#101

It's sharp and it cuts. I like it...
Northeast, USA
The L3 on Saturday with the L2 on both yesterday & today. That’s 13 shaves with this GEM blade and still it cuts smoothly, effectively and comfortably. 10 shaves is the number for me with GEMS, anything after that is just bonus territory. Today’s shave was simply marvelous. I can’t say anymore as I already sound like the biggest cheerleader or shill in the forum. However, I can’t emphasize enough how good this razor has performed for me these last couple of weeks. Listen, this is not a universal razor that everyone will take to instantly as that is an impossibility especially in the wet shave landscape. I will say that if one enjoys GEM bladed razors and is perhaps their preferred choice in shave exercise, the New Sabre would definitely be right up that individuals ally in shave performance & characteristics. Caveat being of course, is the price of entry and in that regard I can understand both pros & cons of the argument. There are plenty of GEM razors out there that will provide excellent shave results for 1/10 the cost of this Blackland offering. And I wouldn’t blame nor criticize a single shave soul who simply said it’s too expensive and not worth the investment. However, with a 30 day money back guarantee there is practically nothing to lose in simply trying one of the better razors out there regardless of blade format that provides quality craftsmanship, highly durable steel alloy, adjustable by simply changing/flipping the guard to suit ones tastes and customer service that to me and my experiences have become THE STANDARD for how an artisan manufacturer should run & maintain a business. 

This Sabre for me has definitely bested the original at nearly every facet that one can think of. Usability, effectiveness, comfort and for me,  it’s priced quite competitively in today’s economic market. You just have to experience it. Judge for yourself is all I can say. I think that a good majority would find this New Sabre a heck of a shaver for the $$$.

Great shaves to all…

[Image: Du2LOzq.jpeg]

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#102
Ok, I am officially enthralled by this new Sabre. Got my titanium version over the weekend and took it out for a spin this morning with the L3 plate. Outstanding shave and love the ramp up from the original L2 Sabre. The design changes are amazing and the feel of the titanium version was outstanding. Love the contrasting finish of the grip area on the handle too. Smooth and extremely efficient. This one just shot to the top spot in my Gem razor collection over the Shield, Wolfman Wr3, Rocnel SE-G and several others that I own. This one is the king after one shave with Plate 3! The nimbleness and feel in the hand are outstanding and did I say that it’s the first “adjustable” Gem razor I have ever seen or used? Can’t wait to use the flip side of this one (L4). Shane knocked this one out of the park!
[Image: 4a012ca8b676b1a02f5210a9d50ed5cd.jpg]


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#103

It's sharp and it cuts. I like it...
Northeast, USA
(09-16-2024, 05:18 PM)george1906 Wrote: Ok, I am officially enthralled by this new Sabre.  Got my titanium version over the weekend and took it out for a spin this morning with the L3 plate.  Outstanding shave and love the ramp up from the original L2 Sabre.  The design changes are amazing and the feel of the titanium version was outstanding.  Love the contrasting finish of the grip area on the handle too.  Smooth and extremely efficient.  This one just shot to the top spot in my Gem razor collection over the Shield, Wolfman Wr3, Rocnel SE-G and several others that I own.  This one is the king after one shave with Plate 3!  The nimbleness and feel in the hand are outstanding and did I say that it’s the first “adjustable” Gem razor I have ever seen or used?  Can’t wait to use the flip side of this one (L4).  Shane knocked this one out of the park!
[Image: 4a012ca8b676b1a02f5210a9d50ed5cd.jpg]


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Congrats & Holy Moly! That’s saying something coming from you as I know you hold your WR3 in high regard. Excellent synopsis.  Happy2

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#104
(09-16-2024, 06:19 PM)GlazedBoker Wrote:
(09-16-2024, 05:18 PM)george1906 Wrote: Ok, I am officially enthralled by this new Sabre.  Got my titanium version over the weekend and took it out for a spin this morning with the L3 plate.  Outstanding shave and love the ramp up from the original L2 Sabre.  The design changes are amazing and the feel of the titanium version was outstanding.  Love the contrasting finish of the grip area on the handle too.  Smooth and extremely efficient.  This one just shot to the top spot in my Gem razor collection over the Shield, Wolfman Wr3, Rocnel SE-G and several others that I own.  This one is the king after one shave with Plate 3!  The nimbleness and feel in the hand are outstanding and did I say that it’s the first “adjustable” Gem razor I have ever seen or used?  Can’t wait to use the flip side of this one (L4).  Shane knocked this one out of the park!
[Image: 4a012ca8b676b1a02f5210a9d50ed5cd.jpg]


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Congrats & Holy Moly! That’s saying something coming from you as I know you hold your WR3 in high regard. Excellent synopsis.  Happy2


Yep, this thing is amazing and I will be using the the L4 plate tomorrow morning. Very interested in hearing from someone that also owns the Vestige from Durdan and how that one compares. That’s the only one that I have never tried. I have heard that the ++ plate is still extremely mild on that one so if I get one, it would be the +++ plate but I doubt that it comes close to the feel of the new Sabre L3.


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#105
I don't need the aggression/efficiency that george1906 is looking for and haven't tried the titanium iteration but... I much prefer the Vestige over the new Sabre. And the WR3 of course. I guess if you like blade feel you might lean towards the new Sabre.

Naturally the Vestige is lighter and sleeker but have only tried classic, + and ++ plates. It's true the razor is on the milder sides with the lower plates. For a daily shave it's absolutely fine in my case.

I've been fortunate enough to borrow the new Sabre and I don't think it's for me. I'd rather use the OG head on the new handle and appreciate the extra weight of the older head. I will continue to test the new edition as I haven't tried all the combinations yet. The hollow handle certainly makes the Sabre more agile, not entirely unlike when I tried it on the Vector one but with a better balance.

My preference is for a heavier razor and the Wolfman delivers the smoothest shaves for me. I own gaps from .25 to .60, a mix of SB and OC baseplates.

I'll put a full review together at some point.

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#106
Well said Feds … I am a daily shaver and favor my Vestige’s and WR3’s as well - I find I get plenty of efficiency and near perfect comfort with these.

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#107

Scentsless Shaver
Oakland, ME
I am in agreement with Fedsbackhand. I found the new Sabre to have more blade feel than what I prefer. And I think the idea and design is so unique. Shane and Blackland were easy to work with on returning my Sabre, and I am appreciative of the chance to try one, but sorry it wasn't for me.

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- Eric 
Put your message in a modem, 
And throw it in the Cyber Sea
--Rush, "Virtuality"

Overloader of brushes, Overlander fanboy, Schickhead, and a GEM in the rough!
#108
I am a daily shaver and had a similar experience. The razor’s weight, design and handle impressed me, but I was hoping for a reduced blade feel with the L1 plate.

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#109
(Yesterday, 01:05 PM)george1906 Wrote: Yep, this thing is amazing and I will be using the the L4 plate tomorrow morning.  Very interested in hearing from someone that also owns the Vestige from Durdan and how that one compares.  That’s the only one that I have never tried.  I have heard that the ++ plate is still extremely mild on that one so if I get one, it would be the +++ plate but I doubt that it comes close to the feel of the new Sabre L3.


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(Yesterday, 02:46 PM)Fedsbackhand Wrote: I don't need the aggression/efficiency that george1906 is looking for and haven't tried the titanium iteration but... I much prefer the Vestige over the new Sabre. And the WR3 of course. I guess if you like blade feel you might lean towards the new Sabre.

Naturally the Vestige is lighter and sleeker but have only tried classic, + and ++ plates. It's true the razor is on the milder sides with the lower plates. For a daily shave it's absolutely fine in my case.

I've been fortunate enough to borrow the new Sabre and I don't think it's for me. I'd rather use the OG head on the new handle and appreciate the extra weight of the older head. I will continue to test the new edition as I haven't tried all the combinations yet. The hollow handle certainly makes the Sabre more agile, not entirely unlike when I tried it on the Vector one but with a better balance.

My preference is for a heavier razor and the Wolfman delivers the smoothest shaves for me. I own gaps from .25 to .60, a mix of SB and OC baseplates.

I'll put a full review together at some point.

It turns out that my kryptonite may involve composing a review when encountering challenges with a razor. Unfortunately, the Sabre v2 Level 3/4 plate has not worked out for my beard profile. And in particular, I really need the Level 4 to work. There seems to be something about the angle and or pressure the Level 4 wants that results in a less effective shave for my situation. The net outcome is a reduced BBS duration relative to raw perceived efficiency, along with comfort and smoothness challenges. The level 3 is probably the sweet spot on efficiency versus comfort but is not where I would like to be on BBS duration. I also noticed the Level 4 would occasionally pluck at or snag whiskers with multi day growth. It strangely seemed to occur the more shallow the angle, theoretically what a GEM blade might want. However, I never encountered this condition with back to back Level 4 shaves. One aspect of the level 4 that I much appreciated was the safety factor. I may have had a tiny knick or two the first use but settled in well after a couple of shaves.

When comparing the Sabre Level 4 to the Vestige +++, I find the Vestige +++ to be smoother while delivering a more effective outcome. Although I do believe the Sabre Level 4 has an incremental increase in raw efficiency over the Vestige +++ . The Vestige +++ configuration is easily in my top 3 razors these days, and I strive for approximately 12hr BBS on a daily basis. The downside to the Vestige +++ is that goal becomes challenged with an extended multi use GEM blade. I am happy to offer more thoughts on the Vestige and other plates but didn't want to detract from the primary thread focus of the Sabre.

I love the innovation of the Sabre v2 and have a tremendous level of respect for Shane and the Blackland brand. It just turns out that not every razor is going to be a perfect fit. And that's ok too. 

Pleasant shaves to all.

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#110
(This post was last modified: Today, 02:18 AM by george1906.)
I will be shaving with the L4 tomorrow so stay tuned. You guys are going to make me order a +++ Vestige. Several guys have been trying to get me to order one. Any suggestions on metal choice? I would say that since it’s a milder razor, I would prefer a heavier metal. I have several versions of the SE in copper but a few of those have drag and in use and that soured me a bit. Willing to try a bronze, brass or stainless.


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