RRDLCPSSSS, AKA "The Paperweight" anticipation thread.

I also received one in the mail today and couldn't wait to use it. The only other slant I have used is the IKon DLC Slant, which has been in heavy rotation in my den for almost two months.

My prep was MR GLO with three days growth. I ended up with a few weepers, as others have stated. They were all in my first pass, the other two went without issue. That said, I am very happy with the shave I received. I suspect after a few more shaves with it I will get used to the weight and have no problems.

It feels great in my hand and I had no problem finding the correct angle. I am unable to find a flaw in the DLC coating and the machine marks are almost unnoticeable. Had it not been mentioned in the description I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The only "issue" is the bottom of the handle isn't perfectly flat. It still stands though, so this is really nitpicky.

Overall, I am very pleased and am looking forward to many more shaves with this razor!

Received mine today! Beyond excited to use it.

Razorock stealth DLC slant
Badger and blade boar brush
Queen Charlotte Rose Otto Croap
Queen Charlotte Rose Otto AS Balm
Thayers Rose Witch Hazel

First pass felt awkward. I wasn't used to the angle or using a slant in general. The head is significantly larger than any other razor I've used.

Here it is side by side with my jack black razor (also a fantastic shaver)



The second pass went along with much less fuss. I started to find the sweet spot.

Third pass and upper lip went without a hitch and I really enjoyed the shave.


PROS:

1. Nice hefty weight
2. Machine marks (albeit very small) add character
3. THE HANDLE IS BRILLIANT! I repeat, the handle is absolutely brilliant!! No slip even when drenched with water and soap.
4. the machine work is beautiful. The pieces have a sort of mechanical marvel feel when screwed together. I've seen other razors where the chrome makes it almost feel cheap. This is completely the opposite.
5. The shave was great for my first time using it. I need to experiment with blades, but a darn fine shave using a mild blade.
6. The coating really makes the curves of this razor shine. It truly is a work of art.

Cons:

1. I only found one con, the razor seems to smear the lather around more than any other razor I've used. THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO MY TECHNIQUE. Time will tell if I'm able to correct my shaving errors.


I feel as if the razor will perform better and better once I master the technique of it.


All in all, A++++

THANKS JOE!!!!!

Four shaves in and I'm growing to love the heavy weight. It's the only razor I've used since I received it, and I got the most comfortable shave I've ever had today. I was going to try to get the RRSS aluminum, but don't know that I want to switch back and forth between light and heavy.

RSP1 said:

Four shaves in and I'm growing to love the heavy weight. It's the only razor I've used since I received it, and I got the most comfortable shave I've ever had today. I was going to try to get the RRSS aluminum, but don't know that I want to switch back and forth between light and heavy.

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I have only had one shave with the paperweight, but it was a pretty great shave. The aluminum one is supposed to be a much quicker shave that you don't have to think about...like a zero stress shave. I have my ATT-H2 for the days that i want to take a little extra time and get a phenomenal shave...and my paperweight looks like it will be my "crud im running a bit late and need to get going!" razor.

Shave #2 this morning. Today I let the weight of the head do its job and float over my skin. No nicks or cuts this time, and again a BBS shave. It's all in the technique and I'm sure after a few more shaves with it the cuts of the first shave will be a distant memory. Just need to respect the razor. I simply need to shave at a much slower pace with this than I can with the Ikon, the ATT or any of my other razors. Glad I bought it and its nice having another slant in the rotation.

Shave 3 today. It was a two pass with new feather blade. End result is not what I would consider DFS. I think it was due to not soaking the hairs enough. I'll have to try again tomorrow.

I did notice that the feather blade did not seem to have even exposure like I was seeing with the voskhod blades. I even unscrewed and checked the blade to make sure everything was lined up. Same thing when it was tightened down. The feather blade also didn't make the metal click noise the voskhod did when loaded.

Anyone else experience this?

i use feather blades and i do not hear a click. sometimes with a new blade there is some creaking when you screw the pieces together but definitely no click

paintflinger said:

I did notice that the feather blade did not seem to have even exposure like I was seeing with the voskhod blades. I even unscrewed and checked the blade to make sure everything was lined up. Same thing when it was tightened down. The feather blade also didn't make the metal click noise the voskhod did when loaded.

Anyone else experience this?

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Joe's description of the slant on his web site says;

" A double edge blade, when in this razor, is not suppose to be perfectly parallel to the top cap edge, BY DESIGN. There will be more blade reveal on one side than the other."



Is this what your talking about paintflinger?

flyboy320 said:

Joe's description of the slant on his web site says;

" A double edge blade, when in this razor, is not suppose to be perfectly parallel to the top cap edge, BY DESIGN. There will be more blade reveal on one side than the other."

Is this what your talking about paintflinger?

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Yeah, but I guess that means that there is something screwy going on with the voskhod blade I tried then.

I'll have to test it out later.

Just had my first shave with my Paperweight this morning. For the last couple of months I have been shaving with an iKon slant for days I want a close shave and a Feather AD-D1 when I don't need a BBS all over. I shave every day, and have a course thick beard, so a slant really works good for me.

Compared to the iKon, I got a slightly closer shave, so this saying something because I used to think the iKon gave me a very close shave. The Paperweight was a bit smoother with slight less irritation than the iKon. Thanks to others who have talked about the shave angle and I've found it's quite different than my iKon. I had the handle much closer to my face than I'm used to, which takes some getting used to as it gets in the way sometimes depending on how I'm maneuvering it on my face. The large head made it a bit more of a challenge to get close under my nose, but I quickly figured this out and doesn't appear to be an issue.

The only part I'm not sure about is the weight, perhaps that just takes getting used to, like many aspects of wet shaving. The balance of the handle is top notch. I tried the iKon handle with the Paperweight head, but it wasn't balanced right, so the handle and head are a perfect match, Joe did his homework on this!

Great razor and I look forward to making it my daily driver!

I have shaved with the paperweight 3 times now. My daily driver has been the Gillette slim for months now.

I have to say it is a great looking razor with that DLC coating. The handle is both very good-looking and very functional with its sharp edges. No need for some alum on my soapy hands like with my slim.

My first shave was DFS+, my second BBS and the third DFS because I was messing around with blade angle just for the fun of it.

The shaves are closer than my Slim provided at its best. I even skipped a day after the BBS, my shave was so close.

Now for the Cons.

The razor is HEAVY. The heaviest razor I have used. Because of this my shaves have been much slower than with my Slim. I have a feeling I will like the aluminum version of this razor much better (if I can get my hands on one). At this point the razor feels too heavy. Maybe that will change with more shaves as I get used to it.

shubes said:

I have shaved with the paperweight 3 times now. My daily driver has been the Gillette slim for months now.

I have to say it is a great looking razor with that DLC coating. The handle is both very good-looking and very functional with its sharp edges. No need for some alum on my soapy hands like with my slim.

My first shave was DFS+, my second BBS and the third DFS because I was messing around with blade angle just for the fun of it.

The shaves are closer than my Slim provided at its best. I even skipped a day after the BBS, my shave was so close.

Now for the Cons.

The razor is HEAVY. The heaviest razor I have used. Because of this my shaves have been much slower than with my Slim. I have a feeling I will like the aluminum version of this razor much better (if I can get my hands on one). At this point the razor feels too heavy. Maybe that will change with more shaves as I get used to it.

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I suspect you will get used to it. Without a doubt, it's a heavy razor, but I think well within the tolerances most people experience every day. I read further up in the thread that wristwatches were generally considered too heavy at around 100g, but a watch stays on your wrist all day. The Paperweight is 137g, but you only use it for, maybe, 20-30 minutes on a lazy Sunday shave.

I'm not saying you won't love the aluminum version; you most certainly will. But it's probably worth hanging onto both.

It definitely early to pass final judgement. I am only 3 shaves in. But I do see myself vastly preferring the aluminum version. I may keep both, but thus I've been monogamous my razors. First a EJ89, then my slims. Unlike my soaps, where let's face it... I've been a slut. 17 soaps in my rotations currently.

3rd shave in so far....getting used to the weight, shaves getting better.. using a Gillette black and Jabonman citrus shave soap.. No peeling or DLC flakes or other anomalies anywhere on the razor or handle. I use a Q-tip to clean after each shave, works very well... I did notice the screw was a bit wide for the center hole of the Gillette blade and the screw is a bit short, which for me, makes handling a bit difficult when breaking it down with a blade in it..and it resembles the IB bakelite slant alot...in short...so far so good!! More to come..as they say"Only time will tell".

I have got two shaves under my belt with the so-called “Paperweight” and would like to do a pseudo-review/comparison of the prototype aluminum (Al slant) and stainless steel (SS slant) razors.

Initial Comments:

The first thing you will notice about the SS slant is the sheer weight of razor. This thing is going to cause some serious damage if you accidentally drop it on your tiles, tub, sink, toes. According to my digital scale, it comes in at a solid 137g. On the other hand, the Al slant is a lightweight at 45g.

SS slant (left) and Al slant (right)


Design Differences:

Besides weight, there are also a few design difference between the two razors. Some of which may/may not affect the handling and shaving performance of each slant. As previously mentioned by other reviewers, the SS slant bottom plate has a much thicker mounting section. I am not sure of the reasoning for this change but it certainly contributes to the razor’s weight. I also confirm other reviewer’s comments on the neck of the handle. It is noticeably thinner on the SS iteration. The side-view of the SS slant’s head also reveals a curved bottom plate (compared to the flat bottom profile of the Al slant). Again, I do not see how this difference would affect performance but it is worth noting for the sake of being complete and thorough

SS slant (left) and Al slant (right) - Note the thinner center section of the Al slant


SS slant (left) and Al slant (right)


Continued in next post...

Fit and Finish:

Although both of these razors are prototype models, the fit/finish differences are fairly significant. I would rate the the Al slant as near production-ready. This razor’s levels of tolerance, precision, and alignment fit are very tight. It is virtually impossible to miss-align/miss-load a blade in the Al slant as the top and bottom plates fit together absolutely perfectly with zero gap. There is also zero play when spinning the handle to lock the razor together. The only dissent I have is that the anodized coating is getting abraded off the center post of the top cap and the hole of the bottom plate. It appears that the blade is twisting and causing the abrasion(s) when securing the cap/plate together. I am watching this situation very closely because this “blade twisting” could ultimately lead to a pre-mature razor death if it cuts significantly into the center post.

Al slant - Note the worn/abraded anodized coating on the center post where it connects to the top plate and the chipped anodized coating on the edges of the mounting holes


Overall, the SS slant is not at the fit and finish level of it Al brother. The levels of tolerance and part alignment are nowhere near as tight. As Joe warned, there are various machine marks but I cannot feel them when I run a finger nail over. Fit-wise, there is a gap difference on the sides of top cap when mounted. The sides of a loaded blade also stick out further on one side of the head. Another design disparity (intended or unintended…I am not sure) is that the corners of a loaded blade are not flush with the bottom plate causing a slight blade gap. *My Opinion* I feel that this lessens the smoothness of the SS slant compared to the Al slant as I can feel the corner of the blade when shaving. I am interested to see if the other SS slant owner have this small gap as well. Regarding the DLC coating, it is fairly even and intact everywhere on the razor except the bottom plate. The center mounting section has various uncoated spots, but like the machine marks, I cannot feel them at all as the surface is completely smooth. Again, the SS slant is a prototype razor so I am not too hung up on the coating but I would like to see Joe address the fit/alignment before this goes to production (if it goes to production).

SS slant (left) and Al slant (right) - Note the slight blade gap on the corners of the SS slant compared to the flushed design (no gap) on the Al slant


SS slant - Inconsistent DLC results on the middle section - *This razor is a prototype and Joe warned buyers prior to purchasing so this is to be expected*


Shaving Experience:

I have said it before and it has been echoed several times by various members --- The Al slant is a very forgiving but very efficient razor. The optimal shaving angle is a simple “yes/no” issue. It’s either cutting or it’s not. Holding the razor at a non-optimal angle will lead to zero stubble-reduction (as opposed to nicks and weepers). However, if you find the proper angle (seems to only be one) then you will be rewarded with a ridiculously smooth shave. With the Al slant, I can honestly shave in complete darkness and zip around with cartridge-like speed without fear of being bitten.

On the other hand, the SS slant is a BEAST that needs to be respected. The additional weight pushes does on my skin just enough to tell me that I have to take my time. I highly recommend letting the weight of the razor do the shaving – as adding additional pulling force can lead to blade bites (and subsequent blood-letting and cursing). The SS slant is not as forgiving as the Al iteration as I have noticed a bigger window/angle for stubble-reduction. The wrong angle and you will get bit. I am finding that shaving the chin line (especially ATG) requires a bit of effort. I have to pull up against gravity but the razor’s hefty weight makes it difficult to maintain constant (non)pressure and the optimal shaving angle.

Final Comments:

In my opinion, the Al razor has reached “desert-island” status. I look forward to getting the production version when it comes out…I will probably get two as it is also my SWMBO’s favorite razor

The SS slant has potential but it’s not there quite yet. I need more experience to figure out the idiosyncrasies and to get out of the habit of handling it like its Al brother. I hope that Joe continues to refine its fit/finish and decides to give this razor a full production cycle (or more).

Shave #4, went for BBS for the hell of it and I'm a hair or two away from it. The feather blade on its second shave seemed to still be working pretty well. For a BBS shave, the irritation was fairly minimal and went away with a hit of menthol. Probably could have improved the shave a little bit with slightly slicker lather.

Overall, this razor is still performing well, but I'm not sure it will replace the R41 as a daily shaver. It just doesn't get close enough on the second pass and the third can be touchy.

I'm going to jump back to the Voskhod blades and see if that helps with daily shaving.

P.S. Atalk, I really like the blade sticking out the sides for the functional reason that it makes it really easy to grab the razor head by the sides (especially when wet) to drop it into my razor rack.

I've used my dlc 6/7 times already, wtg and xtg are super easy, super smooth. have a bit of trouble atg, still get some nicks/weepers but i think its a technique issue. I'm a 1 razor type guy so im probably going to use the dlc for another month or two and then make a decision on whether or not i want to pass it along in the b/s/t section or keep it.

paintflinger said:

P.S. Atalk, I really like the blade sticking out the sides for the functional reason that it makes it really easy to grab the razor head by the sides (especially when wet) to drop it into my razor rack.

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I agree as well. The blade sides help me align/tighten the razor head to handle. What is peculiar with the SS slant is that the blade sides do not stick out the same distance. One side is noticeably longer than the other.

I must say, I'm getting accustomed to this razor. Three days in a row using it and getting better each time. The extra weight of this razor isn't bothering me as much as it did on day 1, but I'm still only 3 shaves in. As a previous poster had mentioned, I can't shave as nonchalantly with this as I do with any other razor. Get a little careless and it will bite you. I've not noticed any issues with mine re: uneven blade exposure. Seems fine to me.

And now I'm wondering about trying the Aluminum version. Hmmm, will RAD ever end? Do I really need another Slant? If I keep this up it'll take weeks to get through a single rotation.