Tatara Adjustable

A few minutes ago I finished my first shave with Muramasa and I'm satisfied with the feel and the result.

I had time to think about the purchase of a razor in this price range. 329€ is not cheap but if you take off price for shipping -express shipping from Portugal to Czech in less than 24h ( postage maybe 50 - 100€) the price for the product suddenly look different. Many sellers will use slow and cheap post service and have bigger margin. Here Tatara showing the care for their customers and superb services. Also communication with guys was top notch.

The craftsmanship of this razor is outstanding. I have few others DE safety razors ( mule R89, muhle rocca, Rockwell 6s and RR MAMBA 53) but in my opinion this is the best manufactured razor. After unpacking I felt really big wow effect which I didn't have in any other razor in my possession.

And now few shaving observations.
Soap: extro hamamilla
Brush: mule classics (synthetic )
Blade: voshod
Aftershave: Lipio Karloff

I have very sensitive skin and some skin problems. It's paradox but I have to shave every day unless I want to have face covered with pimples. I can do only two passes WTG, XTG and few touch-ups. So today first pass WTG was on setting 3. Second pass XTG on setting 2. I finished with DFS without irritation or burning sensation.
My first DE was Muhle R89 but like other members here It wasn't my last. After two years of trying different razors I returned to R89 because my skin like him most (with voshod blade).
Today shave (on setting 3) was very similar to feeling from R89 combined with Mamba ( Sensitive, smooth but more effective). My skin like Muramasa and so far I'm happy with decision to buy new (and I hope last) razor.


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Quick question for anyone who bought....

What value do they state on the customs forms?

That sort of price tag could do some real damage on the duties front...
specially if they use a carrier like dhl.

PM me if it's not appropriate to state it here

FedEx requires an actual invoice, not just a customs form. That probably answers your question. 

I purchased the Muramasa enthusiastically, not least due to the innovative
adjustment mechanism, but also due to the claim on their website that boldly states:

SUITABLE FOR EVERY SKIN AND HAIR TYPE

Just let the meaning of that statement sink in for a moment.

When I received it, I found the razor to be rather mild and ineffectual for my hair
growth. The razor was simply not as described on the manufacturer's website.

Upon speaking with the manufacturer over the phone, he confirmed that it
is indeed "mild"....he used that word, not I. Luckily, they offer a 15 day, no
questions asked return policy, which I instantly availed of.

As I write, the razor is on a long and tortuous journey back to Tatara for a full refund.

It has been 42 days, languishing in transit, against a delivery estimate of 7-16 business
days.

I can't see Tatara as being responsible for this excruciating delay. But the brand is indelibly linked
to my poor experience.

For anyone who is contemplating a purchase, if you like really mild razors, you will
probably like the Muramasa Adjustable... but there are better contenders for the money.
And you might want to save yourself the nightmarish prospect of a long drawn out
return process....or a trip to the BST classifieds.

If you want something that is seductively smooth and switches up from magnificently mild
to devastatingly efficient, consider a Taiga Adjustable in any metal.

Love my Muramasa, but as observed by many in reviews, including mine, 1-5 is all you get - and 5 is for many not aggressive territory.  Which suits me right down to the ground - my daily shave is on 3.  One of the best constructed, most precision razors I've encountered.  I actually discounted the "suitable for every skin and hair type," just as I discount "relieves all muscle pain" and "best peanut butter ever made."  No razor, to my knowledge, is suitable for every skin and hair type, and I wouldn't reasonably expect one to be (the whole overused YMMV thing) - including my Ti Taiga.  But it does say that in black and white, although I don't personally hold a vendor personally accountable for marketing hype.  Maybe most skin and hair types, or many.  And "suitable" meaning what, exactly? I can shave with it without hurting myself? Check. It takes off hair if I put a blade in it? Check. It's adjustable? Check. Subject, obviously, to broad interpretation. Realizing there's an argument to be made if you put something out on the Interwebz, good to be able to back it up, with something. Which, also arguably with a broad interpretation, they can.

I actually discounted the "suitable for every skin and hair type," just as I discount "relieves all muscle pain" and "best peanut butter ever made."  No razor, to my knowledge, is suitable for every skin and hair type, and I wouldn't reasonably expect one to be (the whole overused YMMV thing) - including my Ti Taiga.  But it does say that in black and white, although I don't personally hold a vendor personally accountable for marketing hype.  Maybe most skin and hair types, or many.  And "suitable" meaning what, exactly? I can shave with it without hurting myself? Check. It takes off hair if I put a blade in it? Check. It's adjustable? Check. Subject, obviously, to broad interpretation. Realizing there's an argument to be made if you put something out on the Interwebz, good to be able to back it up, with something. Which, also arguably with a broad interpretation, they can.

So the short version is...don't believe (or at least, don't take seriously) whatever the product literature says.
I will have to agree with that from now on.

I will also disagree that no razor is suitable for every skin and hair type. In fixed gap razors, that may be true.
But adjustables like Taiga do cater to all skin and hair types. I suspect this is true for Rocnel Sailor
2021 too, altho Im not in a position to confirm.

ps. the peanut butter and muscle balm examples don't really hold for me, because those are advertising slogans
we expect hyperbole from them, but not from formal and serious product literature....also learned new meaning
for the word "suitable" today, apparently, if something is described as suitable it could also mean that it won't
hurt you. We are literally inventing/suggesting new definitions for a word whose meaning has stayed unchanged
for centuries.

I actually discounted the "suitable for every skin and hair type," just as I discount "relieves all muscle pain" and "best peanut butter ever made."  No razor, to my knowledge, is suitable for every skin and hair type, and I wouldn't reasonably expect one to be (the whole overused YMMV thing) - including my Ti Taiga.  But it does say that in black and white, although I don't personally hold a vendor personally accountable for marketing hype.  Maybe most skin and hair types, or many.  And "suitable" meaning what, exactly?  I can shave with it without hurting myself?  Check.  It takes off hair if I put a blade in it?  Check.  It's adjustable? Check.  Subject, obviously, to broad interpretation.  Realizing there's an argument to be made if you put something out on the Interwebz, good to be able to back it up, with something.  Which, also arguably with a broad interpretation, they can.

So the short version is...don't believe (or at least, don't take seriously) whatever the product literature says.
I will have to agree with that from now on.

I will also disagree that no razor is suitable for every skin and hair type. In fixed gap razors, that may be true.
But adjustables like Taiga do cater to all skin and hair types. I suspect this is true for Rocnel Sailor
2021 too, altho Im not in a position to confirm.

ps. the peanut butter and muscle balm examples don't really hold for me, because those are advertising slogans
we expect hyperbole from them, but not from formal and serious product literature....also learned new meaning
for the word "suitable" today, apparently, if something is described as suitable it could also mean that it won't
hurt you. We are literally inventing/suggesting new definitions for a word whose meaning has stayed unchanged
for centuries.

The broadest definition of "suitable" from Webster is "adapted to a use or purpose" - in this case, shaving.  So yes, a DE razor - any DE razor - is adapted to the purpose of shaving.  It doesn't mean "best" for shaving, or "supreme" or "this will give you a BBS shave every time no matter how you use it or what you use it with or what your experience level is" or any other superlative - it means it will work - and it's about as broad a definition as you can get for anything.  In the US, an approval (suitable) rating from the FDA for a product means essentially that it won't hurt you - not that it's guaranteed to be efficacious.  The Taiga is suitable for my skin and hair type as well, but not any better or worse for me than the Muramasa - I like them both (I actually prefer the Muramasa's handle - the Taiga polish and knurling on the handle needs to be perfectly dry not to be dangerous in my hands, and I've dropped it more than once).  Balance, weight, finish, size, head configuration all factor into a razor design that determine if it will be right for you - not just adjustable blade gap or exposure.  So I expect that the Taiga or Rocnel, although suitable for shaving (and could be advertised as such for "all skin and hair types"), will not be ideal or even acceptable for some shavers.

I don't think we need such an obtuse or complicated, FDA approved legal definition of a breathtakingly
simple, everyday word.

suitable = suited for , designed for, created for, made for

You have stated your opinion.

I hope you are not casting doubt on mine.

I don't think we need such an obtuse or complicated legal definition of a breathtakingly simple, everyday word.

suitable = suited for , designed for,  created for,  made for

You have stated your opinion.

I hope you are not casting doubt on mine.

Certainly did not intend to, and apologize if taken so.  The razor obviously didn't work for you, so was not "suitable" for your skin and hair type and therefore interpreted as counter to the claim on the web site, and the return debacle was rightly upsetting.  My simple point for the simple word was I don't believe everything I read.  I encourage that philosophy.

So it's Day 46 of my Tatara Return saga and the tracking seems to have 
moved rather decisively ever since I decided to air my rather awful experience.
What are the odds, eh?

The latest tracking status says:
[b]Notification has been sent to recipient. The shipment is under customs clearance[/b]

This is a positive development which means that all Tatara needs to do now  is show up and pick it up.

Of course, some may ask if there really is a need to publish such things and that this is a private 
matter between me and the vendor. I think there is definitely a need to, in light of the situation.
I am going to document the entire thing right up till the moment they issue or refuse to issue my 
full refund as they promised to. 



EMAIL NOTICE:


TRACKING NOTICE: