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

After 48 days in shipping transit I finally got my Smart 1.18 razor and shave bowl. The package was shipped from Moscow to Hamburg,Germany were it apparently was placed on a container ship. It landed in Jersey City USPS then went to Jacksonville, Fl then to Fort Pierce, Fl and eventually to my mailbox. Will give it a spin tomorrow morning. 

Wow! What a trip and I hope you enjoy the razor after the long wait. 

After 48 days in shipping transit I finally got my Smart 1.18 razor and shave bowl. The package was shipped from Moscow to Hamburg,Germany were it apparently was placed on a container ship. It landed in Jersey City USPS then went to Jacksonville, Fl then to Fort Pierce, Fl and eventually to my mailbox. Will give it a spin tomorrow morning. 

That’s some kind of trip. Careful as I see too many spirals in the image and the razor May be sea sick!


Greetings from Santa Rosa, CA

West coast razor arrived today, will give it a whirl tomorrow

I received the razor yesterday.
My 1st impressions:
-nice box and number of components for $150(I believe that's the price?)
-it's a bit difficult to pick the pieces out of the tightly formed foam
-the handle is nice looking, but lacking in knurling for wet gripping
-the CNC looks crisp and the lasered letter/numbers are very legible
-the finish is ok. My question, at what price point does one expect high polishing, which I know for a fact takes time. At $150, is it expected?
-it feels worthy of a $150 price and you have plenty of options. (If you can tolerated the handle. My suggestion to the makers, MORE knurling!)

I own a Rex Ambassador and a Rockwell 6S. I've owned the 6S since they retailed for $80, so it's been a long time.
The 1st Shave:
I immediately put one of our handles on because the included handle felt slick when I tried it dry. No way I wanted to use it wet. I'm spoiled for knurling.
I've been tending towards milder settings with a Feather blade so that's what I started with. The mildest plate on my head felt like there wasn't even a blade in there. I had to look at it and double check. It wasn't the closest shave, but I basically felt I was just wiping lather off my head. It was surprising, but it did smooth the dome.
I stepped up to the next plate for my face. It too felt very mild. I decided to stick with it for the full 3 passes. I was able to achieve a smooth comfortable shave. It wasn't BBS, but it was acceptable. Tomorrow, I'll step up the the next plate and then the open comb.
PS What are the 2 small bottles?

I received the razor yesterday.
My 1st impressions:
-nice box and number of components for $150(I believe that's the price?)
-it's a bit difficult to pick the pieces out of the tightly formed foam
-the handle is nice looking, but lacking in knurling for wet gripping
-the CNC looks crisp and the lasered letter/numbers are very legible
-the finish is ok. My question, at what price point does one expect high polishing, which I know for a fact takes time. At $150, is it expected?
-it feels worthy of a $150 price and you have plenty of options. (If you can tolerated the handle. My suggestion to the makers, MORE knurling!)

I own a Rex Ambassador and a Rockwell 6S. I've owned the 6S since they retailed for $80, so it's been a long time.
The 1st Shave:
I immediately put one of our handles on because the included handle felt slick when I tried it dry. No way I wanted to use it wet. I'm spoiled for knurling.
I've been tending towards milder settings with a Feather blade so that's what I started with. The mildest plate on my head felt like there wasn't even a blade in there. I had to look at it and double check. It wasn't the closest shave, but I basically felt I was just wiping lather off my head. It was surprising, but it did smooth the dome.
I stepped up to the next plate for my face. It too felt very mild. I decided to stick with it for the full 3 passes. I was able to achieve a smooth comfortable shave. It wasn't BBS, but it was acceptable. Tomorrow, I'll step up the the next plate and then the open comb.
PS What are the 2 small bottles?

The two sample bottles are aftershaves. They are very nice.


Greetings from Santa Rosa, CA

Today was the most aggressive straight bar. It was deceptively smooth during the shave. I received some blade feedback that I like and unlike the other plates, I felt like I was shaving vs. wiping. However, when completed, I had several weepers with it paired with a Feather blade. I want to give this same plate another go with a Gillette/WS blade before moving to the OC. Here is a picture of the handle with my handle. Big visual difference in grip.

Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk

Today was the 1.18 plate with a Gillette/Wilkinson Sword blade. These bar plates have a very smooth feel for sure. I again got a few weepers although fewer than with the Feather blade. Tomorrow, the Open Comb.

The open comb today with the Gillette/WS blade was the best so far. No weepers. It wasn't BBS, but was DFS. I'll have some final thoughts when I have more time and I'll shave using the OC and a Feather to see how it goes. I should be able to send it along on Monday. Would anyone be offended it I dropped a little soap sample in the box?

My final thoughts on the Homelike.
Pros-

-The box. Overall, I like the box size & magnetic closure.
-CNC machining on the heads. I like the crisp look of this over my Rockwell 6S which is cast.
-Flexibility. The reason I purchased the Rex and the 6S is adjustability/flexibility. I don't know that I could bring myself to spend $150 and only get 1 plate/shaving option. An assortment like this would be at the top of my list if I was in the market and would be a recommendation for someone that might ask.
***I would be paying attention premium razor makers.***
-Handle length. I think it is a good length that will appeal to a wide audience. I know this from sales experience.

Cons-

-The grip on the handle is poor.
-The foam cutouts for the components could have been a little easier to remove items from. They are very tight. I consider this a minor factor.
-Polishing could have been better. However, I am very aware of what it takes to polish/finish stainless. I don't know if nice hand polishing of the components is feasible at the $150 price point.

As a side note. I found it amusing that there was a silicone washer in the assortment. I find it superfluous and would probably put it in the box and never use it. A small circular mark on the bottom of a tool that I use regularly is nothing that I even want to put a thought towards. I almost dropped it down the drain once.

Improve the handle grip and you have a formidable competitor to what's out there.

PS I forgot to mention. I stuck a bag of Black & Tan shaving soap samples in the box. Everyone can take one out of the bag as it goes around.

West Coast razor will be sent out to draebeard in the next couple days. I'll post my impressions of the razor over my Winter Break from work when I have a little more time.