Tatara Masamune Nodachi DE Passaround Review - A Notable Evolution of the Original

[font=Calibri, sans-serif]Thank you Dan for arranging this pass-arround, without which I would have missed on such a great experience. I was watching Tatara for quite some time, but for some reason did not feel that it would be that impressive a razor. I am glad I tried it!  My first shave was on 24hours growth. I used a fresh Gillette Nacet blade and am delighted to report that the razor DELIVERED! My top three razors are Blackbird first generation, Charcoal Goods Lvl3, and Weber DLC and this Tatara Nodachi proved fair and square that it belongs in that league. I was so impressed with the razor that I ordered my own immediately after I finished my first shave.[/font]

 

The shave went exceptionally well. Finding the shave angle was intuitive. I did three passes with a bit of a cleanup at the end. As I mentioned, it was only 24 hours since my previous shave, so there was not too much to shave.  The Sellout in the milkstake version provided plenty of cushion and glide and the three passes were smooth. I did not have much left for the cleanup and my shave ended with a virtual BBS. I was a bit overly enthusiastic and applied a bit too much pressure when doing ATG, so I ended up with a couple of irritated spots. For the second shave I will make sure to keep the pressure on the low side. All in all, it was an exemplary shave and I am very grateful for this pass-around.



[font=Calibri, sans-serif]My second shave was performed on 48-hour growth. I used the same blade, though I changed the soap to the new Siero base by Wholly Kaw. The shave went even better than the firs one. I adjusted the pressure and all three passes went absolutely marvelously with no irritation and a perfect BBS. I never tried the shorter handle that Tatara first introduced, but I am 100% happy with the Nodachi handle. Fits perfectly in my middle-sized palm and has zero problem when wet. The ATG pass felt as smooth and WTG. Will do one more shave (48hr) before sending the razor to the next fellow DFShaver on Monday. [/font]

[font=Calibri, sans-serif][/font]

I love my nodachi the efficiency, smoothness and maneuverability are fantastic for me. Daily shaving with it has proven not ideal for my skin but still doable with a cautious hand and a post balm. The nodachi cap with masamune OC plate has been a great daily driver combo though fwiw. ANG69 could you share your thoughts on how Nodachi compares to your Paradigm Ti1 I've been pretty curious to hear from someone with experience with both as I've still never tried the Ti1.

Great to hear that you are enjoying the razor, ANG69 (Alex). Now, seeing as we both like similar razors, I just may have to try this razor, also being that it is made in Portugal.

Here is my third shave set-up. Per your requests I used the Nodachi alongside the Paradigm Ti I. Same blades (Gillete Nacet). 48 hour growth. Same BBS results from both razors. Minimal touching up, no irritation on the Nodachi side; slight traces of redness on the Paradigm side.

The Paradigm has a much more pronounced blade feel and louder audio feedback. The razor is much lighter and I had to adjust pressure to make sure that I do not "dig too deep"
The Nodachi did not require any additional care in shaving in all directions and felt smoother, especially WTG. Based on this single comparison, I can still confidently say that for me the Nodachi is as efficient as the Paradigm, but with a much lesser risk, especially if I use it as a daily driver. 

I am very glad that I tried the razor and I am delighted that my  very own Nodachi was just shipped and is due to arrive in the next couple of weeks. 

The razor is on its way to the next person on the list. 

Thank you Dan for coordinating the pass-around and thank you the Tatara Team for such an amazing razor at a very competitive price.

I really enjoy the Nodachi on the shorter Masamune handle. I just received the SB Masamune baseplate and paired it with the Nodachi top cap. Very smooth and comfortable 3 pass BBS that could easily be a daily driver

Quite an endorsement thanks for taking the time Alex

Quite an endorsement thanks for taking the time Alex

Thank you for the kind words. I am very glad I tried it. If I were to choose only one shaving-related "revelation" or best surprise for this year it would certainly be the Tatara Nodachi. And kudos to Dan Law for arranging the pass around.

I've used the Nodachi for 6 days straight, daily shaving including an ATG pass every single time and I have to say that I find this razor VERY smooth and efficient. It can easily be a daily driver for me. In fact, it's become one of my top 3 razors only surpassed slightly by my 1.55 WR2 and the RS-10 which is saying a lot. I find the nocachi much smoother than the Carbon and Charcoal Goods L2. I was not expecting to be this impressed by this razor, but I sure am now. I have the nodachi with the original masamune handle and the aesthetics of the razor are also beautiful and unique.

My Nodachi has just arrived! Cannot thank you Dan Law enough for introducing me to this razor! 

A sublime shave!