DanLaw
Jr. Shave Member
The N075 in 303 Stainless Steel is the razor that launched Haircut & Shave into the hardware market in 2018. It features unique design elements combined with excruciating attention to detail in a mild feeling yet moderately efficient razor at a mid-market price. While the owner has ventured into some beautifully executed razors in exotic metals that have placed him firmly at the leading edge of artisan producers, he has continued to produce evolutions of his entry-level razor. The primary focus to date has been experimenting with finishing treatments reducing friction and enhancing the visual impact ranging from HardCoat to TiN (Titanium Nitrate as is used in high-end motorsport suspensions from MotoGP to F1 to reduce stiction) and now, Black T.
Black T is a process developed by WE Birdsong to protect firearms from corrosion and minimize maintenance. Most significantly to shavers, the treatment is a polymer coating applied in a very thin layer, resulting in a dry film lubrication that decreases friction. From experience, friction - particularly stiction - has become an obsession as my skin is incredibly damaged and sensitive; anything that can minimize the drag of a razor across the skin makes a huge difference to eliminating post shave irritation. Hitherto have strongly preferred the most thoroughly polished DE razors available (one of the reasons for my raving regarding Wolfman High Polish finishes and H&S P076 razors) or straight edge shaving to mitigate against the terrible irritation resulting from drag on my admittedly outlier skin at considerable expense. One could imply that if products work for the most sensitive skin types, they will most assuredly work for those with normal skin sensitivities so this does have merit beyond us outliers perhaps justifying the added expense where that an issue. Let’s also face the facts: matte black imparts an impression of technical superiourity real or imagined; the looks of this razor are eye porn, pure and simple.
H&S uses a practical naming convention designating the blade exposure and gap: in this case, N075 references the razor’s Neutral blade exposure and 075 represents the 0,75mm blade gap between the baseplate and top cap. The razor was designed to be gentle on the face as possible by keeping the blade within the boundaries of the head assembly while leaving a sufficient gap to permit the blade to get access to hairs.
As with all H&S products, the razor is delivered in a blow molded plastic case lending the impression of a precision instrument that are similarly packaged. A beautifully logoed microfiber cloth covers the razor, as is de rigeur these days for high-end razors. While it is a small thing having no impact on the shaving properties, it does send a message about the owner’s view of his product and perspective on quality. The fit and finish is outstanding with perfectly machined surfaces and the company’s signature design flair most obviously displayed in the handle shape. The handle shape is unique; frankly was neutral on the shape being a Bauhaus advocate but in use, the shape encourages proper hand placement to facilitate getting the best shave and lends visual variety to those with multiple razors in their rotation. I have come to like the shape with usage thinking it both marketing genius and sound ergonomic design. For those wishing alternative handle lengths, Aji is making those available across the H&S family over time. The handle knurling is more than adequate without being tactilely intrusive. Again, the looks just capture the soul of motorsports, outdoor and tech enthusiasts with the minimalist appeal that is matte black.
H&S has provided the soap and aftershave for the passaround. The crème is reminiscent of a classical Brit soap in scent and usage. The scent is described as petit grain, cardamom, lemon, orange and fir but my take it a masculine flowery in a good way – classically Brit. The performance is good, certainly more than adequate for those with average skin types. It easily produces lather with different water types and rinses clean without residue with a respectable post shave effect. Passaround participants PLEASE exercise the courtesy to scoop crème for bowl or face lathering as this is being shared and there is a flu outbreak – exercise discretion in considering your fellow shavers.
In total, I used the H&S N075 for 4 3-pass shaves: first pass With the Grain: second pass Against the Grain: and third pass Across the Grain. Having learned H&S responds well to the Gillette Nacet, used them exclusively from the first shave with excellent results.
People having read previous passaround reviews of H&S razors know that I strongly recommend them based on both the manufacturing excellence as well as the shave characteristics. In the case of this N075 SS Black T razor, while it is an outstanding razor, I – note I – prefer the mixed metal variant. The weight distribution is decidedly head heavy compared to the mixed metal variant N075. I was going to test shave the razor using a spare Al HardCoat baseplate but Aji asked that we stick with the razor as shipped: my suspicion is that the Black T treatment combined with Al HardCoat base would have yielded an extraordinary smooth shaver, even superior to the current mixed metal version. That stated, there are many many shavers that prefer the SS baseplate to the Al; for those shavers the full SS version in Black T will undoubtedly be a notable improvement with its superior glide. Irrespective of preferring the Al baseplate, the razor delivers an incredibly smooth yet efficient shave for those chasing unchallenging nick free results.
In conclusion, this is an outstanding variant of the N075 family that has demonstrable benefits over the original uncoated releases. H&S continues to develop, evolve and perfect their razors on both the top end and entry level focusing on reducing friction. If seeking a mild razor, my perspective is the N075 family in all its guises is impossible to beat – God knows have been chasing this segment for nearly decade trying them all. While $220 is not inexpensive, there can be no doubt that one gets every penny worth of value out of that spend with this razor and then some in the quality of production and finish. As with all reviews of H&S to date, strongly recommend Aji create a stand keeping with the design theme and hope he continues experimenting with coatings, maybe DLC??
Black T is a process developed by WE Birdsong to protect firearms from corrosion and minimize maintenance. Most significantly to shavers, the treatment is a polymer coating applied in a very thin layer, resulting in a dry film lubrication that decreases friction. From experience, friction - particularly stiction - has become an obsession as my skin is incredibly damaged and sensitive; anything that can minimize the drag of a razor across the skin makes a huge difference to eliminating post shave irritation. Hitherto have strongly preferred the most thoroughly polished DE razors available (one of the reasons for my raving regarding Wolfman High Polish finishes and H&S P076 razors) or straight edge shaving to mitigate against the terrible irritation resulting from drag on my admittedly outlier skin at considerable expense. One could imply that if products work for the most sensitive skin types, they will most assuredly work for those with normal skin sensitivities so this does have merit beyond us outliers perhaps justifying the added expense where that an issue. Let’s also face the facts: matte black imparts an impression of technical superiourity real or imagined; the looks of this razor are eye porn, pure and simple.
H&S uses a practical naming convention designating the blade exposure and gap: in this case, N075 references the razor’s Neutral blade exposure and 075 represents the 0,75mm blade gap between the baseplate and top cap. The razor was designed to be gentle on the face as possible by keeping the blade within the boundaries of the head assembly while leaving a sufficient gap to permit the blade to get access to hairs.
As with all H&S products, the razor is delivered in a blow molded plastic case lending the impression of a precision instrument that are similarly packaged. A beautifully logoed microfiber cloth covers the razor, as is de rigeur these days for high-end razors. While it is a small thing having no impact on the shaving properties, it does send a message about the owner’s view of his product and perspective on quality. The fit and finish is outstanding with perfectly machined surfaces and the company’s signature design flair most obviously displayed in the handle shape. The handle shape is unique; frankly was neutral on the shape being a Bauhaus advocate but in use, the shape encourages proper hand placement to facilitate getting the best shave and lends visual variety to those with multiple razors in their rotation. I have come to like the shape with usage thinking it both marketing genius and sound ergonomic design. For those wishing alternative handle lengths, Aji is making those available across the H&S family over time. The handle knurling is more than adequate without being tactilely intrusive. Again, the looks just capture the soul of motorsports, outdoor and tech enthusiasts with the minimalist appeal that is matte black.
H&S has provided the soap and aftershave for the passaround. The crème is reminiscent of a classical Brit soap in scent and usage. The scent is described as petit grain, cardamom, lemon, orange and fir but my take it a masculine flowery in a good way – classically Brit. The performance is good, certainly more than adequate for those with average skin types. It easily produces lather with different water types and rinses clean without residue with a respectable post shave effect. Passaround participants PLEASE exercise the courtesy to scoop crème for bowl or face lathering as this is being shared and there is a flu outbreak – exercise discretion in considering your fellow shavers.
In total, I used the H&S N075 for 4 3-pass shaves: first pass With the Grain: second pass Against the Grain: and third pass Across the Grain. Having learned H&S responds well to the Gillette Nacet, used them exclusively from the first shave with excellent results.
People having read previous passaround reviews of H&S razors know that I strongly recommend them based on both the manufacturing excellence as well as the shave characteristics. In the case of this N075 SS Black T razor, while it is an outstanding razor, I – note I – prefer the mixed metal variant. The weight distribution is decidedly head heavy compared to the mixed metal variant N075. I was going to test shave the razor using a spare Al HardCoat baseplate but Aji asked that we stick with the razor as shipped: my suspicion is that the Black T treatment combined with Al HardCoat base would have yielded an extraordinary smooth shaver, even superior to the current mixed metal version. That stated, there are many many shavers that prefer the SS baseplate to the Al; for those shavers the full SS version in Black T will undoubtedly be a notable improvement with its superior glide. Irrespective of preferring the Al baseplate, the razor delivers an incredibly smooth yet efficient shave for those chasing unchallenging nick free results.
In conclusion, this is an outstanding variant of the N075 family that has demonstrable benefits over the original uncoated releases. H&S continues to develop, evolve and perfect their razors on both the top end and entry level focusing on reducing friction. If seeking a mild razor, my perspective is the N075 family in all its guises is impossible to beat – God knows have been chasing this segment for nearly decade trying them all. While $220 is not inexpensive, there can be no doubt that one gets every penny worth of value out of that spend with this razor and then some in the quality of production and finish. As with all reviews of H&S to date, strongly recommend Aji create a stand keeping with the design theme and hope he continues experimenting with coatings, maybe DLC??
