RR Lupo .95 SB vs RR Game Changer 84-P SB

Back in November '2022 I decided to replace my 8 year old brass and Zamak Butterfly razor. It no longer would securely hold the blade in-place. So, I started looking around for a replacement. I ended up with a Merkur 23C. I was convinced I needed a mild razor. It's a good razor and provided an adequate shave.

I'd always wanted a stainless steel razor, but couldn't justify the cost. Some of them are crazy expensive. Then I discovered RazoRock and the Italian Barber. 

RazoRock precisely CNC machines their razors from 316L stainless steel. This is a premium grade of stainless used in marine environments, surgical tools and Aerospace. I'm very familiar with 316L having worked in Aerospace for 30 years. Total overkill for a razor.

So, I gifted my Merkur 23C to a friend and purchased a RazoRock Game Changer 68-P SB. Remember, I was looking for a 'mild' razor.

Quickly realizing the GC 68-P was a bit 'too mild' for me, that razor was 'gifted' to another friend.

The GC 68-P was replaced by the RR Game Changer 84-P SB. Now this razor checked all the 'boxes' for me, or so I thought.

I wrote about how pleased I was with my new acquisition on a different forum. Many fellow members agreed with with my choice, but suggested (here's where these forums are dangerous) I look at the Lupo .95 SB. Remember, I was convinced I needed a 'mild' razor, the GC 84 was the most aggressive razor I'd ever owned and here, people are suggesting I buy a razor that is even more aggressive? Yikes!

After speaking to the folks at the Italian Barber, I decided to give the Lupo .95 a try, eventhough I was convinced it would go to B-S-T sub-forum in rapid fashion. 

I decided to do a classic 'shave-off' between the Lupo .95 and GC 84-P.  

So, since the beginning of January I've been swapping off razors every other month and I think I've finally come to a conclusion on which razor I prefer. Drum roll please!

The Lupo .95! It's ever so slightly more efficient than the GC 84-P, with a little more blade feel. 

First of all, the most surprised guy in the room is me. I'm the guy who knew he needed a 'mild' razor for my skin and beard type. Come to find out, I've had it wrong for a long time. 

I've been 'wet shaving' for quite a few years. I learned to shave using a DE razor. I'm 69 years old and have been using a DE razor for most of my life. 

I never correlated 'Aggressiveness' with 'efficiency'. I admit I'm slow, but it finally dawned on me, 'mild' razors cause me to repeat strokes over the same area, creating irritation and, on occasion, a 'weeper' or 'nick'. Apparently, this had eluded me all these years. LOL! 

The Lupo .95 is a more 'efficient' razor, in comparison to the GC 84-P. At least IMO. 

I'm not getting rid of my GC 84-P. The one downside to greater 'Aggressiveness', 'efficiency' and 'blade exposure' for me is, I can't use the Lupo .95 as a daily driver. Frankly, there's nothing to shave after 24hrs. Caveat: I'm retired.

The GC 84-P IS a 'daily driver'. 

Both razors provide a CCS/BBS. One just a little more 'efficient', albeit with more 'blade feel'. After 24hrs I feel very little, if any stubble with the Lupo .95.

There it is. My non scientific evaluation of the Lupo .95 vs GC 84-P. Both are excellent razors, precisely made with premium materials at an affordable price.

b/r

RB

I have owned more than a dozen razors ,
including models from Muhle,Fatip,Timeless,
Karve ,etc .

The RR GC .84-P SB was my favorite of all.
So sold all the rest and kept the GC .84-P.

Later the RR .84-P OC became the
favorite one and still remains up to date.
Sold the RR .84-P SB and bought one
brand new again ,later on ,the same day my
son was born.I will give it to him ,
when the time comes ,as his first razor.

Occasionally I will also use the RR Lupo .95 SB .
Which is the second favorite razor of mine.

So ,here I 'm with just two razors in my den.
The RR GC .84-P OC and the RR Lupo .95 SB.

They are truly great shaving tools ,
at an affordable price.

Stephanos1920...thank you for your response. I really like the GC 84-P SB. I could live with it, or the 'Lupo', no problem.

Regarding "Open Comb" razors. I learned to shave with a hand-me-down 'OC' razor and have unpleasant memories of that experience. I often went to school with half a roll of TP wrapped around my neck when I used it. LOL! I have an 'emotional' aversion to 'OC' razors. But, that's just me. Others, like yourself, love them.

b/r

RB

To be honest ,I used to kinda avoid the OC
razors myself .
Muhle R41 was given to me as a birthday
present and was actually my first DE razor.
Yeap,kinda awful were the first attempts to shave
with the beast .Although ,not really an
open comb ( more like closed comb one ) ,
it made me deal with OC razors with fear.
Fatip OC was next ,just to fight fire with fire.
Learned actually to shave with it ,but the
constant manual blade alignment was starting
to be annoying .
For few years afterwards I 'had been
using mostly solid bar razors .
Different Karve ones and a Timeless .95.
Latter on  a stainless steel RR BBS .
The last two were very important lessons
to me ,as they made me realize that the
razors that curve the blade a lot ( no matter
if being tension or vice clamped ) are not
for my face and hand .

I tend to use the so called "shallow angle" or
"riding the cap" shaving technique.
I prefer to call it "old school elbow up".

Both the GC and Lupo clamp the blade with
the "vice "method  ( clamp distance is equal
to free end distance ) and keep the blade
relatively flat. Using a "steep angle " /
"riding the bar" technique can lead to
irritation in no time,if the
slightest pressure is applied.
But the inherent blade rigidity this
design offers is a must for smooth shaves .
Especially regarding the ATG pass.


Bought the GC .84-P OC because of the larger 
blade clamping area ,vs the GC .84-P SB.
And yeap,it surely does make a difference.
This razor became my favorite ,during 
a period of me shaving every 10-15 days.
This thing can not be clogged,no matter what.
I'm sure it can shave a long beard ,without 
having to rinse the razor ,not even for a single time 
while shaving.
It has more gentle comb than the JAWS 
( which I also used to own ) and it is 
on par efficiency-wise with the Lupo .95 
SB .

Yeap.It's a very special open comb razor.

Come to think about it ...
I should get a second one ,to keep as spare.

I have hand-polished them a bit ,using
just a ss polishing cream and a microfiber cloth .

Few years back ,while I was still in the machining bussiness ,I had made two inkwell razor stands ( I think from AISI /SAE 304 ss if I remember correctly ) one 
for 14 mm handles and one for 12.5-13 mm ones.

I have hand-polished them a bit ,using
just a ss polishing cream and a microfiber cloth .

Few years back ,while I was still in the machining bussiness ,I had made two inkwell razor stands ( I think from AISI /SAE 304 ss if I remember correctly ) one 
for 14 mm handles and one for 12.5-13 mm ones.

Those stands are very nice. Good designs

Sent from my SM-A536U using Tapatalk

One thing I forgot to mention and this gets back to my reticence towards aggressive razors. When I began using the GC 84-P I slowed way down and let the weight of the razor do the work. I was getting fabulous shaves, some of the best of my life.  

When the Lupo. 95 arrived, I was already in the 'slow-mode' which made the transition much easier. Everything else stayed the same, only I was even more careful with the Lupo. The "blade exposure" intimidated me. But, I soon got used to it. A side benefit to slowing down with the Lupo is my 'technique' got much better. The Merkur 23C had made my technique very sloppy. The GC 84-P can handle a little sloppiness, but the Lupo .95 doesn't tolerate cavalier technique at all. It will bite. I've had one legitimate nick because I got sloppy and a couple of weepers and irritation when I tried to achieve too much with one pass. Other than those few times, in almost 8 months of shaving with these razors, the majority of shaves were completely drama and blood free. And, I'm getting the best shaves of my life.

b/r

RB

Back in November '2022 I decided to replace my 8 year old brass and Zamak Butterfly razor. It no longer would securely hold the blade in-place. So, I started looking around for a replacement. I ended up with a Merkur 23C. I was convinced I needed a mild razor. It's a good razor and provided an adequate shave.

I'd always wanted a stainless steel razor, but couldn't justify the cost. Some of them are crazy expensive. Then I discovered RazoRock and the Italian Barber. 

RazoRock precisely CNC machines their razors from 316L stainless steel. This is a premium grade of stainless used in marine environments, surgical tools and Aerospace. I'm very familiar with 316L having worked in Aerospace for 30 years. Total overkill for a razor.

So, I gifted my Merkur 23C to a friend and purchased a RazoRock Game Changer 68-P SB. Remember, I was looking for a 'mild' razor.

Quickly realizing the GC 68-P was a bit 'too mild' for me, that razor was 'gifted' to another friend.

The GC 68-P was replaced by the RR Game Changer 84-P SB. Now this razor checked all the 'boxes' for me, or so I thought.

I wrote about how pleased I was with my new acquisition on a different forum. Many fellow members agreed with with my choice, but suggested (here's where these forums are dangerous) I look at the Lupo .95 SB. Remember, I was convinced I needed a 'mild' razor, the GC 84 was the most aggressive razor I'd ever owned and here, people are suggesting I buy a razor that is even more aggressive? Yikes!

After speaking to the folks at the Italian Barber, I decided to give the Lupo .95 a try, eventhough I was convinced it would go to B-S-T sub-forum in rapid fashion. 

I decided to do a classic 'shave-off' between the Lupo .95 and GC 84-P.  

So, since the beginning of January I've been swapping off razors every other month and I think I've finally come to a conclusion on which razor I prefer. Drum roll please!

The Lupo .95! It's ever so slightly more efficient than the GC 84-P, with a little more blade feel. 

First of all, the most surprised guy in the room is me. I'm the guy who knew he needed a 'mild' razor for my skin and beard type. Come to find out, I've had it wrong for a long time. 

I've been 'wet shaving' for quite a few years. I learned to shave using a DE razor. I'm 69 years old and have been using a DE razor for most of my life. 

I never correlated 'Aggressiveness' with 'efficiency'. I admit I'm slow, but it finally dawned on me, 'mild' razors cause me to repeat strokes over the same area, creating irritation and, on occasion, a 'weeper' or 'nick'. Apparently, this had eluded me all these years. LOL! 

The Lupo .95 is a more 'efficient' razor, in comparison to the GC 84-P. At least IMO. 

I'm not getting rid of my GC 84-P. The one downside to greater 'Aggressiveness', 'efficiency' and 'blade exposure' for me is, I can't use the Lupo .95 as a daily driver. Frankly, there's nothing to shave after 24hrs. Caveat: I'm retired.

The GC 84-P IS a 'daily driver'. 

Both razors provide a CCS/BBS. One just a little more 'efficient', albeit with more 'blade feel'. After 24hrs I feel very little, if any stubble with the Lupo .95.

There it is. My non scientific evaluation of the Lupo .95 vs GC 84-P. Both are excellent razors, precisely made with premium materials at an affordable price.

b/r

RB

I had both the .68 SB and the .84 SB. I got the .84 as the .68 was too mild for my preference. Surprisingly, I found the .84 a bit milder than I liked as well though a Feather blade made it a bit more efficient. I picked up the Lupo .95 OC and love it. I also just got the GC .84 OC and found that to be quite efficient without feeling overly aggressive. Mind you, I prefer aggressive so my not overly aggressive may not apply to others. Like when people tell me spicy food is "mild". I usually disagree. Haha!!! All in all, the RR razors are a good razor for the money, no doubt. You just have to find the one you like. Looks like we both did!!!

For those of you unfamiliar with RazoRock's handles, this is the RR Ti "HALO". It's the only Ti razor handle I've ever owned. My Lupo .95 head is currently attached, but I've used it on the GC 84-P, too. 

I like the 'HALO', only I wish it were a little shorter. The overall length is ~100mm. I'd prefer it to be about 10mm to 12mm shorter. That would also make it a little lighter. I find shorter handles feel more 'nimble' in the hand, e.g., the RR "Thin-Bar" handle. Overall, I like the feel. The machined 'rings' provide an excellent purchase and the Ti material is of course much lighter than S.S.

I make no bones about it, I'm a RazorRock 'FanBoy'. Their products are high quality, precision made and very affordable (especially when you catch a sale).

b/r

RB

I've stated that Razorock is the modern times
"substitute" of what Gillette used to be,
especially regarding the stainless steel razors.

They are superb shaving tools ,
taking into consideration the design
( which is more than often based on another
successful design of another maker/brand) ,
the choice of material ( 316L ) ,the machining job
quality ,the tolerances , and the retail price .

The finish is not the greatest ,but with some
polishing cream for stainless and some elbow
grease one can do wonders.
There are occasionally some parts with some
nicks and dents ,but me thinks this is not
due to QC issues but rather packaging
and transit issues.
Razorock should improve the packaging
of their razors ,in order to offer better
protection during transit/shipping .

Their soaps are like most
italian made soaps .
Not famous for their thick lather
and super fatting .Very nice
scents -although somewhat "lab-made"-.
They can do better regarding their soaps ,
me thinks.A "Stirling" overall quality
is not that difficult to achieve.

Never had any of their synth shaving brushes.
I like synths and I only use such ,but I prefer
the higher quality stuff for some reason ,
like Muhle/EJ STF ,Simpsons, and Omega EVO .


Dunno If I'm actually a RR fanboy,
-do not like their soaps/had quite a few of them -
but I only use two razors and do not feel the need
for trying something else* .Both are made by
Razorock .And I'm sure that I'm not the only
one who feels that way .

* ...Well ,that's actually a lie .
Something inside me urges me to
find out how the Lupo .95 OC
actually shaves ...
And then maybe also
get a spare GC .84-P OC .