(This post was last modified: 10-27-2016, 10:48 PM by User 852.)
I had my first shave today with the Asylum Rx. It was simply great.
I chose the soap for today's shave, Dapper Dragon Bakewell, and loaded a Feather Pro which is a blade that I really enjoy shaving with. I use it with every SE that takes these type of blades with great results. I noticed that the head profile of the razor is similar to an injector which is a big advantage of the Asylum, in my opinion. Having shaved with my Schick many times, it was very easy for me to find the correct cutting angle, but it's not difficult to find it anyway, it just differs from the other AC type razors. Also, keep in mind that I haven't tried any Cobra razor, so I can't compare it to these two.
The razor is not as heavy as the Mongoose or the Rocnel SE50. In my opinion, the weight of the Asylum is the ideal for a stainless steel razor. It is one of the best balanced razors I have shaved with. The handle has an amazing grip, it really feels great in my hand. My current rotation consists of razors with smooth handles, like the OneBlade, Alumigoose and others. The Asylum handle is better than any of these razor handles. Also, I almost never switch the handles of my 3- piece razors, but I think it's a great design detail that you can switch it if you wish with another that maybe feels better or looks better to you. For example, you can't do that with the Cobra Classic that shares a similar head design with the Asylum, let's say.
The shave was remarkably smooth. I finished the first pass with two days of stubble growth. No irritation, no redness, nothing at all. What surprised me here is that, while there is some blade feeling during shaving, I didn't have any problem at all. The problem I had with the other AC type razors like Mongoose or Rocnel SE50 was that the first pass was not so smooth. My beard is tough and full, so there were times, especially when using the Mongoose, that the shave was good but not so smooth and I had to apply a good moisturizing balm after the shave. The second pass was as good as the first one, if not better. I finished my shave with one of my favorite lotions, the Aqua Velva, and I'm feeling great.
I know that it's too soon for big words or conclusions but one thing is sure. I enjoyed my first shave with this razor very much. The shave feeling was excellent. The razor is flawless and well designed. I watched a video on Youtube a few weeks ago, dated on 2013, showing the plastic prototype of this razor and a few words from Phil about it. Phil must be very proud that he finally, three years later, managed to make his vision reality. This says a lot of things.
My second shave will be on Saturday, so stay tuned.