Paradigm Salient Test Drive

Arrived today in great shape. Looking forward to getting to know the Salient.

ewk are you going to headshave with it?

Yes, shaving of the dome is on the menu for tomorrow night.

I was going to wait to gain a little experience with the Salient before commenting, but my excellent initial face shave this evening was so satisfying, I wanted to share my thoughts.

The shaving angle was very easy to identify. I was surprised by the gentle, comfortable feel; comfort level put me in mind of my beloved Yates 921M. I was even more surprised by the level of efficiency. Like the recently-acquired Wolfman Guerrilla, this razor is truly a two-pass razor. After the first pass I was shocked by how smooth my cheeks felt, and even more surprised by how efficiently it handled the neck area. All I really needed was some touch-ups for the second pass. I am impressed.

I appreciate your concern for my melon, Mike. My melon has survived the Sterling HA and Ikon Tek. I will use all due diligence. Based on tonight's shave, I am confident the Salient will give a very good performance.

Another fantastic Salient Magic Carpet Ride

Salient -- Day 2 -- Face and Head

Swapped out a Nacet blade for a Feather. Another fine, comfortable, efficient shave. The shaving of the head went well and without injury. The Salient got the job done in two passes plus some buffing for the difficult areas, which puts it very high in my estimation.

Noice

Several weeks ago I removed myself from the pass around because I had decided to purchase the Paradigm Salient directly from Paradigm Shaveware . I paid the full $120 for it but took advantage of the bundled Grooming Department soap and saved 10% meaning the razor actually cost $108 and soap $24.30 (US Dollars). More on this later. 

I choose the Satin finish because, to me, it looked slick the way brushed (nickle) high quality bathroom fixtures look nicer than a polished chrome can look - this, of course, is a personal preference. FWIW I do own polished Wolfmans but have brushed stainless steel cookware rather than the polished versions of the same pots/pans. Also regarding appearances this Paradigm razor ships in a cardboard box with a magnetic closure and precision cut internal foam layer, a much improved presentation from his past razors. This shows a maturation of Paradigm's packaging even if it adds a few dollars to the entire purchase.

Regarding the handle I was disappointed it lacked the characteristic "art deco triangles" typically branded with all prior Paradigm releases but this current handle is certainly functional. Despite being 85mm which, for me, is slightly shorter than my preferred 90 mm length is very usable and maneuverable. I can grip the multiple rings between my index finger and thumb while resting my pinky finger under the handle butt to enable precision dexterity. Other reviewers have commented on the heavy handle throwing the balance towards the head. This is something I also noticed but is readily altered with a lesser weight Titanium handle - the Russian TiBam works but is not available and Razorock's Ti Halo is no longer offered. Nevertheless whether using a Ti handle or the current 316 steel one this razor works very well in my hands.

Like prior Paradigms the head covers the blade's tabs which is a personal preference for me. Also like prior releases there are no engravings or logos on this Salient which is something I would hope the future Paradigm-Yates razor will address. Andy Paradigm Shaveware you should be proud enough of your engineering skills to put your name/logo discretely on your razors. Again that's my opinion.

I think others in the pass around have summarized their shaves beautifully and I will only summarize my several week experience. Like others have already figured out this Paradigm Salient, like all its limited released predecessors, shaves beautifully. Andy Paradigm Shaveware knows how to make smooth razors and this one is no exception. It cuts smoothly with and against the grain. You won't get anything (DE) smoother unless you find a Paradigm Diamondback or Raw Shaving RS-10 (very mild) on the secondary markets. It is also very efficient but not aggressive due to it's "phantom" blade feel. It is (slightly) less efficient than the Diamondback and very similar to a Karve D plate or the classic Charcoal Goods Level2. However by altering your shave angle the tougher (facial) regions can achieve a very efficient and close shave. As a daily shaver I could get a full day (6-8 hours) of BBS quality shaves whether I use a less sharp (Derby) blade or a favorite (Personna Red/Gillette Silver Blue) more efficient blade. 

Back to the pricing and value. The Satin finish is something to behold and currently at $100 is a great value. There are very few if any regular production razors available at this price point with only the (brass) Karve coming to mind. However even though the Salient may be as efficient as the Karve D plate or it is significantly smoother and results in a much more comfortable shave which your face will enjoy. 

As I mentioned earlier I did take advantage of the soap combination package and this is where I would take pause. The Grooming Department soap bloomed easily and went on very soft and smooth (likely due to the multiple animal fats), it was not for me. The lemon scent was reminiscent of an inexpensive children's birthday party cake and the post shave feel was too drying for my very average skin. Over the last several weeks I used the same synthetic brush and same post shave (non scented) products without improvement as this soap at the discounted $24.30 performed as well as your typical $10 Razorock offering and not like a $30 soap. It was unfortunate that the soap didn't work for me and my face has been happily and comfortably back to using "better hydrating and smoother" products. So at $100 the Satin Salient is a bargain but I'd take a pass on the GD soap.

Great engineering job Andy. Until the Titanium Diamondback Paradigm-Yates collaboration becomes available this Satin Salient will be getting heavy rotation in my den !

So at $100 the Satin Salient is a bargain

Great to hear! I ordered one two weeks ago. Now all that's missing is them actually shipping it at some point...

Salient Pass Around -- The Final Shave

I have nothing more to add to what others have so eloquently said. The Salient is an excellent razor for an excellent price. Yes, at the current price it is very much a bargain. I am sorely tempted to purchase one, but 'tis the season for spending money on others  The Feather blade may have been a bit too much for me as I experienced mild irritation on the neck. But the Nacet and Wizamet blades gave perfect shaves.

I truly appreciate the opportunity to experience this razor. It has been thoroughly cleaned, dried, and carefully packed. It will be shipped out tomorrow. Thank you very much dtownvino and Dave in KY 

I will soon write up a comparison to the Ti2.  Stay tuned!