Raw Shaving RS-10: A Serious Contender
I have owned the Raw Shaving RS-10 for almost a month and have had 10-12 shaves with it, so I thought I would write a brief review.
After first becoming aware of the RS-10, I was surprised to find that there was not much information available on the various forums or on Reddit and I was only rarely seeing it mentioned in the same conversation with other premium DE razors like Wolfman, Timeless, Blackland and Charcoal.
I reached out to my buddy Mark (ShaveMD) to get his thoughts and he gave the RS-10 a glowing recomendation. He recommended using the Mild plate with a Feather blade and called it one of the smoothest and most efficient razors in collection, which most of you know is quite formidable.
Next, I contacted Avi, the owner of Raw Shaving, and after exchanging a few emails I placed my order. Avi is a true pleasure to work with and answers emails promptly. Two days later, my new RS-10 arrived.
The initial presentation is very impressive and most are familiar with the amazing box set. The craftsmanship is excellent and the polish is on par with other razors like the Paradigm and the Blackbird.
I loaded up the Mild plate with a new Feather blade and started my first shave. I was expecting the razor to feel a lot like my Blackbird (because the razors share some design elements); however, I was surprised to find that the head geometry was completey different. The Blackbird is very blade forward and I sometimes need to hunt for the angle a bit. The Blackbird is certainly efficient, but not one of the smoothest razors.
The RS-10, on the other hand, was so smooth, that I questioned whether I had actually installed the blade. With virtually zero blade feel, the results of the first pass blew my mind. I had nearly a one-pass DFS after shaving WTG. After a follow up pass XTG, I was done with little to no touchup.
The shave is as smooth as glass and yet still brutally efficient. It is actually quite remarkable. I own most of the other “premium" razors that compete against the Raw RS-10 and the only razor that comes close to combining this level of efficiency with such smoothness is my Paradigm 17-4.
Are there any negatives? To be honest, not many. I woud prefer the handle be slightly lighter. I also think the marketing approach may be a little too “alpha male” for some traditional wet shavers. Other than that, the razor itself is an absolute gem.
I would give the Raw Shaving RS-10 my highest recomendation. It combines brutal efficiency with one of the smoothest shaves I have ever had. The build quality and customer service are commensurate with the price and Avi is a pleasure to do business with. This new entry in the premium market is a serious contender and if you enjoy shaving as much as I do, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.