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

How does the Carbon compare (Blade feel, efficiency and smoothness) to the Paradigm Ti II, Game Changer 0.84 or the ATT S2?

MUCH more blade feel than the .84 GC, more efficient, less smooth.

Many thanks, appreciate the description and comparison.

Here are my somewhat belated thoughts on the Carbon Cx316 Razor:  In my opinion it is both overpriced and overpolished. 
 
1) If you machine a razor to very tight tolerances and then polish the bejeezus out of it, you lose those very tight tolerances.  
2) My razors are tools not jewels.  I don't collect shiny display pieces for other people to admire.  I use them to shave with.
3) Mirror polishes are both time consuming, $ expensive, and fragile.  They scratch and scuff easily, compared to a machined finish.
4) The handle is just plain ridiculous.  It's one of the ugliest, least ergonomic safety razor handles ever made, and it's too heavy.
5) The packaging is eco-pretentious and ineffective.  The razor bounces around inside it during shipping.  Use plastic bubble wrap!

The shave is blade forward but still quite mild; about equal to a C plate Karve, but less efficient than a D plate Karve.
The best shave I got with it was with a new Feather blade and 2 shims between the blade and the baseplate.

So now my suggestions:

6) Get rid of that goofy handle.  Form needs to follow function.  When it doesn't, function suffers.  Every.  Single.  Time.
7) A thinner, less domed topcap (if possible), and (8) a larger blade gap would both be functional improvements.
9) A machined finish offers tighter tolerances, is more durable, and far less expensive to produce.
10) IMO the best weight balance for a razor is 2/5 head to 3/5 handle.  By that standard a 26 g head should have a 39 g handle.

This is the handle that I like best.  These are my observations and opinions.  Your mileage may vary.

Well it took me awhile put the review in writing but here it is. First things first I face shave daily (2-pass XTG -> ATG then touch ups) or every other day and also head shave once every 3 days (One pass ATG then touch ups).  I prefer shaving with a very efficient, moderately smooth razor on the head and a mid-aggressive, very smooth shaver on the face. My current rotation listed in no particular order for each type for frame of reference.

Face (1-2 day growth):
BBS-1
WR1 .61 OC
Tatara Masamune OC
DLC RR Lupo

In between-ers that work great for multiple day face growth or adequate on the head with extra touch ups:
Blackbird SB
ATT R1

Head:
WR2 1.15 DC
ATT H1

I've tried Timeless .95 DC in SS it was great just heavier than I prefer and a little large overall (would love to try out a Ti though), Paradigm Ti2, Blackland Dart, Muhle Rocca, all the ikons and also Gamechanger .84 OC and SB. Have not tried Karve or Charcoal razors at this point.

So my first use of the Carbon I went for the stock handle with an Astra blade since they are included with the razor.  The handle was fine in use. The knurling was very grippy, which I prefer, and the weight was just fine though I prefer lighter handles around 85mm length.  The slick, narrow waste a little odd to rest my other fingers on but the pincer grip contact points were more than secure with the knurling and the maneuverability and balance are fantastic. The slim head profile really makes for a very responsive and precise feeling shave.  The shave itself was very smooth and had just the right amount of blade feel and audible feedback.  The effective angle came intuitively, the polish allowed the razor to glide effortlessly and the blade seemed to be held very rigid.  I had no problems buffing or going ATG with it. The Astra was not really the best pairing which was odd as they tend to work fine for 2 shaves in any of the other face shavers I've listed. I actually overshaved a few trouble spots partly because the razor was so smooth in use I couldn't really tell I had pushed it too far but mostly because the Astra was not at its most efficient in this razor.  Second shave through sixth I switched to a Polsilver SI. That immediately improved the efficiency and comfort of the CX. Switching handles from the stock handle to a Hempel microfine 2 (titanium 85x14 @54.5 g) firmly pushed this razor into the top 2 next to the BBS-1.  I was getting BBS shaves with minimal touch ups and blade feel without the harshness that typically accompanies that.  The blade feel is deceiving like the Blackbird is. At first I was apprehensive with the amount of blade I could feel thinking my face was going to catch fire with the aftershave however the shave was very smooth still and there was minimal aftershave burn when done. There is less blade feel using the CX than there is with the Blackbird, the shave is also smoother and the efficiency is comparable. Shaves with the CX seemed to get even better as the angle became second nature around the 4th shave and after 2 passes there was really not much to touch up at all.  BBS lasts 10-12 hours after a shave with this one for my growth.  It's more efficient than my other daily drivers, not quite as efficient as the H1 or WR2 1.15 and smoother than all the others except for the BBS-1 which is marginally smoother but also marginally less efficient.  I switched back to a fresh Astra on the seventh and final shave and got great results so maybe I had a bad blade the first go round or maybe a week with the razor was necessary to dial in the angle but I still prefer Polsilvers in this razor.  I used it once to head shave and got great results but this one will not be a head shaver for me as it took too many touch-ups to get full smooth.  If I don't go full smooth I have to shave it every other day and I don't have the time for that so the CX is adequate but will only be an occasional relaxed weekend head shaver in my den.  All in all I love this razor.  I purchased one and it is actually fighting for top spot in the den with only the BBS-1 for my daily to every other day preferred shaver.  The only real critique is wanting a head only option (for EVERY razor ever actually...) since I prefer using my Ti Hempel but I understand the reasoning of wanting to sell it as intended with a custom designed handle and somewhat controlled experience from the artisan so I can't really fault Carbon for this.  Plus they sell used razors in the 'Deals' section at a discount so if you can snag one of those it is like having a head only option as it is...  Anyways it's been 3 weeks of constant shaves with this razor and head to heads with the BBS-1, WR1 and Blackbird and my initial impressions still remain.  It is a top performer that is fun to shave with I am very happy to have tried one and now to own one!

I am not a writer apologies for the stream of consciousness above....



TLDR -- This razor rocks.  Easily one of the best I've tried do yourself a favor and try one if you're considering it and decide for yourself.

SOTD (13/09/2019)...




Carbon Shaving Co. Cx (on loan)
Polsilver
Elite razors Manchurian
Eufros Fougère
Pitralon Classic aftershave

Many thanks to David Optometrist for generously sending his Carbon razor for me to try.

Fit and finish is excellent, as it should be for a razor in this price bracket.
The design of the handle has had many negative comments but in the flesh and more importantly in the hand it feels great, most of the time*. It makes you hold the razor in a certain way, which (for me anyway) encourages a lighter touch.

Onto the shave: Using the ever dependable Eufros the Carbon glided through every pass with very little blade feel. After three passes I only needed minimal touch ups on my neck.

*There were a couple of times I wasn't comfortable with my grip and I wasn't confident adjusting my grip. So maneuverability maybe an issue but time will tell.

I like this razor a lot. Thanks again to David for the opportunity to use it.

Have a good weekend Gents.

Cheers
Rob

Last "belated" review was 12 days ago. Razors returned to DFS and auction starting soon??

Last "belated" review was 12 days ago.  Razors returned to DFS and auction starting soon??

yes

The handle reminds me of a French Poodle.

(Sorry, I know this adds nothing to the discussion.)

The R2 handle looks much more elegant and less blocky than the original.

Love the streamlined head. Reminds me a bit of my Feather AS-D2, the form of which I adore, even if I find it too mild. I am definitely looking for similar heads in stainless steel that offer more a more moderate (versus mild) level of aggression, so maybe this could be that.

The folks at Seygus and Tatara and others before them concluded it's not about the handles and make heads available. I'm hoping Carbon concludes similarly that while their margin per unit may decrease their overall market would increase considerably.

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The folks at Seygus and Tatara and others before them concluded it's not about the handles and make heads available. I'm hoping Carbon concludes similarly that while their margin per unit may decrease their overall market would increase considerably.

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I really wish more razor makers would allow purchase of just the head of a razor. Makes things a lot easier to obtain.


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