Ruminations on the Edge

[BigAlVista]

Wow. This is a huge endorsement @Benwustl , particularly that you find it smoother and more efficient than the Overlander. The blade clamping must be exceptional.

It's interesting what you said about the weight and how you enjoy it. I'm finding that with the Athena, I may actually prefer the Bronzena to the Tithena, which has got me thinking about metals and razor weight in general. My thought is that certain razors do better with certain weights, and the theory which is percolating in my mind is that specifically Edge Clampers might benefit from more weight, while for Blade Benders its the opposite.

My contention is that the exposure/reveal of Edge Clampers (a la the Blutt, Athena/Ares, Overlander) tends to be low and therefore the added weight helps the blade to press into the skin and cut the hairs. Conversely, Blade Benders tend to have more exposure (or effective exposure when considering Guard to Shave Plane) and reveal and therefore don't need as much weight, and benefit from the added agility which the lighter weight gives them in terms of manuvering around the face. I think this is best exemplified by the TiBird vs the SS Blackbird. Your preference for the heavier weight of the Pils is possibly another supporting example.

Anyway, this thought is still a work in progress. For now, when I think of the paragon Edge Clampers like the Blutt/Athena/Overlander I'm not sure that lighter is better.

I haven't had a chance to try the Titgena. When I do, I'll do side-by-side comparisons against the Bronzina and the R41 GS

 

[Phoenixkh]

Wow. This is a huge endorsement @Benwustl , particularly that you find it smoother and more efficient than the Overlander. The blade clamping must be exceptional.

It's interesting what you said about the weight and how you enjoy it. I'm finding that with the Athena, I may actually prefer the Bronzena to the Tithena, which has got me thinking about metals and razor weight in general. My thought is that certain razors do better with certain weights, and the theory which is percolating in my mind is that specifically Edge Clampers might benefit from more weight, while for Blade Benders its the opposite.

My contention is that the exposure/reveal of Edge Clampers (a la the Blutt, Athena/Ares, Overlander) tends to be low and therefore the added weight helps the blade to press into the skin and cut the hairs. Conversely, Blade Benders tend to have more exposure (or effective exposure when considering Guard to Shave Plane) and reveal and therefore don't need as much weight, and benefit from the added agility which the lighter weight gives them in terms of manuvering around the face. I think this is best exemplified by the TiBird vs the SS Blackbird. Your preference for the heavier weight of the Pils is possibly another supporting example.

Anyway, this thought is still a work in progress. For now, when I think of the paragon Edge Clampers like the Blutt/Athena/Overlander I'm not sure that lighter is better.

I had Theo make me an extra bronze cap for my upcoming TiThena.... I've only had one complete titanium razor: the Timeless Ti 0.68OC. It felt too light for me. I joined Mark's Timeless Summer thread last year and I ended up with two hybrid Timeless 0.68OCs... mixed metal razor heads and they both work wonderfully for me. I'm suspecting the bronze cap and the titanium base plate with the TiThena will produce similar results.... Mine is ready to ship... I'm just waiting on the DHL shipping costs, should I decide to pay the extra for that service.

I could have just used one of my bronze Athena caps, of course, but I'd rather have the extra one so my other two Athenas stay intact.

 

[Benwustl]

Wow. This is a huge endorsement @Benwustl , particularly that you find it smoother and more efficient than the Overlander. The blade clamping must be exceptional.

It's interesting what you said about the weight and how you enjoy it. I'm finding that with the Athena, I may actually prefer the Bronzena to the Tithena, which has got me thinking about metals and razor weight in general. My thought is that certain razors do better with certain weights, and the theory which is percolating in my mind is that specifically Edge Clampers might benefit from more weight, while for Blade Benders its the opposite.

My contention is that the exposure/reveal of Edge Clampers (a la the Blutt, Athena/Ares, Overlander) tends to be low and therefore the added weight helps the blade to press into the skin and cut the hairs. Conversely, Blade Benders tend to have more exposure (or effective exposure when considering Guard to Shave Plane) and reveal and therefore don't need as much weight, and benefit from the added agility which the lighter weight gives them in terms of manuvering around the face. I think this is best exemplified by the TiBird vs the SS Blackbird. Your preference for the heavier weight of the Pils is possibly another supporting example.

Anyway, this thought is still a work in progress. For now, when I think of the paragon Edge Clampers like the Blutt/Athena/Overlander I'm not sure that lighter is better.

That's really interesting, Lee. I've got the shortest 3" handle on my Overlander, so (to your point) it might be an unfair comparison with the Pils.

I've also got a Like Grandpa razor (basically a brass Karve CB B-plate with an old-school 4" handle). I could switch that handle to the Overlander head to see if I get a materially better result.

 

[Teutonblade]

I used the H plate with the 921 today. The gap is 1.01mm which is right at the high end of what I prefer. The exposure is 0.076mm, below the threshold of 0.10mm at which I would normally move to a medium sharpness blade. With a Wilkinson Germany it felt comfortable and smooth, and although the gap required a bit of mindfulness the shave was easy and mostly drama free. At one point the blade hit the crease between my mouth and upper cheek and gave me a shallow cut right in the crease with no blood, although it’s red and stings. I attribute this to the blade gap which at that width can allow the blade to catch angular areas if not careful. The engineering and craftsmanship on the 921 are superior with a sensible and enjoyable balance between comfort and efficiency. Overall, a high quality razor. BBS/BBS-

 

[Teutonblade]

This purchase may have been more out of non-specific, untargeted, RAD then anything else, meaning I just felt like buying something new. I've been looking at this razor for months and always knew it was probably not efficient enough to be worthwhile. BUT, I didn't have any Italian razors (yet), and figured that was a good enough reason. If nothing else, it will be fun to try and could make a good travel razor.

The clamp width is 15mm, putting it on the high-end of Hybrid Clampers. I categorize Blade Benders as clamp widths between 7-10mm, Hybrids at 11-15mm, and Edge Clampers at 16-20mm. If it shaves anywhere near some of the other Hybrids at 15mm (Aylsworth Apex, Oliworks M3teorite, Alpha Envoy) I'll be happy. Mostly, the thin profile of the head looked interesting.

The Goodfellas Smile Syntesi

• Material: 303 Stainless Steel
• Coating: Anti-scratch Hard Chrome
• Handle length: 3.14in-80mm
• Overall length: 3.4in-87mm
• Head width: 1.69in-43mm
• Head depth: 24mm
• Blade Gap: 0.62mm
• Exposure: 0.02mm
• Weight: 3.4oz-98g

 

[LRod]

This purchase may have been more out of non-specific, untargeted, RAD then anything else, meaning I just felt like buying something new. I've been looking at this razor for months and always knew it was probably not efficient enough to be worthwhile. BUT, I didn't have any Italian razors (yet), and figured that was a good enough reason. If nothing else, it will be fun to try and could make a good travel razor.

The clamp width is 15mm, putting it on the high-end of Hybrid Clampers. I categorize Blade Benders as clamp widths between 7-10mm, Hybrids at 11-15mm, and Edge Clampers at 16-20mm. If it shaves anywhere near some of the other Hybrids at 15mm (Aylsworth Apex, Oliworks M3teorite, Alpha Envoy) I'll be happy. Mostly, the thin profile of the head looked interesting.

The Goodfellas Smile Syntesi

• Material: 303 Stainless Steel
• Coating: Anti-scratch Hard Chrome
• Handle length: 3.14in-80mm
• Overall length: 3.4in-87mm
• Head width: 1.69in-43mm
• Head depth: 24mm
• Blade Gap: 0.62mm
• Exposure: 0.02mm
• Weight: 3.4oz-98g

View attachment 1987577View attachment 1987575View attachment 1987576

Congratulations!
Incredible build quality for the price and it's a pretty razor.
I had one a while back and sold it. It was smooth but not very efficient.
Hope it works for you!

 

[Teutonblade]

Congratulations!
Incredible build quality for the price and it's a pretty razor.
I had one a while back and sold it. It was smooth but not very efficient.
Hope it works for you!

Maybe with an ATG pass it will do the trick.

 

[LRod]

Maybe with an ATG pass it will do the trick.

No ATG for me!!

 

[Teutonblade]

My first shave with the TGS Syntesi. The build quality is very high and the light weight, short length, and low profile of the head make it feel nimble. For a razor with a 15mm clamp width the blade flex is surprisingly low, maybe due to the very tight blade reveal. The comfort and ease-of-use are very high making for an easy and enjoyable shave. However, even with a Wilkinson Germany the gap of 0.62mm and exposure of 0.02mm keep the efficiency fairly low. BBS-/DFS+

 

[Eric_75]

My first shave with the TGS Syntesi. The build quality is very high and the light weight, short length, and low profile of the head make it feel nimble. For a razor with a 15mm clamp width the blade flex is surprisingly low, maybe due to the very tight blade reveal. The comfort and ease-of-use are very high making for an easy and enjoyable shave. However, even with a Wilkinson Germany the gap of 0.62mm and exposure of 0.02mm keep the efficiency fairly low. BBS-/DFS+

View attachment 1988070

Nice pic, Lee.

 

[LRod]

However, even with a Wilkinson Germany the gap of 0.62mm and exposure of 0.02mm keep the efficiency fairly low. BBS-/DFS+

Did you go ATG?

 

[Teutonblade]

Did you go ATG?

I did