Blackland Razors - does finish matter?

I saw a thread, I think here, that said that depending upon the finish you get with your Blackland razor, the shave quality varies. Can anyone lend credence to this idea?

Thanks!

I found the machine finish to have a drag to it, I’d go with polished if I bought again

That is what I thought, thanks much!

When i first got the razor I believed it made a difference. Now that I’ve had time to find the right shaving angle - I can confirm there is no discernible drag.

Let’s face it, with a properly hydrated lather, it should be extremely difficult to create drag - add in a light touch while shaving & you’ll be hard pressed to experience anything beyond a great shave.

Just my .02

When i first got the razor I believed it made a difference. Now that I’ve had time to find the right shaving angle - I can confirm there is no discernible drag.

Let’s face it, with a properly hydrated lather, it should be extremely difficult to create drag - add in a light touch while shaving & you’ll be hard pressed to experience anything beyond a great shave.

Just my .02

+1

When i first got the razor I believed it made a difference. Now that I’ve had time to find the right shaving angle - I can confirm there is no discernible drag.

Let’s face it, with a properly hydrated lather, it should be extremely difficult to create drag - add in a light touch while shaving & you’ll be hard pressed to experience anything beyond a great shave.

Just my .02

+1

+2

While I think I know what people mean by “drag,” I’m not sure it has to do with the finish. If you place a relatively flat surface against a wet surface, that’ll sometimes create suction.

I have a black oxide and a machined finish Blackbird. Sadly, no experience with the polished finish. If I try to “ride the top cap” to find the shallowest possible angle, there will be a little bit of this suction effect. It happens with my Mongoose, as well. (Look at the flat surface on that thing!)

However, if I set the angle myself (usually a slightly steeper angle) and use a light touch, there is no suction. This makes me wonder if the drag that people sometimes talk about is in fact created by the shape of the Blackbird rather than the finish…

However, if I set the angle myself (usually a slightly steeper angle) and use a light touch, there is no suction. This makes me wonder if the drag that people sometimes talk about is in fact created by the shape of the Blackbird rather than the finish…

I think you are absolutely right, sir.

It is all in the angle. I believe the "drag" that some experience, be comparable to "rake" that some get with OC razors. The machined finish just amplifies slightly the edges on the base plate.

I see that as an overall positive though. If I feel it, it means my angle is not correct, and I need to keep adjusting my usage of the razor so that I can get a wonderful shave. I own a machined Blackbird, and have a Tatara Masamune OC, which has a similar finish. Ever since I got the angle right (and it took me an entire week), the Masamune has become a smooth operator that can tame any rough blade out of the packet (occupies the same niche as the Charcoal Level II.)

But on days when I need a close shave, my Blackbird and my 17-4 stand head and shoulders above the others...

Have fun experimenting what works for you!

I've had all the finishes.

I think the 'drag' is a function of having a shallow angle. I find this razor has a sweet spot when the razor has a very sharp angle (eg keeping the handle more parallel to your neck. Handle perpendicular to the floor).

I think the machine/oxide finishes accentuates this issue, but once you find the sweet spot it's my go to razor. If I was to only have one razor in my bathroom, it would be a hard choice between the Blackbird and the BBS-1.

However, if I set the angle myself (usually a slightly steeper angle) and use a light touch, there is no suction. This makes me wonder if the drag that people sometimes talk about is in fact created by the shape of the Blackbird rather than the finish…

I think you are absolutely right, sir.

It is all in the angle. I believe the "drag" that some experience, be comparable to "rake" that some get with OC razors. The machined finish just amplifies slightly the edges on the base plate.

I see that as an overall positive though. If I feel it, it means my angle is not correct, and I need to keep adjusting my usage of the razor so that I can get a wonderful shave. I own a machined Blackbird, and have a Tatara Masamune OC, which has a similar finish. Ever since I got the angle right (and it took me an entire week), the Masamune has become a smooth operator that can tame any rough blade out of the packet (occupies the same niche as the Charcoal Level II.)

But on days when I need a close shave, my Blackbird and my 17-4 stand head and shoulders above the others...

Have fun experimenting what works for you!

So . . . Blackbird or Paradigm?