I only have the Lite SS, but the regular baseplate is my exception in Gruyere this year, if I run into one.
Blackland Blackbird "Lite"
- Thread starter Time Bandit
- Start date
Finished second shave with BB Lite and had the time and courage today to try a third ATG pass and to my surprise was perfect! Great shave and would recommend this to anyone who doesn't need efficiency of the standard plate. Looking forward to their next releases and have gained a return customer.
Third shave with the lite this morning was great despite my normal problem area where hair grows up at base of neck. Just some very minor irritation. Used my normal GSB initially for first shaves and then tried Lab Blue this morning with it. Wondering if I should try a sharper blade to help that spot of irritation where it feels like it's tugging. I have Kai's and feathers to try. Or maybe stick with GSB and see if I can get it worked out. Any thoughts?
The answer is always Kai!
The only problem is, if the Kai works better then you are more suited to the standard Blackbird plate(with your GSBs).
Ive actually been wondering what the standard plate would be like and been contemplating ordering it eventually. I don't have the thickest beard so I can get a great shave after 3 passes with the lite plate but wondering if it would be as smooth with 2 using standard. But that would probably be a good way to test that theory by trying a Kai in the lite.The answer is always Kai!
The only problem is, if the Kai works better then you are more suited to the standard Blackbird plate(with your GSBs).
This was one of the things that made the Blackbird a game changer for me, not just reducing the number of passes, but the number of strokes across an area. I am sure the Lite plate would be handy for days that you are in a hurry, as long as you can just shave and not worry about getting it perfect.
Never know about a blade until you use it.
First shave with the Lite plate in my polished stainless steel Blackbird gave me an excellent result. This could be the perfect everyday autopilot razor.
I wouldn’t agree with that. I used KAIs with the Lite TiBird and found the shaves wonderfully smooth and efficient. Regular blades with the TiBird would be a bit too efficient and would deny me from using it/shaving daily.
That's fair, I love Kais in almost everything myself. I was of course generalising, don't even remember now.
I’ve used a Blackbird OC for a long time. I also use the SB plate sometimes. I like the Israeli Red blade in it best. The Voshkod is ok in it too, I don’t like that blade much in other razors.
I’ve been using a Karve SB-C recently, because that was the first one I found again after moving. I like the Bic in it.
When I got the Lite plate, I was using the Bic in it too, thinking milder razor -> sharper blade. Wasn’t a fan at all.
I forgot what I had learned a few years ago, that super sharp blades work best in razors with a low blade angle (not talking about handle angle), like the Karve. The Blackbird with any plate has a relatively steep angle.
I need to try the Lite plate again with a Red, Voshkod, or other medium-sharp blades.
I’ve been using a Karve SB-C recently, because that was the first one I found again after moving. I like the Bic in it.
When I got the Lite plate, I was using the Bic in it too, thinking milder razor -> sharper blade. Wasn’t a fan at all.
I forgot what I had learned a few years ago, that super sharp blades work best in razors with a low blade angle (not talking about handle angle), like the Karve. The Blackbird with any plate has a relatively steep angle.
I need to try the Lite plate again with a Red, Voshkod, or other medium-sharp blades.
Tried the Lite with an Israeli Personna Red today, and that was a big improvement over the Bic. It was much smoother, with no loss of efficiency.
Bic blades are still my favorite in the Karve-CB-C, but that is a very different razor from the Blackbird family.
Hopefully my German Personna blades will arrive sometime soon. I’m running low on the Israeli blades.
Bic blades are still my favorite in the Karve-CB-C, but that is a very different razor from the Blackbird family.
Hopefully my German Personna blades will arrive sometime soon. I’m running low on the Israeli blades.
The best blades ive used for the standard Bird are Polsilver and Wizamet….sharp and smooth.
Hi @sgarnett, Shane, the Blackbird creator, has said to use it at a shallow angle. To use the angle of the top cap as the guide. I'm only a few shaves in with mine and I put the top cap flat on my cheek and then just angle it down a few more degrees and it cuts like a laser.
Here's Shane explaining it.
Hi @spacemonkey42,
I was referring to the angle of the blade (the head design), not the angle of the razor/handle. I admit it’s a confusing distinction with some overlap.
Hate to be nitpicky here, but I do want to add clarity to this because it is confusing. Shaving angle refers to the angle between the blade and skin. So when the top cap is against the skin, the blade has a more acute angle relative to the skin surface. When the top cap is far away, the blade angle increases toward perpendicular. The handle angle follows from that and doesn’t really matter. So when we say “shallow angle”, we mean that the top cap should be closer to the skin or touching it.
None of this actually matters btw. If the razor is working well how you’re holding it then who cares how you’re “supposed” to do it?
Anyone have an Era and a Lite or a Blackbird. How do they compare?
Yes, I agree with that, but I’m failing to state my point clearly/precisely/concisely enough. Oh well ….
Yes, I have both. They are very, very different razors and both are excellent. The Era has about the best blade clamping for the most rigid edge. The Blackbird is very efficient and surprisingly smooth for a razor with that much exposure. What are you looking for?
