A few thoughts after my first couple of shaves with the Nodachi Ti.
Shave #1
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Astra
Brush: Turn N Shave w/ Strike Gold hand-tied knot
Soap: CBL Orion Hamam Spa
Post: Nivea Sensitive Skin Balm
First shave with the Nodachi wasn’t quite as good as I expected. I haven’t liked Astra blades in the past, but I wanted to try it with one of the included blades. I don’t think I can blame my not-no-great shave on the blade, though. More on that below.
The first thing I noticed was there was a fair amount of blade feel. This was perplexing based on the previous postings. But I went on with three a three pass shave to see where things went. I wound up with a few tiny weepers, but nothing out of the ordinary. My face was smooth, but I had a little bit of razor burn. Enough that I used my Nivea balm to calm things down a bit. I then realized that I had used a much too steep angle during this first shave. The razor I use most requires a bit of a steep angle, and I didn’t adjust my usual routine enough with this first Nodachi shave. Lesson learned.
Shave #2
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Graydog w/Maggard’s SHD
Soap: A&E Peaches and Cognac
Post: Ethos Lime Skin Food Splash
After looking back at the original Nodachi post with the info on shave angle, I adjusted my technique accordingly. I switched to a Wizamet blade, which is what I use most often these days. First pass, now we’re talking… much lower blade feel, much smoother. Shave angle is fairly critical with the Nodachi, definitely something to keep in mind when you’re trying out this razor or considering purchasing it. To me it presents a narrower band of "sweet spot" shave angle than some other razors.
I haven’t mentioned the weight and feel of the Titanium. I’ve tried several Ti razors, and owned a couple as well. I do like the face feel of it, though sometimes the weight gives me a bit of a challenge and I press too hard. It can take a little practice for me with a Ti razor. It’s interesting that I have a Henson AL, but I’ve never had this issue with it, even though it’s lighter than Ti.
There has been some comment on the handle; I find the length to be great, as my large hands and long fingers prefer a longer handle. The small amount of dimples is a design difference to set apart from the Masamune. I prefer the look of the Masamune handle, but I had no issues with the Nodachi handle, even when wet the grip was fine. I attribute this to the unique finish that Tatara has created.
I’ll have a few more shaves with the Nodachi Ti, and will post more thoughts.
Thanks to Tatara and to
DanLaw for this pass around.