I combed through that thread for everyone who stated they had or planned to purchase the Kickstarter version, plus people who ordered from the website. One or two of the names might have backed out or didn't get in on the second Kickstarter campaign, but that list is pretty accurate. It's funny, because all the hype and chatter over the Blackbird is on The Shaving Room forum, yet I'm sure our forum crushed them on members who ordered. I'm kind of curious how the # of orders from forum members broke down between the various forums. Badger & Blade probably snagged the most razors, due to their huge membership. They just can't talk about the Blackbird, due to an obscure forum rule based on a California law (where the B&B servers are located) that regards backing a Kickstarter project as a form of gambling (speculation), and is thus illegal in California. So no discussion there until razors have shipped and are considered "in production," as opposed to "promised."
Crowdfunding is not illegal in California to my knowledge and there have been many campaigns run from my home state. Equity crowdfunding is illegal there, however. That may be where the confusion lies. Equity crowdfunding is selling securities directly to investors without a third party (eg. NYSE). There have been efforts to legalize equity crowdfunding in CA, but I believe AARP lobbied against it heavily and effectively killed it. After perusing B&B I've concluded that they don't want their forum used to raise funds for a product that is not proven to exist from a company with no track record. Fair enough.
I think that there are two other things going on. First and foremost, I think it is from an effort to protect their bottom line, and they are loathe to allow free advertising, or any appearance of circumventing their vendor fees. Fair enough, it is a business. This does lead into a much more important point. When you consider the huge fees their vendors pay, they do sort of deserve some form of exclusivity. I think both of these things are completely fair. The only part of it I don't care for, is that there is almost a hesitance to just come out and tell people it is about money; both theirs and their vendors. This applies to a lot of their forum rules.
Lovely bit of kit you've sent me, Shane. Initial shave report: It's a deceptively aggressive razor. I actually managed to cut myself with it in a careless moment. Against the grain over the Adam's apple. @Darkbulb was spot on in his assessment of this feeling like a '5' on a Gillette Adjustable. It feels a lot like a red tip on the face, as far as blade feel goes. You can tell when you have the angle right, as there is an almost suction cup like sensation of the razor sticking to your face during the stroke. It isn't unpleasant or unmanageable, just very very different. I'll enjoy dialing this razor in throughout the coming weeks...and this one is a keeper. As I suspected, the short handle is a bit too short for comfort. It's going in the dopp bag to be used for traveling, but I'll give it a few runs first. I may end up preferring it over the long handle. The brush and razor stand perfectly fit the New Forest 2001 and a Gillette Fatboy. Two items I always keep on my counter. There was a cosmetic issue with the long handle, and Blackland is sending a replacement. A minor hiccup that slipped through the QC process. The overall fit and finish is outstanding. Well done!
... ...of course. ..what else...haha...what else would I do with it...ha...ha...hmmmm... WHAT'S THAT SHINY THING OVER THERE!!!
Btw I am super happy with the first shave...no irritation and very close Edit: I thought about it some more and decided to elaborate some. I really enjoyed the short handle and the weight of the razor. I paired it with a fresh Astra SP and used the reefpoint Earl Grey and Ginger. I managed what I think (at least for me) is a BBS in 3 passes (WTG, XTG x 2). As a wet shaving noob I'm happy I took a chance with this razor.
The balance point is nice with the short handle, one reason I said it might end up being my favorite. The short length just means I need to find a different grip with it.
I was a little nervous about the short handle after reading your initial thoughts. But I found myself liking it just fine. On another note... I tried the handle on a 102 slant head and it fits well.
I like to brace my pinky finger on the tip of the handle, and the short handle on the BB is too short for that. Thus, my earlier comment.
Happy to hear I love the angle of the head - it makes it easy, for me, to find the 'right' angle. I simply shave with the flattened side of the head against my skin as I would do with a SE razor and found that to yield an excellent shave.
