Yates Precision Manufacturing Razor

Thank you both!
Should I go with titanium or steel?

Thank you both!
Should I go with titanium or steel?

Have not tried the Ti, so can't comment, but I would as I find Ti smoother for my face. I prefer my BB Ti to my other BB's. 
Good luck.

Thank you both!
Should I go with titanium or steel?

I bought a Ti and sold off the SS. Probably not a lot of difference but I also prefer Ti razors, usually.

Thank you both!
Should I go with titanium or steel?

I have one 921 in stonewashed stainless steel and another in as-machined titanium. It's definitely a matter of personal preference depending on what kind of weight you like, but I almost exclusively use the titanium one. I especially prefer the weight of titanium for shaving my head. It makes it easier for me to maintain a light touch and avoid adding too much pressure on my scalp.

Nero,  I started with stainless steel and have purchased Ti parts as they came available for individual order.
I picked up a Ti stubby 3.25" handle last year and then in the last month or so, I picked up a Ti top cap and an Ti M solid bar base plate.
So now I have complete stainless and Ti 921 razors.
You can mix and match stainless, Ti, and brass parts so you don't have to buy a full razor at once.
You can use washers to fill the channel in the Yates base plates so you can use just about any handle with the Yates razor heads/plates.
With the build your own base plate program, you can make just about any base plate combination you could possibly want.

I just received a new Winning Razor from Yates today. Here are a few pictures of it loaded with a Personna lab blue. 

I just received a new Winning Razor from Yates today. Here are a few pictures of it loaded with a Personna lab blue. 

That looks good, probably  a nice shaver.

That looks good, probably  a nice shaver.

I'll be sure to post my thoughts here after my first shave with it!

I used my Yates Winning Razor for the first time on my head and face, and I enjoyed the shave overall.

As a bit of background, I bought the original version of the Winning Razor in 2021 (around the time that I ditched cartridges and started using SE and DE razors). I developed a preference for more efficient razors with some blade feel, so I sold the Winning Razor as it felt too mild for my liking. My current favorite razor is my titanium Yates 921-EH. I thought that the new version of the Winning Razor might also be too mild for me (it has neutral exposure), but the updates and positive reviews piqued my interest.

I started with a two pass head shave (WTG & ATG) on three days worth of growth. The razor didn't struggle to clear the stubble or show any signs of clogging. The head shave was definitely slower than usual for me. The razors in my normal rotation have bigger blade gaps and/or blade exposure, so the angle of the razor doesn't have to be perfect for it to cut. The head of the Winning provides a somewhat narrow/fixed cutting angle, so there's less leeway. That slowed me down a bit. Definitely more a criticism of my technique than a criticism of the razor. There are a lot of different angles to hit during a head shave, and maintaining the proper angle can be a bit tricky (especially on the back of the head). Overall, I ended up with a BBS head shave without any cuts, nicks, or irritation.

I did a three pass shave on my face next (WTG, XTG & ATG). The angle was easy to find and maintain on my face, so the technique issue I had with missing the angle sometimes on the back of my head wasn't a problem on my face. I did feel a bit of drag, but I think it had a lot to do with my lather (this was my first time using Grooming Dept soap, and I think my lather was a bit dry). There was enough feel/feedback to know that the razor was cutting. During the shave, it didn't feel like I was getting a particularly close shave, but the end results were surprisingly closer and more efficient than I expected. I broke one of the cardinal rules of wet shaving and over shaved / pressed a little in one area when I really didn't need to, so I ended up with irritation in that one spot. I didn't get any nicks, and this razor felt very "safe" (I think I'd have to try hard to cut myself).

I think this would be a great razor for people who like the "mild and efficient" category of razors. Although I don't usually like mild razors, this shave gave me some food for thought. It made me realize that my more "aggressive" razors are probably covering up for some lapses in technique (maintaining an ideal angle). And the outcome of the shave was better than I expected.

Razor: Yates Winning Razor
Blade: Personna comfort coated ("lab blue")
Soap: Grooming Dept Fresh
Brush: Wald Nimbus A1

I took a few pictures to compare my 921-M and Winning Razor. Note: the top cap on my 921 is an older design that has a rounded top. The current top cap design has a flatter top.