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Razorock Recurve. No sir, not a novelty razor at all…

GlazedBoker

GlazedBoker

0
Razorock recently released a concept razor that can be considered a pre-production prototype in limited quantities but, enough for a broader audience to kind of test the waters on how it would perform and how would the shaving public react. It’s called the Recurve razor and is a part of their Founder Series which is a more concept to reality division for designing razors in the foreseeable future. I’ve only had this one in my hands for nearly two weeks and have only put in 3 shaves with it so far however, I can confidently say that razorock has a winner on their hands here with a unique and distinctive design on a double bend razor that creates a more rigid, stable and blade supported platform. Blade feel is kept to a minimum but, the Recurve is deceptively efficient and quite smooth for the particular gap that it has. I ordered the highest available one which is the RC100+ but, they do offer or I should say they did offer various other gap sizes before selling out in RC60, RC80 & RC100 with varying degrees of blade exposure in each gap size from neutral to positive exposure. One can go to the website for more specific details and breakdown of their offerings as there is too much to go into specific details here for each option. I will say that in these 3 shaves, the razor has been an excellent performer and has impressed me in both its ease of use and the engineering behind it. For me, it’s an extremely comfortable and easy to maneuver razor anywhere along one’s face and neck and it sports a very thin profile and tight safety bar to cap edge that makes it perfect for getting into tight spots and working under the schnoze area. BBS quality shaves are easily & comforably attained with the Recurve with a near intuitive feel from the start. I think Razorock has a real winner here with a unique design & geometry that will bring another viable option to the wet shave masses that will meet and quite possibly exceed expectations. And yes, very affordable at under a $100US for an all 316/316L SS machined kit.

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GlazedBoker said:
Razorock recently released a concept razor that can be considered a pre-production prototype in limited quantities but, enough for a broader audience to kind of test the waters on how it would perform and how would the shaving public react. It’s called the Recurve razor and is a part of their Founder Series which is a more concept to reality division for designing razors in the foreseeable future. I’ve only had this one in my hands for nearly two weeks and have only put in 3 shaves with it so far however, I can confidently say that razorock has a winner on their hands here with a unique and distinctive design on a double bend razor that creates a more rigid, stable and blade supported platform. Blade feel is kept to a minimum but, the Recurve is deceptively efficient and quite smooth for the particular gap that it has. I ordered the highest available one which is the RC100+ but, they do offer or I should say they did offer various other gap sizes before selling out in RC60, RC80 & RC100 with varying degrees of blade exposure in each gap size from neutral to positive exposure. One can go to the website for more specific details and breakdown of their offerings as there is too much to go into specific details here for each option. I will say that in these 3 shaves, the razor has been an excellent performer and has impressed me in both its ease of use and the engineering behind it. For me, it’s an extremely comfortable and easy to maneuver razor anywhere along one’s face and neck and it sports a very thin profile and tight safety bar to cap edge that makes it perfect for getting into tight spots and working under the schnoze area. BBS quality shaves are easily & comforably attained with the Recurve with a near intuitive feel from the start. I think Razorock has a real winner here with a unique design & geometry that will bring another viable option to the wet shave masses that will meet and quite possibly exceed expectations. And yes, very affordable at under a $100US for an all 316/316L SS machined kit.

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Thanks for your excellent post on the Recurve.
 
Nothing but, pure perfection in execution from start to finish. One weeper of the tiniest iteration and voila! A BBS finish that ranks with some of the best ever. The Feather & Recurve combo made short work of 2 days old whisker growth in an efficient yet superbly comfortable way. Blade feel is minimal yet there is subtle reminders that it’s there working in near perfect unison with the RC100+ with every collective stroke and every distinct pass. ATG the Recurve is simply astounding with that rock solid stability & vise-like locking force. Completely done in two passes with a light buff/touch up work on the neck & chin. I thought it would be a bit much, the Recurve that is with the Feather blade and I was pleasantly surprised that this was not the case. No harshness from a fresh Feather and the feel on skin is nicely muted and not pronounced. This I think is attributable to the Recurve’s geometry, the double bend and the rigidity that the platform simply provides. No explanation on my end concerning the physics of the design or its intended inherent nature of what Razorock/Italian Barber was looking for. Simply put they just achieved it by sound design and implementation of said design. The feel is natural and down right intuitive from the first two strokes. There’s plenty of range within the razor geometry to either go steep or shallow as long as one does not ride the bar specifically as I find that cutting effectiveness is just about gone as the same can be said in over riding the top cap, at least in my limited experience that has been the case. I find it to be excellent at a neutral position and it simply just feels natural in my use with results that rival some of the best designed razors in my shave collection. I would have to say without hesitation that as a Razorock razor and of the others razors that I own from this maker, it has quickly become my favorite from this producer surpassing my beloved Lupo Series & Mamba 70 razors respectively. I’ll run out the Feather after a couple more shaves then move on to the KAI and see how much of a bump it picks up in blade feel & performance while hopefully not compromising much in comfort/ease of use/smoothness.

Great shaves to all…

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Another excellent shave with the Recurve & Feather combo. I might add that it felt even smoother than the initial shave as the Feather blade for me always takes a shave to break in nicely. And it was super nice. The razor handled two days growth again with ease and not a single mishap. I did give myself the slightest of heat along the left jawline as I did a quick pass or two to clear up some stragglers without dabbing some lather in the area. Cold water & alum had it under control once the shave was over in 15-20 mins. A couple of things I would like to say in general about the Recurve after a weeks worth of shaves. One, the balance and feel in hand is excellent. Mind you, I’ve been using the smaller Razorock HD handle for everyone of my shaves so far. Second, the install and removal of the blade has become second nature. Not that it was difficult but, once wet the blade has a tendency to stick to the top cap making it slightly a bit of a nuisance to remove safely. However, a quick spray of clear Teflon and no longer an issue. I grab the ends and it slips right out effortlessly. I have had no issues with rinsing and cleaning out the razor of soap & whiskers at anytime. A quick run under the sink or splash, it’s clear and ready for the next pass. The end tabs are covered and the knurled ends on the head assembly has helped in my grip in attaching the handle and tightening it down with good effect. Audible effect is there but, is slightly muted with the small contact area of the blade and the compact safety bar/top cap in relation to standard DE razor geometry. Plus, the blade is held quite rigidly therefore reducing resonance once the razor meets skin & whiskers. Fit & finish is excellent with no machining marks on the top cap or base plate, at least on my particular razor. It has a very nice tumble polished look to it that looks closer to premium than just a workman’s like type feel in general. It’s not a jewel nor should one expect it to be for the $99.99US entry price however, as it’s constructed & presented, it’s a bargain of a deal with excellent shave pedigree from a manufacturer that knows how to make world class shaving tools and offers them to the shave consumer at an excellent price. On overall value and quality from this maker, no one can make a case or argue any different. Razorock/Italian Barber just produces the best bang in shave hardware for one’s dollar. The Recurve is no different and in my limited use so far, I can confidently say that it’s my favorite Razorock razor as it combines ease of use, comfort and an efficiency level that is simply world class.

Without hesitation I’d recommend it to anyone, both to newbie & veterans alike. Just find your gap as there are a few options to choose from (when they are back in stock, hopefully soon) and just enjoy the shave from an out the box designed razor. Absolutely worth the money.

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Installed a fresh KAI blade in the Recurve RC80+ for this mornings shave. An absolute top notch shave from start to finish. 3 full passes on 2 days growth without a single incident and irritation free shave. Blade feel is ever so slightly bumped up that actually gives a more acute feeling on what the blade is doing regardless of what pass or phase of the shave one is in. Feel is positive whether ATG, XTG & WTG consistently with excellent audible feedback with every stroke on both face & neck. I actually performed a 2 pass head shave that was simply perfection when all was said & done. No touch ups or buffing was needed for both parts of the shave. I felt as though comfort & smoothness were barely compromised with just a slight adjustment in angle (closer to the guard) while ease of use was pretty much the same as with any other blade I’ve used. It’s noticeable without question and one is constantly aware that blade feel is there and a slight mis-step can potentially draw the red liquid but, it clearly is not an intimidating action or a scary one at all. If you want a gentle shaver with minimal blade feel, the RC80+ with another blade is more than capable of satisfying that criteria. However, if you want to pick up the feel & audible zones of the shave exercise, a KAI in the Recurve is definitely worth trying. Excellent shave & results.

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