Tatara Amakuni Passaround Review – Tatara’s First AC Showcases Innovation (Updated)

To pick up on today's postings and my latest shave with the Amakuni:  today I began by changing over to a Feather ProGuard (thanks DanLaw!), figuring that was going to be close to the Kai ProTouch I had used for all my shaves to date.  I began shaving. For the first time while using the razor I found some roughness with each stroke. Since it's so simple to swap blades, I swapped out the ProGuard with the Kai Premium Guard again.  Smoothness returned.  I want back and forth throughout the whole shave.  Every time the result was the same:  the ProTouch was smooth as can be, frankly just wonderful.  With the ProGuard, I found some resistance, pull, harshness -- a marked difference.  Tomorrow, I may go unguarded and use a Feather Pro (again, thanks DanLaw) but that is quite likely to be more efficiency than I want.  Right now, six hours after having shaved, the shave remains as smooth as I could want. Anything more is just likely to remove skin and increase likelihood of nicks. But we'll see. 

And, so, yes, I still love this razor.  I believe that I am getting the smoothest shaves I ever have had.  It's essentially effortless and I'm easily able to shave even my most sensitive spots without fear of tiny nicks or issues. 

So....how much do I love it?  Enough to Valentine it.  Which is to say that I just ordered one to take advantage of Tatara's ongoing Valentine's Day sale.  By doing so I saved €40.  To Tatara's credit, I got the FedEx tracking almost immediately.  For me, this razor, this pass-around, has been a success!

Amakuni pass around in the UK

I've been running this pass around since the start of the year. Hopefully it will go out to forum members in Europe later on.

I had an early prototype and was involved in the testing with Tatara last year. Unfortunately no photos of the prototype as it has IP elements that Tatara may use in later SE models.

Amakuni pass around in the UK

I've been running this pass around since the start of the year. Hopefully it will go out to forum members in Europe later on.

I had an early prototype and was involved in the testing with Tatara last year. Unfortunately no photos of the prototype as it has IP elements that Tatara may use in later SE models.

I cannot comment on the Tatara prototype

Today, ended up with another stellar shave -- smooth while shaving, just the slightest touch off a BBS and skin feels great and smooth. Shave was as easy as can be.  I did my first, a with the grain, pass with a Feather Professional and while efficient it just was harsh. Full stop.  For the second and third passes went back to the Kai Premium Guard.  Aaaahhh..... 

 I don't really have much more to say.  This razor, at least with the Kai Premium Guard blades provided what I believe has been an unparalleled level of satisfaction:  ease of use, smoothness in shaving, a DFS++ (almost BBS) shave every time that was so easy.  I can't possibly ask for anything more.  And the only real question I have is what may happen to the two DE razors to which I've winnowed down my collection.  Will they continue to have a place?  I've noticed commentary that the La Faux is smoother and although it seems hard to imagine smoother, I'll assume it is. But then the La Faux is also supposed to be -- I've seen -- less efficient.  If so, I'll take the smoothness I'm getting from the Amakuni any day because the level of efficiency (at least with a guarded blade) is perfect.

Today:
Amakuni / T+S West Indies / Kai Premium Guard / Rudy Vey - Muhle STF / no aftershave (none needed) / Carthusian Corallium

Ah.....and update as to Tatara's speed:  I ordered the razor on Monday.  Shipped out immediately that day from Portugal. Will be arriving (New York) tomorrow.  Not bad.

Today, ended up with another stellar shave -- smooth while shaving, just the slightest touch off a BBS and skin feels great and smooth. Shave was as easy as can be.  I did my first, a with the grain, pass with a Feather Professional and while efficient it just was harsh. Full stop.  For the second and third passes went back to the Kai Premium Guard.  Aaaahhh..... 

 I don't really have much more to say.  This razor, at least with the Kai Premium Guard blades provided what I believe has been an unparalleled level of satisfaction:  ease of use, smoothness in shaving, a DFS++ (almost BBS) shave every time that was so easy.  I can't possibly ask for anything more.  And the only real question I have is what may happen to the two DE razors to which I've winnowed down my collection.  Will they continue to have a place?  I've noticed commentary that the La Faux is smoother and although it seems hard to imagine smoother, I'll assume it is. But then the La Faux is also supposed to be -- I've seen -- less efficient.  If so, I'll take the smoothness I'm getting from the Amakuni any day because the level of efficiency (at least with a guarded blade) is perfect.

Today:
Amakuni / T+S West Indies / Kai Premium Guard / Rudy Vey - Muhle STF / no aftershave (none needed) / Carthusian Corallium

I've been appreciating your posts, and FWIW the Amakuni is the latest, but not the least of a handful of razors that has me thinking about selling off the others.  I just don't reach for a wide variety anymore.  

Today, ended up with another stellar shave -- smooth while shaving, just the slightest touch off a BBS and skin feels great and smooth. Shave was as easy as can be.  I did my first, a with the grain, pass with a Feather Professional and while efficient it just was harsh. Full stop.  For the second and third passes went back to the Kai Premium Guard.  Aaaahhh..... 

 I don't really have much more to say.  This razor, at least with the Kai Premium Guard blades provided what I believe has been an unparalleled level of satisfaction:  ease of use, smoothness in shaving, a DFS++ (almost BBS) shave every time that was so easy.  I can't possibly ask for anything more.  And the only real question I have is what may happen to the two DE razors to which I've winnowed down my collection.  Will they continue to have a place?  I've noticed commentary that the La Faux is smoother and although it seems hard to imagine smoother, I'll assume it is. But then the La Faux is also supposed to be -- I've seen -- less efficient.  If so, I'll take the smoothness I'm getting from the Amakuni any day because the level of efficiency (at least with a guarded blade) is perfect.

Today:
Amakuni / T+S West Indies / Kai Premium Guard / Rudy Vey - Muhle STF / no aftershave (none needed) / Carthusian Corallium

I've been appreciating your posts, and FWIW the Amakuni is the latest, but not the least of a handful of razors that has me thinking about selling off the others.  I just don't reach for a wide variety anymore.  

 That's where I have found myself to have landed with most of my shaving items, both hardware and software:  unless I really like the item and willingly will reach for it, away it goes.  If it sits without being used for more than, say, a month (or certainly two), either it is being binned or BST-ed, with the only exceptions being seasonal soaps and splashes.

The pass around razor apparently will be delivered to rudyvey today, but my Amakuni arrived from Portugal today.  The tagline on seal Tatara used to seal the box seems pretty apt and applicable to most of us here:



Here's the top of the box and then the razor in it:

One more time with feeling ...
  

  
Brush .... Wald A1 Synthetic
Soap ..... Declaration Grooming Champs De Lavande
Razor .... Tatara Amakuni
Blade .... Kai Titan Mild ProTouch MG
Post ..... Witch Hazel w/alcohol
Post ..... Declaration Grooming Champs De Lavande AS Splash
Finish ... Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir EDP

Gorgeous brush, Mike HighSpeed!!