers. But getting a true BBS shave with it is quite difficult and close to impossible. For me. I've never tried the R41 but that seems to be the Mother of All Aggressive DE Razors. 

The Dart reminds me a bit of my early shaves with the ATT M1. Supposedly a mild razor, with some finding it too mild, I found it far from mild. It wasn't aggressive, but it could feel harsh. Weepers were easy to come by. I was surprised that Stan felt it was comparable to a SuperSpeed, and that the R1 was his idea of what most shavers would use as the daily driver. 

The Dart, though, feels far smoother than I remember the M1 feeling. And this is no knock on the M1, which I love. 

So what's the Dart's market? Experienced DE users -- people with at least a year or two using DEs -- who want to step up from their pot metal razors to a superb stainless razor that doesn't cost a fortune. Please note that I said "experienced" users, not "expert" users; you don't have to have your own youtube channel to love the Dart. But it's probably not for those who are just starting to use DE razors. Why not? Because novices will invariably press the razor against the face. It takes a while to learn to use no pressure. So the use of pressure combined with what might be a poor angle and less than optimal face prep mean that a newcomer should probably use a Merkur 38C or the equivalent from Jagger, Muhle, Maggard's, etc. 

It's like learning to drive. I wouldn't put a sixteen year old in a fancy car until he or she masters the skills and is truly comfortable driving in any weather, on any road, etc. 

The Dart is the perfect razor for the committed DE shaver who wants the very best without paying an exorbitant price. Within that are subcategories you mentioned, such as those who know they want a mild razor and those who like it rough and rugged. Those groups you can guide to the appropriate razors. 

For the rest of us, the Dart is the answer. 

This is one man's opinion, your mileage may vary, avoid prolonged use if you find yourself having psychotic episodes involving white rabbits trying to shave your whole family, don't operate after ten martinis, etc. 

Awesome write-up! Thank you for taking the time to share that. The Dart isn't going anywhere for now because we produced so many of them, but you might consider picking up an extra this calendar year or so. At the end of the day it just doesn't sell as well as it should at this price point. That's a shame, but, hey they can't all be winners!

The Dart may not be a great seller, but it’s definitely a winner! I LOVE mine!

The Dart may not be a great seller, but it’s definitely a winner! I LOVE mine!

Amen. I'm going to give this some thought and feedback as well.

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It's definitely one of the best looking razors in the industry and on my wishlist. I just have too much stuff right now. With all due respect to the rest of Blackland's offerings, including the Tradere, this is the best looking, whether head, handle or taken in totality.

Love my Dart also. It has earned its place in my small collection alongside razors like Wolfman, Diamondback, RS-10.

Much more expensive razors have come and gone, but my Dart remains

my dart arrived in the mail today...very nice packaging and presentation for a $100 razor. the blackbird I own was bought through the bst so it didn't have any of the original packaging to have any sort of expectations.

on first look and feel, the machining looks great and the top cap fits tightly with little wiggle...I love the raw look of machined razors, personally..I'd never buy a polished razor if a machined finish was offered..the razor has a decent amount of weight to it. I forgot to weigh it before going to work. I'll put it on the scale against my blackbird when I get home later tonight.

1st shave will come tonight - I have over a week of growth, so this should be a good test for it.

Your opinion is very interesting. I can’t decide what to buy. Blackbird or Dart. It’s a little scary that Blackbird has aggression 7 (it may turn out to be a lot for me). Someone (who has both) can tell me what to choose.

Your opinion is very interesting. I can’t decide what to buy. Blackbird or Dart. It’s a little scary that Blackbird has aggression 7 (it may turn out to be a lot for me). Someone (who has both) can tell me what to choose.

Both

Your opinion is very interesting. I can’t decide what to buy. Blackbird or Dart. It’s a little scary that Blackbird has aggression 7 (it may turn out to be a lot for me). Someone (who has both) can tell me what to choose.

I bought both when the dart first released, I prefer the Blackbird, I find it “feels” milder to the dart to me, the blackbird is a razor that has magic inside of it for me, others have had different experiences, the one highlight is that Blackland is good at having stock so their razors aren’t a buy when they drop or miss out, I also think there’s a 30 trial period


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Your opinion is very interesting. I can’t decide what to buy. Blackbird or Dart. It’s a little scary that Blackbird has aggression 7 (it may turn out to be a lot for me). Someone (who has both) can tell me what to choose.

I bought both when the dart first released, I prefer the Blackbird, I find it “feels” milder to the dart to me, the blackbird is a razor that has magic inside of it for me, others have had different experiences, the one highlight is that Blackland is good at having stock so their razors aren’t a buy when they drop or miss out, I also think there’s a 30 trial period


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That's a great way of putting it - "has magic inside of it".  Like you, I find there is *something* about the Blackbird that makes it amazing to use. I just can't find the right words to put into words what is is though. It's not particularly aggressive, not totally mild. The angle is intuitive and just whisks away the facial hair like nobody's business. While any razor can shave just fine (unless there's something mechanically wrong with it), the Blackbird is a dream to use, and has quickly seated itself at the top of favs to use for me. Seeing as I just got four new razors (three being Blackland razors), I need to slow my roll for a little bit. Sometime down the road I feel a Dart needs to join the ranks...just because. 

Polovez - I don't think you can go wrong with any of Blackland's offerings. There's no reason to fear the Blackbird. It's not nearly as difficult to tame as you may think. Some folks do feel there's a little learning curve, yet others (including myself) find it extremely easy to nail the right angle (it's kinda built in). The Dart would be a wise choice as well, and a bit less expense. He does have a return policy on all the razors, however since you're not CONUS, I'm not certain that's a huge benefit for you, given the postage costs for return.