Tatara Adjustable

Today’s shave.. for science!  But first, my overall impressions. 

The razor is solid feeling, it’s well crafted and belongs up there with those skilled in razor marking. The finish is a beautiful bead blast and the grip has no issues. To me, the aesthetics are wonderful and the engineering behind the mechanism is brilliant. The razor is extremely well balanced and, despite its smaller stature, is natural to hold and easy to maneuver. This razor is very easy to shave under the nose with and found it quite comfortable in that space compared to other razors I own. 

The first shave was a few days ago now, but work has been busy and so I haven’t had a chance to report on it. I toyed with setting 4 for the first pass and 3 for the following two passes. At setting three, the razor has neutral blade exposure and could quickly whip around my face with zero issues. The smoothness was similar to the Yates M, but the blade is much more rigid in the Muramasa (due to design differences). I’m unsure of which would be more efficient, further testing will ensue. 

But what about setting 4? I’d say it’s similar to Karve D - rigidly held blade, smooth but with a touch of blade feel, a great setup for a first pass on low growth. 

But today’s shave... I had 48 hours growth and used setting 5 for a two pass shave. Smooth but more blade feel; was it Blackbird levels of blade feel? No. Did I easily and comfortably knock down my growth on that first pass? Yes. 

But being the idiot I am, I kept setting 5 for a second pass. There were no issues mind you, but the beauty of an adjustable is that I didn’t need that level of blade exposure for what was left. I think settings 4 or 3 could have gotten me similar results with more comfort. To reiterate, this razor is very comfortable throughout all settings, I’m just not that bright. 

I’ll have to try settings 1 and 2 over the next days. Perhaps some three pass shaves with these settings will yield some epiphanies with regards to comfort or technique. I’ve been inclined to write off negative blade exposure for my personal situation, but I’m interested in seeing what’s possible. 

Would I recommend other to this razor? Yes, and easily. Beyond its beauty, engineering, comfort, and great shaves, it is also multifunctional.

In some ways, this razor has reminded me that I need less. Prior to the pandemic the den had whittled down to a few simple yet wonderful razors. I think I could survive on just one now. 



But I won’t. 

Great review AQU , still waiting on an invoice so I can give this a try.

Think they are at a 2-3 month wait now.


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Really, a joy to read. Thank you AQU.

Just got word mine should ship next week. Excited to try it and compare to my Ti Taiga

No estimate is being given upon pre-order as of today. In lieu of a confirmation number there is a message stating they are sold out and you will be contacted when the razors are back in stock.

Just got word mine should ship next week. Excited to try it and compare to my Ti Taiga

Looking forward to the comparison/ shave off!

I now have 3 shaves in with the Muramasa adjustable. I have used levels 3,4 & 5.
Each shave was loaded with a Gillette Stainless Blade
Soap and Post shave serum was ETHOS Peppermint 
Brush was Tatara Badger 
First shave was with 48 h growth, 2nd 24 and 3rd 40 hours
My first impressions are that this is a beautifully designed adjustable razor with an excellent Tatara blasted finish. Balance is excellent and the shave is very smooth.
If you like aggressive shaving razors with decent blade feel, I would not recommend this razor.
Level 3 had zero blade feel for me, 4 had very minimal feel and 5 gave some blade feel but much less than a BB or Charcoal level 3
I was able to achieve a BBS shave but all 3 took a full 3 pass shave and level 3 took some extra touch ups.
This is an adjustable that leans to the mild side vs. the Rex which for me leans more to the aggressive side.
My only cons are the adjustment number is fairly small for my older eyes and the handle is on the short side.
I would definitely recommend this razor to someone who prefers razors from the mild to mid aggressive range as it is extremely smooth and gives an excellent, comfortable shave. 

I like the idea of this razor and am a huge fan of Tatara but just not sure I want an adjustable razor. Already have a couple of Tataras and various plates and caps.

Can you compare the setting 3 to the Masamune baseplate + Nodachi cap? Is it really a leap in smoothness and comfort?

Thanks for the write up.

I like the idea of this razor and am a huge fan of Tatara but just not sure I want an adjustable razor. Already have a couple of Tataras and various plates and caps.

Can you compare the setting 3 to the Masamune baseplate + Nodachi cap? Is it really a leap in smoothness and comfort?

Thanks for the write up.

I would say 3 is close in feel to the Nodachi Top and Masamune Base but not quite as efficient by just a notch, however that’s based on just one shave at that level.