Hone Type 15

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by Bussemand, Mar 18, 2016.

  1. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    So, my Type 15 arrived today. I'll do my best to follow up on this post over the next week or so, as I get to know the razor, but for now here are my first impressions and my first shave.

    The Type 15 arrived in a cardboard box, cradled in paper strips, along with a set of instructions (the same ones found on hone-shaving.com). It would have been nice if it came with a smaller storage box or maybe a pouch, but for now the only option is a 35GBP leather storage case in papaya or black, available from Hone.
    The razor weighs in at 165 grams which is the first thing you notice as you remove it from the box. It's a three piece razor, machined from solid brass with a matte finish. One of the things that attracted me to this razor was the brass and the fact that it will develop a patina, unless you chose to polish it.
    A couple of added bonuses from using brass, is that it retains heat for a long time and has a natural antimicrobial effect.

    [​IMG]

    I had several days worth of stubble, 3-4mm actually, but I decided to skip the trimmer and just jump in feet first. My prep sucked - I threw some water on my face before rubbing in two drops of argan oil. The stubble was so long that I doubt it had any effect.
    I decided to treat my new razor with some aromatic fern and a new Personna Platinum blade. I foolishly continued my bad prep and lathered in a bowl.

    I made two passes with the grain, one across and two against the grain + touch ups, with no irritation.
    My long stubble would have made any of my other razors (except the "clog pruf") choke up, but it was not a problem for the Type 15. It didn't clog and was easy to rinse.
    My biggest issue was finding the right angle and applying the right amount of pressure for the razor to bite properly. I must say that in my search for the proper technique, I really went to town on my face.
    One of the things that I saw repeated again and again in other peoples reviews, was that it was damn near impossible to irritate and cut your skin with the Type 15, so I gave it my worst. In the end I found a couple of small beads of blood, but not in the usual troublespots.
    I think I may have just removed a couple of bumps in the skin - as I mentioned above, there was no irritation/redness to be seen anywhere, and had this been any of my other razors, my face would have been literally squirting blood...

    I'll continue the review after my next shave. I'm looking forward to trying the razor out again, with a Feather blade and a different soap.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2016
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  2. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    Thank you for such a detailed write up. Please keep us updated as you use the razor more.
     
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  3. david of central florida

    david of central florida Rhubarb Rubber

    thanks for the review.
    was it quiet?
    how did the extra weight feel?
    gripy or slipy?
    normal assembly?
    I'm lookin hard at this razor. glad your having good results.
     
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  4. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    There was audible feedback, but I was listening to music while shaving. I'll make sure to describe it after my next shave.
    I was very aware of the weight this time around, but I've read that others take less notice of it after their first shave. As I mentioned in the review, I was being reckless and applied a lot of pressure so I'll know more about how the weight affects the shave (if any), next time.
    It never felt slippery, but I'll try and rub some lather onto the handle tomorrow and see.
    I'll also include a picture of the assembly :)
     
  5. blashe

    blashe Well-Known Member

    Yes please keep us updating, I just started shaving not longer than 2 months and I already have 4 razors lol... and for sure im getting the Seygus all brass razor hopefully with both heads OC and CC and also thinking to get the Ikon OSS combo head.... So I understand this will be an expensive hobby of mine, but I like it and enjoy it :)

    I would guess you need to get used to the razor, give a little bit of time and see how it goes. I know when I started wet shaving the first 3-4 days of shaving I thought that I made mistake buying DE razor in a first place, here I'm less than 2 months later and I shave with Futur on lvl 6 with feather blade 3 passes, I mean really fast passes and I cant believe when I put on the after shave I barely feel any skin burn!!! to think when I started wet shaving Derby blade and Weishi cheapo mild DE razor and my face was on fire and I was soooo pissed LOL.

    Any ways worse come to worse if you do try your best and cant get along with the Hone 15, please holler at me, I'll buy it :)
     
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  6. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Second shave:
    I went a little crazy with the razor yesterday, mainly because I had heard that it was near impossible to get irritation from it, something I often suffer from. Usually I have to choose between stubble or irritation from my jawline and down.
    The Type 15 passed with flying colours, even though I was making all sorts of rookie mistakes. I used a lot of pressure and dragged the razor across my skin. I took multiple passes against the grain etc. etc.
    Today I wanted to shave "normally".

    I started by testing the grip of the razor, as @david of central florida had asked about. I covered the handle in lather, and although it became more slippery than when it was just wet from water, I didn't feel it was an issue.
    The matte surface does a good enough job of securing the razor in you hand/between your fingers, that I don't worry about it. I'm more concerned about putting it down too hard, shattering my glass shelf.
    David also wondered about the sound - It has very good audible feedback. One of the loudest razors I've experienced, and it's a baritone ;)

    I used some MdC scented and a new Feather blade and took four passes - two with, one across and one against + touch ups.
    The Feather felt no different to the Personna Platinum Chrome I used yesterday. I felt none of the typical (for me) Feather harshness and still didn't see any irritation. I wound up with a 99% BBS.
    Even though the razor has a large head, I shaved around my nose with no problems. The fact that I have no fear for this razor might have helped.
    I was having trouble finding the right angle yesterday, but I think I got that covered now, and the weight of the razor didn't even cross my mind.
    I think I'll be able to get it down to three passes if I use a thinner lather or maybe replace the soap with an oil or Myrsol Emulsion. I'll see tomorrow.

    So far I really like the razor.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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  7. Redfisher

    Redfisher Doesn't celebrate National Donut Day

    Nice looking razor, thanks for posting this.
     
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  8. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    @Bussemand What other razors of yours can you compare to the Hone 15?
     
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  9. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    I only have vintage razors and it doesn't really compare to any of them. It's on the milder side and maybe it takes a couple of minutes more to achieve a BBS (at least in the beginning - I've only used it twice), but to me the razor feels very unique.
    What impresses me the most so far, is the total lack of razorburn and irritation when my face should look like raw beef...
    I'll post todays' shave in a couple of hours, but I would also like to do some follow ups down the road, to see if I can improve my shaves much more and take a look at how the surface of the razor changes when it's not polished
     
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  10. clint64

    clint64 Blind Squirrel

    Thank you for taking the time to respond. Since I am really interested in this razor, I will be following your updates closely.
     
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  11. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    @tuxxdk this might be a better choice than the wolfman.. It's from the Netherlands =P
     
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  12. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Third shave:
    Today I had a regular three pass shave - with, across and against the grain + touch ups. The razor feels at home in my hand and I found the correct angle straight away. Still no sign of irritation or burn.
    I used the Feather blade from yesterday and since we have had an amazingly sunny day, I dug my Agua de Colonia Concentrada Barberia cream and AS out from the back of my den. Now I smell like a suave orange tree - wonderful :drool:
    I did use a more watery lather as I mentioned I would, and a couple of things dawned on me. The Type 15 has slightly more contact surface on the cap/safety bar than I'm used to - a surface that is matte to give you a better grip.
    I was wondering what this feeling was, but it got lost in all the other impressions. Now I realise that the surface of the razor is working against me.
    During my first shave, there were a couple of times where it felt like the razor was riding on top of the lather, hence why I wanted to try a thinner one, but that might have been a "first time with a new razor" thing. Figuring this lather stuff out will be the goal of my next couple of shaves.
    I'm also considering if the lower edge of the safety bar is adding to the resistance. It has a sharp edge.
    I'm still quite fond of the razor though, in spite of it being a big brute. I'm seriously reconsidering the rest of my (vintage) collection...well, most of it anyway.

    [​IMG]
     
  13. JR Reyes

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

    This is an interesting razor..the look reminds me of the merkur futur. I really like the fact that it is a 3 piece design versus the snap-on head that the futur has.

    The SOTD pictures are also very well done. Great feedback.
     
  14. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Thank you JR :)
     
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  15. Ahh Oui

    Ahh Oui Well-Known Member

    I've been loving my Hone and it's really great to hear someone having notably similar results (and being able to articulate them well!). I'm a few months into using it and it's starting to show some "patina". How do you plan on (deep) cleaning yours?
     
  16. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Oh, I'm going for the patina. I'm not going to use anything harder than some dishwashing liquid and maybe a soft toothbrush. Pictures of the patina on the makers own razor was part of what drew me to it :love055:
     
  17. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Could I convince you to post a picture or two of your Type 15 @Ahh Oui ?
     
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  18. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    Fourth shave:
    Three passes and an extensive touch up. It gets easier to use the razor and I think I might still be using to much pressure.
    It was my first time using a Mondial soap (spicy mandarin) and I tried applying oil only, for my touch ups. One of the two gave me very dry skin, and if it's the soap I won't mourn the loss, as the scent let me down. It was more of a weak wooden cardamom than mandarin, and the lather wasn't great either (might be my fault).
    I don't feel like the oil made the shave more efficient than it was with lather.

    That's all for today. I'll skip reporting on the next couple of shaves and come back and do a summary

    [​IMG]
     
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  19. Bussemand

    Bussemand Well-Known Member

    10 days later:
    Comparing the Hone Type 15 to my other razors, what stands out the most now that things have settled down a bit, is the mildness.
    Yes it's big and yes it weighs 165 gram, but the weight isn't something I think about any more and it can reach the same spots my other razors can. The razor is so mild that I instinctively added more pressure the first week using it, but it isn't needed.
    Something that is very noticeable in regards to the mildness, is the complete lack of irritation I've seen. You could pick this up as your first DE razor and you'd never have to experience the burning red cheeks and neck I so vividly remember from my first shaves.
    Even though the razor is mild, it is still efficient. 3 passes (W,X and A) gets me a decent shave, but if I want BBS, touch ups or an extra pass against the grain in certain areas, is necessary. Fortunately passes against the grain are very safe with the Type 15.

    I mentioned in a previous post that the razor seemed to have some drag. I think the lower edge on the safety bar is mostly responsible with the matte surface adding just a smidgen to it. With "Honed" skills and a good soap I hardly notice it any more. I have a suspicion that the safety bar is responsible for the lack of irritation, by stretching or evening the skin out a little, before the blade passes over.
    During the first week of use, I would recommend using your slickest soap/cream until you get the hang of it and learn to apply less pressure. My favourite cream for the Type 15 during this introduction period, has been Myrsol Emulsion, but I'm weird like that.

    Finding the correct angle (which seem to be a little more shallow than I'm used to) took a couple of shaves to get down. Once you do find it, you are rewarded with some nice audible feedback in the form of a hefty sound.
    I've used Feather, Personna and Voshkod blades in the razor, and they've all been good. The Feathers didn't feel as intimidating or harsh in this razor as they usually do for me. If I ever get my hands on some Derby blades again, I want to try them in this razor and see how they react.

    Overall there has been a lot of new impressions to take in and I've felt slightly confused a couple of times, but 9 shaves later this is definitely a keeper for me - in fact it's probably my favourite razor.

    Mildness - 10/10
    No razor burn or irritations what so ever.
    Efficiency - 7 or 8/10
    This is a hard one as besides an aggressive Darwin, my den consists of milder razors. Type 15 seems a little inefficient going with the grain in some areas, but the fact that it is so forgiving when going against the grain, makes up for it.
    My beard may also be coarser than I have previously believed. I've sported a Van Dyke/goatee beard for many years, and the growth in that area is considerably harder to shave now that I'm trying it again for the first time in many years.
    Quality - 9/10
    Machined brass with a matte surface. The blade fits nicely on the three pins and the razor has a good grip.
    Brass is softer than stainless steel, so tiny marks will inevitably appear and my razor came with a couple of smaller ones on it. I don't think of this as much of a weakness though.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]

    Patina is starting to show. These pics were taken after I cleaned the razor with some dishwashing liquid and a soft toothbrush. Alcohol doesn't seem to affect the patina.
    The whole razor has darkened a bit, but for now the most action seem to take place between the top cap and base plate. The top cap is considerably lighter in colour along the edges that gets polished against my skin, but it is hard to tell from the pictures.
    I'll add a couple more pictures as time goes by and the patina develops.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
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  20. Ahh Oui

    Ahh Oui Well-Known Member

    Perfect assessment! I'm in complete agreement...
    There's something almost eerie in being able to throw a brand new Feather in it with no worry :) I love your theory about the safety bar, too. Entirely likely!
    Thanks for putting this thread together.
     
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