Mongoose Razor Tour/Pass Around

WOO-HOO! It's on like

I am six shaves in so far with mine and it's smoothed out rather nicely. The razor has moved from something that I thought was really nice that would fill the void for an SE razor in my shave den to something that's outstanding and is giving me exceptional shaves every day. I'm getting the type of smooth effortless shaves I got from the king Cobra with this razor now. Definitely a keeper for me.

I'm looking forward to following this thread and hearing all of your thoughts on the razor.

Michael, your generosity is above and beyond for putting on this as well at the other tours. Thank you!

Hi Gents,

As noted on Friday the tour is on. Please reach out if you sent me a message but do not see your name listed below. If you are interested in adding your name, please see post #20 for the rules/requirements. Shave on....

Mongoose Tour List
tukyou
vadim
admvalentine
DrColossus11
Mojo88
Rory1262
jzuzphreek
mrlandpirate
Haggises
DaltonGang
prairie-dad

This first write up may be long but please bear with me and the rest will be short and sweet. To start with I totaly fumbled and then recoverd the start of this as I some how gave poonjaji the wrong zip code for delivery. Lucky I cought this when checking the tracking and the zip I gave was for the next town over so with a phone call I was able to correct it all and pick up the razor after work today. So on with the show and a little back story. This is my first time useing a SE, I have used many many DE's and a couple straight razors but never a SE so all my comparisions will be to DE's I have tried. I am normaly a every other day shaver because my hair just dosn't grow that fast and I mostly face lather, alot of the time with my hands using a cream. To stay on track time wise and to try all three blades I will shave 2 days in a row with a Kai Captain Titan Mild blade then 2 days in a row with a Feather Pro blade then 1 day with a Feather Pro Super 1 day off and 1 last shave with the Super. Then I will clean it, steralize in Barbicide and ship to the next in line. For consistancy my routine will stay the same, shower then shave using the same cream and brush and changing only the blade. This will be the setup.



First shave Kai blade : Have not shaved since Sunday night but did so with a NEW DeLuxe and it was one heck of a close shave so not alot of wiskers to deal with. Shave went nice and smooth. Felt nice and mild like a 40's SS or a Flair tip SS or even a Triangle slot Tech in feel but a tad closer in cut witch could likely improve with more practice. No nicks, cuts, weepers or razor burn. A great shave and a great start.

Last nights shave was pretty much a practice run as my wisker growth was barley noticeable so I worked on blade angle. But again a nice mild feel, smooth shave and no issues. I should note that my remarks to closness are from my standard may of shaving, I do not chase BBS I do 2 passes WTG and touch ups around the moustache and the hairline by the ear. I see no reason why you could not get BBS from this razor if you tried, it seems more than able to achive it. Getting a good blade angle is pretty simple with this razor as you just lay the forward angle flat against your face and drop the handle a tad. This handle is also a good choice I'm guessing, it feels sure in the hand. It looks to me like the original could be a bit big and cluncky and could be slippery with wet and soappy hands though I really don't know. An other thing to get used to is the width of the head witch is about 25% wider than a standard DE head. It takes only two and a half passes to go from nose to ear on my face.

I skipped last nights shave so I would have something worth shaving tonight and put a Feather Pro blade in. Tonights shave was a little more agressive but still very smooth like turning my Slim up a notch or two. The shave was also a little bit closer, like almost BBS with out trying. Again no nicks, no cuts, no weepers and no razor burn. This is a great shaver with lots of potential.

Sign me up please. Hopefully I'll have better luck than I did with the Feather AC.

Nice reviews Paul!

I look forward to getting my turn in due course and thank Michael again for the generous spirit he shows with these tours.

Member added. If you are interested in participating please see post #20 for the rules/requirements.

Mongoose Tour List
tukyou
vadim
admvalentine
DrColossus11
Mojo88
Rory1262
jzuzphreek
mrlandpirate
Haggises
DaltonGang
prairie-dad
tclobaugh

Read and agreed to. Thanks as always Michael

Well I had my final shave with the Mongoose tonight. Have not shaved since Friday and it didn't matter to this razor. What can I say other than this is a great razor, still nice and mild feeling and smooth with no tugging (or cloging either) and just as close as the last shave. I really have not found a fault with it in the time I've had it. If I had to pick something to change I guess it would be the width of the head, I know this can't be changed due to the blades it is designed to use. I don't find it to be a problem I'm just saying if I were pressed to pick something the head width would be the only thing I could come up with as I'm used to a standard DE head width. That said I also don't know what the original handle is like. I've been SE curious for some time and this razor has certainly sold me and I think my RAD may turn to trying other SE razors for a while. I don't know what the current availability situation is but I'll be contacting Bull Goose to find out. Last I read they will be handling the sales for these and that a head only option would be offered, if so that is what I'll be looking for and useing one of my beloved handles. When I do get one (and I will) it will be knocking one of my regular rotation razors to the now and then line up. Ok so it will be cleaned, sanitized and boxed up tonight and put in the mail tomorrow. Good luck to the rest of you in line and I hope it is as much a pleasure for the rest of you as it was for me.

tclobaugh said:

Nice reviews Paul!

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Thank you. I try to be informative but not to winded. That's not always easy for me.

tukyou said:

Thank you. I try to be informative but not to winded. That's not always easy for me.

Click to expand...

I can relate.

First, I'd like to thank Michael for graciously offering his Mongoose in this tour. I am super excited about getting the opportunity to try out this highly regarded razor. I have been reading the experiences others have had with the Mongoose for the last few months and I have been convinced that the Mongoose is a razor I need to try. This will be my first time using an SE razor. My experience up to this point has been with DE razors. My current DE razor collection, listed from most to least use, includes the Tradere SB, LA Shaving Soap Co. BBS-1, Weber Polished Head, and about 7 vintage Gillettes. I've also had a few other razors that I have sold recently, including the Ikon DLC Slant and the Standard razor. All of these razors will help establish my reference for comparison.

For this test, I will keep the soap, brush, and aftershave the same throughout to minimize the variables. I will be using some of my top performing favorites just to make sure the Mongoose gets the best chance it can get. The soap will be Mitchell's Wool Fat. The brush will be the Edwin Jagger STFv2 XL synthetic. The aftershave will be L'Occitane Cade balm. My usual prep is a hot shower before shaving.

I have received the razor this evening (Friday) in excellent condition, so my first shave will be tomorrow (Saturday). I will figure out the blade order I will use later tonight or maybe I'll make a last second decision tomorrow. I'll try to post 2-3 updates throughout the week to capture my thoughts on the differences between the blades and how I'm adapting to the technique required to use this razor.

Once again, thanks to Michael for making this tour possible! I look forward to posting my thoughts on the this razor and reading the results from others. Happy shaving!

Member added. If you are interested in participating please see post #20 for the rules/requirements.

Mongoose Tour List
tukyou
vadim (shaving)
admvalentine
DrColossus11
Mojo88
Rory1262
jzuzphreek
mrlandpirate
Haggises
DaltonGang
prairie-dad
Dave Deluxe
tclobaugh

vadim said:

My current DE razor collection, listed from most to least use, includes the Tradere SB, LA Shaving Soap Co. BBS-1, Weber Polished Head, and about 7 vintage Gillettes. I've also had a few other razors that I have sold recently, including the Ikon DLC Slant and the Standard razor. All of these razors will help establish my reference for comparison.

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Very nice collection of razors. The BBS-1 is one that I have some interest in and wouldn't mind trying someday. I'm intrigued by it because some here have chosen it over the ATT that I own and think very highly of. Tradere is one that has escaped me so far as well.

Here's a business idea for someone to run with. We need a razor library here where we can check these things out and try them, even for a small fee and a credit card hold to insure it's coming back. Michael is going above and beyond to cover the SE's but there are too many other de razors that I'd love to try as well. We just need a credit card machine, five of each high end razor made, some barbicide, and some postage boxes to get it all started.

Sorry, for my off topic ramblings, I'll get back on topic now.

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the Mongoose. I picked one up a few weeks back and after switching to a slightly lighter handle (ATT Kronos) to get a bit more mobility with it I'm really enjoying it.

Initial Impressions: I really like the weight and balance of the razor. I prefer heavy razors with a heavy head (one of the reasons why I love my Tradere SB). For comparison, the Mongoose with the Ikon Bulldog handle weigh in at 124g. My Tradere SB weighs 115g and the Weber PH (with Weber Bulldog handle) weigh a little under 98g. The Tradere SB is also quite a wide razor for a DE. The Mongoose comes in at 51mm width. The Tradere SB is about 44mm wide along the safety bar, but the maximum width of the head is 48mm. The Weber is about 41mm wide.

Build Quality: Overall, the machining and material quality look excellent. The finish quality is high and the machine marks are minimal. The edges are all extremely clean and well made. I think my BBS-1 sets the standard for machining and finish quality but the Mongoose is no slouch.

Design: I feel like Mongoose missed an opportunity to improve the way the top cap and base plate fit together. You kind of have to hunt around a little before the top cap and base plate engage, and even when they do, they only engage a minimal amount. The Tradere takes this to the extreme with the baseplate fitting entirely between the flanges of the top cap. With the Mongoose, without the handle attached, there is a tiny bit of play between the cap and baseplate--more than I would like and more than my Tradere SB or BBS-1 exhibit. There is a ton of real estate at the rear of the Mongoose that I feel they could have used to create interlocking features to improve the alignment between the top cap and the baseplate and to increase the tactile feedback when they engage. Of course, this is a minor nitpick and not a major flaw.

First Shave: I decided to start off with the Kai Mild blade. (Note, I used the last remaining blade in the open Kai dispenser. Therefore, there will be exactly 20 Kai blades in the unopened pack for the rest of the tour.) My routine for this shave was a hot shower and then I went the extra mile with a hot towel afterward. I used MWF, and the EJ STFv2 XL for the rest of the equipment. I do the traditional three pass (WTG, XTG, ATG) shave.

Unfortunately, I didn't find the Kai blade very smooth, especially on the WTG pass. However, I experience this often with a number of DE blades as well, where the WTG pass will be a little tuggy and then subsequent passes are much better. While my beard is not super dense, it is very coarse. The lack of smoothness isn't a deal breaker. I've just gotten very spoiled by the Tradere SB, which is by far the smoothest shaving razor I've used.

The results are good for the first shave. No nicks or weepers. I thought the Tradere would prepare me well for a heavy and wide razor, but there's no doubt you can feel the extra width of the razor. It takes some getting used to. I had a few spots where the shave wasn't as close as I'd like. I think I'll chock that up to getting used to the maneuverability of the razor. Finding the right blade angle was easy and intuitive. I did find that the extra width did make the shave a tiny bit awkward. Hopefully I can adjust to it and really take advantage of it so that it becomes a positive instead of a negative.

Overall, I see a lot of potential for this razor, especially if the Feather blades turn out to be smoother for me. It's off to a good start so far. I'll report back after a few more shaves and after I get the chance to try the next blade.

Member removed. If you are interested in participating please see post #20 for the rules/requirements, and then reach out.

Mongoose Tour List
tukyou
vadim (shaving)
admvalentine
DrColossus11
Mojo88
Rory1262
jzuzphreek
mrlandpirate
Haggises
DaltonGang
prairie-dad
tclobaugh

Here are my final thoughts about my week with the Mongoose.

I had two shaves with the Kai Mild blades then took one day off from shaving. My face was feeling just the tiniest bit of overall irritation after two days in a row with the Mongoose and Kai Milds. The Kai Mild blades weren't bad, but were far from the most comfortable shaves I've had. I went with the Feather Pro blades on the next two shaves. While I experienced a tiny bit of tugging on the first pass, for me, they were better blades overall than the Kai Milds. The first shave with the Feather Pro went well and the second even better. But I didn't receive as close of a shave as I would have wanted. I think I will blame that on the lack of maneuverability of the Mongoose. The larger head makes it hard to fine tune the angle for harder to navigate parts of the face, like the chin and under the nose. I found myself just using the corner of the Mongoose to get some spots--but that kind of defeats the purpose of having a wide head in the first place.

Last up were the Feather Pro Super blades. They were noticeably more aggressive. In fact, I stopped after two passes (WTG then XTG). I achieved a similar shave quality to three passes with the previous two blades. However, I was starting to feel some irritation with the Feather Super blades--probably the most irritation out of the three blades I used. In conclusion, I would probably call the Feather Pro my favorite out of the three.

Here are some of my thoughts about the pros and cons of the Mongoose.

Pros:

* Good build quality. As I mentioned in my initial impression post, the build quality is excellent.

* User friendly. It was very intuitive to find the right shaving angle. I didn't get a single nick or weeper in the time I used the razor. Overall, there's a very low learning curve to use this razor.

Cons:

* Maneuverability. The biggest negative for me is the lack of maneuverability of this razor, almost all of which is due to the width of the razor. I don't think the extra width reduces the number of strokes enough to offset the lack of finesse it has. Instead of being able to fine tune the angle and pressure for each part of the face, you just have to pick an average and go with it. I think this causes just a bit more irritation on the neck, where grain direction changes quickly.

* Design issues. There are a few minor design issues that would make this thing even better: longer blade alignment posts and the addition of some other alignment mechanisms to make sure the top cap and and base plate are properly aligned. I've seen some posts in various forums where people have improperly assembled the Mongoose, so it's definitely an issue that could be addressed.

Also, I've read some user experiences where people have reported that the top cap "sticks" to their face. I experienced a tiny bit of this during my week with the Mongoose. The top cap right behind the blade is a large flat surface. If your angle is just a little too shallow, you might get some adhesion between your face and the top surface of the top cap. This tends to pull the top cap into your face and pulls the blade out of cutting alignment. I think with more experience with handling the razor, this will become a non-issue. I really only experienced this on one shave, so it's not a big deal.

Verdict: It's a good razor and I'm glad I had the chance to try it. However, it's not a DE/RAD killer for me. I found the Mongoose a bit bulky and to have a lack of finesse. I was never able to match the smoothness or closeness that I achieved with my DE razors. I also found that my face felt just a tiny bit more irritated with the Mongoose than with my DE razors.

I'm not going to cross the Mongoose off my want-to-buy list. The Mongoose will just move to the bottom of my list rather than the top.

Thanks again Michael for letting me try the Mongoose. I've cleaned and disinfected the razor and will ship it to the next person on Monday morning.