Paradigm 2020 Diamondback

I missed the boat last year when they were selling them.  I was however, lucky enough to obtain the Ti2 on a BST weeks later.  It's the smoothest shaver in my den.

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

I would characterize it as minimal blade feel with plenty of efficiency. I believe the blade gap is .80, but has better smoothness than a Timeless Ti .68 SB. The smoothness is unparalleled and is really the DB strong point. Diamondback is so smooth that you can easily get careless and whip it around. It has that special mojo which I call it "stealth" or has "phantom" blade feel. It is so unique in that many times when I shave with it I think I get a DFS at best because I'm used to blade feel, but when it's all said and dusted, I'm shocked of how easily it gets me to a BBS. I had to spend some time to find the perfect angle but once you do it's smooth like butter.  It holds a special place in my den as one razor that just does it's job with no irritation to speak of. It's a wonderful gem and I hope Andrew over at Paradigm continues his quest of making the perfect razor. In my humble opinion,  it's my best purchase of 2020. This razor will always be in my den. Highly recommended. The 2nd smoothest razor I had the pleasure of using, #1 would be Raw Rs-10.  Sorry for the rant Ali, lol. Happy 4th of July my Friend!

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

I would characterize it as minimal blade feel with plenty of efficiency. I believe the blade gap is .80, but has better smoothness than a Timeless Ti .68 SB. The smoothness is unparalleled and is really the DB strong point. Diamondback is so smooth that you can easily get careless and whip it around. It has that special mojo which I call it "stealth" or has "phantom" blade feel. It is so unique in that many times when I shave with it I think I get a DFS at best because I'm used to blade feel, but when it's all said and dusted, I'm shocked of how easily it gets me to a BBS. I had to spend some time to find the perfect angle but once you do it's smooth like butter.  It holds a special place in my den as one razor that just does it's job with no irritation to speak of. It's a wonderful gem and I hope Andrew over at Paradigm continues his quest of making the perfect razor. In my humble opinion,  it's my best purchase of 2020. This razor will always be in my den. Highly recommended. The 2nd smoothest razor I had the pleasure of using, #1 would be Raw Rs-10.  Sorry for the rant Ali, lol. Happy 4th of July my Friend!

+1

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

I would characterize it as minimal blade feel with plenty of efficiency. I believe the blade gap is .80, but has better smoothness than a Timeless Ti .68 SB. The smoothness is unparalleled and is really the DB strong point. Diamondback is so smooth that you can easily get careless and whip it around. It has that special mojo which I call it "stealth" or has "phantom" blade feel. It is so unique in that many times when I shave with it I think I get a DFS at best because I'm used to blade feel, but when it's all said and dusted, I'm shocked of how easily it gets me to a BBS. I had to spend some time to find the perfect angle but once you do it's smooth like butter.  It holds a special place in my den as one razor that just does it's job with no irritation to speak of. It's a wonderful gem and I hope Andrew over at Paradigm continues his quest of making the perfect razor. In my humble opinion,  it's my best purchase of 2020. This razor will always be in my den. Highly recommended. The 2nd smoothest razor I had the pleasure of using, #1 would be Raw Rs-10.  Sorry for the rant Ali, lol. Happy 4th of July my Friend!

Great description - thanks Calm_Shaver !

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

I would characterize it as minimal blade feel with plenty of efficiency. I believe the blade gap is .80, but has better smoothness than a Timeless Ti .68 SB. The smoothness is unparalleled and is really the DB strong point. Diamondback is so smooth that you can easily get careless and whip it around. It has that special mojo which I call it "stealth" or has "phantom" blade feel. It is so unique in that many times when I shave with it I think I get a DFS at best because I'm used to blade feel, but when it's all said and dusted, I'm shocked of how easily it gets me to a BBS. I had to spend some time to find the perfect angle but once you do it's smooth like butter.  It holds a special place in my den as one razor that just does it's job with no irritation to speak of. It's a wonderful gem and I hope Andrew over at Paradigm continues his quest of making the perfect razor. In my humble opinion,  it's my best purchase of 2020. This razor will always be in my den. Highly recommended. The 2nd smoothest razor I had the pleasure of using, #1 would be Raw Rs-10.  Sorry for the rant Ali, lol. Happy 4th of July my Friend!

Plus 1

how would you 2020 DB owners characterize the blade feel on the razor? Thanks

I asked in a thread about a razor that combined maximum efficiency with minimum blade-feel,
and the DB 2020 was mentioned more times than any other razor.

My two cents on Paradigm 2020 is pretty much the same as what’s already been posted up about it in this thread. The pinochle of efficiency/effectiveness and smoothness. In fact I’ve only put the Raw Shaving RS 10 in front of it as far as smoothness but it’s behind the 2020 in efficiency/ effectiveness even with the aggressive plate on it. An while writing this i started thinking I have to do a side by side between them because I’m going by memory and I’ve found that’s not always accurate as I learned many times when doing Shave Offs. So I think it’s time to do that Shave Off.
What I’d like to say is, I’ve shaved with every Paradigm razor Andrew has made starting with the Paradigm Titanium 1 ( which I am lucky enough to have one and I very much enjoy it ) all the way up to the 2020 high polished. To me the man really was the first to set the bar on “ efficiency and smoothness “ combined in one razor with the release of the Paradigm 17 4 . It had at the time an almost perfect balance of both characteristics and it was also after that razor that not only did people start using that phrase but started to refer to those shaving characteristics when describing a razor they had or what they’d like to see in a razor. That phrase seemed to also inspire some other razor makers to try to make a razor with those shaving characteristics and I know I’m not alone on those thoughts as I have a lot of shaving friends who would agree. In my opinion Andrew set the bar!

Let’s face it before the 17 4 there were many razors that had enough or more than enough efficiency/effectiveness to take down the toughest beards for example a Ikon Tech or R41 and there were razors back then that gave a nice smooth shave as well but lacked efficiency for a lot of people. That included both vintage and modern razors like the Gillette President and the SS Feather. In my opinion Andrew just knows how to design razors that offer both and he upped the game with the Paradigm 2020 high polished.
I remember having phone conversations with Andrew back then and they were always good conversations about razors and shaving etc. if I had him on the phone right now I’d say what the hell happened man?
You made some freaking awesome razors and you just disappeared on us. So get your ass back in the workshop as this is a challenge.. let’s see if you can set the bar even higher.

ALI The DB has a “phantom” blade feel

Calm_Shaver thanks for that excellent description which characterizes the DB quite well.

Dragonsbeard Yes you’ve described the Paradigm release history accurately and I can’t wait for any future releases. I agree that the most recent Diamondback is more efficient than the RS10 (too bad Avi never brought out more razors as his rookie releases were phenomenal). But the DIamondback’s only reasonable comparisons in smoothness, efficiency and maneuverability are the prior equally limited Paradigm releases. It may be a true RAD killer until Andy decides to release another razor.

If Andy is lurking out there maybe you should rerelease the Diamondback in a machine or bead blasted finish so more can enjoy it.

Paradigm has produced some excellent razors over the years... The Ti 1&2, 17-4, DB 2020, etc. Andrew would still have the CNC specifications for those “classic” models. I wish he would consider doing a re-issue run rather than than always trying to design the next big thing.