Exclusive: A hands-on, first look at The Blackland razor

Darkbulb · Dec 5, 2015

PLANofMAN said: ↑

Unless they are sold out. So far this razor seems to slipped under the Badger & Blade radar. Once the 'shaving elite' realize this razor is on the market, all bets are off.
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Wait..I thought we were the shaving elite...?

PLANofMAN · Dec 5, 2015

We're the plebian bourgeoisie. You just happen to be a razor magnet.

Fred Hill · Dec 5, 2015

Darkbulb said: ↑

This will be something very different, and long, that I hope you will all enjoy - a rather exclusive ‘First Look’ at the Blackland razor.

At the time of writing this, June 9, 2015, there are no other third-party reviews posted of this razor - and this “First Look/Review” will be posted simultaneously on both TSD and TSR for anyone interested to read. This review might be re-posted on other forums later but for today these are the two sites that will receive it.
Aren't you special?
Where can they be obtained?
Background and Disclaimers
Some things to get out of the way before we dig into the razor itself:
Shane, of Blackland Razors, reached out to me some time ago with the idea of having me test out his razor as he was getting close to both having a production ready razor as well as launching his Kickstarter campaign.

I want to be very clear in that at no point in time did Shane request any sort of special treatment or that his razor should be reviewed in a particular way. What you read here is 100% my own thoughts on the razor with nothing added to or removed by Shane.

Shane did do me the favor of doing a pre-check of the review to spot any true factual mistakes such as weight, dimensions, etc but nothing pertaining to subjective thoughts on the design or performance.

The razor I am reviewing is an early version that have some slight differences to what the final production version will look like;

my model has a feature that prevents the head from being compatible with other, standard three-piece razor handles. This will be removed for the production version so that the head can be freely attached to any regular razor handle, and

my model does not have a maker’s mark on it. This is something that Shane is looking into and it’s something that the production units may receive. I will let Shane address that as he gets final words from the shop.

The razor I am reviewing was provided to me at no cost and is free for me to keep - or send back - with no strings attached.
With that out of the way, let’s move on the more interesting part of all of this;
The Blackland Razor.

Evaluation
How do you evaluate a razor apart from how it shaves as everything, including that experience, is highly subjective?

One way to do it, is to break it down into aspects of the razor and try to, when possible, compare those aspects to razors that people may have had first-hand experiences with.

I took a closer look at these four aspects;

Aesthetics (talk about subjective) and color/finish,

Overall machining/manufacturing quality,

Razor Head design, and

The Shave

...and of course snapped a bunch of photos.

Aesthetics

I’ll be honest - this is a sexy looking razor.
It’s big, black and rough.
Not only does it look mean but the weight of it also reinforces that impression.
It’s the kind of razor you want to leave out on your bathroom sink for your friends to see - or bring with you to the gym and shave there. It is, in lack of a better word, a manly-looking razor.

In addition to the actual design there is also the topic of the color/finish that I get a feeling will be one of the most important decision making data points for a lot of people.

So the razor is black - but it’s not a deep, solid painted/coated black like say the iKon B1 razor.

Ikon B1 next to the Blackland

To quote Shane:
“The black oxide finish gives a uniquely, imperfect black finish that shows the machining marks.
The finish will wear, but it won't chip or flake. Black oxide is a chemical conversion process, not a coating. The surface molecules are converted to black oxide during the process so the only way to remove them is through physically marring the steel. Over time the finish will wear and develop a patina unique to that specific razor. Black oxide is used on rifle barrels and the razor, similarly, will show its own battle scars.”

When I first got the razor I will be honest in that I did take a second look.
I had expected it to be that black, solid paint that’s shiny and deep - instead the razor already exhibit a light ‘patina’ in certain areas. I could see very faint traces of the machining process.

It took me a day or so until I warmed up to the look of it but now I admit that I am rather drawn to it and to how the razor, my razor, will ‘age’ and show its patina through usage.

In much it’s like the pride film photographers praise the aging signs of well worn cameras - like Winogrand’s Leica M3 below. People even go out of their way to enhance/speed up that aging process because of how unique it makes the item look.

Winogrand's Leica M3 - beautiful

I also like that it will ‘wear’ not flake or chip like a painted/coated razor would.
I did. on my model, perceive the oxidation to be a bit ‘lighter’ on the top cap than on the rest of the razor that felt more evenly, almost solid, black. That may well be because of it being the largest flat area on the razor and that makes the color come across differently. If possible I would had loved for the topcap to have the same ‘richer’ black that the rest of the razor have.

Overall Machining/Manufacturing Quality

The first thing you notice when you pick up the Blackland is that it’s a heavy, solid piece of equipment. Nothing about it feels flimsy or cheap.

The razor will, initially, come in two configurations (all made in 303 Stainless steel);

70mm handle giving a total weight of 90g, and

101mm handle giving a total weight of 110g.

The razor I have been using is the latter version with the longer handle.

Traditional three-piece design. All components fits very well together.

A highly unscientific way for me to quickly gauge how well a razor is machined is to dis- and re-assemble the razor a few times. I did it with the Wolfman razor just a few days ago and last night I did the same thing with the Blackland. If people saw me they’d probably question my sanity as I sit there in complete silence putting the head on...and taking it off, but to me it really helps assess ‘quality’.

I also looked at things like;

the edges on any part to see if they are smooth to the touch, and

if flat surfaces are truly flat and is there any sign of a ‘Weber wave’-effect with a loaded blade.

The good news with the Blackland is that the machine shop did a great job.

The blade lay very flat and no sign of 'wave' or uneven blade exposure

The head comes off and on with no resistance. It’s as buttery-smooth as the Wolfman - and that’s saying quite a lot. There is also no wave in a loaded blade - it lies perfectly flat - and any edges feels well rounded/finished.

If I would call out anything here, and now I’m nitpicking, it would be that the grooves in the handle felt a bit too prominent/sharp to my touch. I would had liked for them to feel a bit more ‘refined’ and softer. On the other hand the handle does end up feeling very secure and there is absolutely no feeling of that this handle would ever slip in my hand during a shave.

Feels very secure in the hand

Razor head design
Closed comb/safety bar design.

The head has a rather different angled look to it and I found that when I was shaving it made me angle the head much like a SE razor. The prominent angles on the head made finding that ‘sweet spot’ easier. Due to that angle your face presses against much of the exposed blade and there is very little audible feedback so it’s a relatively quiet razor.

Showing off the angles on the razor head

One thing I noticed was that the blade edges/tabs are almost, but not completely, covered by the ends of the razor head. There is just the smallest amount of the tabs sticking out and it did make me wish - for OCD and perfectionist reasons more than anything related to performance - that the head had extended just 2-3mm more so that the entire blade-tabs would be covered and the razor head ends were completely leveled.

About 2mm of the tabs sticking out on each side

The Shave
So, is this a sexy shelf-warmer or is it good enough for you to work on getting that personal patina wear to appear?

I loaded it up with a Rapira blade and took it for a spin.
As mentioned the shape of the head did make me adopt a more shallow/SE-like angle when I shaved. The first pass was a bit of a surprise - it felt very mild.

I continued and worked my way to under the nose, my throat and chin. It felt mild but not as mild as, say the Pils 101 or Gillette Bluetip. I’d say maybe the equivalence of a ‘5’ on a Gillette Slim.

My second pass felt equally mild but still very efficient. There were a few moments where I decided to tempt fate a bit and almost ‘try’ to cut myself but the razor didn’t want any of that and just shaved away without any bloodletting. I was very clean shaven after those two passes - and my face felt smooth to the touch.

Summary
A black, sexy all stainless steel razor with a nice heft to it.

The ridges in the handle felt a bit too pronounced for my hands but on the other hand it provides a very secure grip.

Oxidized blackening process that does not look or act like a black painted razor and will allow for the razor to ‘age’ as you use it (I am really looking forward to seeing how mine will look).

Mid-mild razor head with an interesting angle to it that gave a very clean, efficient shave.

If this is what a pre-production version looks like I would be very, very intrigued about what is coming out through the Kickstarter.

June 11, 2015:
http://www.blacklandrazors.com/kickstarter

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PLANofMAN · Dec 6, 2015

@Fred Hill was there supposed to be a comment included with the quote?

Fred Hill · Dec 6, 2015

PLANofMAN said: ↑

@Fred Hill was there supposed to be a comment included with the quote?
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I apologize...I'm sorry it didn't come through! I wanted to know how to go about finding on of these Razors. I couldn't find them on the internet?

Boojum1 · Dec 6, 2015

Fred Hill said: ↑

I apologize...I'm sorry it didn't come through! I wanted to know how to go about finding on of these Razors. I couldn't find them on the internet?
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http://www.blacklandrazors.com/store/

ShaneS · Dec 6, 2015

PLANofMAN said: ↑

Unless they are sold out. So far this razor seems to slipped under the Badger & Blade radar. Once the 'shaving elite' realize this razor is on the market, all bets are off.
Click to expand...

Their vendor pricing is far beyond my reach at this point so I'll be relying on you guys to get the word to them .

Fred Hill said: ↑

I apologize...I'm sorry it didn't come through! I wanted to know how to go about finding on of these Razors. I couldn't find them on the internet?
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Hey, Poppy. Mark has the right link there. You can also PM or email me (shane@blacklandrazors.com) if you have any questions.

ShaneS · Dec 6, 2015

New video. This is of the top cap and it shows the numerous steps in making the part. I love the robotic arm at the end taking the top cap away and putting a fresh blank in its place!

JR Reyes · Dec 6, 2015

I saw the clean shaver make a shout out last night on the wet shavers roundtable video...Congrats Shane. Sounds like nothing but positive feedback.

obturador · Dec 6, 2015

ShaneS said: ↑

New video. This is of the top cap and it shows the numerous steps in making the part. I love the robotic arm at the end taking the top cap away and putting a fresh blank in its place!

Click to expand...

How cool was that... how long does it take machine each piece?

ShaneS · Dec 6, 2015

JR Reyes said: ↑

I saw the clean shaver make a shout out last night on the wet shavers roundtable video...Congrats Shane. Sounds like nothing but positive feedback.
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Ah, so that explains all the extra visits to my website yesterday! I was wondering about that.

ShaneS · Dec 6, 2015

obturador said: ↑

How cool was that... how long does it take machine each piece?
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Around 45 minutes total for all three parts.

JR Reyes · Dec 6, 2015

ShaneS said: ↑

Ah, so that explains all the extra visits to my website yesterday! I was wondering about that.
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Oh yeah. The guys were talking about the various razors that have been highlighted on kickstarter, and Scott mentioned yours on there. If I'm correct the video can be found on Douglas Smythe's youtube channel.

PLANofMAN · Dec 6, 2015

ShaneS said: ↑

Their vendor pricing is far beyond my reach at this point so I'll be relying on you guys to get the word to them ...
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Will do, once I have the razor in hand. Speaking of which, can you make sure my box and razor/brush stand are a pretty close match?

ShaneS · Dec 6, 2015

PLANofMAN said: ↑

Speaking of which, can you make sure my box and razor/brush stand are a pretty close match?
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Smart thinking. I'll pick the two closest in color and grain pattern.

PLANofMAN · Dec 7, 2015

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

ShaneS · Dec 14, 2015

It's been a while since I've updated this forum! Been a busy few weeks and we are almost near the end. My hope is that the razors will be finished by Friday so that they can be shipped out on Monday the 21st in time for Christmas delivery to the US. If they aren't done this week, customers and backers should receive them the week after Christmas.

All razors will now also ship with Personna Lab Blue blades.

More info: https://www.kickstarter.com/project...-stainless-steel-safety-razor-0/posts/1443558

PickledNorthern · Dec 14, 2015

As far as Badger and Blade, It hasn't slipped under any radar. The powers that be at B and B will not let it be discussed until it is out of "pre-production" and being currently sold. They are pretty touchy about anything that originates from Kickstarter.

ShaneS · Dec 14, 2015

PickledNorthern said: ↑

As far as Badger and Blade, It hasn't slipped under any radar. The powers that be at B and B will not let it be discussed until it is out of "pre-production" and being currently sold. They are pretty touchy about anything that originates from Kickstarter.
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That seems to be an increasingly common stance taken by forum admins and owners. I can't really say I blame them.

PickledNorthern · Dec 14, 2015

ShaneS said: ↑

That seems to be an increasingly common stance taken by forum admins and owners. I can't really say I blame them.
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Maybe so, but as long as people aren't on there hustling money to support the project, or you aren't advertising without paying the vendor fee, I don't think we really need to be protected from ourselves. We are all big boys.

Anyway, a few casual mentions have been made, and I expect that the day you ship the first razor, all hell will break loose. In fact, if you ship mine now, I'll be posting there like a mad man.

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Exclusive: A hands-on, first look at The Blackland razor

Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

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Fred Hill Well-Known Member

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

Fred Hill Well-Known Member

Boojum1 Valet Parking Available Here

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ShaneS Well-Known Member

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

obturador Active Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

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

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

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Exclusive: A hands-on, first look at The Blackland razor

Darkbulb Cookie Hoarder

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

Fred Hill Well-Known Member

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

Fred Hill Well-Known Member

Boojum1 Valet Parking Available Here

ShaneS Well-Known Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

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

obturador Active Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

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

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

ShaneS Well-Known Member

PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

ShaneS Well-Known Member

PickledNorthern Fabulous, the unicorn

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