The New Blackland Sabre GEM!

[Old Hippie]

The open comb WR3 is surprisingly efficient in the mild gaps. I went down from a .35 to the .25 and honestly it's really hard to tell the difference in efficiency. Both are plenty efficient for me and work fine on multiple days of growth. It's much more comfortable than a Micromatic especially ATG.

There's truth here. I'm a Gem-format fan but always struggled with some irritation from a close Gem shave. I've had a broad selection of vintage and a couple of moderns from several makers. All of them but one displeased me to some extent, such as trying to get a good ATG pass out of my MMOC, or accommodating the lightness of the aluminum Starling V2. Finally I got to "somethin' ain't right here" and stopped using the format except for a yearly durance vile for SEptember. Then the Universe handed me the WR3 0.35 OC. The shaving gods smiled on me! It's a great razor.

O.H.

 

[WVShaver]

I’m not the biggest OC fan but plan on revisiting them now that I’ve got a lot more experience. I’d still likely go with a SB plate on the WR3 but I’ve read a lot of people like their OC.

 

[LRod]

I’m not the biggest OC fan but plan on revisiting them now that I’ve got a lot more experience. I’d still likely go with a SB plate on the WR3 but I’ve read a lot of people like their OC.

I've been wet shaving "full time" for like 3 years now and have gravitated towards OC's a lot!
I came from electric razors!
And if you follow my shaving journey in my journal, you'll see how many razors I've bought, tried, sold & kept!
Too many to list!
Went from SB and then to OC's and have loved both. And I'm a daily shaver!
Lots of OC's out there that are fantastic for daily shaving. I always thought they weren't for that and were strictly for long growth but discovered a couple years ago that I was wrong.

 

[WVShaver]

I've been wet shaving "full time" for like 3 years now and have gravitated towards OC's a lot!
I came from electric razors!
And if you follow my shaving journey in my journal, you'll see how many razors I've bought, tried, sold & kept!
Too many to list!
Went from SB and then to OC's and have loved both. And I'm a daily shaver!
Lots of OC's out there that are fantastic for daily shaving. I always thought they weren't for that and were strictly for long growth but discovered a couple years ago that I was wrong.

I started about the same time you did. I remember seeing a lot of your posts early on but didn’t stay active on the forum this past year.

I have a few OC razors to try out. 2-3 years ago I tried the Gillette Old Type & NEW, as well as my beloved GameChanger heads. On my cheeks they always felt great but under my chin as I curve the razor around it wasn’t so smooth and had more tendency to bite. I remember the GameChanger also had a lot more blade feel which I’m not partial to.

I will revisit the OC razors here in the next couple months after I’m done testing out more blades. I also have a Era level 4 & 5 OC, Karve CB with OC B or C plate I can’t remember and a Micromatic GEM OC. I might be forgetting a couple but I think these along with the vintage Gillette’s & GameChanger OCs will be plenty to test out.

I also plan on getting a Timeless sometime this year and from all the positive reviews on the OC had planned on trying the 68OC and the 95SB. I’d love to love OC razors but my past experience has kept me away from them.

 

[Blackland Razors]

Cool to see this thread! We passed a hurdle earlier this week which confirmed the viability of the concept so we're on our way. Full prototype is in the works now. The important bits should be done tomorrow or Saturday and a full pre-production sample is expected next week. With any luck I'll be able to share photos/video in a week or so. Minor tweaking is usually required. Then we'll green light production and off we go.

Quick answers to the questions I can give answers to:

• The razor will be stainless steel for now (titanium possible)
• The narrow post is remaining
• Much of the Sabre's underlying architecture (footprint, blade angle, etc) remains
• Target weight under 100g (likely in the 80s)
• Three-piece design (kind of)
• No open comb (definitely not at launch and probably never)
• Price TBD. Premium, but not Osprey or titanium-level
• June availability? Maybe May pre-orders?

I'm tempted to share more because I'm 99% sure it will work now, but the embarrassment of having to pivot away isn't worth sharing early. Like I've mentioned in the past, Blackland will not introduce a new razor to our permanent lineup unless it innovates in some way.

 

[LRod]

I also plan on getting a Timeless sometime this year and from all the positive reviews on the OC had planned on trying the 68OC and the 95SB. I’d love to love OC razors but my past experience has kept me away from them.

To me the Timeless .68 is probably the hands down best OC. And lots of people here agree!
The rounded teeth are incredibly smooth where it feels like an SB razor.
It's as good as it gets for a daily razor!
Smooth as can be and efficient enough for everyday use. Absolutely no aggressiveness! Love it!
I've yet to try and buy the .95 baseplates but will at some point.

 

[LRod]

Cool to see this thread! We passed a hurdle earlier this week which confirmed the viability of the concept so we're on our way. Full prototype is in the works now. The important bits should be done tomorrow or Saturday and a full pre-production sample is expected next week. With any luck I'll be able to share photos/video in a week or so. Minor tweaking is usually required. Then we'll green light production and off we go.

Quick answers to the questions I can give answers to:

• The razor will be stainless steel for now (titanium possible)
• The narrow post is remaining
• Much of the Sabre's underlying architecture (footprint, blade angle, etc) remains
• Target weight under 100g (likely in the 80s)
• Three-piece design (kind of)
• No open comb (definitely not at launch and probably never)
• Price TBD. Premium, but not Osprey or titanium-level
• June availability? Maybe May pre-orders?

I'm tempted to share more because I'm 99% sure it will work now, but the embarrassment of having to pivot away isn't worth sharing early. Like I've mentioned in the past, Blackland will not introduce a new razor to our permanent lineup unless it innovates in some way.

Thanks for chiming in.
Looking forward to it!!

 

[WVShaver]

To me the Timeless .68 is probably the hands down best OC. And lots of people here agree!
The rounded teeth are incredibly smooth where it feels like an SB razor.
It's as good as it gets for a daily razor!
Smooth as can be and efficient enough for everyday use. Absolutely no aggressiveness! Love it!
I've yet to try and buy the .95 baseplates but will at some point.

That opinion seems to be universal with the Timeless and is the only reason the OC is on my buy list. On the 95 I’m not sure if I’ll go scalloped or straight.

On the Blackland I’m happy to hear it’ll be available soon and look forward to the reviews. I just hope it’s not sacrificing anything over the first generation for the sake of being innovative. I’m happy with a boring razor if it shaves well. Blackland has always been highly praised by most and I look forward to trying more of them out.

I probably should have grabbed the L2 Sabre before it sold out since I like the extra weight. I’m sure there will be a few in the BST after people order the new version. The main thing that interest me on the new one is more plate levels. I loved that about the ERA.

 

[LRod]

I probably should have grabbed the L2 Sabre before it sold out since I like the extra weight. I’m sure there will be a few in the BST after people order the new version. The main thing that interest me on the new one is more plate levels. I loved that about the ERA.

I got my machined Level 2 just before they announced them as being discontinued. And I paid full price right before they went on sale.
But it is what it is, I like it a lot!
I originally had the Level 1 (polished) and it never shaved right. Something was off!
I ended up returning that one for a refund!

 

[Blackland Razors]

On the Blackland I’m happy to hear it’ll be available soon and look forward to the reviews. I just hope it’s not sacrificing anything over the first generation for the sake of being innovative. I’m happy with a boring razor if it shaves well.

If it isn't purposeful in some way then we don't innovate for no reason. At least not for our permanent lineup. Even the original Sabre, while boring now, wasn't boring when it released. The innovative narrow post was created to solve a problem. We're working on a line of limited edition experimental stuff which will allow me to make all the silly things in my head with no real rationale other than because it's neat. But the Sabre isn't part of that so it has to be functional. In this case, the innovation is small, low-risk, and opens up versatility in a way that hasn't been done before. Just a clever little solution to a problem and not some huge deal.

 

[WVShaver]

I imagine it’s a lot of fun having the ability to think up new ideas and having the equipment to make it a reality. I’ve always thought up ideas in other hobbies that I thought would be useful but I never had any machining equipment or access to any to make my ideas become a reality. I always loved thinking of new designs and you having the ability to test them out would be amazing.

When you say opens up versatility I wonder if ya mean in levels of aggression…. Or blade choices as in the Sabre may be able to accept a different platform of blades. I doubt that’s the case but I bet with a couple design tweaks it could be done. I probably wouldn’t do that if it sacrificed anything but it would be interesting.

I like the Personna blades but I’d love to see some more companies start producing coated blades to have a couple more options that are worthwhile. There are so many DE blade choices but so few when it comes to certain SE varieties.

 

[Lockback]

Sabre Prototype
Personna GEM

The testing phase of a new razor is my favorite! Usually I have a concept for a new razor in my head for months before I actually get to use it. I mentally "design" it many times over before I put pen to paper and begin to really build something. Then CAD work. Then 3D printing the concept. Then, FINALLY, a machined razor. The anticipation (and nerves) is always higher when it's testing a novel concept like we're doing with the Sabre. You think it's going to work the way it does in my head and on the computer screen, but I'm never actually confident until that first machined sample is in my hand.

This week we still don't have a full Sabre prototype, but we were able to machine and test the component whose function I was most concerned with and it worked perfectly!

I still can't tell you much about the new Sabre, but like all new Blackland razors, it brings something new to the table. I've long said that we'll never introduce a new Blackland razor to the permanent lineup unless it innovates in some way. The new Sabre keeps much of the original architecture while adding versatility and maneuverability. It has more shave levels, a grippier handle, weighs less, keeps the robust three-piece design, and looks a bit sleeker. In every way, this is a razor that builds upon the strengths of its predecessor and I'm excited to share it with you. With any luck, we'll be ready to share photos and/or video of the new Sabre this month and possibly take orders shortly thereafter. There's still a lot of work to do, but it feels amazing to see it all coming together and to hold a least part of the razor that's been a reality only in my head for months.

How cool is that???

 

[Blackland Razors]

I imagine it’s a lot of fun having the ability to think up new ideas and having the equipment to make it a reality. I’ve always thought up ideas in other hobbies that I thought would be useful but I never had any machining equipment or access to any to make my ideas become a reality. I always loved thinking of new designs and you having the ability to test them out would be amazing.

When you say opens up versatility I wonder if ya mean in levels of aggression…. Or blade choices as in the Sabre may be able to accept a different platform of blades. I doubt that’s the case but I bet with a couple design tweaks it could be done. I probably wouldn’t do that if it sacrificed anything but it would be interesting.

I like the Personna blades but I’d love to see some more companies start producing coated blades to have a couple more options that are worthwhile. There are so many DE blade choices but so few when it comes to certain SE varieties.

Versatility meaning shave levels in this case. Yea I think the lack of real blade options is possibly the biggest reason GEM razors aren't more popular. It's a real shame and I wish there was something we could do about it. Thankfully, the Personnas are pretty good blades so at least the one we have is solid!

 

[LRod]

Yea I think the lack of real blade options is possibly the biggest reason GEM razors aren't more popular.

Or is it the lack of GEM razors that make it less popular?
As much as I love GEM's, I don't see a compelling reason as a blade maker to add a coated GEM to a lineup.
The fact is that DE is used around the world due to it's low cost and GEM's are mostly for enthusiasts like us.
I think Personna (or whatever they're called now) is smart in keeping them around since they're the only game in town (for coated GEM's).

 

[Blackland Razors]

Or is it the lack of GEM razors that make it less popular?
As much as I love GEM's, I don't see a compelling reason as a blade maker to add a coated GEM to a lineup.
The fact is that DE is used around the world due to it's low cost and GEM's are mostly for enthusiasts like us.
I think Personna (or whatever they're called now) is smart since they're the only game in town.

Chicken/egg I guess! Whatever direction the causal arrows points, I just wish we had more options.

Btw, a per-shave basis, GEMs are really cheap. They last most users 10-20 shaves and some take it further. So they wind up being pretty similarly priced to DEs I think.

 

[Wal59]

Cool to see this thread! We passed a hurdle earlier this week which confirmed the viability of the concept so we're on our way. Full prototype is in the works now. The important bits should be done tomorrow or Saturday and a full pre-production sample is expected next week. With any luck I'll be able to share photos/video in a week or so. Minor tweaking is usually required. Then we'll green light production and off we go.

Quick answers to the questions I can give answers to:

• The razor will be stainless steel for now (titanium possible)
• The narrow post is remaining
• Much of the Sabre's underlying architecture (footprint, blade angle, etc) remains
• Target weight under 100g (likely in the 80s)
• Three-piece design (kind of)
• No open comb (definitely not at launch and probably never)
• Price TBD. Premium, but not Osprey or titanium-level
• June availability? Maybe May pre-orders?

I'm tempted to share more because I'm 99% sure it will work now, but the embarrassment of having to pivot away isn't worth sharing early. Like I've mentioned in the past, Blackland will not introduce a new razor to our permanent lineup unless it innovates in some way.

Your contribution to the forum is very much appreciated. I do love the quality of your razors and the shaves they give.

No need to reply, but wouldn’t it be fascinating if the operative word in your post above was “pivot”?

 

[newguy1978]

A Blackland razor with a pivoting head. I think we are more likely to see a handle with knurling!!!

 

[Blackland Razors]

I think we are more likely to see a handle with knurling!!!

Lol zero chance. Literally zero chance of a knurled Blackland brand razor handle.

 

[newguy1978]

Lol zero chance. Literally zero chance of a knurled Blackland brand razor handle.i

I really loved your last video series. Hopefully you will have the time to do the same with the new sabre.

 

[BelfastBlade]

I'm very glad to hear this. I'll look forward to this and I'll be ordering one when it drops.

Just thought I would share some of my experiences with the Sabre and Blackland in general. I recently got the original Sabre (L2 plate) and I think it's absolutely fantastic. In my humble opinion, it's the best GEM razor I've ever used. You know, it's almost hard to believe I'm using the same blades as I was in other GEM razors. Yes, they were good in other GEM razors but the Sabre seems to make them feel and perform like a dream. Almost like an entirely different blade. It really highlighted to me how much of a difference a good razor can make.

Put it like this, I was so impressed with the Sabre I immediately went and bought another two Blacklands. The Vector (SB plate) and the Osprey.

As for the Vector, I just don't know what to say about this one.. many times on my initial use of the Vector, just like with the Sabre, I'd stop mid shave, stare at it in awe, shake my head in disbelief and say "this thing is amazing". That about sums it up pretty well I think.

The Vector has also exceeded all possible expectations. I've been using it practically non stop since I got it. I rarely if ever use a razor two days in a row let alone weeks. The past few days have been the first I've actually pulled myself away from Vector to use something else since I got it. Going back to other razors after using the Vector the difference is quite apparent.. the Vector combined with a fresh Feather Professional, is for me, in a league of it's own.. already the Vector is a strong contender for my favorite razor of all time. Based on performance alone, I truthfully think it would be right at the top of the list.. different things work for different people and what I say refers just to me and my experience, but I genuinely don't think there would be much that could contend with it for me.

Lastly, the Osprey.. I've been so tied up with the Sabre and the Vector, I've not even had a chance to open up the box and try it yet. But if it turns out to be even half as good as the others in the Blackland stable (or should I say hangar ).. well, I will be absolutely delighted with it also. From watching the videos it looks like another superb design.

I'm really glad I finally decided to try Blackland's offerings. It has been 100% worth it. I'm sure others can relate, after collecting many razors from other companies, I was wondering if Blackland razors would have anything extra on all the other razors I own. I can say now, I feel they certainly do. I'm a big fan. Extremely pleased with my Blacklands. I will definitely be buying more of their great razors. My only regret is that I hadn't tried Blackland razors sooner.