Paradigm 17-4 SS Razor

I had my first shave with the Paradigm 17-4 SS Razor this morning, and the results were outstanding. First off, let me say that this is NOT a mild Razor. The Shave I had this morning was efficient AND smooth. The closest thing I have in my Den to compare it to is my Charcoal Goods lvl 2 SB, but I feel that the Paradigm is just a touch more efficient. I had a three pass Shave with touch up in my usual problem areas on each side of my Adam’s apple and was able to achieve a BBS Shave with absolutely zero irritation. For some perspective I currently have in my Den a BBS-1, a .67 OC Wolfman, a .74 OC Wolfman, a .74 SB Wolfman, a Charcoal Goods lvl 2 SB and OC, a Blackland Blackbird in SB and OC, and a Timeless .95 OC. The Paradigm gives me the smoothest Shave while still being efficient enough to get me BBS out of all the Razors I own. I’m shocked at how smooth this Razor is while still being efficient. Andrew has knocked it out of the park with this head design. There is very little blade feel, but I had no problems easily achieving the correct angle. The blade tabs are covered with this head design, and the Razor is extremely well balanced and maneuverable. The Head seems to clamp the blade down tightly and I noticed zero blade chatter, which may have something to do with how the Razor is able to achieve an efficient yet smooth shave. Looking at the pictures before I had purchased the Razor I was concerned the Handle would be slippery, and I can say that in use I had no issues with this. Something else that I haven’t seen mentioned much is the fact that this Razor gives a LOT of audible feedback, more than any of my other Razors. I really like the audible feedback since there isn’t much blade feel, it’s just one more thing that I can use to let me know my angle is where it needs to be. I’m extremely impressed with how this Razor performs, personally I’ve not shaved with anything like it before. The level of efficiency combined with the smoothness of the Shave and the perfect balance is just something I’ve never had before all in one package. I’m very pleased with my purchase and after my first shave feel that the Paradigm 17-4 is worth every penny. For anyone that is on the fence about purchasing one of these when they become available again, I wouldn’t hesitate to plunk down my hard earned money for one of these.

Another great shave today. I agree with all of the above. Wish I had your collection so if you need someone to take all those Wolfman razors off your hands I would be happy to help. LOL

Hunter, your impressions of this razor are confirming my decision to have gotten one since you have a few of the razors that I have/have had, and the repetitive statements by everyone who uses this razor of it being smooth and efficient have gotten me excited about using it. If it is that good, then I just might be a one-razor shaver, which might get a bit boring with my SOTD pics.

Had my first shave with the 17-4 today. My current razors tend towards the mild / smooth side (Charcoal Level 1, Timeless Bronze,) but I find myself wishing that I could do less passes. Have already experimented around with blade options (GSB, Polsilvers, Nacets, Feathers,) and was thinking about stepping up the razor efficiency. All of your excellent reviews enabled my decision.

Had my first shave with the 17-4 today, same smoothness as my current razors, but I was able to achieve my target closeness in less than the usual passes over the same area. As an illustration, I usually have to do up to five passes (XTG x 2, ATG x 3) to get rid of the whiskers at the sides of my lips. Got done in two ATG passes today - yes, it is that smooth and efficient. Finding the optimal shaving angle was intuitive because of the audio feedback. Handle had sufficient grip for me, though I wish it was slightly longer (85mm is a personal sweet spot)

Thanks Hunter for your comparisons to Charcoal Level 2 - I see on the website that Brian is planning to release a SS DC head in Spring 2018, and am keen to give it a try.

Hunter, your impressions of this razor are confirming my decision to have gotten one since you have a few of the razors that I have/have had, and the repetitive statements by everyone who uses this razor of it being smooth and efficient have gotten me excited about using it. If it is that good, then I just might be a one-razor shaver, which might get a bit boring with my SOTD pics.

Celestine I missed out on one of your sales. Put me first in line when you clear your den

Hunter, your impressions of this razor are confirming my decision to have gotten one since you have a few of the razors that I have/have had, and the repetitive statements by everyone who uses this razor of it being smooth and efficient have gotten me excited about using it. If it is that good, then I just might be a one-razor shaver, which might get a bit boring with my SOTD pics.

Celestine I missed out on one of your sales. Put me first in line when you clear your den

I'll keep you informed if I let go of any other razors.

By the way, my name ends with an 'o'.

I'll keep you informed if I let go of any other razors.

By the way, my name ends with an 'o'.

What was that, Celeste dear?

Back on topic, very happy I landed one of the last ones from BG. Five left when I ordered mine on the 30th, all sold out by NYE. Currently in transit. Having trawled through this and similar threads on a couple other forums, I don’t think i have seen a single person not liking it. Not everyone finds it equally efficient, and we don’t seem to agree on the meaning of aggression, but apart from that, unisone praise.

Sorry Celestino spell check sucks for names

Having a good number of (perfect) 17-4 shaves under my belt now, and reading that Andrew is building capital to grow his business and develop more products, I can’t really see buying from another company. I already have a Blackbird which is wonderful.

I know Andrew is presently posting elsewhere but as Paradigm gains traction I would hope he would consider joining DFS and jump in our conversation on this fine Forum.

Just had my first shave, I'm not disappointed, it is able to hold itself amongst the very best razors.
I find the handle perfect for this head, tried a few others and took pictures of those that fit but none improved the balance.