Dr. Jon's / Beaver WoodWright - "Bandit"
RazoRock 400 | Noir Plissoft
RazoRock Stealth Slant V4 | Astra Superior Platinum (1)
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I'm not the ideal person to critique a synthetic knot since my only synthetic experience is solely from the first generation L'Occitane Plisson brush. I've used it a handful of times, and it's a nice performer. My only complaint with the Plisson is its relatively small size that's not ideal for me as a head-shaver. Being out of the loop with regard to synthetic knots, I see that options have dramatically increased since the early Plissons. Personally, I've been fortunate that, regardless of knot material, my very small collection of brushes all perform very well. Sure, each one has nuances native to its composition, but I essentially choose my brush at random, confident it will get the job done. In fact, of my very small collection of brushes, the only one I rarely pick up is the small Plisson, and that is only due to its size. I never minded the floppiness that some faulted it. The "Noir Plissoft" knot in the RazoRock 400 feels just as soft as my Plisson, but the backbone is unbelievable. This may simply be the expectation of modern synthetics, but it was a complete surprise to me. I was able to put it through the paces, and it handled splay and scrubbing just as well as painting. It felt like it was dispensing the lather, and it held enough for 3 head and face passes. Overall, the RazoRock 400 aesthetics are spot on. I applied the o-ring just to break-up the color and I like the result. I didn't use the brush prior to the o-ring, but I do like how it feels on my finger tips. I won't go so far as to say it's a functional improvement on grip, but it does at least give that illusion. The material doesn't feel or look cheap. There are no seams in the handle, and the 71 gram dry weight is comfortable. "RazoRock 400" is embossed and painted black on the bottom of the brush handle only. RazoRock refrained from emblazoning a logo on the side, so its statement is made by the striking school bus yellow contrasting against the pitch black knot. (Some have called this "butterscotch", but to my eye this has a little more red in it. However, I'm not the authority on that.)
This ended up being more long-winded than I'd intended, but I need to comment on Dr. Jon's Bandit (a joint venture with the artisan previously known as Beaver WoodWright). In previous reviews, I've commented on the extremely soft consistency of "Bandit". I found it was much softer than other Dr. Jon's freshman offerings (Dr. Jon's recent formula is firmer than any of these). I was told this was due to the fragrance/essential oils used and that it was unavoidable. As a result, I simply adjusted water and I was careful with loading. Now, probably a year out, the soap has firmed up at least to the consistency of the rest of its contemporaries but I noted the same, robust fragrance. So, if you have this in your den, and you haven't used it in a while due to the excessive soft consistency, I recommend you check it out. In my case, it no longer acts like a cream. Bandit was a limited run, but I've seen the sets still for sale either on Dr. Jon's or Blackship Grooming at a reduced price. I purchased 2 sets when they first came out, and my backup is still in the shipper. I really like this fragrance, so I'm happy I still have plenty. I'm even more encouraged that despite the additional curing that happened with time, there was no sacrifice of fragrance. Despite not sharing a single note, I found L&L's "Puzzle" very similar to "Bandit". It is a delight to say the least.
Finally, about the RRSSV4. This was my favorite razor for a long time. I haven't used it as often lately, and I really can't say why, other than a little more care is necessary to avoid bites. I have bailing wire stubble on my neck, and the Stealth can make it BBS in 2 passes with zero irritation. I have other razors that have the edge on shorter stubble, but for longer growth, nothing competes with this slant.
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