Paradigm Salient Test Drive

Back to the list:

Marhos24  -MI
rocket  -CO - after Dragonsbeard
Dragonsbeard  -NY - has razor 
keto   -MO
jbreakfield -AL
RayClem -IL
Lesser -NY
AJSharp  -NY

dtownvino -PA - completed
Dave in KY -KY completed
Calm_Shaver - NY - self purchase remove 


The shipping order will be determined near the completion of each shave.  The list is not in order. 

The pass around list is now complete. 

Thanks guys!

Mike

Paradigm Shaveware aye aye Andy!!!

edit : BIRTHDAY SHAVE 

Happy Birthday


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well I finally got some time to do an old fashioned Shave Off using the Paradigm Salient vs the Paradigm Diamondback. It was good to do one as it’s been quite some time since doing one. 

So as you can see in the headshot I divide my face into 4 sections and the reason is the whole right side of my face is more difficult to get a even shave as I have some weird growth along my right ear below my sideburns and a very nasty cowlick on my neck right were the DB shows. The whole left side is much easier to shave than the right side and other than a little stubborn patch along my jawline it’s pretty easy and predictable. 

So to make things even I assign each razor one area on the and one on the left side of my face and neck. They are obviously marked PS for the Salient and DB for the Diamondback. 

To start off I will say they both feel different in hand but both are well balanced. Appearance wise I like the more traditional more recognizable Art Deco handled DB but don’t mind the Salient and knowing that Andrew will be offering a new handle in the future that’s more like all his previous handles I’m good with this one for now and to me at the price of entry I think the Salient is a bargain. 

So let’s get started with the gear used in the Shave Off 

Razor - Paradigm Salient
Razor - Paradigm Diamondback 
Blade - Wizamet
Brush - II Marchese Custom Brush & Stand
Soap - MDC Fougere 
Post - Homemade Fougere Skin Food Splash 
Technique- Skin Stretch Short Stroke 


NOTE: Beard growth for this Shave Off was a full 4 days. I wanted to give them both a challenge. 


WTG - So I started on my right side with the Salient and I didn’t ride the cap or the SB but used the angle that felt right for the 4 days growth. I used a moderate amount of skin stretching on this pass and I was pleasantly surprised as the razor went right through the hair which confirmed that the razor has good efficiency and effectiveness. The blade feel was there but not a whole lot of it and using a measuring stick it has noticeably less than my CG Level 2 has for example. I rode the SB when I got to the area around my lips. Just playing it safe there. I finished the section with no issues whatsoever. A nice pass. So continuing downward to the right side of my neck with the Diamondback it was noticeable that the DB has less blade feel as it is the 2nd smoothest modern razor I’ve personally shaved with. The efficiency is not as noticeable when shaving because of that but it easily went through my unusually long beard growth like butter. What a remarkable razor and the only thing I can think of that could make it even better is if it were in Ti and I’d have one in a NY minute! Over to the left side with the DB still in hand it was just a repeat of the right side but even easier and the section went down fast. Grabbed the Salient and continued down my neck and I did feel more blade feel from it on my neck so I got a little more aggressive with my skin stretching and bingo that took care of that and the razor again became smooth. Another excellent WTG pass. I rinsed my face but I always leave a little residue of the soap on as I find I get even more slickness on the next pass. An FYI MDC’s Fougere is my absolute favorite Fougere as far as scent goes in a shave soap. 

XTG - All lathered up I went to town ear to nose wi  the the Salient on my right side and went back to my normal angle until getting to the area near my lips and switched to riding the SB and the razor performed very good. I did a quick about face and gave it a nose to ear pass as I’m shooting for a decent lasting BBS today. So again picking up the DB I did the exact same thing on my left side and again the DB performed like a champ and with less hair to take down it was cruising along like there was no hair to deal with. The XTG pass went well for both razors and after rinsing I did a quick face feel and if I was looking for a nice comfortable daily work shave I could have stoped with the completion of this pass. Props to both razor on this pass. Once again a quick rinse and lathered back up. I did need to add a little more soap to the brush as the lather was a little to translucent for my liking knowing that the ATG pass was up next. Another 10 seconds of loading did the trick. So all ready for the final ATG pass. 

ATG - this time I started with the DB at the base of my neck on the right side where my nasty cowlick is always reluctant to concede to the razor I’m using unless I’m using a hyper effective razor like a Ikon Tek or a very high gap razor but those razors are not a comfortable for me and I hardly even pick them up. I like smooth and efficient nowadays.  Anyway gave the skin at the base of my neck a good stretching and started my journey northward with the DB and again butter smooth and sneakily effective at taking down my remaining whiskers. Excellent pass! So continuing north with the Salient in hand I decided to nit ride the SB or the cap and honestly it was still very smooth and it effectively was cleaning up the remaining hair. Over to the left side of my neck with the Salient still in hand I began my 2nd journey south to north. Again I started using my normal angle but on my neck I felt a bit more blade feel so I simply rode the SB and problem solved and the rest of the pass was great. Passed the remaining ATG pass to the DB to finish up and it did it like a confident gentleman and an great way to finish up this Shave Off. Cleaned up my gear after rinsing my face and splashed on some of the Skin Food Splash. What an enjoyable shave and I smell really good. Because of a very busy schedule I more often nowadays do a in shower shave so having the time for a nice relaxing shave was a treat for sure. 

Results and final thoughts. 

I definitely got what I’d call a solid entry level BSS shave on my entire face and neck now it remains to see which razor gave me the longest lasting BBS shave and I’ll report that once it’s clear to me which one was the winner here. 

I will say that the Salient really impressed me today as it took down 4 days of growth and other than having to adjust my angle here and there it gave me a great shave!  The DB accomplishes the same thing but there was no adjusting needed. Andrew you certainly know how to make great shaving razors and it’s good to have you back at it.  I’d like thank everyone who made this possible. dtownvino Mike and Andrew for making the razor. I’ve got one more shave with it and that the one I want to try using the Ti Tibam handle on the Salient just to see if the lighter handle makes any difference in the shave experience using the Salient. 

Great Shaves all 


 

Thank you Frank for your “shave off” review giving us a great review (as always). Too bad those mods at that other board took down your several year thread of shave comparisons as it was an unbiased and irreplaceable resource for all hobbyists, collectors and regular wet shavers. And great to see Paradigm back in action.

The end results of the Shave Off in the above post was there was almost no difference in the longevity of the BBS as the whiskers started showing up after about 8 hours. With that sum it up by saying the Salient got me an excellent shave having to make some angle adjustments here and there on different areas on my face and neck while the Diamondback did it with no adjustments whatsoever. So getting to know the shaving characteristics of a razor can lead to getting consistently good shaves time after time. After two shaves with the Salient I now know where I have to use different angles. The Diamondback is truly a gem of a razor and if Andy comes out with one in Ti I’m all in! 

I’ve decided to purchase a Salient and I was torn between the satin finish and the high polished finish and after having a phone chat with Andrew he insisted on sending me a satin finished razor to try out to make my decision easier and to review it and compare it to the polished finish razor as it may help others to make their decision on what they want. Of course I’m paying for the razor. I think that’s not only kind of him but I’d call that good customer service. So thank you Andrew! 

I’ll conclude that the Salient is a lot of razor for the price so a bargain imho. 

One more shave tomorrow using the Tibam Ti handle out curiosity and I’ll send it off to the next person in line so Mike please send me the next persons name and address. An once again thank you for offering me the opportunity to give this razor a try and I’m glad i did.

Great review Frank Dragonsbeard Also interesting to read there may be an additional handle offering. I prefer the aesthetics of the art deco style handle as well.

Of course I couldn't help but notice the inclusion of your own MDC Fougere matching splash. I hope a MDC Fougere inspired line is still in development. I would place an order for that in a NY minute

Dragonsbeard (Frank) has a really incredible ability to test, evaluate, and write up the way a razor shaves. The quadrant technique is a nice idea for comparing apples to apples. As a vendor and a friend, I sincerely appreciate the effort. Thanks, Frank!

So reading all that got me thinking. The greatest distinguishing characteristic of the Salient is its maneuverability and ability to adjust to the contours of the face. Frank's technique of switching up angles is a good one, and something I've been doing automatically with the razor. But this is a different sort of "maneuverability" from other razors. It's not simply about the ability to get under the nose or into a tight corner along the jawline; it is the ability dial in the shave depending, for example, upon the direction of grain growth, whether a particular area is problematic, whether the skin is sensitive because of prior shaving, whether there's a lot of steam in the bathroom or not. Perhaps a better word than maneuverable is adjustable.

I have written previously that IMO the razor is not fussy about shave angle, doesn't require that one ride the cap, won't tie anybody into a pretzel to use. All that remains true. But adjusting to shave conditions is critical with any razor, and easy with the Salient. There really is not any one-size-fits-all shave angle. I conducted my own shave off this morning with a razor from another artisan -- a very good razor as it happens. And I was immediately struck by how the shave angle of the other razor was easy to find, but difficult to depart from. It's no knock on another artisan's product to say that it won't shave outside of a relatively narrow band; many razors are like that.

The Salient really is a departure, and in very beneficial ways once understood. I found myself inclining towards the cap on the flat of my chin, an area easy to irritate on my face. Along my cheeks, a pretty neutral shave angle worked best in all passes, while on neck and jawline, the razor was adjusted more toward the safety bar. Once you catch onto this characteristic, the razor really struts its stuff. J hooking acquires an additional dimension, as does buffing. Speaking as objectively as I can about the Salient, I felt it gave up little in efficiency compared with the other razor, while gaining in flexibility and uniform shaving. It's not a big adjustment in technique -- I almost didn't realize I was doing it until Frank pointed this characteristic out. Is it newbie stuff? Not really. But most of the users here are highly experienced, and will learn to get the best from the razor in the way a duck swims.

There are some other things that want discussing, so I'm breaking them up, rather than cramming them into a single post. Specifically, I want to address the Titanium Diamondback and the possibility of additional handle releases. 

The Ti Diamondback is firmly in my plans. I'm consulting with one of America's premier razor machinists. Hopefully we will agree on the parameters of the project, and the two of us will get it done. I don't want to go dropping names until we have worked out the particulars and have both committed. What I do want to do is document the process from start to finish. I think this will be of interest to the community, keep everyone up to date as to progress and milestones, and take the project out of the rumor stage and into reality as time goes by. I am not going to be in a position to circulate prototypes widely, but the razor is a known quantity. The head geometry will remain the same. The distinctive Diamondback handle pattern will remain, though there may be some minor changes to the handle otherwise. Ti is lower in mass (and weight) than stainless, and there is a bit of added design freedom, for example lengthening the handle slightly. All of that is TBD.

But I want to be clear that my primary focus now is on the Salient. To know it is to love it.   These projects will proceed on parallel tracks, but I don't want people too excited about Ti Diamondback just yet. In the nature of things, that will take some time to get into production. Meanwhile, pick up a Salient and take it for a test drive. It's a little different from most razors, even prior Paradigms ... but in a good way. I'm always striving for ways to do things better.

Regarding additional handles, we are in "maybe" territory. Right now, there's plenty on the plate here at Paradigm. If this happens, it will be in the US, and there are specific design goals in mind. I want to make it bigger and lighter. In practice, this means it will be hollow, but you'd never know it except for the weight. It will still be plenty solid in the hand. This idea is catching on with designers, and it makes a lot of sense. Stainless has a lot to recommend it, but it's dense. Going short or going thin to keep weight down is not ideal. I also want to spruce up the looks, but understand that my prior handles are not cheap to make; they usually require more than one machine operation, so I'm going to keep any changes to what can be done on a three axis lathe. 

I'd like to do this, but the project is subordinate both to the existing Salient and to the Ti Diamondback. As with the Ti Diamondback, let's keep this out of the domain of rumor. I'll also keep the community up to date if there are developments here.

Finally, this Sunday morning, I want to pick up on something else Frank wrote about: skin stretching. It's topical to the thread because the Salient really benefits from it.

Anyone who has ever shaved with a straight razor is familiar with the technique. A safety razor compresses the skin ahead of the blade and lets you cheat it a little.

I strongly recommend that you give it a try with all your safety razors, but especially with the Salient. The flexibility you get is tremendous. In case you hadn't noticed, the face is not uniform. There are concave areas, areas that like to hide, beard whorls, and all the rest.

Skin stretching is a shaving technique as crucial as learning to lather. Here's a really good introductory tip: take a washcloth and cut it into rectangles roughly three inches on a side. The exact dimensions aren't critical. Wet a rectangle, wring out excess water, and use it for your skin stretching. A big problem when stretching the skin is lather! It's slippery, and it makes life very difficult if your fingers just slide right off your face. You can also wet your fingers and rub them on an alum block to improve your grip. This doesn't work as well as the washcloth trick in my experience.

Once you are comfortable, you can really improve your shave. Inaccessible areas in the cleft of the chin, tricky areas on the jawline: yank on them, flatten them out, and get them out of hiding. Funky angle to shave a spot? Stretch the skin. Try different directions. You may even find that it reduces the need for direct ATG shaving. You can kind of find just the right angle to shave without going balls to the wall ATG. With the Salient, you can angle the razor up and down for an additional degree of freedom.

You will get a closer shave with less irritation, especially if you aren't as young as you used to be, and your skin has lost elasticity. If you aren't down with skin stretching yet, listen to brother Dragonsbeard, myself, and a bunch of other shavers in the know. It works like a charm, especially on problem spots.

So this was my Last shave with the pass around and I’ll be sending it off to rocket Dave. 

As I mentioned I put my Tibam handle on the razor and I felt like the balance and maneuverability was kicked a notch. I used the once used Wizamet blade from the Shave Off and the razor seemed even smoother but still nicely efficient  I only did a 2 pass WTG and a XTG shave and I’ll note I did some relatively aggressive skin stretching for this shave . I have to say this was an awesome shave with 95% of my face and neck a BBS. I know Andrew and I have talked and he has the idea of a hollow SS handle in the future and I don’t know how close it would be to the Ti I used today weight wise but I’d be all in on it if it was.  This was a very comfortable close shave that I thoroughly enjoyed very much. Can’t wait to compare the satin finish to this polished version. An I’ll be absolutely getting one or the other. Nice job Andrew! 

Salient with Tibam Ti handle.