Oliworks OliBlade - adjustable razor made in the USA

Here are additional pics can’t figure out how to make them smaller

I received my free razor from OliWorksThanks to Jorge for the opportunity to test the OliBlade! I included some preliminary photos below, and I'll post again after shaving my head and face with it for the first time. 






Setting 6.5 - Scalloped side 

I was not going to make any further posts in this thread, but I have a general question relating to safety razors illustrated by the above photo's.  That seems to be an awful lot of the blade cantilevered out from the razor and thus unsupported.  Is this common in modern day DE razors?  Doesn't that lead to the blade flexing all over the place while you are shaving? 

Sorry if I am taking things off topic but I don't know how to post these photo's in a new thread and I don't want to violate any Copyrights.

These two images are sales killers, were they machined in Bedrock by Guy named Fred Flintstone.?

Just to be clear, I am not asking about the quality of the finishing. I am inquiring in general about blade exposure in DE razors and whether this amount of unsupported balde is common in modern DE designs. I currently have only one safety razor, a SE, and the blade is fully supported on top and bottom much closer to the edge of the blade. Maybe only 1/4 the amount of unsupported blade.

Just Got my oliworks razor in. I also have the Rex ambassador. First shave with the oliworks was fantastic. The gear knob and bottom knob was the only difference I could see. The knobs are different but the oliworks turns smoother, but I did get the gold treatment on the ambassador so that might be why. I was not sure if I would like the smooth bar on one side of the baseplate and the open comb on the other, but I really liked it. I started on 3 and moved to 4 and then 5 for the last pass. When I go down I always get razor burn when I go from a high setting to low. When I use the high stetting on the last pass and cleanup with a light touch I get bbs with no razor burn. Rabbit trail back on topic. The finish looked good the blade was even and the shave was very smooth. I have the pearl flexi and the flexi open comb as well as the Merkur progress and the Parker variant open comb. Other that the  Ti .95 timeless with the scalloped and open comb plane, my unicorn, I only use adjustable razors and this is a smother shave than all my adjustable except the Ambassador, which they run neck and neck, pun intended. With the open comb it was very effective for certain areas and the finish looked good on my razor. Overall I am very pleased with the razor, and I would highly recommend.  I ordered it before I knew any of the issues with Razor emporium and wanted to support a product made in the US, and  would have to say my experience with the oliworks has been excellent. I like the design of the razor base as well. I have pics but can’t figure out how to post smaller pics. Sorry.

Wow.....those two razors look almost identical. I wonder if the parts are interchangeable?

I just finished my shave with the Oliblade.  I used my usual procedure with an adjustable rather than start low and go high.  I started on 6 WTG, 4 XTG 3 ATG.  There was some minimal touchups.  Result was a very comfortable, efficient BBS shave.  No nicks, cuts or irritation.  I used the Gillette Platinum (Swede) blade and Ethos Tonka Bean soap.  With a bit better technique this time around, I felt only a little blade feel at level 6.  It was comfortable and in no way aggressive.  By the time I got to 3, there was no blade feel at all.  Just a smooth shave.  The audible feedback let me know I was getting the job done.
Let me address some issues about the clamping.  The blade is securely held in place and there is absolutely no chatter or tugging.  There is no overhang on the tabs and the blade remains firmly in place throughout the shave.  There is absolutely no issue with the setting knob.  It does not move without some pressure and not having click stops, rotates perfectly from .5 to 6.5.  As I said before, the knurling and the size of the handle are perfect.
There are some posts that these parts should be polished better, maybe so, but it doesn't affect a great shave experience.  Perhaps in later versions the finish will be different.  I had no issue with the finish.  Actually, the top cap and handle are very nice.  the undersides of the cap and the setting knob could use a spin on the wheel.  But for the price and the quality you are getting, those are insignificant issues.  If these are rejected parts, then you can make all my razors out of rejected parts.  The razor and the shave experience it delivers is one of the best I have ever had from an adjustable, and that includes my Konsul. 
This razor is a winner and should be judged by usage and not by someone else's comments, no matter how sharp their tongue (pun intended).

Guys and gals, let's focus on the shave and not the huffing and puffing of competitors claims.  We will decide the ultimate winner with our dollars.  Mine is on the Oliblade.

For those of you who have tried the razor, what are your opinions on the following:

1. How much blade feel is present on the lower settings?
2. Does the blade feel increase as you progress through the settings?
3. Do you find that riding the bar or riding the cap is the better position?

My two favorite razors are the Rockwell 6S (baseplate 4) and the Karve Overlander.  In other words, I really like mild razors with no blade feel.  I know comparisons are subjective but would the OliWorks adjustable be comparable to the 6S/Overlander if it’s on the lower settings?

I have blade feel at setting 4 and above, it does increase with higher number.  I found a neutral position to be best although I do tend to ride the cap.  

I had a Rockwell 6C and I love my stainless steel Overlander.  I would say you will like settings 1 thru 3, maybe 3.5.  I haven't used the Oliworks below setting 2.5 but I would guess setting 1 or 1.5 would feel like the Overlander but I find this razor to be nowhere near the ATG comfort level of the Overlander, which in my opinion is the number one ATG DE razor.

Tedolph said:  Just to be clear, I am not asking about the quality of the finishing. I am inquiring in general about blade exposure in DE razors and whether this amount of unsupported balde is common in modern DE designs. I currently have only one safety razor, a SE, and the blade is fully supported on top and bottom much closer to the edge of the blade. Maybe only 1/4 the amount of unsupported blade.

I wouldn't call the blade exposure excessive but it is more than some other DE razors.  The razor blade is curved into the top cap. So as the top cap is tightened down this puts the blade under quite a pit of tension. This makes the edge of the blade quite rigid.

Tedolph said:  Just to be clear, I am not asking about the quality of the finishing. I am inquiring in general about blade exposure in DE razors and whether this amount of unsupported balde is common in modern DE designs. I currently have only one safety razor, a SE, and the blade is fully supported on top and bottom much closer to the edge of the blade. Maybe only 1/4 the amount of unsupported blade.

I wouldn't call the blade exposure excessive but it is more than some other DE razors.  The razor blade is curved into the top cap. So as the top cap is tightened down this puts the blade under quite a pit of tension. This makes the edge of the blade quite rigid.

Thanks for your response. One more related question and then I will let this topic go. Do TTO DE razors generally bend the blade like this or do they just rely on the inherent rigidity of the blade to prevent flexing? My recollection from using one decades ago is that they just clamp down on the blade flat with minimal pressure.

Tedolph said:  Just to be clear, I am not asking about the quality of the finishing. I am inquiring in general about blade exposure in DE razors and whether this amount of unsupported balde is common in modern DE designs. I currently have only one safety razor, a SE, and the blade is fully supported on top and bottom much closer to the edge of the blade. Maybe only 1/4 the amount of unsupported blade.

I wouldn't call the blade exposure excessive but it is more than some other DE razors.  The razor blade is curved into the top cap.  So as the top cap is tightened down this puts the blade under quite a pit of tension. This makes the edge of the blade quite rigid.

Thanks for your response.  One more related question and then I will let this topic go.  Do TTO  DE razors generally bend the blade like this or do they just rely on the inherent rigidity of the blade to prevent flexing?  My recollection from using one decades ago is that they just clamp down on the blade flat with minimal pressure.

I've only had a few TTO razors and they very slightly press down on the razor blade to hold it in place.  Nothing like the curvature given to the blade in some 3 piece razors.

My razor arrived today.  The packaging and presentation were very nice.  However, my razor has an alignment issue and I have sent an email requesting a return.

clint64 Did you release the razor handle when you set it to 6.5? It's not as if you tightened the handle at setting #1 and then adjusted the dial from #1 to #6.

If I understand the question....Why not ? It's exactly how mine works and that's how they show it in their tutorial. Tighten it down and then adjust the dial to your desired level. Even states it on their website and shows it in the video:

"Ensure the razor is fully secured by tightening the handle
Ensure the bottom crown of the razor is properly secured, you can then adjust the middle crown of the razor to whatever setting meets your preference!"

https://youtu.be/wboshUlZjH8?si=WyGI3vCiI7kiGf7J

It's pretty interesting to me that an up-until-now contract-only machine shop that is located 30 minutes down the road from a trusted vendor that has been in business for about a decade, and who has been selling a very well-known USA-made Gibbs-style adjustable razor, decided to make their first direct-to-consumer offering a razor, and just so happened to choose to sell a Gibbs-style adjustable razor with the exact same knurling as that other Gibbs-style adjustable razor from that other vendor 30 minutes down the road. You'd think a random machine shop getting into the razor business would perhaps start with a 3-piece razor, since those are plainly less complicated and easier to manufacture than an adjustable that only someone like that other vendor 30 minutes down the road who is a vintage razor geek would think to take on as their first razor offering.

It's also pretty funny to me that a representative of that machine shop that talks about all of the "experience" they have to bring this razor to market has sent out multiple razors with blade alignment issues AND the very same guy clearly has zero experience handling a DE blade, as is evidenced by that YouTube video.

Who, with any experience using DE razors (or half a brain in their head for that matter), grabs a razor blade by the edges?



Beyond the fact that there have been multiple reports (and pictures) of blade alignment issues, which further support some claims made earlier in this thread, and that the finishing looks like it was done by a third-grader, which also supports those claims, I'm absolutely appalled by those people in this community that got freebies of this razor and are complementing the knurling without acknowledging the fact that the knurling is the exact same as one, and only one, other razor on the market and anyone with one working eye in their head (heck, even a blind person probably) could "see" that.

I feel the oliworks for me was very smooth especially on the solid bar side. I felt it was smoother than my pearl flexi, flexi open comb and Parker open comb variant. The Rex, oliworks and merkur progress are all about the same blade feel to me. Hope that helps