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Essence vs DX shave off

gvw755

gvw755

0
I have been in possession of the Tedalus Essence razor for a little over a week now and have put in about four or five shaves with it just to get a feel for the razor. So far I am totally impressed.

So tonight I decided to do what everyone was hoping to be done (or at least I was hoping to be done) and do a shave off between the Essence and the Feather DX mano a mano, or I guess navaja a navaja.

To begin with, the tale of the tape:

The Feather DX that I will be using has wood scales and is about 6.25 inches long. The blade width is approximately 5/8. It has jimps along the underside of the tang.

The Tedalus Essence has an aluminum scale that is very dark anodized making it appear almost like ebony wood. It is about 7.75 inches long. The blade is possibly 7/8 but hard to say exactly because it has a curve along the spine. It has a very long monkey tail and jimps on top and below the tang.

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The blade of the DX is rather thick because it has a spring to release the blade. The face of the blade has a slight hollow grind to it.
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The blade of the Essence is extremely flat as it uses magnets to hold the two sides together. The face of the blade is almost flat.
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I decided that the best way to do this was to devote one shave to each razor on subsequent nights using the same blade, shaving soap, brush, and aftershave.

blade: Schick Proline brand new
soap: Hasslinger’s Schafmilch
brush: HSC custom Koa handle with tuxedo knot
AS: TFS V

The Essence won the coin toss and decided to shave first even though Schick Prolines take one or two shaves to settle in. I guess the Essence wanted to strike while I was familiar with it and wanted to put this shave off out of reach early.

WTG pass started out a little shaky. I used a medium to long stroke pressing the blade against my face as close as I could. Because the blade of the Essence was wide, I did have some problems under my nose and around my chin area. There was more stubble left after the WTG pass than I expected, and so I knew I had to pick all of that up with the ATG pass.

For the ATG pass, I went with shorter, more deliberate strokes, again laying the blade as close to my face as possible. This worked well as I ended up (once again) with a two pass BBS with minimal touch up.

Applying the aftershave, there was no stinging or burning, and no nicks or irritation.

Did the Essence deliver the knock out punch over the DX? We will find out tomorrow.
 
The blade profile and noticeably thinner grind on the Essence looks quite nice!
 
gvw755 said:
The blade is possibly 7/8 but hard to say exactly because it has a curve along the spine.
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nice kit! i think you'd have to go spine "honing" contact point on the essence for sizing, like the traditional way you'd really need a wider spine, not taller..

i hear the throngs of large razor owners with off geometry. "Yeah? Well, you know, that's just like uh, your opinion, man."

it is pretty cool looking though.. hopefully you liked the shave!
 
Tonight’s shave was with the Feather DX. The performance by the Essence last night did put a lot of pressure on the DX, but it has been put to the test before by other shavettes and so this was nothing new.

WTG pass went a little better than the Essence. The blade being 5/8 was the size that I preferred for my straight razors and the more pronounced hollow ground just felt more natural as I shaved. No problem with shaving under the nose or my chin. There was still some stubble left over after the WTG pass, but not as much as the Essence.

The ATG pass, I again went with shorter, more deliberate strokes and allowed myself to find the correct angle. The blade being thicker and the grind being more pronounced made it easier for me to use the angles I use with a straight razor. I ended up with a two pass BBS with very minimal touch up.

Applying the aftershave did not produce any stinging or burning and again, no nicks or irritation.
 
So after two nights comparing two different razors while keeping everything else the same, I have to say that both razors produced a great two pass BBS. As for picking one winner, I will have to declare the same thing that many politicians say – the winner is me because I am in possession of two great razors!

Looking at the features of both razors, the DX has the advantage of easy blade loading and unloading. The Essence, while not needing special tools or an Engineering degree, does take a little more effort. Also, a blade left in when the razor is closed will hit against the bottom of the scale. Whether this causes serious damage to the blade edge is another matter.

The DX is a smaller razor both in length and blade width. It is also a simpler and more straight forward razor with a 5/8 blade width. For those preferring wider blades, a notch behind the blade, and longer tails (and lots of jimps), the Essence has all those features, and it integrates them very nicely and stylishly.

There is a large gorilla left in the room – price.

Personally I won’t discuss this, except to say that price is not as important as perceived value. Yes, the Essence is a $300+ razor, but it is extremely well designed, elegant, and an excellent shaver. My DX is the one with wood scales. My original DX had plastic scales. Did spending $50 more on one with wood scales give me better shaves or made it superior in any way to the one with the plastic scales? Not really. Did I see spending $50 more as being more valuable to myself? Yes.

So much for my thoughts.
 
I already knew the price, so no surprises there, but lost me at "... a blade left in when the razor is closed will hit against the bottom of the scale". I have a DX and am not really in the market for another one of that type, but I do like the look and style of the Essence though. Thanks for the review and insights.
 
Fenster said:
I already knew the price, so no surprises there, but lost me at "... a blade left in when the razor is closed will hit against the bottom of the scale". I have a DX and am not really in the market for another one of that type, but I do like the look and style of the Essence though. Thanks for the review and insights.
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Ya, that seems kind of like a design flaw
 
I realize this is an old thread, but I own the exact same razors, and like the OP, feel I have two great razors. I’m taking the Tedalus with me on vacation along with my Rex Ambassador! Both great shavers, but nothing beats the RA wide open on 6 on my dome!
 
I also have both and prefer the Essence. I like the balance and weight compared to the Feather SR and DX I own. I shave every day and find the Essence gives an excellent shave without irritation. Is it worth the extra money, considering how much I have paid for some of my straight razors, absolutely.
 
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