Tatara Nodachi Ti Passaround - Titanium Makes a Shocking Improvement

Hi Everyone,

The razor has arrived in the US and will be getting a thorough workout.  The first thing I noticed, it is in very good shape.  Everyone has done a great job keeping it near pristine.  

Second, I had to weight it.  64 grams on my scale. This is the most substantial Ti razor I have tested or owned.  But the handle is also the longest. 

Next, I do have a new to me SS Nodachi head on a Massamune handle.  I will try to draw the comparison between the two. 

First shave was last night with exactly 60 hours growth.  I loaded up a Personna platinum and went for a 3 pass (post warm shower) with Ethos Tibu Sabuni cream (thanks Dan Law) and got what I would consider my finest first shave with a new razor ever. 

3 passes, no weepers, no irritation, just a pleasure.  

I look forward to seeing how my face holds up to more frequent shaves with it, but I’m very impressed and Titanium does make a substantial difference for my sensitive skin. 

In full disclosure, I have previously owned the closed comb Massamune and Muramasa adjustable, too. 



A final update will come when I have put it through its paces.  

Mike  - DTownvino

Well the torch has been passed on tonight.  I want to say a big thank you to DanLaw for organizing this, really I have enjoyed my week with this razor. 


I wanted to give an update after 7 shaves with it. I have tried the Nodachi in a variety of circumstances and it has performed consistently in all accounts. I only used the SB because I shave so often, an open comb is just not necessary for me. 

1.) Post shower 2 day+ growth with a fresh Personna Israeli red blade and a 3 pass, perfection 10/10.  My only touch ups are at the jaw line which is quite common for me.

2.) Daily, with a quick warm water prep and with a variety of blades (Personna Israel, Astra SP, Personna Germany, Gillette Nacet and KAI).  2.5-3 passes.  I used Ethos soap and B&M for all shaves  (shaving this close daily is tough on my skin).  The results have been very impressive, with a 12-14hr BBS face and rarely the need for a shave until day two (but I shave mostly in 24 hours with this razor just because I have it for the week).  Extremely impressive by all accounts.  

3.) At 36-48 hours is where this razor shines for me, it is that efficient, smooth and long lasting.  It really mows down thick stubble with ease.  There are many other razors I can compare it to but the best comparisons are my Wolfman WR1 and  Blackbird Ti in efficiency that I own and can speak candidly of. For me it is a balancing point of efficient and smooth and the Nodachi has a firm place in this pack.  

The blade matters for me in this razor.  It is not a mild razor, the blade gap, head geometry, and positive exposure actually make it efficient, aggressive, yet smooth.  That being said, my skin and beard are preferring Personnas and Nacet compared to Astra SP and Kai.

Here is the big kicker.  I easily get Folliculitis (ingrown hairs) from over shaving or from shaving too close and often.  None of it had occurred during this pass-around.  That in itself is a true win.  I have had some tiny weepers near my Adam’s apple but when you are going for pure BBS with a new razor, this can and likely will happen.  I have not had a nick, cut or other issue, just a few tiny weepers that were self inflicted.  

Lastly, the handle.  I’ve went back and forth on this in my mind.  I actually like the length (just over 4”) but I’m not keen on the added weight of the razor and the balance point is exactly where the dimples meet the smooth handle.  For me, I would prefer a slightly grippier handle and dimples from top to bottom.  So I believe I would prefer the Massamune standard Ti handle over the Nodachi handle for the feel.  Aesthetically it is the only thing that I’m not truly there on, so the Nodachi handle is the only thing I would change out (which can easily be done on their customize page).

I did reach out several times to Tatara over the past year and they always respond quickly via chat (within a day).

I would say this trends towards being one of my Top 3 first shaving experiences.


Would I buy one, probably and i even decided to sell off two other Ti razors to make room in the den for one. 

Nice write ups and great photos!

dtownvino great review! Nice breakdown w/ days of growth. I’m an every other day shaver and it helps getting an idea what to anticipate. 
What wr1 blade gap are you comparing the Nodachi ti to? Sounds very promising if it’s on Blackbird Ti efficiency scale. Can’t wait until my turn comes up in the passaround.

To the US participants, apologies for the delay circulating the razor to our Canadian brothers.

The razor arrived in perfect condition to Maditalian  yesterday. He will soon be posting reviews and passing it to those so patiently waiting. Rest assured that it is worth the wait; thank you for your patience.

Hi Calm_Shaver i have a Ti WR1 SB .80 gap.  This is actually too efficient for me.  I would say it like this, I could shave with the Nodachi razor happily and comfortably every 36-48 hours, it’s a bit much for me every 24 hours.  My beard doesn’t grow extremely fast but it is thick and coarse (Italian descent).  

Hence, I’m selling my 3x shaved SS and getting ready for a Ti.  The two razors shave nearly the same but I do love the change in mass of the Ti.  For my really sensitive skin, the lighter pressure combined with the more audible feedback of Ti really changed my perspective and all but 2 razors I use are Ti now.

If possible, I would like to be added to this pass around. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It has been a long time since visiting DFS, hello to everybody

The Tatara Nodachi Ti arrived safely the other day.  These are my initial impressions

The razor came in a well packed box containing a hard shell case with custom cut foam to secure the razor, the OC base and a pack of Astra blades.  Thank you to Michael for packing the box so well.  Be sure to look for a second box containing the stand

The craftsmanship is top notch, and the titanium razor feels well balanced

I prefer heavier metals that give razors a heftier feel when handheld, but I am sure that the lightness of this DE is unrepresentative of its heftiness

The dimpled area of the handle is only on the top 1/3 of the shaft, while it is aesthetically pleasing, given that I tend to hold the razor by the bottom of the handle, I can foresee this being a potential grip issue for me

Looking forward to give it a try and report back on the shaving performance

It has been a long time since visiting DFS, hello to everybody

The Tatara Nodachi Ti arrived safely the other day.  These are my initial impressions

The razor came in a well packed box containing a hard shell case with custom cut foam to secure the razor, the OC base and a pack of Astra blades.  Thank you to Michael for packing the box so well.  Be sure to look for a second box containing the stand

The craftsmanship is top notch, and the titanium razor feels well balanced

I prefer heavier metals that give razors a heftier feel when handheld, but I am sure that the lightness of this DE is unrepresentative of its heftiness

The dimpled area of the handle is only on the top 1/3 of the shaft, while it is aesthetically pleasing, given that I tend to hold the razor by the bottom of the handle, I can foresee this being a potential grip issue for me

Looking forward to give it a try and report back on the shaving performance

Ciao MadItalian greetings from Imola tonight (Zuffa Winery)!   Enjoy the razor, I will enjoy the fantastic food and wine ;-)

It has been a long time since visiting DFS, hello to everybody

The Tatara Nodachi Ti arrived safely the other day.  These are my initial impressions

The razor came in a well packed box containing a hard shell case with custom cut foam to secure the razor, the OC base and a pack of Astra blades.  Thank you to Michael for packing the box so well.  Be sure to look for a second box containing the stand

The craftsmanship is top notch, and the titanium razor feels well balanced

I prefer heavier metals that give razors a heftier feel when handheld, but I am sure that the lightness of this DE is unrepresentative of its heftiness

The dimpled area of the handle is only on the top 1/3 of the shaft, while it is aesthetically pleasing, given that I tend to hold the razor by the bottom of the handle, I can foresee this being a potential grip issue for me

Looking forward to give it a try and report back on the shaving performance

Ciao MadItalian greetings from Imola tonight (Zuffa Winery)!   Enjoy the razor, I will enjoy the fantastic food and wine ;-)

Have you any idea just how much I resent you at this moment?! Haha. Enjoy bud. Hope the trip goes well.