Lambda Athena razor? Good, bad, or other?

At 200€, this is a rather spendy razor for most people. This price point opens up a lot of options and, a much smaller group of people who would consider this cost for a razor. Also, anyone spending this much is going to have some or a lot of bias which leads me to question the glowing reviews I have seen.

The marine brass is attractive to me and the weight seems to be similar to stainless steel razors. My new razors are both stainless steel, and I like the weight and general feel. I think the weight lets the razor head work better with a 'light touch' which is working well for me.

How does this razor shave for owners? Where does it fit in the mix of aggressiveness? More than a DE89/R89 and less than a Muhle R41? For aggressiveness, something like a Muhle Rocca or Edwin Jagger 3one6 razor is the right aggressiveness range for me.

What experiences do users have with this razor?

TIA,
Sid

 

https://lambda-razors.com/product/lambda-athena/

 

Can't speak for this razor but once you get into this price range a razor I can recommend is a Rex Ambassador. Those shave similar to a Gibbs adjustable which is the inspiration for that razor design.

 

Yes, if your budget is $200 or a bit more, there are a lot of good razors to consider. I was looking at the Razorock razors and a thread I was reading mentioned these.

While about 3 times the cost of a stainless Razorock, it is reasonably close to the stainless Muhle R41 I had been looking for. I am debating selling my Muhle Rocca so, that with the cost of a Stainless R41, the Lambda Athena is probably not as unreasonable as I originally thought price-wise.

While I like the Rocca a lot, it and the R41 are pretty close to each other. Funny thing is, while I don't shave with the R41 much, I have found it is simply awesome for trimming around my ears after a haircut and is great for trimming my neckline when my shirt collar starts to fill up and I don't have time for a haircut!

 

I almost bought an Athena and I like Lambda's story. That said, I really decided I just don't like the looks of the razor aside from having no space or room for yet another razor. I've got 15 good to great razors in rotation and that means, if I use them in equal rotation, that's 2 days a month per razor. As it is, I use about 7-8 regularly and the remaining ones, rarely.

BTW, for any who own a Rocca (mine is the birch handle), they exhibit the same "jet" clean action of the Lambdas under the tap. I also get that effect with my Gillette Old Type (restored by Back Roads Gold).

 

Aesthetics are pretty personal so, I can see that being a turn-off to some. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the handle on the Athena, and the Greek "Column" handle of the Ares is a pretty hard NO for me because of a similar handle with the straight ridges that was very slippery to me during my shaves.

 

• Nickel Aluminum Bronze Alloy
• Used for Marine Applications
• Not just Plain Old Brass

From their website.

 

Other

 

Based upon what I've read the Ares open comb is supposed to be like a Muhle R41 but milder. Athena milder than an Ares but still very efficient and plenty of blade feel. Also in typical fashion almost every vocal user for the razor had theirs up for sale on a BST not longer afterwards. Guys who skew modern tend to favor wimpy razors and that they are saying how great the razor is then selling it tells me if nothing else these razors are not wimpy.

Also you have to keep in mind that the razor also comes with a wooden case for that price. When you factor that that would retail probably around $100 USD the razor itself is actually competing against razors without the extras at about $100 USD.

 

You can always put a different handle on it.

 

Yes, but finding one in marine brass is going to be hard. Other materials won't match the finish on the head.

 

It is a brilliant razor. My all-time favourite. Gorgeous, efficient, mild and beautifully presented. And for me, the handle is not slippery but I do have a towel handy ....just in case.

 

Gone are the days of dime store razors. That is a serious tool. Beautiful.

 

i've tried not to read forums too much and enjoy what i have.i would like to know what vintage gillette razor (U.S. version) shaves most like athena?or is it not the best thing since sliced bread?if not US how about british?though they tend to be expensive especially with flat bottom.thank you very much.

 

Finding a good Gillette like you want is a bit like finding an Easter Egg. Lots of talk about finding a really good one for $5 or $10 but, that hasn't been my experience.

In the ~$75 range from Europe, I'd say an Edwin Jagger 3one6 or Muhle Rocca in stainless is going to be pretty close and is definitely cheaper if you need to replate your Gillette.

 

thank you very much.i read jagger 316 doesn't all have ss handle and ones that do become unglued.what is glued on ss razor?puzzle to me.or just internet bs?friend showed me feather and aligment off unless u fiddle.shouldn't $169 razor be perfect?my$60 progress is perfect.too bad not made in ss.

 

My EJ 3one6 is stainless. Regarding the handle, it sure doesn't feel or look like a hollow glued one. The head is offered on some colored plastic handles but the slick bulbous one didn't appeal to me so I got the ALL STAINLESS HANDLE which has some texture.

Regarding handles generally, between something like Razorock or the Ali Express options from Yaqi or DSC, ~$15~$20 will get you a wide a variety of razor handles in Stainless Steel. I have also picked up a couple in Titanium from Ali Express in the $18~$20 range.

With a stainless head, I generally prefer a stainless handle for better balance and, I find the heavier weight also makes shaving easier and more consistent for me since varying hand pressure isn't an issue. Between farming and being a software engineer, repetitive stress on my hands has been an issue with my hands so, consistent pressure with lightweight aluminum or Zamak razors doesn't give me the great results I get with a Stainless razor.

Regarding price overall, over on Badger and Blade, in the Buy-Sell-Trade forum, you can find some really good deals in that community. It is really active so, turn over on BST is pretty good so, being patient to find the razor often yields a great deal on a like new razor which you can turn around and resell and get most of your money back if it doesn't work out for you.

 

@Charles Hall, I read those same remarks on the UK forums and elsewhere in the months after the initial release. Iirc it was reported that a number of aluminum handles’ stainless ends and necks were somehow detaching from the aluminum handle shaft. It’s primarily what keep me on the “buy now” fence. To their credit, and pretty quickly, EJ addressed and corrected the problem. Also happening concurrently was that the new razor caught people off guard. The shave wasn’t (and still isn’t) reminiscent of EJ’s well known zamak razor head. Anyway, by then my RAD brought me elsewhere, but it did eventually circle back. I recently bought an aluminum 3one6 and feel confident that the whole razor, including the handle, is sturdily made. Blade alignment is spot on perfect with zero wiggle with every blade I’ve used. Aesthetically, the blade tabs remain ever so slightly visible which strikes me as perhaps a little odd, being that there’s no play in blade loading/positioning. It’s a relatively lightweight razor which my arthritic hand seems to prefer. I find the overall balance and ergonomics to be agreeably friendly. The shave is very efficient. My best frame of reference for a modern stainless razor re: efficiency is the Rex Envoy, with a big caveat; while the shave efficiencies are similar, the EJ is waaay lighter and a bajillion times smoother feeling.

A solid post, well presented @sidpost The bst at ATG often shows EJ 3one6 razors for UK only sale at reasonable prices. This model especially seems like a catch and release thing for many people.

 

thanks but what i read clearly mentioned the all stainless steel version.
https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/my-de-progression-what-next.633334/post-12035708
what is glued?it should be a chunk of ss machine cut or MIM'd into a handle,no?
i need to stop reading and start shaving!