Agree with @Phoenixkh La Faulx is like Overlander but more efficient, I find also medium + plate very fine. But it is SE and not cheap. Bayonetta was big surprise for me, I don't like bigger blade exposure but here the numbers are not telling how easy and efficient Bayonetta is. I didn't think it until bought one myself..
More Efficient But as Smooth As Overlander -- Daily Shaver
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I'll be honest... I didn't even look at the Bayonetta specs. A few friends here with whom I share the same likes and needs bought a Bayonetta and like it. It was so inexpensive, I bought one. I was very pleased at how smooth and comfortable it was... and it gives me 12 hour shaves, which is one of my "needs"....
I only had an Overlander for a short time. I got mine used and I could never get it to work well for me. This was early on in my own journey and I had no yet learned how to speak "razor"..... I've considered buying one again but @spacemonkey42 reminded me.... all my Top Razors are just that 1/2 a step more efficient than the Overlander and he told me, it was unlikely I'd enjoy it as much as the razors I already have. I think that was very sound advice... for me, at least.
This isn't a putdown of the Overlander.... So many people here just love theirs...
To your specific question... I didn't notice much "blade feel".... but until recently, I didn't even know what that meant, as none of my razors seem to make that an issue. I got a little Knockout razor not too long ago... With that one, I can feel the blade immediately and it lets me know.... be careful. The Bayonetta didn't feel scary the first time I used it... and I've already had several very nice shaves with it.
I agree. I’ve never used an Overlander, but I do have aluminum Hensons in mild and aggressive. For me the Bayonetta is nearly as efficient as the aggressive, but a good bit smoother. It does not feel like .15 exposure at all.
I was about to suggest the Apex SS.
That's what I did. I aim for CCS on neck and DFS everywhere else. If I aim for BBS, I get skin tears in different places on the neck, chin, and sometimes even upper lip. I use AS-D2 + Bic Chrome.
If you get a chance try a Dorco Prime or a Suneko in the AS-D2. Increases efficiency and smoothness in my experience.
My beard is old, gray, wiry and generally cantankerous (chaotic with lots of swirls). Face has lots of nooks and crannies. Skin is not sensitive. Shave daily. Have really focused on AC blade razors for some time.
I gave up the "Quest for Daily BBS" as-of 1/1/2020 and have not regretted doing so.
With the various razors I use (please see the shaves in My Journal: never-stop-learning's Quest for Knowledge), I can get to, at least, DFS with a 3-Pass plus touch-ups shave. Sometimes I stop at a 2-pass shave and call it good.
By relaxing and not getting hung up on "BBS", my shaves are more pleasurable and effective.
Just my opinion.
To answer the rest of your question:
My favorite DE blade razor is the Blackland Razors Ti Blackbird SB but, given that you found the Blackbird too efficient, my recommendation is the Lambda Athena.
To the first part of your question, Have you tried the RazoRock Game Changer .84P? It gives an amazingly smooth and efficient shave, and you don't have to invest a fortune to get one. It's still less aggressive than some of my other razors. If that proves too aggressive, you can buy the .76P plate for it and back off the aggressiveness a touch.
I currently have those plates but am using the milder .68P plate for the GC, because I have to worry about irritation and a psoriasis flare-up, so a CCS shave (some days DFS) is proving "good enough".
That gets to the second part of your question. I used to chase BBS myself, but it came at the cost of constant irritation and a patch of psoriasis on my left cheek that flares up if I get too aggressive with the shaves. Personally, I'm skeptical of the people who shave more than a few times a week and claim to get BBS every time. I don't think it's sustainable for most men unless they have thin beards. It may also be that the definition of "BBS" is very subjective.
Ask yourself what your goal is in shaving. Will anyone care if you have a little 5 o'clock shadow in the afternoon? Maybe just go for CCS or DFS for the weekdays and then treat yourself to a nice BBS on a weekend day (or date night). Historically, I'm guessing that's what most men did before they started talking to each other about shaving on the Internet!
If the OP is still around... May I ask if you are going ATG? What is not efficient about the Overlander for you and the way you shave?
On a side note - I did a side-by-side comparison with the Overlander and my WR2 0.95 sb. 2 WTG passes only to see what was more "efficient" and I got the what I felt and saw was virtually indistinguishable. It made me really wonder how much more "efficient" can you actually get if you are going WTG only. This has really made me search for razors that are amazing ATG because that is the only way I'm going to get an even closer shave.
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You might look into the Muhle R4, a very good and efficient razor, The Pearl Flexi OC adjustable, Razorine FlatBoy...these are razors I've found to be very efficient without peeling skin off as well.
This is an excellent answer. Typically, using even the most efficient razors like the R41 pre 2011 and doing 1 pass or 2 passes will not get you a closer shave than doing the full WTG + XTG + ATG with a gentler razor like GC .68P, Overlander, or even Gillette Tech. This is because there is no substitute for an ATG pass if you want to be BBS, at the end of the day nothing beats tackling growth from all possible angles. Typically highly efficient razors will allow you to save time as with 2 passes WTG / XTG you could still get in DFS territory but if you want to be dolphin smooth, nothing can replace an ATG pass.
Typically I have the same question at the person I quoted. The Overlander, even though gentle is quite efficient, I don't see how one could not be BBS after an ATG pass with it. Keep in mind this comes from a person with a dense, coarse beard (genetically mediterranean) and I get BBS with the Overlander just fine (I used very sharp blades: gillette nacets or gillette platinums)
Just wanted to chime in with my bit. I borrowed a friend's Overlander for a week. It is an Amazing razor and so smooth if you're a steep shaver. I wasn't a fan of the efficiency and that's just my sensitive skin and hair growth I guess.
I am not a fan of the Drakkant, found it too mild for me. But I bought the Aylsworth Apexx SS for My Sibling from a B&B member. My Brother loved it so much that I had to try it out. It is truly an Overlander on steroids. It was so smooth that I had to remind myself there was a bit of blade exposure. Two pass BBS with no touch ups and I was shocked at how the Razor just cleaned up everything. Unlike most days, the Alum stung like a beast on my entire shaved area and I realized how close the shave was. 24 hours later and my face is still satin smooth with just a wee bit of stubble under the skin. No irritation post shave whatsoever. The Apex SS is a very intriguing Razor, humble in appearance but a Beast with efficiency.
Many B&B members have cautioned that if you let your attention stray, this one will leave you with weepers. I totally agree with that but I was enjoying the shave so much that i was focused on the way the Razor was gliding over my skin. I'm definitely getting one of these. Truly one of the best modern razors I have used.
I am not a fan of the Drakkant, found it too mild for me. But I bought the Aylsworth Apexx SS for My Sibling from a B&B member. My Brother loved it so much that I had to try it out. It is truly an Overlander on steroids. It was so smooth that I had to remind myself there was a bit of blade exposure. Two pass BBS with no touch ups and I was shocked at how the Razor just cleaned up everything. Unlike most days, the Alum stung like a beast on my entire shaved area and I realized how close the shave was. 24 hours later and my face is still satin smooth with just a wee bit of stubble under the skin. No irritation post shave whatsoever. The Apex SS is a very intriguing Razor, humble in appearance but a Beast with efficiency.
Many B&B members have cautioned that if you let your attention stray, this one will leave you with weepers. I totally agree with that but I was enjoying the shave so much that i was focused on the way the Razor was gliding over my skin. I'm definitely getting one of these. Truly one of the best modern razors I have used.
I would consider the following:
1. Lambda Athena
2. Timeless .68 OC
3. Timeless .95 OC
On the Timeless razors, I can’t recommend the OC baseplate enough. They are so much smoother than the SB or Scalloped base plate, particularly when paired with a scalloped top plate.
I say this as someone who hasn’t tried an Overlander.
1. Lambda Athena
2. Timeless .68 OC
3. Timeless .95 OC
On the Timeless razors, I can’t recommend the OC baseplate enough. They are so much smoother than the SB or Scalloped base plate, particularly when paired with a scalloped top plate.
I say this as someone who hasn’t tried an Overlander.
I now have 3 Timeless 0.68 razors... Because of a mix-up, I ended up with a scalloped SS 0.68 base plate. (Jeremiah told me to just keep it, even though I offered to return it or pay half the cost). To make me feel a bit less guilty, I bought an additional SS scalloped Cap... Today, I'm having a SS dimpled handle and stand delivered (scratch and dent) so I'll know what a complete Stainless Steel 0.68 razor feels like in my hand. I mixed the Ti and SS parts on the other two razors... I'm using the Ti Crown handle with them. One of them has a SS scalloped Cap and a Ti 0.68OC base plate. That's my favorite so far.... The other one has a Ti scalloped Cap and a SS 0.68OC base plate... It's just a bit heavier but nicely balanced.
Why did I go to those lengths? I had a complete Titanium 0.68OC with the Ti Crown handle and it felt too light when I used it, so I bought a SS scalloped Cap and SS scalloped 0.68OC base plate and felt the balance was a bit off for me with the Ti Crown handle... The balance was just a bit too tilted in the razor head direction. After buying some titanium individual parts, I can now assemble two complete heads.. One titanium and one SS... but when you use a hybrid combination, the balance, for me... improves significantly.
I will say this: there is a reason we see so many Timeless OC razors show up in the various B&B threads... Both the 0.68OC and 0.95OC seem to work for a lot of people...... They are brilliant... and because almost all of their full razors.. or individual parts.. are in stock all the time, there is zero waiting time to get an order placed and shipped out. They usually have the order in the mail the same day... or the label is created that day.. Either way, the order is in the US Postal Service the same day or the next, depending on what time of day you place your order... On the weekend, your order will be in the USPS system on Monday. If you are in a rush, you can pay a few $ extra and get a faster shipping time.. The free shipping takes an extra day or two.
Guido/ @Guido75 has a 0.95 with the scalloped base plate and absolutely loves it.... I only have one shave with that SS scalloped base plate and it works very, Very well... I prefer the OC base plates but only by a small margin. The scalloped base plate leaves streaks of lather behind, just like the OC base plate but might be just a tad less efficient. This is from the 0.68 base plate experiments I've done.... I don't have a 0.95 base plate, either scalloped or open comb. The 0.68 variants are efficient enough for me.
All this to say.... there are lots of choices for daily shavers at all levels of efficiency.... For those who need a upper mild to lower medium efficiency razor, there are several razors that fit into this category. This thread has listed many of them.
I'm going to suggest something unusual. Rather than look for one perfect razor, try using two different razors during the same shave. Change out the razor for the last pass, play around with different pairs of razors. You won't have to buy anything, but you might find that razors A and B together give a better shave than either A or B alone. I know, that's crazy. But it would cost nothing to try.
I use a Claymore Evolution AC razor around my nose for every shave.... But I do agree.... You could select a razor that's brilliant on the WTG pass but is more difficult to use on the XTG or ATG passes... Cleaning up razors after each shave is my routine. Cleaning a second razor takes a minute or two, no more.
I get this concept. One challenging spot for me is ATG, under the nose. Not every razor will allow this (for me). So sometimes, I have another razor waiting in the wings, just for that particular area.
If you are trying to sell me on getting the OC baseplate…it is working!! Haha!
Guido, as soon as you get out of GRUME, you owe it to yourself to pick one up..... I think you'll love it. Butch Waxx told me I'd love the 0.95OC but it still scares me a bit. <eg>If you are trying to sell me on getting the OC baseplate…it is working!! Haha!
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