Haircut & Shave P076 17-4 SB & OC Passaround Review – World Class Artisanal Craftsman

Quick first impression, will give a more detailed review once I'm done. Used the OC razor on 2 days growth with a new gillette platinum. Mowed everything down with smoothness and efficiency. 1 small weeper on my neck but probably from a dry lather. Liked the scent on the Aion(?), this is only my second exposure to GD soaps. Same with the time before, I seem to get an airy foamy lather until it starts breaking down from too much water. I'll try a little more product next shave. It still wasn't "bad", just not the slick dense lather I'm used to with some of my other soaps. Scent was good! Everything about this razor comes together perfectly. The handle balances the head perfectly and is extremely grippy. The pheonominal polish along with no etching or marking on the baseplate brings everything together as one "fluid" unit. I know people have inquired about being able to buy just a head, but I think that would be a disservice to the razor. Everything just meshes so well. The angle was easy to find and maintain, and the blade feel was there but still comfortable. I never had the "hardness" feeling some get from the 17-4, which is good. Off camping for the weekend, so I should have some good growth to test out next week! Enjoy your weekend everyone.

Just managed to snag a 17-4 SB from the website! Out of stock now. Wonder how many were up for grabs?
I have a N075 and although nice and smooth, not quite as efficient as I’d like. More of a 2 o’clock shadow.

Finished up with the 17-4 and shipped it out to the next participant this morning. Was glad to be able to trial this razor!

On my second and third shave I used the SB razor. Just like the OC everything about the razor is pheonominal from the fit to the finish. Im still blown away by the mirror finish on these razors, it is unlike anything I've used before. One thing I noticed about the 17-4 material is it seems to resist staining much better. I have softened well water which will leave some "tea staining" after dried. With 303 and 316 SS, it sometimes takes a bit of work to get the stains off. With these razors, I swear the slightest gust of wind will restore them to their mirrored glory. It doesn't take more than a slight wipe to clean them off.

My second shave setup included a twice used Gillette Platinum, the H&S 17-4 PO76, a yaqi two band badger, and GD Aion. I had much more luck this time lathering the soap. Loaded with a dry brush and slowly added water until the lather was slick and hydrated. The razor hesitated a bit around my chin where the growth is densest but never gave any irritation. The second pass cleaned everything up for a smooth comfortable DFS. Splashed some cold water on my face and applied some proraso green AS. My face remained comfortable and cleanly shaven for the majority of the day.

Third shave I used the same setup with the exception of the blade, switching to a gillette nacet. Everyone is right, this razor is made to work with the nacet! Smoother and more efficient than the Gillette Platinum which is my go to blade. This shave was the best out of the three. Mowed down my growth like nothing and handled my trouble spot without a problem. Efficiency wise, this razor falls behind the Blackbird (my benchmark for most efficient) but is much smoother and more comfortable. I never felt the "cold surgical tool" feeling from the 17-4 SS. Both razors felt identical to all my other SS razors.

So to sum everything up, if you're looking for a highly polished, efficient, manuverable razor; these fit the bill. At a moderate price also, the craftsmanship is next to none. My only complaint is I wish there were more threads on the top cap. With a washer for protection, it doesn't take many turns to remove the handle once the razor is assembled. If you're not careful taking apart the razor you could drop the handle or head which would be unfortunate.

Thank you to DFS, Dan Law, and H&S CO for allowing this passaround to be possible!

I received the razor yesterday & got my first shave in today. I'll write more after I get a couple of shaves in with it. But my initial impression is this is an absolutely fantastic razor! Fit & finish as well as quality of shave. I used the SB today with the Aion soap, & the razor performed perfectly. A once-used Nacet blade & a Maggards 26mm SHD, & I was off on the maiden voyage. A few strokes & it was dialed in & delivered a stellar shave. The soap was OK, not a lot of slickness or residual slickness,  or at least compared to what I'm used to. But that may just be an issue with my needing to get it dialed in more.

I'm really looking forward to more shaves with this great razor. I'm not sure if I'll go SB or OC for my second shave tomorrow. But I'm pretty confident whatever I decide, it's going to be a most enjoyable shave. Thank you H&S for your superb craftsmanship, & thank you DanLaw for giving us the opportunity to experience this superb razor.

Aion specifically and Nai base generally really quite good soap. For me it clearly number 2 to the ETHOS line. I like to smear a sample in a lathering bowl, bringing it up slowing starting a solid load until no soap remains sticking to the bowl wall, a highly concentrated proto lather. Then slowly add a dip of brush tips every minute or so as it explodes. Really take your time lathering the face over 5 minutes and suspect you will be happy

Aion specifically and Nai base generally really quite good soap. For me it clearly number 2 to the ETHOS line. I like to smear a sample in a lathering bowl, bringing it up slowing starting a solid load until no soap remains sticking to the bowl wall, a highly concentrated proto lather. Then slowly add a dip of brush tips every minute or so as it explodes. Really take your time lathering the face over 5 minutes and suspect you will be happy

Thanks Dan for the pointers. With new soaps it takes a while to learn how to best use them. I'll use the Aion again tomorrow & put your pointers into practice.

So...I had my chance at the PO76-Ti. I purposely delayed this review a bit because I knew the N075Al was in route. Its easy to see now that a range of possibilities are covered, with the positive blade exposure of the P076 being the agressive version within the line-up. It fits in it's rightful place very well. Everything everbody has said about the jewelry quality, sleek nimble head, soft face feel of the Ti, the feathery weight, is all true. This is an ultra nice tool and kudos to the manufacturer. I have a machining background and can appreciate the work that went into this thing although for my function over form position, the polishing is "too nice' for me. It actually caused some wavyness in the reflection on the baseplate in the flat areas but I'm real picky to point that out. Also some identifying marks on the baseplate, like company name, logo, gap, etc. would seem to be a necessity although probably interfearing with the high polish. None the less a real stunner in the den.

So it looks like I'm the blacksheep of the thread. I'm obviously in the minority here. The bottom line for me is this razor is more agressive than I can use. (Don't worry, I like the N075Al). I used the solid bar except for the last shave. The open comb is slightly "more". The positive blade exposure allowed for a tremendous amount of blade feedback via feel and audio. Dan mentioned earlier that riding the cap may eleviate some of this and I will agree. I caught my self at times going whoa, I better get back on the cap cause this thing is going to get me. I think the light weight of this tool actually magnified some of this. It's a bit finicky I think. It seems like a heavier or denser metal, (of course were talking about stainless, I have a few) kind of dampens some of the feedback and perhaps the added weight aids in the control. I like to shave basically on autopilot. Long, fairly quick strokes in a very casual manner suit my style so having to worry about these mechanical adjustments are just bothersome for me. It's just a little light and too agressive for me, thats all. This is probably the best razor I have used that I didn't like.

I also partook of the included Ethos soaps. Really good stuff. Effortless to get a good lather. Not picky about the amount of water. Post shave is great. I will say if you use unscented soap this soap smells a bit in the tub but once lathered has no scent at all to my nose. Good stuff.

Many thanks to Dan, Ethos and H&S. I'm gratefull to have the opportunity to participate.

As info, H&S also makes a stainless P076 version in 17-4. We have those on passaround too if interested. Let me know bia PM

Second shave was better than the first! Used the SB again today & it delivered a superb shave. I think this razor might be landing in my shopping cart sometime in the near future. Thanks DanLaw for the pointer on the Aion soap. Today's lather was better than yesterday's.
H&S P076 17-4
Nacet
GD Aion
Heritage Collection Ever Ready with 26mm Quartermoon
Thayers
Ethos Succes Skin Food splash

I've got two heavy hitters in my den right now, so I decided to do a shave off. On the right side of my face is the Wolfman WR1 .67, & on the left side is the H&S 17-4 P076. I load a new Nacet in each razor & do my twp pass shave using the GD Asinus soap. The H&S holds its own with the WR1 on the WTG 1st pass, it's a toss-up. The second pass with my technique combines short strokes in varying angles, making my second pass an across the grain & against the grain pass all in one. I use short strokes & skin stretching that I learned from Dragonsbeard.Two passes with these two razors & I'm SMOOOOOTH!!! I used a shallow angle with both razors, & on the 2nd pass, the Wolfman was smoother with less blade feel. Both razors delivered exceptional shaves. I'm only 6 hours after my shave & I'm still feeling like I just shaved! Both razors have very good knurling & balance. The Wolfman carries more weight, but it was nimble maneuvering around my face. The H&S handle bothered me at first, but after shaving with it a few months ago in the N075 pass around, & now in this pass around, I really like the feel of the handle. It just fits really nicely in my hand. And I like the looks of it. It's not just another take on a barber pole handle. Aji decided to create a handle to go along with the razor he created. He's done a masterful job, it works visually, & it definitely works shaving. Well done! Tomorrow I'm going to try the OC versions of each razor. Boy, did I get the draw of the century with getting these razors at the same time, or what?