Lambda Athena Razor by Theodoros in Greece

I understand that this is a relatively new razor, so owners, shaves and comparisons are few.

Nevertheless, perhaps one of you readers can compare an Athena shave with shaves from a Karve Overlander, Yates 921-M and/or Blackbird?

I understand that this is a relatively new razor, so owners, shaves and comparisons are few.

Nevertheless, perhaps one of you readers can compare an Athena shave with shaves from a Karve Overlander, Yates 921-M and/or Blackbird?

I don’t know anything about the Yates but I have the other three. My opinions are of course my opinions, with some facts mixed in.

The Athena and Overlander have zero blade exposure, so they give a very gentle shave with little chance of irritation, but both are very efficient shavers compared to other mild-feeling razors. Both the Athena and Overlander are very well balanced and give plenty of feedback, so the shaves feel positive and not numb, despite there being no blade exposure - in fact the Athena gives the most feedback of the two, which is why a lot of reviewers report there is significant blade feel (there isn’t, it just gives that impression, but with each subsequent pass, with less hair to cut, the feedback diminishes). That’s one of the best things about how the Athena shaves, in my opinion - the great, positive feedback without any blade feel. The other outstanding things about the Athena are the clever side-channels for rinsing the head, together with the slotted safety bar which gives a unique shave experience like an open comb without sacrificing any smoothness, and the exceptionally high quality of polishing. And it shoots water from the sides, which still makes me smile every time.

The Overlander is maybe a little smoother than the Athena and it also gives me slightly longer-lasting shaves, so it’s a little more efficient than the Athena too. But the Athena is still very efficient for a zero exposure razor. The best thing about the Overlander is that it is so surprisingly efficient and somehow almost impossible to irritate your skin even if you over-shave way too much. The sandblast finish on the Overlander and the shape of the top cap mean it doesn’t glide on your skin quite as smoothly as the Athena.

The Blackbird is a completely different thing, and nothing at all like the other two. Different type of razor. The Blackbird has high blade exposure and a lot of blade feel. It is much more efficient and much less smooth. If you want a super-close shave then the Blackbird will do it easily, but it is aggressive rather than mild-feeling, nowhere near as comfortable as the other two, and not as well built in terms of tolerances and refinement. The Blackbird is a razor for people who like to feel the blade on their skin, are able to shave with a very light touch, and who demand a very long-lasting, close shave with little need for buffing. The other two are for people who like a very comfortable shave that will also shave them completely smooth for a good amount of time, but not for quite as long as an aggressive razor like the Blackbird.

I like both kinds of razor, so I judge razors overall on (i) how efficient they are given how smooth they feel, and (ii) how much I enjoy shaving with them - feel, balance, manoeuvrability, glide, etc. Overall, in my opinion, I rank the Overlander first, the Athena second, and the Blackbird third. But it’s close between the Overlander and Athena and they are both unique and exceptional razors in the current marketplace, for different reasons. If you really want a high efficiency razor then the Blackbird is a great choice.

^^^^^^^^^ Thank you, Sir Moriarty! Very, very much appreciated.

A finely detailed and thoroughly understandable comparison despite the subtleties.

Well written, well done!

Thank you

I don't have the Overlander but I do have the Blackbird in Brass, both SB and OC, and also the Yates 921 both in M and EH. 

I like the Athena a whole lot more than I like the YPM M. I found the M not very efficient despite being very smooth. The EH for YPM is quite on par with the efficiency of the Athena. EH on the YPM has a wider range of shave angles that it is tolerant of. Longevity of shave on the YPM -M is the worst of the 3 with the EH the same or slightly edging out the Athena. Both the YPM EH and the Athena have no issues with a 3 day stubble, which lesser razors would have struggled with. 

Brassbird VS Athena? Brassbird has tons more exposure. The SB version of the Brassbird despite it's exposure, isn't quite as efficient, in the sense that it takes more effort to get BBS compared to the Athena. The OC version is much better, and edges out the Athena. But the Athena is way smoother than the blackbird SB, which is in turn smoother than the Blackbird OC. Don't try to buff with the Blackbird, the added exposure could result in irritation. However, the Blackbird isn't any less enjoyable a shave. The benefit of the blackbird is that it gives super long lasting shaves... which is a huge plus. I enjoy razors with high bladefeel a little more than those without... so for me,  the Blackbird OC has a special place in my heart.

The Lambda dude has disabled his PM here.
What does he think we are gonna do?
Swamp him with orders? (laughing with 2 tears emoji)