Blackland Blackbird Razor

Reader(s) of my blog may have noticed a new razor showing up in some of my pictures.  I have not really talked about this razor here, but I can confidently say that the new Blackland Blackbird razor is the best razor I have ever used and is definitely the coolest.  Shane over at Blackland designed and built the razor last year.  He had a hitch and start over at Kickstarter and late in the fall was able to offer up this futuristic looking tool for sale.  I purchased one of the first run - which sold out pretty quickly, btw.

I am so glad that I decided to jump in and spend some money on this stainless steel, fully machine tooled black oxide razor.  The manufacturing tolerances are perfect and the head design seems to make the razor blade have the automatic proper angle for a close and nick free shave.  

I will likely never NEED to buy another razor again.  That's not to say that I won't buy something else in the future, but I think I found the perfect razor for shaving my face and my head. 

3/16/16 - SOTD

This morning's shave was very nice.  The soap was good, the blade was smooth and the razor provided an error free 2 pass shave.  

Blackland Blackbird

Derby Extra (4)

IanS shaving soap

RazoRock Plissoft

Avon Windjammer aftershave

3/15/16 - SOTD

Easy 3 pass shave this morning.  The Blackbird razor and Derby blade agree with each other.  I finished off with vintage Avon Spicy.

Blackbird

Derby Extra (2)

RazoRock Plissoft

IanS shaving soap

Avon Spicy aftershave

I never really thought that shaving would be such a pleasant time of my day.  It is.

Shave Of The Day - March 14, 2016

Blackland Blackbird

Derby Extra blade (2)

IanS shaving soap

RazoRock Plissoft brush

vintage Avon Windjammer aftershave

Derby Extra blades are almost universally panned as a mediocre to bad blade.  I decided to try out a pack that I have and see how they perform in the Blackbird razor.  This Pakistan made blade has a reputation for being rough and dull.   I found the opposite to be true in this razor.  Smooth and effective.  I will see how long it lasts.  I hope to get at least a week's worth of shaves from the blade.  

Same as it ever was...well maybe!  I've not kept up with this blog at all, but I still shave almost every day and am still using only traditional tools and methods.  Well, not straight razors, but good old double edge safety razors.  Over the past 2 years, I've changed a little of my shave gear and think I may be settled in to what I will continue to use.    

This is a Gillette NEW Long Comb razor that I recently had re-vamped by Delta Echo Razorworks.  They do a cool razor plate using GunKote and I think it is just outstanding.

This brush is a RazoRock Plissoft I came into from a pass around box originating at Badger and Blade.  It is a synthetic brush and really makes a nice lather and is perfect for face lathering.

This photo and the next 2 are of my new Blackland Blackbird razor.  It is from a new American company that designed and made this really neat razor.  It is the best shaving razor I own.

 Finally, here is a photo of a Gillette Slim adjustable that gets occasional use.  What makes this razor important to me is that it was manufactured in the 4th quarter of 1963, the same time when I was born.

What I've learned in 6 months of traditional shaving

I realized this morning that I have been shaving in a more traditional way for 6 months now.  It has been an enjoyable journey.  I wanted to take a few minutes and write down some of the things I have learned.

I really don't need too much stuff to shave every day.

Shaving cream and a brush feel really good on my face.

Using a shaving scuttle to have warm lather does not automatically  make one some sort of metrosexual.  Pampering is good, isn't it?

Simple soap, brush, blades and an old fashioned razor will get the job done.

What have you learned?

Cutting down to the essentials

Wet shaving can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be.  I am in a phase in my life where simple is more desirable.  So I have cut down on my hardware - razors specifically - and decided to just shave with one razor for a while and see how I like it.

I decided I would use only the pictured razor.  It is a 1930's model New style Gillette razor.  It has an open comb instead of a solid safety bar but I have yet to cut myself with it.  I've been using it, or another one just like it, pretty much since the end of May and it always delivers a great shave.

I sent it off to Sport Shaving to replate it from tarnished, worn and chipped to its current shine.  Here is what it looked like before.  Not bad, but it could look better.

I'm sure its not true, but it seems to shave a bit smoother with it being all shiny.

Back to being simple.  All that is really needed is a razor, some blades, a brush and some soap.  Not 25 razors, 3,000 blades, 45 different hard soaps, 3 dozen creams, 4 pre-shave face washes and 7 pre-shave oils, alum blocks, witch hazel splash, aftershave balms, aftershave splashes and moisturizers. 

I wash my face with soap, make lather on my face using 1 shaving soap and my brush, shave, rinse, lather and repeat, then rinse off the soap and splash on some aftershave to tighten the skin and make me smell damn good.  No pampering, no metrosexual obsession with a "system" and what not.  I'm a man and if I must shave, I will do it right and not worry about anything else.