(This post was last modified: 03-07-2018, 01:51 AM by GroomingDept.)
For various reasons, I’m not going to mention names of other DE/SE razors during the various comparisons which I’ll do over the coming weeks. But the benchmark for me is my Paradigm 17-4 razor.
This SE razor has an elegant industrial feel, it feels solid, nothing rattles or loose, the cap slide firmly in place. Please take a look at the two video I’ve already posted. This is a prototype, made of aluminum, the finished razor is Titanium Grade 5, the small bits are 316 SS.
The blade feel reminds me of a straight razor between a 1/4 and /12 hollow. Blade feel is pronounced but it doesn’t feel like a DE blade or other SE razors. The blade feels exceedingly rigid, but somehow smooth. I usually know that I’m going to have irritation if a I get blade feel from DE razor.
It makes a clipping sound, but not as loud as the 17-4.
it has a wider shaving angle than other SE razors I have tried, this cutting window is also bigger than 17-4.
Buffing is not irritating at all and very little of it required. I have to do more buffing when using the 17-4.
The razor is easy to maneuver, the head can easily be maneuvered around the mustache area.
Smoothness and efficiency are on a different plane from the 17-4. It usually takes me 3 passes+touch-up to get a BBS, the SE got there in 2 passes. I was able to shave parts of my beard ATG on the first pass without irritation.
I talked to Andy about blade compatibility. Schick blades don’t fit in my prototype but they will fit in the production. The razor is not compatible with blades that have guards. Andy said he focused on optimizing the razor. I used Feather Pro, in 3 days I'll use a Kamisori blade
I consider the 17-4 a significant milestone. But this razor is extraordinary, it sheds a light on what is possible beyond existing SE razor designs. If you noticed, it didn’t take Andy that much time to design this razor. I think V2 of this razor will be hard thing to catch up to.
