HomelikeShaving and their START SS Razor. From Russia with Love....

Well I had another shave with the Start and this time I used the 1.18 SB baseplate and loaded it with a fresh Polsilver. I had gone any extra day so I was on 3 days growth and I have to say on the first WTG pass the razor seemed to struggle so I slowed things down a bit and did some extra skin stretching which helped but when I was done with the first pass I could tell there was a decent amount of stubble left. So on to the 2nd ATG pass and things got a little better and like I mentioned in my last review the balance is good, I had to no problem with the handle slipping as I once again put some alum on my hand but if I were to give the owner my feedback I'd say I'd like a little better knurling on the handle. Fit and finish is good. The 1.18 plate had more blade feel than the .90 which I felt right from the start but I didn't mind that,  After the 2nd pass which is all I did and usually do when evaluating a razor I ended up with a DFS.  I will try the .90 OC in my last shave with it before passing it on but for me I don't feel like I've connected with this razor and I'm not sure if the OC is going to change my mind. This happens now and then with razors I use be it modern or vintage. I call it " MOJO " and some razors have it and others don't and I can usually tell from the first couple of strokes if it's has it or not and unfortunately this razor doesn't for me.  The Taiga is on it's way to me in the other pass around and based on all the reviews so far it's probably more up my alley. I'll use it once more over the weekend and get it out to the next person on the iist on Monday. 

 Last shave with the Start razor. 

Well I had a night shave and I was excited to the CBL Fresh Lime in the Tonsorial base and I gotta say I really like the combo of the lime and cooling agent. Very light and Fresh describes the way I felt using it and based on memory I'd say this is the best Lime that I've ever tried. I enjoyed the base a lot as well. Lathered up easily and quickly and I had more than plenty of soap for the 2 passes I did. 

Unfortunately I can't say the same for the razor and this was the 4th shave I have had with it using all 4 baseplates and this time I used a new Polsilver blade in it hoping for a better shave than the last three. This was the .90 OC and out of all 4 plates I’ve used it was the best out of the 4 for me. I mentioned this before about the razor. It's got a very nice finish on it. It has good balance and decent maneuverability to it and fairly smooth with a bit of blade feel which I don't mind but for some reason I just can't connect with this razor in the same way I don’t connect with the RR Lupo and Mamba for example because for me it was lacking what I call " Mojo " which is something that some razors just don't have while others do and I usually know it within a few strokes. I wanted to like it and doing 4 shaves with it I was hoping it would grow on me but it never happened unfortunately.  Btw I think the case is a very nice presentation.  So I ended up with a 2 pass DFS and I was on 2 days growth and I did a WTG and ATG pass. I have many razors in my den that can get me a very solid and long lasting BBS shave in 2 passes so I don’t think I’m a buyer for the Start but I’m definitely excited to try the Taiga Adjustable which should be here on Monday. 

Getting back to the CBL soap which was the best part of this shave with the nice clean lime scent and light cooling sensation it provides. The soap gave me a nice dense lather which is just the way I like my lather and it worked really well with my Paladin brush. Slickness was very good and post shave as well and so a few hrs after my shave my skin feels really nice. I used a AS I made myself a couple of years ago that's citrus forward and it paired well with the soap. 


The Start is all packed and ready to ship out on Monday to the next person on the list. 

Great shaves! 

Hello. Is there still availability for participating in this Passaround? Curious about the Homelike Start Razor heard its similar to the Karve and wondering if I would like it better. It looks like an excellent and versatile razor. Thanks!

Hello. Is there still availability for participating in this Passaround? Curious about the Homelike Start Razor heard its similar to the Karve and wondering if I would like it better. It looks like an excellent and versatile razor. Thanks!

I can ship you the one I have if the person in charge says it’s ok.

I’ll check back and it’s ok send me your address

Hello. Is there still availability for participating in this Passaround? Curious about the Homelike Start Razor heard its similar to the Karve and wondering if I would like it better. It looks like an excellent and versatile razor. Thanks!

I can ship you the one I have if the person in charge says it’s ok. 

I’ll check back and it’s ok send me your address

Frank, check your PMs

The West Coast razor has officially escaped the storm in the Pacific Northwest last week. If USPS tracking is to be trusted, it should arrive tomorrow. Works well for me. I last shaved Sunday, so I'll have a nice 3-day growth to test out the 1.18 plate on Tuesday morning with a head shave and cheek/neck shave (I have a beard). Stay tuned...

The West Coast razor has officially escaped the storm in the Pacific Northwest last week. If USPS tracking is to be trusted, it should arrive tomorrow. Works well for me. I last shaved Sunday, so I'll have a nice 3-day growth to test out the 1.18 plate on Tuesday morning with a head shave and cheek/neck shave (I have a beard). Stay tuned...

I got the razor today. 1.18 plate up for tomorrow morning. Captainjonny let me know that the vinyl washer escaped down the sink. He replaced it with a rubber washer, but I'm a little nervous that it's putting too much torque on the threads when I've got it tightened down enough. If there's no objection, I'm going to go ahead and use the razor sans washer tomorrow. I'll stop by the hardware store in the next day or two and see if I can find a replacement vinyl washer.

Took the 1.18 for a first spin today.  I was pleasantly surprised.  While there's a lot of blade gap on the 1.18, there doesn't look to be all that much blade exposure.  Evidently looks can be deceiving, because it still gave me a great shave.

As a reference point, I'm a head, cheek, and neck shaver.  I like pretty aggressive razors and generally do a single pass with the grain, across the grain in just a few trouble spots.  My current razor rotation is:

• Fatboy @ 11 (I have blade gaps set 2 levels higher than standard)
  
• Slim @ 9
  
• Futur @ 6
  
• Progress @ 5
  
• MMOC
  
• ATT H1
  
• Schone / Fatip
  
• 2013 R41 (Often paired with a Yaqi Mellon/Beast Top Cap)
  

My Impressions of the START 1.18

• Appearance:  Great.  I would put it in the same class as my non-Windsor ATT H1.  Good build quality, no overt machining marks or anything.
  
• Razor Feel:  Good.  The high blade gap definitely means you feel the blade.  It actually reminded me a bit of my wide-open Futur.  Feels a bit more aggressive than it actually is.  At one point I thought I had caught a bump on my head, but on closer inspection, no nick, weeper, or anything.  
  
• Handle:  I actually didn't mind the shallow knurling on the handle as much as many people did, though the vendor has already said they're planning to go deeper moving forward, which will be a slight improvement.
  
• Performance:  Great so far.  I would say it performed better than my ATT H1.  I got a much closer shave than with my H1.  It was actually much smoother on my neck than my H1, and many of my other razors as well.  It's up there with my progress for my most comfortable neck shaver.
  
• Balance:  This is one of my few knocks.  This thing seems really head-heavy to me.  I think the handle length is ok.  I don't like anything longer than 85mm.  But I do think it needs a little extra weight.  I'm going to see if any of my other stainless handles seem to give it better overall balance.
  
• Head Design:  This is my only other nit so far.  I'm one of the few that can't make up my mind about covering the blade tabs or not.  On the one hand, it's nice to not have to worry about nicking my ears with them.  On the other hand, it makes it hard to line up beard and sideburn edges because the blade doesn't extend the length of the safety bar.  I think this also contributes to the extra weight in the head.  I'm thinking REX has the right idea with their head design where they cover the blade tabs but have the rounded sides so that the safety bar is roughly the same length as the blade.
  

I only shave my head every 2-3 days, so I'll try with the 0.9 OC plate and possibly a different handle on Friday.

[*]Performance:  Great so far.  I would say it performed better than my ATT H1.  I got a much closer shave than with my H1.  It was actually much smoother on my neck than my H1, and many of my other razors as well.  It's up there with my progress for my most comfortable neck shaver.

Nice!
The START 1.18 is better than Timeless .95? Or don't you have this one?

Nice!
The START 1.18 is better than Timeless .95? Or don't you have this one?

I haven't used a Timeless yet. I'm signed up for a passaround, but it won't be heading my way for a few months.