CarbonShavingCo. New company & razor in the works....

Mr. Hoosier, thanks for the reports you've provided. Very helpful.  It sounds like it exceeded your own goals.

I just have to assume if it is only a .68 gap but gets to BBS in 2.25 passes it must be fairly blade forward? Like a Blackbird? Maybe a touch less would be my guess.

Also, bottom line that handle, please. It sounds like you were a little skeptical at first but warmed to it during the week? Did I get that close? I must admit, that barbell handle is growing on me.



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LOOT, the Cx is a blade-forward razor and I think you have a very good assumption in terms of the blade feel. The Cx has slightly less blade feel than the Blackbird. But in order to confirm this, I will gladly pop in a new GSB into the Cx and the Blackbird tomorrow morning and do a shave-off. But I will say, I'm assuming what I will find is that the Cx has less blade-feel than the Blackbird but it will very likely have better smoothness.

As for the handle, I do like it. But I thought it was a cool design when I first saw the razor. My only concern was handling the smooth part of the razor while shaving. But my normal routine includes a quick swipe of the alum block prior to picking up any razor. I've used the handle for nearly a week and a slippery handle hasn't been a problem.

Overall, I really like this razor. For me, it's smoother than the Blackbird but not as smooth as my Rockwell 6S (especially on base plate 4). It is more efficient than my 6S but not as efficient as the Blackbird.

Right on. A shave-off with the BB would be great reading and a benefit to all, I believe. We could see how close our assumptions are to reality, at your sink.



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Overall, I really like this razor. For me, it's smoother than the Blackbird but not as smooth as my Rockwell 6S (especially on base plate 4). It is more efficient than my 6S but not as efficient as the Blackbird.

So:
Smoothness: Rockwell 6S > Cx > Blackbird
Efficiency: Blackbird > Cx > Rockwell

Life is a trade-off; maybe the Cx will prove to be the Goldilocks razor :-)

Overall, I really like this razor.  For me, it's smoother than the Blackbird but not as smooth as my Rockwell 6S (especially on base plate 4).  It is more efficient than my 6S but not as efficient as the Blackbird.

So:
Smoothness: Rockwell 6S > Cx > Blackbird
Efficiency: Blackbird > Cx > Rockwell

Life is a trade-off; maybe the Cx will prove to be the Goldilocks razor :-)

I'm sure it could be for some...but the Rockwell 6S is my Goldilocks razor. It's a daily driver that consistently provides BBS shaves with no irritation from the alum block. But other shavers really prefer the blade-feel and even closer shave. And with good technique/concentration, the Cx and Blackbird can deliver on that front with minimal feedback from the alum.

andrewjs18 and Asafiev i'd like to be put back on the list if you'll have me. My response to skip me was because I misread that it was ready to ship to me at the time. I was trying to figure out some things with my face and got that resolved (so far) with a change in facial cleanser (switched to CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser).

updated list:

East:
andrewjs18 (Pennsylvania)
Asafiev (Pennsylvania)
gregcss (Virginia)
shaveSymptomatic (Florida)
Shavemd (Ohio) *removed per user's request
ANG69 (Massachusetts)
Nh wet shaver (New Hampshire)
Hardrock (North Carolina)
dmiller622 (Tennessee)
vadim (Maryland)
MarsEnglish (New Jersey)
Dragonsbeard (New York)

West:
TheHunter (Arizona)
HoosierShave (Indiana)
gvw755 (Washington State)
Captainjonny (Washington State)
Einar (Wisconsin)
Dayman (Georgia)
Kehole (California)
jmudrick (California)
bobmsp (Minnesota)
IanG153 (California)

Shave #6: Shave-off between the Cx & Blackbird:

Each razor received a fresh GSB. The Cx was used on the left side of the face and the BB took care of the right side. Lathered up my Wild West 26mm tuxedo with Mystic Water Tea Tree & Blue Gum.

First thought while shaving WTG...I was wrong. The Cx has more blade-feel than the BB but the smoothness factor was similar. Both razors produced a very similar shave on the WTG pass as it was smooth and comfortable. The XTG pass was mostly similar to the WTG...no discernible difference in the shave results.

The ATG pass is where I expected to find some more significant differences. But, for the most part, it was still a similar shave. The only difference was on the ATG pass on my upper lip. This pass is my ultimate test of any razor. As of today, the only razor capable of giving me a BBS shave with pure smoothness & comfort on the upper lip is my 6S (the Rex is probably 2nd but fails to move into the 1st position due to consistency). The Cx performed very well on the upper lip...it was close and smooth but still needed a little cleanup on the corner of the mouth area. When I used the BB, I must have done something wrong as it almost immediately skipped on the lip and, luckily, I was able to come to a stop before causing some serious damage. Even after relathering the upper lip, the BB still didn't feel smooth. This was a bit odd as it had never happened before.

The typical areas needing cleanup were still there after the ATG pass. Both razors performed well during cleanup. I will say one of the more difficult aspects of this shave for me was the angle being completely different for the two razors.

One area where the Cx did outperform the BB was on the chin. And it wasn't that the shave was significantly better. It was the ease of maneuvering the razor on the chin. The chin area has always been a slight problem for me with the BB. I attribute it to my lack of technique for maintaing the steep angle on those rounded areas. The Cx seems to have more leeway in the angle allowing for an easier chin shave.

Overall, the shave results were close. I will say one of the more difficult aspects of this shave for me was the angle being completely different for the two razors. Keeping the BB high & tight while opening it up a little more on the Cx required a little more concentration than my tired mind was ready for this morning. It has now been close to 14 hours since I shaved and slight stubble is appearing on the right side chin and upper lip and also on the lower left portion of the chin. Cheeks and neck still feel smooth.

For someone trying to decide between the two razors...I think it's a tough decision. I do find the Cx to be easier to use and requires less attention/concentration than the BB while still producing similar shave results. The shave experience of the BB is, at least IMO, a very unique experience and I think that should count for something as well. Even though I do like the design and handle of the Cx, I really find the BB to be the more aesthetically appealing razor.

Hopefully, something in this rambling of a post will help someone. I plan on getting in one last shave tomorrow morning before sending the Cx off to gvw755.

Shave 7 (GSB - 5th use):

A BIG thank you to the Carbon Shaving Co for doing this passaround. And congratulations on developing a really great razor...one that, imo, does a fantastic job of combining efficiency and comfort. I know the design was based somewhat on the Gillette Tech but I can assure you, I have never received a shave with my Tech like I can get with the Cx. Again, thank you so much for the opportunity and I wish you guys the best of luck

The razor was dropped off at the PO this morning and is on its way to gvw755

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've received the Cx. I"ll be using it for daily 3 pass shaves for the remainder of the week and will post my experience at the end.
As far as initial impression, I can see lots of marks on the top cap. Kind of hard to describe but see the pictures below. However, I don't think it was originally like that. I have the feeling that something abrasive might have been used to clean it during the pass around, I could be wrong of course. The head looks like it clamps the blade very securely (again, see pictures below). I'm still not a fan of the poodle handle whatsoever, but I think Carbon is coming out with a different handle(s). I really do like the "C" imprint from the periodic table on the bottom of the base plate, it's unique and nerdy. The head profile is very thin, I think many people will appreciate that. There's very little play between the top cap and the base plate, on par with any premium razor I've tried.
Really look forward to using it tonight!

I wonder if the little tote bag it gets shipped in is causing those marks you see, at least on the top cap.

I wonder if the little tote bag it gets shipped in is causing those marks you see, at least on the top cap.

Who knows, but I doubt it's abrasive enough to cause that. The razor was nothing like that when you received it right?