Review: Timeless Razor's OC model

Discussion in 'Safety Razor Reviews' started by Darkbulb, Jun 6, 2016.

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  1. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    Timeless Razor - OC - Review
    [​IMG]
    The wet shaving space is getting more and more crowded with new, often stainless steel, offerings w/in DE, SE and injector razors pouring in from companies near and far.
    With so many new introductions, that often have rather similar designs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a company to stand out - and equally difficult for the consumer to figure out which razor(s) to spend some hard earned money on.

    Companies tend to differentiate their razor offerings by the key dimensions; design, price and material but previously successful products will of course lead to others trying to replicate that success. It's for instance hard to throw a puck of soap these days and not hit a Mongoose-looking razor made out of stainless steel costing 100-200 dollars.

    That brings us to Timeless Razor that entered the wet shaving just a week ago (May 31st, 2016).

    Their initial offerings consists of;
    - Safety bar razor head and handle ($185), with stand ($225), and
    - OC razor head and handle $220, (with stand $260)


    Matt from Timeless Razor have already indicated that they will be diversifying their offerings going forward - longer/thicker handles, the ability to buy separate top/base plates, etc.

    Some data points;
    - All parts CNC machined in the US,
    - All parts out of Stainless steel 304,
    - Blade gap is .95mm on both base plates,
    - 30 day money back guarantee
    - Availability: Currently (June 6, 2016) all razors are sold out

    But, according to Matt the next batch will be ready for ordering already end of this week.

    With that out of the way let's take a closer look at the razor itself.

    Disclosure
    As always I try to fully disclose how I acquired the razor I'm reviewing as for some people it matters and I can fully understand that. This razor came to me as a free of charge review razor. There were no strings attached nor did Timeless Razor ask to see the review before it was posted. What you see here are my own thoughts on the razor and I think and believe I've spent enough on razors over the years to review this as if I had just spent $285 on it.

    [​IMG]

    First Impressions
    The razor I received is the Open Comb model with the scalloped top cap design.
    The first thing that strikes you is the head design that features a fully scalloped/fluted design. The lines on the top cap aligns perfectly with the open comb teeth and creates a very strong, beautiful visual.

    [​IMG]

    When I saw the handles on their site they didn't do much for me but I will say that in person it looks significantly better.

    Design
    This section is limited to the OC version I received - not the safety bar version.

    Fully scalloped heads (not counting heads such as Grand King Shave razors where the top cap grooves goes fully through the top cap) is of course not a modern design idea as you find the design on quite a few vintage razor models by Kirby, Apollo, etc.

    Here's the TR OC (left) next to my Apollo OC:
    [​IMG]

    ..the biggest difference is when you view the razors from the side;
    [​IMG]

    ..and this is where you have your second "oh that's interesting" realization - the base plate.

    Let's look at some stainless steel razors next to eachother:
    [​IMG]
    From left to right we have Tradere OC, Wolfman DC, TR OC, Weber SB and Blackland SB.

    From the side:
    [​IMG]

    When viewing the base plate from these two angles it becomes clear that the design difference is not just in the top cap but rather also, and maybe more importantly so, in the base plate and how the open comb is angled up.
    I rather like this design idea and can appreciate the effort that went into both design and manufacturing of it.

    But wait, there's more.
    The base plate also sports rather large, wider than usual, "drain holes" that I am most curious to see how/if they are able to reduce clogging during a shave.
    [​IMG]

    Quite honestly the only thing I at this early point would have liked to see differently is the handle length and width.
    The handle measures in at 84.1mm (L) and 12.7mm (W).
    This is highly subjective but I would personally love to see a 100mm handle (Hi @Bechet !) and slightly thicker. As mentioned in the beginning they are however working on coming out with something along those lines.

    For fun, here's the TR head on;

    - a Wolfman WRH7 handle, and
    [​IMG]

    - a Tradere handle;
    [​IMG]

    Quality/Machining
    That brings us to machining and overall quality.
    I think most people hold Wolfman razors as the gold standard for what can be made using a CNC machine and a block of steel (personally I think it's a tie with Tradere though :)).
    The question is of course here - how does the Timeless Razor compare?
    Very well.
    Head: Not a scratch or blemish. Solid feel.
    But wait, your third "oh that's interesting" presents itself:
    the underside of the top cap appeared to have been polished in such a way that the 1/3 middle strip is high polish whilst the outer 1/3s are 'matte'.
    Reaching out to Matt he explained that this is actually a visually pleasing side effect from the manufacturing process, and I quote;
    "We wire EDM the cap and base, then CNC mill the blade guides and CNC cut the threads (not put on with a thread die) - you are seeing the difference in machining processes"

    Here's a photo that tries to show it off but the evening sunlight here in California failed to capture the contrast as well as it appears in person:
    [​IMG]

    Handle: After initially dismissing the handle from looking at the online photos I was happy to see that it looked a lot better in person. As you can see in the group photo a bit above it has a rather distinct look to it.
    The knurling is deep and provides a very secure grip. A bit longer and thicker would be great - but I can't really file that as a negative under Machining/Quality as it passes the mark there.

    Mount: I'm a nerd when it comes to how much it matters to me how smoothly the head screws onto the handle. I probably sat and screwed and unscrewed the head twenty times tonight along with comparing it with a Wolfman, etc.
    I would say it is very close but that the smoothness of Wolfman and Trader is still unbeaten. Great machining and fit.

    Blade alignment: TBD (didn't load a blade yet so it will have to wait until tomorrow's shave)

    That's it for a "short" initial impression.

    The TL;DR version of the above:
    "Love the head design - both top cap and base plate have interesting and novel design aspects to them. Machining/quality very high. Handle a tad short for me. So far mighty impressed."

    Coming up next
    I'll post shave reports along with photos of how the blade sits in the razor starting tomorrow.



    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2016
  2. Redfisher

    Redfisher Doesn't celebrate National Donut Day

    Nice write up. I see potential here. I'm looking forward to your shave results.
     
    Robyflexx and Darkbulb like this.
  3. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    Thanks, I'm very curious myself.
     
    AGHisBBS likes this.
  4. JR Reyes

    JR Reyes I scream for....chicken wings??

    But why do they send you these razors for free?
     
    Boojum1 likes this.
  5. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    I'm a likable guy? :)

    I all seriousness I've paid for 97% of my 150+ razors - I can only think of maybe five razors that I have gotten sent to me for no charge.
    I hope and trust that my views on any razor that I happen to review is not influenced by what I paid for it.
    Price matter - but price in regards to value for money is so subjective anyway that all I can do is say how I feel about the razor and let anyone interested decide for themselves if it's 'worth it'. I hope that makes sense.
     
    RyX, RaZorBurn123, macaronus and 3 others like this.
  6. ob1page

    ob1page Frozen in Phoenix

    Excellent write up, I love the looks of this razor
     
  7. JR Reyes

    JR Reyes I scream for....chicken wings??

    I was just curious. I know that some of the youtube reviewers will reach out and "ask" to review products. But I didn't know if you knew the owners personally. Regardless that's pretty crazy that you could just recieve a 285 dollar razor for free.
     
  8. Hodge

    Hodge Well-Known Member

    Great write up Dark. I'm pretty much an SE guy now but still enjoy seeing a fine piece of machining....
     
    Darkbulb likes this.
  9. Carbide Mike

    Carbide Mike 9 Lives

    Nice write up.
     
    PLANofMAN, Darkbulb and Robyflexx like this.
  10. Entasis

    Entasis Member

    Great initial writeup, thanks! My issues are that the head styling is Art Deco and the handle and base are utterly blasé and not of the Art Deco theme. Additionally, anything costing more than Wolfman products had better be as good or better than Wolfman. By the "looks" I venture to say Wolfman still holds the title for machining.
     
  11. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Thank you! It's not like there isn't plenty of inspiration to be found in vintage razor handles
     
    PLANofMAN likes this.
  12. blashe

    blashe Well-Known Member

    now we wait to see how the shaving goes
     
  13. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    Excellent write-up, Dark! I love the look of that head! Intriguing. Though the price is way too steep for my wallet and I'll in all probability never own a razor like that, it is always nice to read your reviews!
     
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  14. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    Does the end of the handle have a logo?
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2016
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  15. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    Nice review, thanks
     
    AGHisBBS likes this.
  16. Darkbulb

    Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

    I had a very close shave yesterday with a vintage Swing razor so my stubble this morning wasn't too thick.

    What I will do (to try the razor out with varying degrees of 'scruff') - is three shave reports;
    #1 (today): One day's worth of stubble,
    #2 (Thursday): Two days's worth of growth
    #3 (Sunday/Monday): Three-four days of growth (timed nicely as I can use the weekend to caveman it a bit).

    I'll make a more thorough summary of my thoughts on it next week after gone through the shave reports above.

    That, brings us to;

    SHAVE REPORT #1

    Picked out a new Rapira blade for this morning's shave as I've use them in most razors and they're a pretty good, consistent baseline blade.

    [​IMG]

    The blade sits securely and evenly in the head and displays a rather healthy bit of edge.
    [​IMG]

    Another angle of the razor with a loaded blade:
    [​IMG]

    From the side showing the curve of the blade
    [​IMG]

    I'm still rather intrigued by the OC design in that it's an OC-SB hybrid.
    The closest I can think of, top of my head and not having any of my razors near me, is caged head designs like you found on some Famex and Le Coq razors back in the days. It also reminds me a bit about the vintage Bohin DE razor but inverted.
    If someone can refresh my memory about what modern razors sports a similar base plate design I'd like to hear as I can't think of one but I'm thinking there are some that I can't recall.

    Before I forget it, here's a finger-balance photo attempting to show how the weight is distributed with the original handle
    [​IMG]

    Anywho, off to the den I went.
    Soaked my brush, picked out Tabac as my soap du jour, showered and got on with the shave.

    Remember this is a shave with just one days's worth of beard growth and I'd say I'm a "mid-density yet rather coarse" grower.

    First pass (WTG):
    Right away I like the audible feedback from the razor. Maybe it's the design that allows the sound to 'echo' a bit behind the curved up teeth. First impressions is that it's a very, very efficient razor. There's no doubt that it's an OC base plate in how it allows the lather to pass through.
    The demi-cage design (in lack of better word) removes the sometimes 'harsh' feeling that you can sometimes have when using traditional OC razors where you have pronounced teeth ends against your face.

    Second pass (ATG):
    It's a rather aggressive razor. Not anywhere near say a King Cobra razor but it's a razor that feels as if the bark could turn into a bite if you're careless. Probably around a 7-8 on a Gillette Slim.
    The handle did, in use, feel a bit too short for me. I would have loved an additional 15mm on it. Next I'll try the head on a somewhat longer handle.

    After two passes I was dolphin smooth. No nicks or cuts. A very close and smooth shave.

    Shown in some earlier photos are the a bit oversized 'drain holes' (I really need to work on my terminology) in the base plates and I thought it would be fun to show what they do while shaving;
    [​IMG]
    As you can see they actually allow quite a bit of lather to go through them.
    I'm not sure yet if it dramatically reduced the number of times I rinsed the razor while shaving but I thought it was a fun photo and I'll make a note of checking for that in subsequent shaves.

    Summary
    Performance is the hardest thing to describe in any review. It's easy to show photos of design and features but performance is so subjective that I sometimes wonder if it makes any sense to even try. But, I would summarize my this shave report like this;

    I have a mid-density, coarse beard growth and am not prone to having overly sensitive skin when shaving.
    The razor felt very efficient (meaning it took down a noticeable amount of stubble with each stroke), audible (good feedback) and somewhat on the aggressive side (meaning 75% towards a bite instead of a bark) but stayed well under control and delivered a very smooth shave without any cuts.

    I hope that makes sense.

    [​IMG]


    (I did btw notice that they have now enabled ordering on their site again but due order volume there appears to be a week's leadtime on fullfillment).

     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2016
  17. Redfisher

    Redfisher Doesn't celebrate National Donut Day

    Very well written review, you compare it to a slim on 7 or 8. That's not too harsh I use my slim on 7.
     
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  18. mrchick

    mrchick Odd, Terrible Avatar

    Nice review. I want one. Sigh
     
  19. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    Me too, oh well, I'll add it to the list.
     
    AGHisBBS and Redfisher like this.
  20. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    Nice review! Very interesting DE. I'm glad my AD is in control now-a-days, because it's also a rather pricey DE.:)
     
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