Copper Haircut & Shave P076 DC Passaround – Simply Spectacular

Nice brush!

I’m 2 shaves in with the copper H&S PO76 now. Having tried the 17-4 and Ti versions already I was a bit weary of attempting another go at it since the others weren’t for me but Dan convinced me (it wasn’t hard haha). I found the 17-4 harsh and the Ti seemed to give too much blade feel (most Ti razors I’ve tried have this characteristic it seems, lighter weight = unknowingly increased pressure at first). 

As has been stated numerous times before, the H&S PO76 line is masterfully beautiful. The polish is tops as well as the machining. Threading the handle on is so precise. 

My first 3 pass shave was with a Nacet and it pains me to say but like the PO76’s that came before, it was a bit too harsh on my face. Cheeks are fine and I enjoyed the OC side for the first pass but once I get to my jawline and down, something about these razors doesn’t want to agree with me. I ended up with quite a bit of irritation on my neck. I wish my face was rounder for shaving. I can’t remember who but someone stated that as your shaving with this razor, it sounds and feels like it’s cutting everything in the first stroke, and then once you rinse your amazed that you still feel quite a bit of stubble. However, I have very coarse hair and I think this is where the differences lie between those that love this razor and myself. After 3 passes I ended up with a close shave but getting there and the after effect were not very comfortable. If my hair were not so coarse I believe this razor actually would mow through as much hair as it sounds/feels like it is. 

This was also my first use of ETHOS green fresh and I greatly enjoyed the scent. I bowl lathered it which I never usually do and didn’t end up quite getting the consistency that I wanted. It ended up being a bit airy. I used my ETHOS unscented splash after and could feel the burn for sure. So some of the harshness could have been attributed to my poor lather. 

Second shave today was with an Astra which proved to be a bit better. I’m not giving up on this razor yet since I love copper razors. My lather today was much better since I smeared the croap on my face and face lathered. 3 passes with the Astra was a bit more manageable for my face this go around. I still get the feeling of it being a bit of a harsh shave during shaving for whatever reason by the 3rd pass but ended up with less irritation on my neck than the previous day. I was almost BBS but not quite there. There were some spots on my jawline I didn’t seem to quite get. The bottom half of my neck hair grows straight up against my neck and usually never gets bbs (if it does it comes with irritation or ingrown hairs 95% of the time). The top half of my neck hair is mangey as well, half having a cowlick and half growing sideways. 

I decided to not use an aftershave today thinking I would prove to myself that ETHOS soaps post shave was not as good as some of my other top soaps but I was proven wrong. My face was well hydrated as a fridged walk with the dog outside proved. It was well moisturized and didn’t dry me out at all. Face pic is 9hrs post shave. 

Another possible factor of shaving that’s been on my mind is skin elasticity. I’ve been thinking about it a lot the past few days. I’m not sure the average age on here but I read someone post the other day about a suction effect a razor had on their skin. It’s not the first time I’ve heard about this. I’m 30 years old and my skin is pretty tight. Razors usually don’t give me any kind of suction effect with the skin between the safety bar and blade. I figure this is either due to the fact that I have “young skin”, or I’m not using as much pressure as some of these other folks. When I get to talking about wet shaving with co workers or friends they are a little shocked that there’s so much that goes into getting a good shave and truth be told, I’m still figuring out a lot after having only been in this hobby for 2 and a half years. Anyway, sorry for all the random thoughts. 

Big thanks to Dan and Aji for making this passaround possible. Going to get a few more shaves in and will report back.    

two suggestions would be 1) you need more time with the razor to adjust 2) try not shaving ATG. Those bumps on your neck look like you are cutting so close that the hair then curls back under the skin causing irritation, otherwise known as folliculitis.

Past two shaves have been with a little more hair growth. For daily shaves, i cannot seem to get a nick free/irritation free shave. So since I already know this razor isn’t for me for daily shaves, I figured I’d see if it would suit me better with a bit of growth (24hrs worth).

While still being smooth, it sits in a weird realm of smoothness & aggression for me. Even with 24 hours it smoothly cut through the whiskers, but still brought on irritation. With a charcoal goods lvl 2 I can pretty much autopilot around my face. With a lvl 3 I have to fully concentrate. With the H&S 76 I feel like I have to fully concentrate but somehow end up in autopilot mode sometimes due to its smoothness and end up feeling irritation. It seems to be a blade exposure/gap that just doesn’t really agree with me whether I’m fully attentive or not. A fine razor for sure but having tried many now it’s not one that I “need” to have. Especially at the price point that it is currently at. 

I love that this hobby is so different from person to person. You truly never know if you like something until you try it, just like food. My favorite soda is Coke a Cola, but not everyone’s is. So even though your reading this and this razor isn’t for me, it has been the one for a lot of people here. 

ETHOS is a great soap. I have the lavender already as well as the dragonsbeard V2. In my eyes, the splash is what I truley love about ETHOS grooming though. I have 4 of them and they all work wonders for my skin. Alot of other splashes seem to leave my face either too dry or sticky/tacky. ETHOS and Maol have been the 2 that I find work best for my skin. Thank you so much DFS, Dan, and Aji for allowing us to try this razor. 

Edit** Big thanks to ETHOS for supplying his soaps for this passaround. Another great way to try out a great product!

...and thank you ETHOS too....  Concurred regarding ETHOS Skin Food too; it really an incredibly critical component to my smooth irritation free shaves, a first for an AS

I've received the package & got my first shave with it today. A brief review, it's amazing! Smooth, efficient, & provided me with a spectacular two-pass shave. I'll be more detailed with future write-ups after I use it a few times. And the Ethos soap, it's the best soap available, anywhere, for any price, bar none.

Concurred on all counts

Agreed on all points!  That CC lather bowl is crazy awesome also.

After my shave tonight I want to give another update on the razor.

The look of the copper is very cool. Beautifully produced & made, the attention to detail in the making of it is quite impressive. Fit & finish is superb. The handle is a great fit for the razor & my hand. It balances the head & lets the razor glide over my face. Glide leads to the shave. Put the razor to your face & finding the correct angle is simple & natural. The blade feel is perfect, I know the blade is reducing my beard as it goes, & the small amount of audible feedback enhances the experience. This is the smoothest razor I have used. And it's as efficient as any I've used. I believe I've used all of the H&S razors: NO75 SS & Mixed Metal, PO76 SS, Ti, & Copper. All H&S razors are excellent, my personal preference is for the PO76 SB.

There is one question I can't figure out: Why don't I own a PO76 yet?

I have been a fan of Ethos soap for almost a year. Since discovering Ethos, I have used it for at least 90% of my shaves. It is the best soap I have ever used in terms of scent, latherability, cushion, slickness, residual slickness, & post-shave feel. Those of you in this pass-around that haven't tried Ethos yet, you're in for a treat! Those of you that haven't tried a PO76, you are also in for a treat!

Thank you Aji (H&S) & Frank (Ethos), you are two kind gentlemen that are true artisans. Thank you Dan for putting this pass around together, your kindness & time has allowed many to enjoy these quality products.

I believe I've used all of the H&S razors: NO75 SS & Mixed Metal, PO76 SS, Ti, & Copper. All H&S razors are excellent, my personal preference is for the PO76 SB.

Very nice review and you asked yourself a good question of why you don’t own a PO76.  But I’m curious:  which PO76 in SB is your preference?  You’ve tried all three but which one?  You found the copper to be the smoothest razor you’ve used and “as efficient as any” you’ve tried. Did you mean it - the copper - or was “SB” a typo for “SS”?

I believe I've used all of the H&S razors: NO75 SS & Mixed Metal, PO76 SS, Ti, & Copper. All H&S razors are excellent, my personal preference is for the PO76 SB.

Very nice review and you asked yourself a good question of why you don’t own a PO76.  But I’m curious:  which PO76 in SB is your preference?  You’ve tried all three but which one?  You found the copper to be the smoothest razor you’ve used and “as efficient as any” you’ve tried. Did you mean it - the copper - or was “SB” a typo for “SS”?

Thank you for asking me to clarify my statement. Overall, the PO76 razors are the smoothest razors I have used. And they are as efficient as any razor, as well. If I owned all three & had to rank them in order, we're talking about infinitesimally small differences between the three different materials used to create the same exquisitely finished razor that shaves better than any razor I've tried. But my order of preference is:
17-4
Copper
Ti