Yates Precision Manufacturing Razor

Definitely send Jake an email, he is excellent at customer service

The EH plate available in two weeks.

If everything went as planned it will be tomorrow. We'll see!

I was fortunate to obtain an early release version of the Yates EH or “extra high-efficiency” plate for review. This plate was not a prototype but a finished product with the following specs: gap 0.05” (1.27 mm) and positive exposure 0.009” (0.22 mm). Blade tabs are covered in the typical Yates fashion allowing safe blade manipulation and this 19 gm plate secures your blade with no “chatter” or blade play.

 

This stainless 316 steel EH plate was bead blasted providing a pleasant satin sheen finish which when paired with a matching head and handle (I hope Jake will offer this option) will look beautiful. 




The bead blasted EH plate is on the right with a stonewashed H plate for comparison on the left. The 3.25" stubby handle on the left has the EH plate secured and the original 4" stonewashed handle has the H plate in place.

As a daily shaver I can handle most razors but smoothness is my number one feature. If the razor is also efficient then it meets my criteria but for most razors combining smoothness and efficiency is "the holy grail". I have been using this plate with my smoother blades (Personna Reds) and Ethos shave soap/skin food (my personal top tier product).

Smoothness - This is a very smooth razor but it is not super smooth like the limited and no longer available releases from Paradigm, Raw Shaving or Gibbs (vintage) so this is not an issue. This EH plate is much smoother than expected based on its reported blade exposure. The similar Karve F/G plates are 0.22/0.25 exposure (1.23/1.36 gap) but the Karve shaves feel harsh and mildly irritating whereas the Yates EH plate does not feel harsh but is very smooth and comfortable. The Yates EH plate is nearly as smooth as a Timeless which is smooth but too bulky IMHO. For comparison this Yates EH plate is smooth like a CG2 (Charcoal Goods Level2) which is something special. As stated smoothness is the key feature for me as I can get efficient shaves with extra passes, buffing or skin stretching techniques if need be with most other razors.  I got smoother shaves with the newest Yates (flatter) top cap versus the older (rounded) ones.

Efficiency - This EH plate is more efficient than the Yates H plate yet retains smoothness yielding a very comfortable 2 pass shave (I really don't have the patience for 3 passes). Its efficiency is similar to a CG3 yet it is smooth like the CG2 which is very impressive. In my hands it is more efficient than a Timeless 95 yet nearly as smooth and more nimble. I can use this Yates EH plate daily without skin irritation (I am aware that not everyone will be using this or the H plate daily). At a gap of 0.05" or 1.27 mm it compares to other published razor gaps but, because of smoothness, it provides for a more comfortable shave compared to a Karve F/G. The smoothness allows the Yates EH plate to "punch up" and perform better than its stated gap making it a more efficient razor and putting into my high end rotation. This EH plate is as efficient as a Karve G (1.36 mm) or Wolfman 1.35 but much more comfortable to use. Of the rarer Paradigm or RS10 razors the Yates EH plate is more efficient but not quite as smooth but who cares as those razors are just not readily available.  If someone wants a more efficient razor they would need to use an adjustable wide open like a Futur (not comfortable), Sailor (too harsh and expensive) or Gibbs (good luck finding one and the balance is totally head heavy). Even the newest Razorock Lupos (OC 72 SB 95) may be close in smoothness but they are not as efficient. There are of course many other razors to compare but either my experiences or satisfaction with them are limited such that I will not comment publicly.[/font]

In summary the Yates EH plate is a very comfortable daily warrior as it is very smooth yet very efficient at a price point that cannot be beaten (I assume Jake will price it the same/similar to his other offerings). I understand that Jake will be making them available within the next 2 weeks once production ramps up. I can only speculate how smooth and efficient a Yates 921 razor could be when it’s available in Titanium …

Nice one Jake and much thanks

Excellent review AJ. I too was able to get an EH plate. I really like the bead blast look and feel. The shave with it is very smooth considering it’s blade gap and exposure. I also would put it at the efficiency of a Charcoal Good’s level 3 or a Karve G but it is definitely a smoother shave than either of those. I could not use it daily as by day 4 I was getting a little irritation and the Hybrid plate is perfect for me as a daily driver, but for the guys who wanted a step up from the H plate I believe they will be very pleased with the performance of the EH plate.

Thank you very much for the reviews. Can’t wait to buy one but was hoping that the titanium version will be available soon.

Thank you very much for the reviews. Can’t wait to buy one but was hoping that the titanium version will be available soon.

The last I heard from Jake was he was working on finishing the EH plate and restocking his current offerings then begins the Titanium.

AJSharp Are you riding on top cap or safety bar?

Thank you for the thoughts AJSharp and Shavemd

CK89 No the angle was intuitive and no different than when I use the H or hybrid plates. The only razor I even recall “riding the cap” to get a comfortable shave was the iTech which was a monster of efficiency but too harsh to use daily.

Shavemd how do you compare the EH to the H? Thx