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A Timeless Summer - A Comparative Assessment of Timeless Razors

A couple of more days with the RR Superslant 1++ OC and the Timeless Slant. The findings continue to reflect that the Timeless is just a tad smoother than the RazoRock, but not as efficient. With two passes, both razors can give you a DFS shave, but the RR is a bit closer.

I would like to add that both razors are a pleasure to shave with. Here are a few use cases for these two razors, relative to each other:

I want a quick easy shave. I don't want to deal with "pre-shave" or "post-shave" routines or products. I don't want to have to pay close attention to my technique: This is where the Timeless Slant is outstanding. With a 5-minute, 2-pass shave, you can get a comfortable experience that leaves your face looking pretty much the same at the end of the workday as it did when you left for work, just after you scraped away the stubble.

I want a mild razor, but it needs to be efficient. I see shaving as "me time" and don't mind (or actually like) taking extra time to be careful with my razors, blades and shave related routines: This is where the RazoRock Superslant 1++ excels. I'm able to get 10-hour shaves with this razor with very little impact to my face, provided I am careful, don't apply too much pressure, and don't spend a lot of time buffing tough spots. I would note that the highly twisted and slanted design of the head makes it difficult to get blades seated properly - not a problem for the enthusiast, but a bit of a pain in the rear for someone whose goal is to get the shave over with.

I have a goatee and I am very particular about the angles and shave of my facial hair: I would avoid the SuperSlant all-together if this use case is you. The SuperSlants are a bit difficult to align, and if you are trying to work in tight spaces, the heads are big. The Timeless Slant is quite good at navigating around tight spaces (like under the nose, shaving between a goatee and a soul patch, etc).

I want a super efficient slant razor that can give me regular BBS shaves: Neither of these razors fit the bill. They are pretty mild. Spending time trying to get a 12 hour+ shave will leave you frustrated and sore with either. You might want to look at one of the more aggressive SuperSlant heads, a Rex Konsul or one of the other, more aggressive slant razors. Alternatively, you can ask why you want a slant at all? As Shane @Blackland Razors has rightly noted, "there is nothing inherent to a slant that would make a one or two pass [shave] more likely just because of the slant itself...A slant could be more efficient or less efficient... the closeness of the shave has very little to do with whether or not the head is a slant".

I want the best sub $70 mild razor my hard-earned money can by and I don't want some chrome-plated zamak deal stamped by a machine: There are a lot of good razors out there in this price range, but not a ton of really well made, hand-crafted ones made from premium mateirals. The Timeless Slant fits the bill. Tomorrow I will test this razor against the Henson mild. I don't have the Al13, but I do have the Ti version. While the mild Ti Henson is definitely not a sub $75 razor, its head design is almost identical to its value-priced aluminum sibling.

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Timeless Slant vs. Henson +

For the past two days, I've been comparing the Timeless Slant against the Henson +. While the Henson is not a slant, the Al13 is a high-quality, mild, aluminum razor in the same price range as the Timeless Slant. Unfortunately, I do not have the AL13, but it's more expensive Ti sibling. Noting that difference, but also noting that the geometry of the Ti + head is the same as the Al + head, I'm thinking that the comparison may still have some value.

After two days of shaving, I have a few preliminary observations:

1) The mild Henson seems more efficient. Whether chasing a BBS shave on Day 1, or doing a quick shave on day 2, after 9 hours, there was simply less stubble on the side of my face that had the Henson treatment. I will be swapping blades for tomorrow's shaves to confirm that the differential is not due to the blade.

2) The Henson is a soap vacuum. In order to keep my face lubricated, I had to re-wet/re-apply soap continually on whichever side of my face used the Henson. I was always aware of that but doing a side-by-side with the Timeless, the need to continually re-apply water was pronounced. I'm not sure if that was a function of the Titanium material, the finish, or just a property of the design, but the razor does not make it easy to get through the shave without spritzing with a mister. That was not the case with the Timeless

3) I really like the weight and finish of the Ti Henson. It would be great to see Timeless do a Ti or Stainless version of the Slant.

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I think after tomorrow's shave, this comparison will be complete. With today's shave, I swapped blades between the razors to rule out any blade issues as being the root cause for differences in razor performance. The blade swap did not impact the performance of the razors. The Henson continued to be closer than the Timeless. The Timeless continued to be more forgiving:

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Timeless Slant vs Henson +: Final conclusions

This was a difficult evaluation as I was comparing a $250 razor against a $60 razor. That said, the Henson is the Ti brother of it's aluminum sibbling, so I don't think the shaving results should be much different between the AL and Ti variants.

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Based on this week's testing, here are the use cases for each razor:

I'm looking for an inexpensive, well made razor that is light and will last for years: Both razors fit the bill here. Both give a great shave (I used to have the AL13, gave it to my son and bought the TI22. The shave results were similar).

I want an extremely efficient but mild razor: The Henson takes the win here. It is more efficient than the Timeless

I don't want to think about my shave, I want a forgiving razor: The Timeless takes the win. This razor was more tolerant of changes in shaving angles and did not require re-wetting as much as the Henson +. The Timeless was more fun to use as a result.

I have always shaved with a cartridge razor, but want to move to a DE razor: The Timeless may be a better choice - at least for the first few weeks. It's ease of use was great and the results were quite good.

BigAl's Pick: I'm at a bit of a toss-up between the two (in Aluminum). If I had only one razor, I'd probably go with the Henson. If I had a second, more efficient razor as well, I'd pick the Timeless for the mild choice and then pick up another razor when I needed something more efficient that would get me through a 12-hour work-day with clients.

Happy shaves, everyone!

Next Up: Timeless Ti SC 95 vs Chiseled Face Legacy
 
Timeless Ti SC 95 vs Chiseled Face Brass Legacy

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I received my Chiseled Face Legacy last week and have been anxious to give it a spin. Today was the day!

Noting that I've never shaved with it before, the Legacy did a great job of giving me a reasonably efficient and smooth shave. I imagine my results will improve as I get to know the razor better. I would note that the Timeless also gave me a great shave, and one that lasted a couple of hours longer than the legacy. Though the Legacy is a heavier razor, the highly etched handle made it easy to control.

For this shave, each razor had four minutes of "face time", which I spread across three passes, with almost no buffing of problem areas at the end. Tomorrow, I will add some cleanup time, now that I have a feel for the Legacy. Here are the results:

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Timeless Slant vs Henson +: Final conclusions

This was a difficult evaluation as I was comparing a $250 razor against a $60 razor. That said, the Henson is the Ti brother of it's aluminum sibbling, so I don't think the shaving results should be much different between the AL and Ti variants.

View attachment 1883437

View attachment 1883439Based on this week's testing, here are the use cases for each razor:

I'm looking for an inexpensive, well made razor that is light and will last for years: Both razors fit the bill here. Both give a great shave (I used to have the AL13, gave it to my son and bought the TI22. The shave results were similar).

I want an extremely efficient but mild razor: The Henson takes the win here. It is more efficient than the Timeless

I don't want to think about my shave, I want a forgiving razor: The Timeless takes the win. This razor was more tolerant of changes in shaving angles and did not require re-wetting as much as the Henson +. The Timeless was more fun to use as a result.

I have always shaved with a cartridge razor, but want to move to a DE razor: The Timeless may be a better choice - at least for the first few weeks. It's ease of use was great and the results were quite good.

BigAl's Pick: I'm at a bit of a toss-up between the two (in Aluminum). If I had only one razor, I'd probably go with the Henson. If I had a second, more efficient razor as well, I'd pick the Timeless for the mild choice and then pick up another razor when I needed something more efficient that would get me through a 12-hour work-day with clients.

Happy shaves, everyone!

Next Up: Timeless Ti SC 95 vs Chiseled Face Legacy
I've have both (my Henson is the AL aggressive +++ though!). As much as I don't really like angle specific razors, the Henson +++ is definitely in my top 10. I had the Ti and sold it as I found that it shaved exactly the same as the aluminum version. So I just found it to be an expensive redundant razor. I used the funds for other razors!
And the aluminum timeless was sold about a week after I got it. Didn't really like it much as it felt kind of rough to me in comparison. And not particularly efficient as compared to the Henson +++.
 
Timeless Ti SC 95 vs Chiseled Face Brass Legacy

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I received my Chiseled Face Legacy last week and have been anxious to give it a spin. Today was the day!

Noting that I've never shaved with it before, the Legacy did a great job of giving me a reasonably efficient and smooth shave. I imagine my results will improve as I get to know the razor better. I would note that the Timeless also gave me a great shave, and one that lasted a couple of hours longer than the legacy. Though the Legacy is a heavier razor, the highly etched handle made it easy to control.

For this shave, each razor had four minutes of "face time", which I spread across three passes, with almost no buffing of problem areas at the end. Tomorrow, I will add some cleanup time, now that I have a feel for the Legacy. Here are the results:

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What angle did you use for the Legacy?
It was designed to be at it's most efficient when used at a very shallow angle.
In case you didn't, try to literally ride the cap on it and it'll be very efficient (and extremely smooth).
 
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What angle did you use for the Legacy?
It was designed to be at it's most efficient when used at a very shallow angle.
In case you didn't, try to literally ride the cap on it and it'll be very efficient (and extremely smooth).
Rode the cap. I actually read and followed the directions on the website.

Don't tell anyone though...I might have to relinquish my man-card.

I also took it very easy...I was not driving the razor so much as learning it. I'm going to be more aggressive with it tomorrow.
 
Rode the cap. I actually read and followed the directions on the website.

Don't tell anyone though...I might have to relinquish my man-card.

I also took it very easy...I was not driving the razor so much as learning it. I'm going to be more aggressive with it tomorrow.
Ok good, nothing wrong with reading instructions, Lol!!
Applying a little pressure with it as you say should be fine. It's one of those autopilot razors that is hard to get cut with. So yes, you should get even more efficiency by using that technique.
 
Interesting that I had both the Ti and the aluminum versions and they felt different. Not because of the weight difference but because they just shaved slightly different. I've had this same experience with (same model) razors, made with different metals.
Only exception: The Henson!
As I mentioned earlier, aluminum or titanium are practically equal. Weird!
I'm waiting for a stainless or brass +++ Henson to eventually exist. Probably will never happen though, unfortunately!
 
Unfortunately I did not have the Al13, and it's been over a year since I last used one. Not a fair comparison, maybe.
The way I see it,
A comparison is a comparison regardless of razor & materials. Someone, somewhere, somehow will find your comparison useful for their own purposes. So it's all fair!
Besides, like I mentioned, the Henson Ti shaves exactly the same as the aluminum one and from what I've gathered, that's pretty much the consensus. I'm pretty sure that Henson designed the Ti like that to make it appealing for the current owners of the AL. The only variable I think that could change things a bit are the different baseplates:
(+, ++, +++).
Now if they could only come out with a stainless one! 🤔
 
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The way I see it,
A comparison is a comparison regardless of razor & materials. Someone, somewhere, somehow will find your comparison useful for their own purposes. So it's all fair!
Besides, like I mentioned, the Henson Ti shaves exactly the same as the aluminum one and from what I've gathered, that's pretty much the consensus. I'm pretty sure that Henson designed the Ti like that to make it appealing for the current owners of the AL. The only variable I think that could change things a bit are the different baseplates:
(+, ++, +++).
Now if they could only come out with a stainless one! 🤔
I love the Ti, but, I'm thinking I may have missed out by getting the + and ++ models, rather than the ++ and +++. I wonder how the +++ is compared to the ++?
 
Day 2 with the Chiseled Face Legacy against the Timeless Ti 95 SC

Both razors performed almost identically. Keeping the face time under 9 minutes and 30 seconds with either razor loaded with a Feather Hi-Stainless can yield an outstanding 12-hour shave with a reasonable FIS of 4. While after almost 10 hours, I'm getting just a touch of very light stubble with both, the amount is the same on either side of my face and limited to what I would call my "problem areas", and ATG only.

I would note that the Chiseled face appears to be a bit more rigid with regard to shaving angles than the Timeless. When riding the cap and applying a bit of pressure to the reasonably heavy, all-brass Legacy, the results are excellent. The Timeless seems to be a bit more forgiving relative to the angle and is lighter. Given the need for a bit of pressure on the brass Legacy, I don't think I would choose the Ti version over the brass. The weight of the brass Legacy, combined with the grippy "Industrial" brass handle is close to perfect, at least for me. I had hesitated to pull the trigger on the Legacy - I'm glad I did.

Needless to say, I am very much enjoying this side-by-side evaluation!

The results:

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The only Henson's I've had and tried is the Ti & AL +++. Never tried the milder ones and probably never will.
I find the +++ to be perfect!
I'm tempted to get the AL13 in +++, just to try it. Knowing me, I'll probably love it and end up swapping it for the Ti22 +++, which I need about as much as another orifice.
 
Chiseled Face Legacy 1.12mm Brass vs Timeless .95mm Ti Findings

After 5 days of side-by-side shaving with these two razors, I've come to the following conclusions. First, the basics:
  • The Legacy is a relatively heavy all-brass razor with a thin head, a blade angle that is almost perpendicular to the handle and a 1.12mm blade gap. The handle is particularly heavy, moving the balance point a third of the way down the handle
  • The Timeless is relatively light, has a thick head a more traditional blade angle, and a .95mm gap. The balance point is near the top of the hanlde
In terms of how they shave:
  1. Despite how different they are in design and construction, they both are efficient razors capable of what I would call a 12-hour shave.
  2. Following the appropriate technique for each (Neutral to moderately steep angle for the Timeless; riding the cap on the Legacy), They are surprisingly similar relative to efficiency and aggression.
  3. Though the weight and balance between them is different in a couple of ways, the handles for both are 'grippy' and make them both easy to control and maneuver.
  4. The Timeless is a bit more efficient, and a wee bit more aggressive. The FIS for a given amount of razor-on-skin time was the same for both, but the Timeless had a bit more blade feel - not enough to differentiate the score, but subtly noticeable.
  5. The Legacy reminds me of the Athena - another great heavy razor
  6. I did not run the tests with a mild blade. The Feather was really just right for the Legacy and a superb fit for the Timeless as well. I may come back at some point to test a milder blade, but for now I would recommend staying at the sharp end of the spectrum with the mild legacy. Though not tested, I would be inclined to think that the more efficient Timeless would be more amenable to a milder blade.
Use cases for each:
  • I like a heavy razor that does the work for me: Legacy all the way. Really well engineered and the weight does most of the work provided you get the shaving angle right.
  • I want a light and nimble razor: Though the Timeless is lighter than the legacy, I wouldn't call it nimble. Despite the weight of the legacy, I found it easier to get into tighter places with it and the handle made maneuvering the razor a snap. Ron from Chiseled Face tells me there are not many "Industrial" style handles left and he is not making more of them. He's already out of the Ti Industrial handles. If you want a Brass Legacy, I would encourage you to try and get that handle. If not that, get the "Imperial" handle. The Birdcage handle is beautiful, but it does not have the horizontal cuts that give the Imperial and Industrial handles so effective.
  • I want a hassle-free shave: The Timeless takes the win here. It's much more tolerant of imprecise technique and gave me repeatedly smooth shaves with the Feather blade
  • There can be only one: I struggle with this one because of the significant differences in design. Both are beautiful razors, beautifully made. I'd have to say that the Timeless is a bit more intricately designed overall and is a bit more efficient than the Legacy. In addition, there are a wide range of both cosmetic and functional options for the Timeless that don't exist in practice for the Brass Legacy (i.e. lots of finish styles, the ability to swap caps and handles of different styles and materials from the same vendor). It's not that the Brass version of the Legacy is distinctly unique in terms of design relative to the Ti and Aluminum versions, but that outside of getting a Ti legacy, there just aren't any readily available options for the Brass since Chiseled face stopped selling razor components. My Timeless is a bit of a Franken razor (or as Kim @Phoenixkh likes to call it, a "Hybrid") with a Bronze Cap and a Bronze stand. Chiseled face doesn't yet make a stand (though a really beautiful aluminum one is in the works). Though I really like both of them, If I had to pick one, it would be the Timeless. I would note however, that I liked the Brass Legacy so much, I went ahead and order the Ti version with the acid anodized Imperial handle.
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Today's findings
 
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