New Above The Tie S1

[GTTony]

I've had the new S1 on my "must buy list" for a while now.... though I admit, I've been wavering a bit. My slush fund is committed until late this fall, I think.... but I think I'd love a hybrid S1... titanium handle and combination SS and titanium cap and base plates... polished... Buying hybrid razor heads does add additional cost.... but I prefer the balance I get... We'll see..

But I have to say... I loved reading your review..... It's always nice to read about a product that works so well for someone, especially, when they compare it to other razors they have. It takes some of the risk out of buying an expensive razor.... or even, an inexpensive one...

Thank you. One thing I will say is the new S1 would be considered toward the milder end of the spectrum. All my razors would be considered on the mild side. It's not about if the S1 is aggressive or efficient but how smooth and comfortable the razor can be. I was really leaning toward the titanium which I prefer but did't want to spend that much yet until I knew if I would like it. Now if I can master the head shaving I would definitely go for the Titanium.

 

[Phoenixkh]

Thank you. One thing I will say is the new S1 would be considered toward the milder end of the spectrum. All my razors would be considered on the mild side. It's not about if the S1 is aggressive or efficient but how smooth and comfortable the razor can be. I was really leaning toward the titanium which I prefer but did't want to spend that much yet until I knew if I would like it. Now if I can master the head shaving I would definitely go for the Titanium.

All the razors I use on a regular basis are in the upper mild to lower medium efficiency range. I would guess the new S1 would fit there well, as Shane said they bumped up the original S1 10-15%. The original gave me shaves lasting 8 hours or so. My goal is 12, but 10 or 11 hours is good enough.

 

[WThomas0814]

Beautiful razor. I wanted so much to like it, but, it was too mild for my purposes. I wanted, ideally, something that fell between a Blackbird Lite and a standard Blackbird, but, this wasn't it. It was as mild, if not more, than the Blackbird Lite. Also, I'm just not a fan of covered tabs... made the razor feel very big.

It is beautiful, though. The machined finish rivals many other companies' polished finish.

 

[gdawg55]

Another new owner. I've had two shaves now with the Backland made Above The Tie S1 Slant Polished SB. First shave was both head and face and today the second, was face only. I probably should have started out with face shaving first as this is my first time using a slant razor. I do not have any experience with the previous versions of the ATT S1 so take this review with a grain of salt. As gdawg55 mentioned this razor is beautifully made and finely crafted. Absolutely love the polished finish. I can easily see the DNA of Blacklands work in craftsmanship, fit and finish of the S1. Compared to the Black Bird the S1 is a different shave experience. Not quite as efficient but noticeably a smoother shave. Up until now I didn't know what others referred to as a smooth shave. Now I know. I can do a really nice first pass face shaving the would be totally acceptable for going into work. The S1 allows me to use a steeper angle, and a little more pressure than the BB and man is it a nice smooth pass. On my cheeks I could stop right there. Neck shaving where my beard is little tougher I can do multiple passes. WTG, ATG and XTG and no nicks or cuts. Just nice smooth passes. Because of a couple of trouble spots below the chin and jaw line where my hair grows side ways and down really close to the skin almost like a swirl, I could never get a BBS shave there but man this was as close as I've ever been without irritation. Both face shaves were amazing. Now as for head shaves I have to work on my technique. I'm use to mild razors as the skin is more sensitive there. When I get the pressure and angle right it's really smooth passes but I still got a few nicks that I never get with my Henson or rarely with the Osprey. The BB is more efficient head shaving but still not something I can use on autopilot. The BB gets me closer and lasts a few hours longer. The S1 somehow gets me a more consistent shave all over. The BB can get closer in certain spots like the back of the neck or on the side whereas the S1 feels like the same closeness all over. I'm not sure if I'm explaining that right? Does that make sense?
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Nice review. Happy to hear the S1 is working well for you. It is a really nice, smooth razor.

 

[GTTony]

Nice review. Happy to hear the S1 is working well for you. It is a really nice, smooth razor.

Thank you for starting this thread you kind enabler! It was your excellent review that helped me decide to try the new ATT S1. There weren't many reviews out there at the time since the Blackland acquisition was fairly new. I was already a Blackland fan and was pretty sure it was something I'd like but another opinion is priceless