(This post was last modified: 02-08-2021, 08:31 PM by MaineYooper.)
Today I was up and out before shaving, but coming back home right away. And the mailman had been by. The new to me Blackbird was in the mailbox (thanks to Brian
SaddleSC for fast shipping and sale!), but soon it was on the sink with a Nacet blade on shave 4. I put together a nicely hydrated Mystic Water Sensitive Skin lather, took a deep breath, and started shaving. (I did try the razor without a blade before all this to see how it felt. In a word, heavy! Seems this top cap has more smooth curves than sharp edges, but the handle does have a edgy feel to it with the sharp grooves.) I decided to do only 2 passes without too much touching up, in case there was more aggression than anticipated. For me, my Slim on 7 or higher can be too aggressive feeling (although I haven't tried that for years now), and the Karve D plate was not comfortable to me.
On the first downward stroke, I heard it shaving. Much like the Vector, this is one loud razor! I was careful and it paid off. It felt like a smooth shaver, and yet I could feel it was right on the edge of warning, "Danger, Will Robinson!" I did the with the grain first, then did a modified XTG/ATG. Great results, no nicks, irritation, or weepers, nor any irritation. But there was, like with the Vector, attention needed. This is both hands on the steering wheel! Enjoyable, but not carefree. And this is only the first outing, so extra caution was taken while I learned how it shaved.
And similar to the Yates, the Blackbird removes most of the lather, leaving no residual lather/slickness like a Tech or other razors might. I had read about guys using the Rex adjustable for the first time and noting that you could get some road rash if you touched up an area without reapplying some lather. The Blackbird was like that for me. I felt the potential for irritation if I took one more stroke over an area that I just finished, and can only imagine how it would feel if I moved to an area that I had finished with a few minutes earlier!
I am very happy with the results and am now blessed with so many great razors that I feel almost overwhelmed when it comes to deciding what to do each morning (if only all my problems were this minor. But shaving can help center me and calm me, and now has become something enjoyable, and it helps prepare me for dealing with the life problems that are more important).
- Eric
Put your message in a modem,
And throw it in the Cyber Sea
--Rush, "Virtuality"
Overloader of brushes, Overlander fanboy, Schickhead, and a GEM in the rough!