Carbon Shaving Co. Cx-316L & Ti DFS pass around

Let’s Go Light, Really Really Light
Carbon Shaving Evaluation Series
Session 1: Cx-Atlas ++

SESSION SETUP

Razor: Carbon Cx-Atlas Ti [SB++ plate]
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum [1]
Brush: Rudy Vey Chief Muhle STF 25mm
Lather: Ethos Succès [F base]
Post: House of Mammoth Alive Aftershave Splash

AESTHETICS

Upon initial inspection of the evaluation razor set, it was clear that care and consideration was applied to the finish and design of all of the supplied razors. The Titanium head of the Atlas presents smooth and luscious warmth with seemingly few sharp edges or corners. The highlight of the design manifests in the webbed baseplate: a balanced subtraction of material revealing a compelling pattern that delivers not just pleasing curves, but a functional reduction in weight, along with increased clearing of shaving debris. The razor head elements read as elevated parts that could comfortably reside in a centerpiece display.

In the case of the Atlas, the handle design takes a different turn compared to Carbon’s R2 handle design. To further address weight reduction, the handle design incorporates a section of carbon fiber punctuated by the two opposing end pieces in titanium. The handle design comes across as more utilitarian. I applaud the unique approach but would generally prefer a full titanium handle. Additional aspects of the Atlas handle design are considered in the Handling section.

HANDLING

My initial consideration for this razor was how to approach modulating pressure relative to the light weight of the design. The total weight of the Atlas is approximately 30g with its head coming in at 12g!? The lightest razor I have used for extended periods is the Aluminum Hawk V2 from RazorRock, coming in at a total weight of 37g and head weight of 13g. It’s in the neighborhood but that 7g total difference was noticeable. The Atlas is so light I could almost perceive a balance shift after loading a blade. And when comparing this to my baseline razor, the Blackland Blackbird Ti, the weight difference became even more pronounced with the Blackbird coming in at a total weight of approximately 53g.

Overall the Atlas felt balanced in hand and in use. The challenge became finding an optimal hold, while navigating the gap in the Atlas handle knurling. I do come with a bias against handle designs that drive the user to certain holds through placement of stops. The Atlas design leaves a meaningful gap of smooth carbon fiber that tends to draw the hold to either extreme of the handle ends composed of knurled titanium. Having said that the radius of each material section was fairly close and felt relatively continuous, compared to say the R2 design.

I was pleasantly surprised with a hold pinching the furthest end of the handle while shaving ATG. Because the razor is so light, I felt at ease and in complete control of the razor even with that extreme of a hold.

PERFORMANCE

I set a course for a standard three pass shave. The initial WTG pass quickly revealed the efficiency of this razor. Almost immediately the audible feedback sang out as I carried out those initial strokes. This could be the most audible razor I have used, particularly as I explored a range of engagement angles that seemed to unlock higher levels of feedback. That first pass I came in a little hot and picked up a few tiny weepers at the chin and right corner of the mouth area. All of this was completely operator induced as I sought to find a balance between performance and pressure application. The second pass XTG resulted in backing off a bit to reconsider what would be possible at the lower end of pressure. And by the third pass ATG I began to connect with a balanced approach while dialing in shaving angle. This razor is effective and efficient, and deceptively so.

The strokes all provided a smooth action that came with limited blade feel, particularly when compared to the Blackbird. And while that is appreciated it did become a challenge for my shaving style in the final pass where the audible feedback was now less helpful. As I moved to the upper mustache area I missed the blade forward nature of the Blackbird delivering those guiding nudges, while navigating the ever challenging terrain of that part of my beard growth. At several points I lost my way and struggled a bit to assess whether I was fully engaging on the shave. The result was two weepers from over compensating on pressure, again ultimately operator induced.

But when I stepped back to review my work, the results were impressive. A strong level of BBS was achieved, rivaling the Blackbird in many areas. After applying a healthy dose of post shave care, my left jawline and both necklines delivered a relatively high level of feedback. That is not typical these days with my other razors. But once again I place that on my lack of runtime with this razor and working out pressure application. And now some 12 hours later I am beginning to feel regrowth in a few areas. But it is too early to assess BBS duration potential, given the lack of proficiency with the razor.

Overall, this session points to the Atlas as a strong contender for high efficiency needs, particularly with demanding beard profiles. I look forward to a few more sessions with it.

PRODUCT FEEDBACK

I plan to shave with this configuration more than once so will refrain from feedback until more runtime has occurred.


Thank you to DFS, andrewjs18, and Carbon Shaving for providing this unique opportunity to evaluate a wonderful array of razors.

Rocket may I suggest using a KAI in the ++ later before sending it on its way… I know Sean would agree with me on it.  Shaves 2-4 with a KAI are much different with this plate and razor.  

To get to shaves 2-4 quicker maybe cork a blade and palm strop.

dtownvino That's a good suggestion. I will give it a try. I have two more sessions completed (SS ++ and + ) that I am finishing write ups on. Planning to focus on Ti and SS ++ for remainder of evaluation with a few setup variations and possibly side by side comparisons

PS I have been time starved on shave reports in general, but I tried the Kai in my vintage Shake Sharp razor with some interesting results. Plan to do a longer report on that razor and blade combinations, given its unique configuration and setup.

A Delightful Sleigh Ride Across The Mountainside
Carbon Shaving Evaluation Series
Session 2: Cx-316L/Web ++

SESSION SETUP

Razor: Carbon Cx-316L/Web [SB++ plate]
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum [2]
Brush: Rudy Vey Chief Muhle STF 25mm
Lather: Ethos Succès [F base]
Post: House of Mammoth Alive Aftershave Splash

AESTHETICS

The razor head once again delivers compelling design elements that are described in my previous shave report on its Ti counterpart: Session 1: Atlas Ti review. But in summary, I would highlight the webbed plate as the star of this razor. It truly provides an attractive and functional design that is differentiated in the industry, further elevated by a high degree of polish.

Unlike the previous review of the Atlas, the Cx-316L was supplied with the R2 handle configuration. From an aesthetic perspective, I am drawn to the R2’s strong design lines. The combination of knurling and interspersed insets of high polish surfaces keep the eye moving over the entire handle while suggesting confidence and refinement.

HANDLING

Coming in at approximately 91g this Cx-316L is on the heavier side of my typical rotation of razors. A natural question surfaces around how nimble the razor might be. And in response: I can confidently say this razor handled incredibly well. It is hard to fully capture other than to say this razor glided over the surface of the skin. I never felt hindered with any directional movement or turn as I propelled the razor forward, even in some of the more undulating terrain of my beard regions. I would dare say that this configuration offered an increased effectiveness in navigation compared to the ultra light weight Atlas Ti configuration.

Moving on to the R2 handle ergonomics, I have mixed feelings. While I find it aesthetically pleasing, I am less positive on the hand holds. I consistently found myself holding the razor in the upper portion of the polished mid section of the razor. Because of the relative depth of inset, the upper knurled section did act as a supportive stop to keep movement creeping up. And at times I would partially wrap my pointer finger around the bottom edge of that top knurled section to create additional grip. With the natural balance point in that top knurled section, I found myself shifting between where my hand wanted to be vs where the razor may have wanted it. I wouldn’t say the handle felt loose or slippery by any means, it just didn’t provide a seamless extension of the razor to my hand. I don’t want to belabor this too much as it is certainly a secondary or maybe tertiary factor, and operator dependent. One can always change out handles. And as with other razors, I imagine I would adapt to the handle configuration after several sessions.

PERFORMANCE

While finalizing preparation of the lather, the anticipation of the SS version of this razor filled my mind with thoughts of potential for higher aggression or possibly reduced smoothness, versus the Ti Atlas configuration. As I completed the initial downward stroke of the WTG pass, those thoughts were instantly extinguished. The remainder of the WTG and XTG passes continued with enthusiasm and relative ease. I can only assume the increased weight delivered extra momentum on top of the inherently smooth and efficient head/plate configuration. The total experience was that of an effortless movement of razor that seemed unfazed by beard density or trouble spots.

The only meaningful challenge revolved around ATG finishing strokes in the upper mustache area. Similar to the Atlas report, I felt somewhat disconnected from the level of razor engagement with the reduced blade feel of the ++ configuration. But in some ways this seemed to be offset by the higher weight of the SS material. So the net result was a shave that left almost no feedback on post shave application, other than a slight amount of residual tension at the neck line. And this was markedly reduced when compared to the results from the Atlas Ti session, where I was surely over compensating against the ultra light weight nature of that razor.

In terms of BBS, I once again experienced a high degree of BBS that rivaled some of my top performing razors. Duration ended up similar to the Atlas hovering around eleven to twelve hours.

If forced to make a decision today, I would likely select the SS 316L ++ over the Atlas Ti ++, by a modest margin. However, it is incredibly early in the evaluation to feel confident that decision would endure with increased runtime on these razors.

PRODUCT FEEDBACK

As alluded to in the handling section, I have an initial set of thoughts around the handle design. I want to get in a few more sessions with the R2 before drawing a full set of conclusions.

EVALUATION SERIES LINKS

Session 1: Cx-Atlas ++

Thank you to DFS, andrewjs18, and CarbonShavingCo. for providing this unique opportunity to evaluate a wonderful array of razors

Carbon Shaving Evaluation Series
Session 3: Cx-316L/Web +

Review write up postponed due to intervening cocktails.

RAZOR: Carbon Cx-316L/Web [SB+ plate]
BLADE: Bic Chrome Platinum [1]
BRUSH: Rudy Vey Chief Muhle STF 25mm
LATHER: House of Mammoth Smash
POST: Fine Accoutrements Santal Absolut Aftershave

Great writeups rocket , it's been fun to read. Thanks for all your notes and enjoy your next shave with the + plate. Cheers

Running in to a little weather
Carbon Shaving Evaluation Series
Session 3: Cx-316L/Web +

SESSION SETUP

Razor: Carbon Cx-316L/Web [SB+ plate]
Blade: Bic Chrome Platinum [1]
Brush: Rudy Vey Chief Muhle STF 25mm
Lather: House of Mammoth Smash
Post: Fine Accoutrements Santal Absolut Aftershave

AESTHETICS and HANDLING
Because this is simply an alternate plate option with the same handle and head design, please refer to my previous review for more details on aesthetics and handling of this razor:  Session 2  

PERFORMANCE

Although I suspected the ++ plate option was going to be my minimum configuration given a demanding beard profile and desire for high degrees of BBS, I decided to sample the + plate option for completeness. Anything that may be deemed as less than positive outcomes should be attributed to exceeding the performance envelope of the + plate option when applied to my beard terrain and style of shaving.

I had been curious about the + plate option as the specifications suggested a higher degree of blade feel. The open question: Would it deliver enough efficiency to achieve my target levels of BBS? As I initiated the first set of strokes for the WTG pass, the combination of smoothness and enhanced blade feel delivered a promising start. But as I peered closer to inspect interim outcomes, I slowly realized that the level of the + plate efficiency would not likely bring me across the line for BBS goals.

Undaunted and possibly feeling ready for a challenge, I decided to push the performance envelope of this plate. And in the process I broke a few rules including revisiting several areas with repetitive strokes and attempting a bit more aggressive buffing. The result was a self inflicted case of higher irritation and a few small injuries. I know better, but I thought maybe I could thread the needle on this one and pull it off. It turns out I am not Maverick.   In the end a DFS+ to BBS- outcome was achieved. Regrowth occurred relatively quickly compared to the ++ plate at about the six hour mark and progressed from there.

What I enjoyed about this plate option was increased smoothness with a nice bump on blade feel and feedback. If I had stopped at DFS for the outcome, the + plate would have delivered on that result. Through thoughtful design and market considerations, Carbon Shaving is providing a solid set of plate options to serve each individual’s shaving goals and beard terrain. It happens to turn out that the ++ plate is a stronger fit for my needs, but I imagine many others would be quite happy with the + plate.

An Impromptu Wardrobe Change
Carbon Shaving Evaluation Series
Session 4: Cx-Ti Web ++ with Timeless Ti Crown Handle


SESSION SETUP

Razor: Carbon Cx-Ti Web [SB++ plate] with Timeless Ti Crown Handle
Blade: Kai [1]
Brush: Rudy Vey Chief Muhle STF 25mm
Lather: Ethos Blue Note [F base]
Post: Wholly Kaw Timmermann Classic 1869 Red Label Aftershave

AESTHETICS

After considering the ultra light Cx Atlas handle, a soft but persistent voice called out: “Let’s try the Timeless Ti Crown handle.” Before commenting on the handling motivations for this change, it seems appropriate to consider a few aesthetic distinctions relative to the Atlas and R2 designs. If I were to thematically name these handles it might be the following: A Night on the Town (Timeless Ti); Inspired Adventure (R2); and F1 Racing (Atlas). The Timeless Crown fuses effortlessly with the Carbon Ti head in a subtle and subdued manner, while suggesting elevated sophistication. And the R2 handle (SS) invigorates with dynamism, ready to be taken anywhere and in any conditions. When placed against this backdrop, the Atlas handle recedes slightly with its matte Ti knurling end sections, offset by a center section of glossy carbon fiber.

To my tastes, the R2 or the Timeless handle provides an incremental gain in aesthetic over the Atlas handle. But I can also understand the drive for weight reduction and potential mating of the carbon fiber with Ti that might dictate certain design choices or priorities.

For a more complete review on the aesthetics of the baseline Atlas razor please see: Cx-Atlas review  

HANDLING

A substitution of the Atlas handle with the Timeless Crown handle was transformational in terms of how I experienced the handling and ergonomics of this razor. This was driven by three primary factors: 1) increased overall weight of the razor assembly; 2) balance point of the razor matching almost perfectly with hand hold of the razor; and 3) a design surface that affords a wider range of contiguous hand holds. The net result took a handling experience that felt somewhat unsettled with the Atlas handle, to a precision instrument acting as a direct extension of my movements.

Given a weight regime of 56g with the Timeless Ti Handle, it aligns well with many of my other razors, providing an additional level of familiarity. This weight is also close to the Cx-Ti Web (R2) specification of 49g. So I imagine several of the Timeless handle benefits would be conferred when employing the Ti R2 handle. And to re-iterate on past comments, I am confident that I would adapt to the R2 layout over time and ultimately experience it with a similar level of seamless extension.

PERFORMANCE

Beyond handling characteristics, another change occurred relative to the previous sessions: blade choice. At the suggestion of dtownvino I swapped in a Kai blade. dtownvino  was kind enough to send me a sample tuck of these a while back, and I have been evaluating them in different razor setups. It was an appropriate suggestion given some of my comments on the previous review regarding feedback. As I set upon those initial strokes a higher degree of blade feedback was detected, although still somewhat modest. Overall my sense of razor engagement had increased, maybe in part to both the overall weight and blade changes. I ran into a surprise set of nicks XTG in the chin area and quickly course corrected the shaving angle. I have found that the Kai blade wants an ever so slight adjustment to angle. In this case, that was all that was needed and I was back on track. As I wrapped up the ATG pass, engagement  in final strokes of the mustache area demonstrated improvement as well.

After completing the final ATG pass, I applied a liberal amount of aftershave. The level of post shave feedback was significantly reduced compared to the initial outing in the Atlas configuration, along with vanquishing almost all signs of residual irritation. Presumably the combined changes allowed for stronger alignment with my typical application of pressure. And the level of BBS was high, although I forgot to keep track of BBS duration. Overall, I am now less certain about my previous declaration of choosing the Cx-316 over the Cx-Ti.

All of this beckons for another run with the Cx-316 and the Kai blade...

I always liked how the Carbon razors handle with Kai blades (for me personally though, not a nice pairing in the original geometry). Not surprised your shave with the Kai and the ++ went well. Maybe try the + plate with the Kai. Curious if you can try seeing how the r2 handle works if you let the bottom rest on your pinky and as you mentioned early, try holding toward the top of the handle with the support underneath. Maybe it works for me with larger hands but over time, I use the carbon fiber and stainless combo handle the most. Sometimes I use the Ti/carbon fiber when I want to really be in control of the pressure around the blade. Most of the time, the increased weight of the stainless in the handle is what helps pull the blade along with the right amount of weight and pressure for my skin/beard.

Again, nice shave writeups rocket . Nice to see the thread active with some detailed posts. Cheers

rocket  and all...these are fascinating reads. As a small business I can't thank you all enough for this feedback. Its really cool to read and to get your thoughts, initial impressions, techniques and observations. As you talk blade choice, weight, balance and all its very insightful. Thank you...

On a separate note...I want to wish you all a happy new year. Thank you so much for the support and feedback this year.

Stay well and thanks again...

Sean