Janus razors Modern Machined Stainless Steel Adjustable Toggle

I spent a few hours with Eric this past summer in a small local meet-up and came away quite impressed with both him and the prototypes he brought. I could never imagine myself buying a $500 razor before, but I must say I’m tempted given the craftsmanship that’s gone into this thing.

Here’s some eye candy.....

Eric should be applauded for his ingenuity of creating a 316 SS Toggle to fruition, without Kickstarter, and in a time frame from start to finish that should blow away the Model T. However the cost is quite high and not sure if he has eliminated the issues that the original Toggle has. It is a wonderful time in wet shaving to see all the new and innovative products coming out.

The January update and what else is happening.......


Welcome to the January 2019 Newsletter
January was good! I now have razors out being tested or enroute to testers; for feedback on everything – from packaging to the shaving experience.

Here is a sample of who is testing the Janus Razor:


An industrial designer – for feedback on shaving, and recommendations on form to enhance ergonomics and aesthetics without losing familiarity,
An engineer – a recent convert, and solid engineer who I meet with monthly to talk life and all things creative, and riff on ideas outside of shaving,
A machinist/tinkerer – a traditionalist to give the Janus Razor a proper test drive,
An influencer – He has tried almost every razor under the sun, and he will help me understand how the Janus Razor stacks up, what’s on point, what’s off, and what needs tweaking to get amazing shaves,
And then there’s me.
And then the prototypes will be off to a new set of testers. I will keep shedding light on who is testing. I’m thinking at least 15 data points to be enough for me to pull out meaningful themes/narratives/patterns.

What's in the box?







Don’t expect to see the reviews out this coming month. There’s small ‘embargo’ till mid-March. I need the testers to reach conclusions independently without being influenced by that they might find by Googling Janus Razors. No worries though; I will be transparent and candid with the feedback. I will summarize point by point how I’ve fixed the issues raised. For fixes beyond styling and ergonomics that make everything tick smoothly, I will be intentionally ‘vague’ but still give a feel for what I’m changing.

What will I be up to in February? I will be processing the feedback trickling in, and making the appropriate changes for both function and production. Hopefully, nothing major needs to be redesigned.

The machinist and I are working through concepts of machining fixtures for the tooled parts that undergo post-process machining. With prototypes, one can get away with handling the parts a ton. In production, that won’t scale. This is our routine - we go through the nuances of how a part will be gripped and how the cutting tools will access the part, and then I go to town designing the fixture. I enjoy designing, and so this shouldn’t feel like work.
Finally, I’m giving my blog some love – one of my new year resolutions is to blog regularly – like monthly. Just an FYI – you won’t find any profound thoughts there, and I won’t dwell on shaving or Janus Razors all the time. I’m treating the blog as an opportunity to add clarity to what I’m thinking about by writing, and a diary of some sorts ‘documenting’ what I’m learning. Please check out my latest here when you get a chance.

As always, do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions. Please feel free to share.

Thanks for subscribing.

Cheers!
Janus Razors

those razors are beautiful!

Looking forward in trying one


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I hope it’s not sold for some outrageous price


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This was part of the new update I got today:

"All the testers loved the heft, length and balance confirming what I have always believed – a heavier razor steadies the hand, and tools with longer handles are easier to use. Try using a hammer or crescent wrench with a short handle, and you will appreciate the leverage from a longer handle."

I completely disagree with only this part. I thought I liked heavier razors with long handles when I first started with a DE. That's because I was used to the long handles on carts. A short handle is easier for me to control and maneuver. Still curious to hear what others think when they get theirs. Pre orders begin in April I guess.

This was part of the new update I got today:

"All the testers loved the heft, length and balance confirming what I have always believed – a heavier razor steadies the hand, and tools with longer handles are easier to use. Try using a hammer or crescent wrench with a short handle, and you will appreciate the leverage from a longer handle."

I completely disagree with only this part.  I thought I liked heavier razors with long handles when I first started with a DE.  That's because I was used to the long handles on carts.  A short handle is easier for me to control and maneuver.  Still curious to hear what others think when they get theirs.  Pre orders begin in April I guess.

I agree with you and I think the rationale is silly. The reason wrenches are long is to increase the torque applied to a bolt/nut. Hammers are long to increase the length of the arc the head travels, thereby increasing its speed and momentum. Shaving doesn't require torque or hitting things hard. Of course the Janus guys know this (he's obviously incredibly sharp).

However, the majority of wet shaving customers love longer handles. And, at the end of the day, we've got to sell these things so having the long handle makes sense. I love this project and I'm looking forward to the outcome! This guy is killing it.

This was part of the new update I got today:

"All the testers loved the heft, length and balance confirming what I have always believed – a heavier razor steadies the hand, and tools with longer handles are easier to use. Try using a hammer or crescent wrench with a short handle, and you will appreciate the leverage from a longer handle."

I completely disagree with only this part.  I thought I liked heavier razors with long handles when I first started with a DE.  That's because I was used to the long handles on carts.  A short handle is easier for me to control and maneuver.  Still curious to hear what others think when they get theirs.  Pre orders begin in April I guess.

I agree with you and I think the rationale is silly. The reason wrenches are long is to increase the torque applied to a bolt/nut. Hammers are long to increase the length of the arc the head travels, thereby increasing its speed and momentum. Shaving doesn't require torque or hitting things hard. Of course the Janus guys know this (he's obviously incredibly sharp).

However, the majority of wet shaving customers love longer handles. And, at the end of the day, we've got to sell these things so having the long handle makes sense. I love this project and I'm looking forward to the outcome! This guy is killing it.

He is!

But if it’s super expensive then it would be a shame!


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