Talk me down off the ledge, please!

Good Evening Gents -

Just got my polished Blackbird straight bar and open comb razor last week. First, the piece(s) are absolutely beautiful! Kudos to Shane & team for producing a fantastic looking razor in the USA - I'm very proud as I know it's a tough feat to pull off manufacturing in the States. Used each baseplate once so far...I've been doing the wet shaving thing for 6 years now and honestly the open comb plate was very aggressive even with a Personna Med Prep (and I LOVE my R41)...super efficient but drew some blood nonetheless and the straight bar was marginally better.

My dilemma is this, ever since I've taken delivery of my Rockwell 6S (use plate 5/6 exclusively) most of other razors pale in performance...I've been hard pressed to justify keeping any gear that doesn't perform as good or better - regardless if it costs half as much or twice as much - so I've sold off over a dozen razors including a OneBlade.

So, do I take advantage of the 30 day return policy or give it a few more tries?

Appreciate any input, thanks guys!

I know what you mean, its hard not to keep going back to the razor that does the job so well - like your 6s. No matter how much you want to love those expensive new beauties they just won't compare. You'll use them less and less and then not at all and they will gather dust. So, unless you are a collector of razors as "objets d'art" and enjoy just having them and looking at them, I'd take advantage of the 30 day guarantee and get your money back.
Marko

My philosophy is "say no to dusting - say yes to selling".
If time allows in the 30 day return window, try another shave. The Blackbird sb does get predominantly favorable comments.

FYI - my first shave with an OC sounded like yours. After the 2nd shave, I sold my Mergerss razor..

What Marko said. If you've been at this for 6 years, you pretty much know what works for you and what doesn't. I'd probably give it one more shot and experiment with the angle and if there's no improvement, return it.

Very good advice, needed some persuasion not to give up on it yet - thanks guys!

It's such a great feeling to find your perfect match. Took me a few years, and I also purged a bunch of razors when it happened. But it's still nice to keep a few extra razors around for variety. I'd give the Blackbird a few more tries to see if should stick around in the 'for variety' group.

return it, if you have a change of heart you can always buy it again for another 30 days.

Maranello, I had the same dilemma regarding the Blackbird when I first got mine. For the first 2–3 shaves, I was sure that I was going to return it. Then I tried a couple of my other razors. Suddenly, they felt quite mild and inefficient, as I now had the Blackbird to compare them to.

So I went back to the Blackbird, and persistently kept using it for several more shaves, until it really “clicked”. After that, for me there was no question about it — it was a keeper. I can understand your dilemma though, in the sense that the Rockwell is so highly regarded. But since you still have time, take advantage of it and use the Blackbird at least a few more times. That would be my suggestion.

If you wish to read a slightly more detailed review I recently wrote on the Blackbird, here’s the link:
https://damnfineshave.com/reviews-produc...-blackbird

Maranello, I had the same dilemma regarding the Blackbird when I first got mine. For the first 2–3 shaves, I was sure that I was going to return it. Then I tried a couple of my other razors. Suddenly, they felt quite mild and inefficient, as I now had the Blackbird to compare them to.

So I went back to the Blackbird, and persistently kept using it for several more shaves, until it really “clicked”. After that, for me there was no question about it — it was a keeper. I can understand your dilemma though, in the sense that the Rockwell is so highly regarded. But since you still have time, take advantage of it and use the Blackbird at least a few more times. That would be my suggestion.

If you wish to read a slightly more detailed review I recently wrote on the Blackbird, here’s the link:
https://damnfineshave.com/reviews-produc...-blackbird

Thanks man, I read your review (excellent & thank you, BTW) last week and it was the reason I didn't return it after the first shave! I will give it a few more tries

Thanks man, I read your review (excellent & thank you, BTW) last week and it was the reason I didn't return it after the first shave! I will give it a few more tries

You got it! Since you still have some time, at least give it a few more tries.
(Side note: Now I’m really starting to wonder about the Rockwell 6S, as I’ve been seeing all its praises here, one week after another…)