The Mongoose - My Five Shave Review

First of all, I love the design, appearance and workmanship of the Mongoose - it is clearly a (very large) well-made, precision tool.

If you have one, or are expecting one, be patient; there’s a learning curve to using this razor - your patience will be rewarded!

I am using a Feather Pro blade, which I used when I owned a Cobra a couple of years ago - it took me a few shaves to get used to it back then as well.

It's a very efficient razor. The sharpness of the blade and the wider head mean I need fewer passes, so it has reduced my shaving time by a full five minutes. For me, this is a big plus.

The combination of the Pro Blade, the overall razor weight and the huge “Dub Legend” handle caused a lot of weepers, nicks and irritation with my first few shaves. I was sure the big handle was just too heavy to achieve smooth strokes, so I tried a lighter handle. I didn’t notice a significant difference, so I went back to the Dub.

Today, I paid more attention to using absolutely the least possible pressure and I changed my shave angle a bit. The handle didn’t seem to be an issue this time. I still had a couple of weepers, but the irritation, as determined by my alum block, was minimal. Things are improving!

The shaving angle that works best for me is similar to what I use with other SE razors. I start with the head flush against my face and tilt the razor slightly until the blade just makes contact with my beard.

Based on my 24 hour re-growth, it shaves about as closely as the MMOC, but feels smoother. If you’re strictly a DE razor guy, it’s similar to a Joris/Fatip or a 2013 R41.

If you’re a DE shaver who prefers Slants for the increased blade rigidity, you should consider the Mongoose (or any other SE razor).

The Feather Pro blade is just a bit too aggressive for me, so I ordered the “Mongoose Sampler” from tryablade.com. I’m hoping that one of the milder Kai blades is a better fit.

My Holy Grail razor would be an efficient, aggressive, but smooth razor that requires fewer strokes per pass and leaves no irritation: imagine the comfort of an AS-D2 combined with the closeness of an R41. I still haven’t found “The One” that puts it all together, but the Mongoose is very close. With a bit of fine-tuning (on my part), I think the potential is there.

Thanks for a great review, Bob. Now I can't wait for my 'Goose to arrive so I can try it.

Mongoose has been shipped to me, Thanks for the review and info. I may try a Kai mild, even though I normally shave with Cobra and Super (last 2 shaves) or Professional.

where do i buy a mongoose?

The Goose is just a lovely shaver. I did have 2013 R41 and found it to be severely harsh on my skin. The Mongoose feels so much smoother and just as efficient as the R41 was.

let us know how do you like the mongoose compared to the cobra

Update: I received my Mongoose blade sampler today and shaved with the Kai Captain Titan Mild blade (not the Kai blade with the guard on it). The shave may not be quite as close as with the Feather Pro blade, but I had no nicks or weepers this time, and irritation was almost non-existent. And since I generally shave every day and don't have a coarse or fast-growing beard, the results are just fine with me. A possible option would be use the Kai for daily shaving and the Feather when I skip a day - with an expensive razor like the Mongoose, I want to wring every possible drop of performance out of it.

Since I bought both the Kai Milds and Feather Pros in anticipation of receiving the Mongoose, a very generous forum member sent me a few Feather Pro Supers and Feather Pro Guards.

So far I had a great shave with the Kai Mild, though I did find the razor milder than I expected. I then had a perfect head shave with the same blade.

Finally, my second (face) shave with the Pro/Super, which made for a much more aggressive shave. For those who don't know, the Supers are larger, thicker blades. They will have significantly more blade exposure on this razor than the the others. A shallower angle is needed. I nicked myself with the Super, but that was because I hadn't yet learned to adjust the angle (in the "habit" already from yesterday's shave of a steeper angle). We'll see how this adjustment goes, but I think it might be that the Super becomes the blade of choice, in the name of efficiency.

I just received my Mongoose II from Maggard Razors in Adrian,Michigan. I have been a faithful user or the "Feather Artisan" style straight razors using the folder handle for years. I love the Feather Pro blades as well in their proprietary dispenser box. I had heard of the Mongoose and decided to try it. I am well aware of the Artisan blade sharpness and was not at all surprised at how smooth my first shave with the Mongoose was. No nicks or blood.A full with-the-grain pass was almost perfect as the 2" wide blade took off most of the beard. A slight against-the-grain upward swipe was just right for a baby smooth shave. These blades last a long time,remember to remove the used blade from the stainless razor and allow to dry. Stainless only "stains less" and is not immune to rust when stored improperly. The angle is easy to determine by slowing lowering the handle downwards from a perpendicular touch against your face. I also use Ikon,ATT,Feather,and slants with double edge blades. This one is a definite keeper.

Tedbytes said:

These blades last a long time,remember to remove the used blade from the stainless razor and allow to dry. Stainless only "stains less" and is not immune to rust when stored improperly.

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Good advice but it is the blade that causes most of the "rusting". As you say any steel can rust given the wrong conditions but stainless steel, even 303 the lowest grade, is pretty resistant. I have experienced rusting with my Ikon Aluminium head razor and my Feather AS-D2 which, although stainless steel, is chrome plated. Therefore in both cases it was not caused by the razor head. A lot has to do with humidity level I would say as it is not a huge problem here in the UK.

After 40+ shaves, I didn't find the AC Pro blade to have any rust. I did absolutely nothing to prevent it either. Shave, rinse, and put back on rack. I never pulled the blade out till I was done with it.

paintflinger said:

After 40+ shaves, I didn't find the AC Pro blade to have any rust. I did absolutely nothing to prevent it either. Shave, rinse, and put back on rack. I never pulled the blade out till I was done with it.

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Same here, I have never pulled a blade until it was passed it's best. As I said in my last post it may be a humidity thing but it is certainly not a problem in my neck of the woods. Just a few cases of, what some people call, "tea stains" rather than full rust, and this in razors with aluminium or chrome plated heads.

I received a Mongoose SS in trade a couple of months ago and it's a joy to use. I have a Feather Pro Guards blade in it for now and it provides a fantastic shave. I'm on shave 6 or 7 with that blade now and it's still super sharp. No tugging. No rust issues at all here.

With good lather, a light touch and letting the razor do the work, this big boy does the job.

Nice review. Thanks for posting.