How do you improve something perfect? Make it lighter.
The original Lambda Athena, made from a Nickel, Aluminum and Bronze alloy, is renowned for its precision craftsmanship, groundbreaking design, and aesthetic beauty.
The Athena Ti
As to performance, the Athena delivers exceptional efficiency while maintaining high comfort, ease-of-use and consistency. Whereas many razors achieve higher efficiency through wide blade gaps and high exposures which can create discomfort and heighten the risk of irritation and nicks, the Athena remains efficient with a blade gap of just 0.34mn and a neutral exposure.
The secret of the Athena’s high performance is its Clamp Width of 20mm, which is among the widest of all modern razors. Clamp Width is defined as the straight line distance between the farthest points along the side of the head where the blade is clamped. The distance beyond the clamp points is known as the Clamp Distance. As the average blade is 22mm wide, the Athena’s Clamp Distance is 1mm on each side and because there is no overhang from the top cap the Blade Reveal, meaning the edge of the blade which can be seen when looking down at the top of the razor, is also 1mm.
The wide Clamp Width, and resulting narrow Clamp Distance/Blade Reveal, minimize blade flex and all but eliminate chatter. It’s the combination of strong blade clamping, rounded head shape, and downward blade angle which gives the Athena its efficiency. In addition, the low chatter combined with narrow blade gap and low blade exposure increase comfort and minimize the risk of irritation or nicks, which raises the ease-of-use.
The main, and possibly only, difference between the Bronze Athena, or Bronzena, and Titanium Athena, or Tithena, is weight, with the Bronzena at 105g and the Tithena at 69g. In terms of performance, the lighter weight of the Tithena makes it nimbler and more maneuverable, which in turn makes it easier to move around the face, particularly when buffing which can be difficult and tiring when a razor is heavy. This results in slightly higher overall performance for the Tithena.
When evaluating Efficiency I look at two types, Raw Efficiency and Net Efficiency. Raw Efficiency is the measure of how well the razor cuts on a single pass. It’s measured by the numerical Efficiency Score (see below), which for Bronzena is 8. Net Efficiency is the outcome of the shave, which is a combination of Raw Efficiency, the ability of the razor to buff, its maneuverability, and even its comfort which can impact the length of the shave. It’s captured in the Efficiency Rating (see below), which is a qualitative score measured between DFS- and BBS+, with 7 steps between each whole rating (DFS, DFS+/DFS, DFS+, BBS-/DFS+, BBS-, BBS/BBS-, BBS). For the Bronzena, when paired with a Wilkinson Germany the Efficiency Rating is BBS/BBS-. The Bronzena also scores 9 for Comfort, 9 for Consistency, and 9 for Ease-of-Use, giving it a Composite Score of 35.
The Tithena has the same Raw Efficiency as the Bronzena, scoring an 8. The Comfort and Consistency are also the same at 9. However, its greater maneuverability and nimbleness, which together improve its ability to buff, raise its Ease-of-Use score by one point to 10, giving it a composite score of 36. In addition, the enhanced ability to buff incrementally improves the net efficiency and raises the Efficiency Rating by one step from BBS/BBS- to BBS.
Only three razors in my collection have a Composite Performance score of 36, the Tedalus Velocity-One, the Tithena, and The Karve Overlander. Although their Composite Scores are equal, I consider them to be in different classes which are defined as follows: High Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS+ or BBS+/BBS, Medium-High Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS or BBS/BBS-, and Medium Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS-. All razors are paired with either a Wilkison Germany or Wizamet, depending on suitability, which is usually a function of blade exposure.
Therefore, although each of the three above mentioned razors have a Composite Score of 36, they are each the leader in their respective class. Although the class levels seem arbitrary, they are the result of groupings which formed naturally through testing.
Interestingly, despite the class leading Composite Score of the Tithena, I find that I equally enjoy shaving with the Bronzena. My experience is that for Edge Clampers, particularly those with very low Clamp Distances/Reveals like the Bronzena/Tithena, some extra weight can feel appropriate, possibly because additional pressure is sometimes needed to engage a blade with the skin when the reveal is small or exposure is low.
In conclusion, Lambda Razors (@Lambda Razors) has indelibly put its mark on the world of wet shaving through its Athena line of razors, and the Tithena is another example of some of the finest craftsmanship and highest performance to be found.
The original Lambda Athena, made from a Nickel, Aluminum and Bronze alloy, is renowned for its precision craftsmanship, groundbreaking design, and aesthetic beauty.
The Athena Ti
As to performance, the Athena delivers exceptional efficiency while maintaining high comfort, ease-of-use and consistency. Whereas many razors achieve higher efficiency through wide blade gaps and high exposures which can create discomfort and heighten the risk of irritation and nicks, the Athena remains efficient with a blade gap of just 0.34mn and a neutral exposure.
The secret of the Athena’s high performance is its Clamp Width of 20mm, which is among the widest of all modern razors. Clamp Width is defined as the straight line distance between the farthest points along the side of the head where the blade is clamped. The distance beyond the clamp points is known as the Clamp Distance. As the average blade is 22mm wide, the Athena’s Clamp Distance is 1mm on each side and because there is no overhang from the top cap the Blade Reveal, meaning the edge of the blade which can be seen when looking down at the top of the razor, is also 1mm.
The wide Clamp Width, and resulting narrow Clamp Distance/Blade Reveal, minimize blade flex and all but eliminate chatter. It’s the combination of strong blade clamping, rounded head shape, and downward blade angle which gives the Athena its efficiency. In addition, the low chatter combined with narrow blade gap and low blade exposure increase comfort and minimize the risk of irritation or nicks, which raises the ease-of-use.
The main, and possibly only, difference between the Bronze Athena, or Bronzena, and Titanium Athena, or Tithena, is weight, with the Bronzena at 105g and the Tithena at 69g. In terms of performance, the lighter weight of the Tithena makes it nimbler and more maneuverable, which in turn makes it easier to move around the face, particularly when buffing which can be difficult and tiring when a razor is heavy. This results in slightly higher overall performance for the Tithena.
When evaluating Efficiency I look at two types, Raw Efficiency and Net Efficiency. Raw Efficiency is the measure of how well the razor cuts on a single pass. It’s measured by the numerical Efficiency Score (see below), which for Bronzena is 8. Net Efficiency is the outcome of the shave, which is a combination of Raw Efficiency, the ability of the razor to buff, its maneuverability, and even its comfort which can impact the length of the shave. It’s captured in the Efficiency Rating (see below), which is a qualitative score measured between DFS- and BBS+, with 7 steps between each whole rating (DFS, DFS+/DFS, DFS+, BBS-/DFS+, BBS-, BBS/BBS-, BBS). For the Bronzena, when paired with a Wilkinson Germany the Efficiency Rating is BBS/BBS-. The Bronzena also scores 9 for Comfort, 9 for Consistency, and 9 for Ease-of-Use, giving it a Composite Score of 35.
The Tithena has the same Raw Efficiency as the Bronzena, scoring an 8. The Comfort and Consistency are also the same at 9. However, its greater maneuverability and nimbleness, which together improve its ability to buff, raise its Ease-of-Use score by one point to 10, giving it a composite score of 36. In addition, the enhanced ability to buff incrementally improves the net efficiency and raises the Efficiency Rating by one step from BBS/BBS- to BBS.
Only three razors in my collection have a Composite Performance score of 36, the Tedalus Velocity-One, the Tithena, and The Karve Overlander. Although their Composite Scores are equal, I consider them to be in different classes which are defined as follows: High Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS+ or BBS+/BBS, Medium-High Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS or BBS/BBS-, and Medium Efficiency have Efficiency Ratings of BBS-. All razors are paired with either a Wilkison Germany or Wizamet, depending on suitability, which is usually a function of blade exposure.
Therefore, although each of the three above mentioned razors have a Composite Score of 36, they are each the leader in their respective class. Although the class levels seem arbitrary, they are the result of groupings which formed naturally through testing.
Interestingly, despite the class leading Composite Score of the Tithena, I find that I equally enjoy shaving with the Bronzena. My experience is that for Edge Clampers, particularly those with very low Clamp Distances/Reveals like the Bronzena/Tithena, some extra weight can feel appropriate, possibly because additional pressure is sometimes needed to engage a blade with the skin when the reveal is small or exposure is low.
In conclusion, Lambda Razors (@Lambda Razors) has indelibly put its mark on the world of wet shaving through its Athena line of razors, and the Tithena is another example of some of the finest craftsmanship and highest performance to be found.
