I'm in if it makes it to the pass around stage. Make sure to test it first with both a Personna and Schick blade. If it is too mild you will see a significant performance difference between the 2. Might as well get that initial test done up front but don't post the results as to not bias the pass around then see what the feedback is.

I will need to get some Personna blades I think. Not sure I have any left. I will keep my trap shut. It does shave so I can leave it at that.

Last Shave


Cold Water Rinse
L'Occitane Shaving Soap
Jayaruh #414 Silvertip Badger
TARMAX by Tom
Astra SP
CWR
Lustray Spice After Shave

The L'Occitane Shaving Soap lathered well with Jayaruh #414 Silvertip Badger Brush. Two passes and touch ups with the TARMAX Razor by Tom with an Astra SP Blade gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse I finished off with Lustray Spice After Shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

Updated 8/7
Here we go
1. @jmudrick Survived
2. @Dave in KY A little worse for wear
3.@BBS Worked them over
4. @Jayaruh Clean, smooth, and refreshed...
5. @hins2jw0 Waiting
6.

Looking forward to the TARMAX. I forgot that I’ll be out of town most of this week. It’ll be waiting for me at the PO when I return over the weekend.

The injector version looks pretty neat as well.


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As you are last in line keep it for a few weeks if needed.
Hope you enjoy it.
Tom

Everyone,

Back from vacay and the TARMAX was delivered this afternoon (mail was held). Looking forward to giving it a run tonight!

Josh


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I'm sorry to have to bring this up, especially since it looks like a very nice razor, but my mind keeps playing tricks on me. Every time I see the title of this thread, the M and the R swap positions and the R looses its leg and I see something that really doesn't want to be passed around! Maybe it's the all-caps.

Geee thanks for wrecking my whole razor. HAHAHA now you mention it you are correct.

TARMAX Shave #1




In anticipation of this shave, I had a wonderful OC Taiga shave last night so this is only one day of growth. Had to let everyone know for science .

I’ll be honest… I couldn’t tell the difference which plate I put in. I wanted the thicker plate as I have pretty thick and tough whiskers, but I’m not certain which one I used. Either 3, 5, 7 or 11, 13, 15 on my three passes followed by touch up. Is there an easy way to tell? They look pretty close to being the same thickness.

I went to a sharper blade considering the reviews I read and I think it was a good call. Overall a comfortable shave, but I needed to go over my trouble areas (chin and jawline) several times. Yes the attack angle is different but very easy to find. I definitely like the concept overall and am looking forward to shave number 2. I’ll see how it goes tomorrow - I may hold off a day and see how it tackles 2 days of my tough growth. I hope everyone enjoyed their days and shaves.

Happy Healthy Shaves all.

Josh


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Put them on a flat surface like this. The thicker one is more aggressive.


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I'm shaving with the TARMAX all week. Set it on 6 and had a great shave. Tuesday is always special since it is always Tabac Tuesday. Tomorrow, I will go for 7 or maybe 8. Loving this razor.

Will do!


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TARMAX on 8
The Williams Mug Soap lathered well with Jayaruh #424 Synthetic Brush. Two passes and touch ups with the TARMAX Razor by Tom with an Astra SP Blade set on 8 gave me a close, comfortable shave. After a cold water rinse I finished off with Lustray Spice After Shave. I am clean, smooth, and refreshed...

TARMAX Shave #2

Okay, looks like I wasn’t using the “thicker” baseplate on shave #1… also does it make a difference with direction (like a Merkur Progress)? I may have had sometime turned around on my first shave.

Tonight’s shave was definitely more efficient. Again angle is easy to find and the razor zips around pretty easily once the cutting begins. I still needed a little extra work at the jaw line, but less so compared to shave #1.

Overall a better shave for sure at levels 7, 5, 4 on the thicker baseplate. FYI - I used the same blade as shave #1. Only slight irritation resulted near my Adam’s apple / neck area, but nothing out of the ordinary for me. You may be onto something here Tom. I’m not sure how well I personally can use the razor at the lower settings considering the wiriness of my beard, but it’s pretty good at the higher gaps . Looking forward to shave #3.

Oh btw, did anyone notice how tightly the blade likes to grip the cap once seated? If not maybe it’s just my Perma-Sharp blade.

Happy Healthy Shaves all.

Josh




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You can sand the blade locaters some if needed. Different blades seem to vary in that width. Do not remove too much or the blade will start to get sloppy on location.

TARMAX Shave #3

Three passes on the thicker baseplate - 8, 6, 4 plus slight touch up.

Well, I thought I was learning the ropes with this guy on my third shave when I let it nip me on my neck on my first pass on 8. Now granted, I know better and usually drop the aggression on an adjustable a little on my neck as I’m sensitive there. Trying to put the razor through its paces and that’s what I get .

Otherwise it went very well. Against the grain at 4 was no issue at all for me. A definitely good face feeler resulted before bed for me! I’ll definitely perform a few more shaves until I release my final thoughts, but it’s definitely going pretty well.




Happy Healthy Shaves all.

Josh


P. S. - Tom, did you machine the handle as well?? Or did you source it from another razor? I generally prefer slightly heavier handles, but it definitely works well and has a wonderful grip to boot!


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I made everything.

TARMAX Shave #4

Tabac Tuesday with Pierre Cardin AS

Another thicker plate - 8, 6, 4 plus touch ups shave.

I mostly echo my previous findings. An overall better shave than the last probably due to becoming more and more comfortable and familiar with the shaving angle that the TARMAX works best with. Very little blade feel, but fairly efficient at the higher settings.




I do commend Tom for his ingenuity, handiwork, and thinking outside of the box - he is quite the razor creator!! I’ll probably do another shave or two and then I’m willing to pass it along to whomever wants to give it a go, or send it back to Tom. Cheers!

Happy Healthy Shaves all.

Josh


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TARMAX Shave #5

I again stuck with the thicker baseplate for my final TARMAX shave. I used a new Polsilver tonight at settings 8, 6, and 5. The results were decent for sure - pretty efficient overall, but considering how tough my beard is, I ended up needing extra buffing to get as smooth as I prefer in the normal trouble spots. The only real evidence of the extra buffing was a small nick on the chin. No bother - the alum made quick work of it.




As I said previously, despite it being a prototype, it’s a beautiful and well engineered tool. It definitely works well… I just personally need it to be a little more aggressive or efficient for my beard. The more it is used, you definitely develop better technique and can make it a little more efficient. Also, for someone that prefers a milder feeling shave, this is a good razor. It doesn’t feel aggressive and doesn’t have significant blade feel. Once you nail down the angle, you can pretty much switch on autopilot without too much thought.

to you Tom. Thank you for the opportunity. Looking forward to trying out the Injector and Gem versions.

Happy Healthy Shaves all.

Josh


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