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Karve razor, : My thoughts

The Monkey said:
Gus, how is the Karve aging? Are you letting the patina build up or buffing it?
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Actually looking pretty good there my friend. But, I did a slight clean & polish to the top cap with some Brasso to remove a couple of tiny water spots. But, the base plates and handles are forming a gorgeous patina.....

A quick review/first take on the OC plates that came in about a week ago. First up, Sir F...

Finally got to try out the Karve with the new OC plate offerings. Went full on in with the F plate as I had ordered 3 base plates in B, D & F. Fit and finish is as expected, just excellent with superb precision and tolerances. The shave was on par with the quality of the product. Plain and simply, superb. Excellent blade feel while still retaining an unexpected smoothness that was very good on the skin. Don’t get me wrong, the blade feel is there such as if you got a bit careless, it will bite. I know, I got careless around the throat area and Sir Adam and I gave myself a nic. But, that was totally on me as I did not skin stretch enough and turned simultaneously while performing some touch ups in that area. Nothing to do with the razor itself as the performance was flawless. The F is not as aggressive as I thought it would be but, that’s not a bad thing. It gives you a bit more blade feel than the F SB plate yet retains that SB smoothness. I would put it at the level of the R41 post 2011 with a softer and easier skin feel, if that makes sense.

In the end it was a great shave. And honestly, I got exactly what I wanted. I wasn’t looking for a ferocious feeling whisker whacker as I have quite a few of those in my stable. But, rather an efficient yet smooth whisker reducing tool that takes care of business with as little fuss as possible. With the Karve F plate, mission accomplished.....

I’ll be running the Karve OC plates for the rest of the month of March as I’m in a Fixed Four event on another forum. Good timing to get to know this razor with its open comb plate offerings. Will post from time to time with all 3 plate findings and experiences.

Happy shaves all.....

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Interesting observations on the OC, Gus. The visual of the OC is quite impressive...

I've not tried an R41, or any other open comb aside from the Timeless Bronze OC. So with that being said, how does it compare to that? I'd be curious to read about the feel of the D and B plates...
 
Dagwoodz said:
Interesting observations on the OC, Gus. The visual of the OC is quite impressive...

I've not tried an R41, or any other open comb aside from the Timeless Bronze OC. So with that being said, how does it compare to that? I'd be curious to read about the feel of the D and B plates...
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Good question. From what I can recall when I participated in the Timeless Bronze OC pass around, the Timeless was a bit more blade forward and not as smooth as the Karve F plate rendering. I also found the Karve to be more intuitive and easier to get the right cutting angle as compared to the Timeless which had a smaller sweet spot, for me at least. Because of the smaller window I felt that the Timeless could be a bit harsh if a light touch wasn’t used. Still a very fine shaver but, the Karve F plate was easier to use and maneuver as it’s a bit lighter as well while being just as efficient as the Timeless Bronze OC.
I’m actually getting the OC B plate ready for my next shave. We’ll see how this fairs as it’s much lower on the aggression scale compared to thee F....
 
GlazedBoker said:
Good question. From what I can recall when I participated in the Timeless Bronze OC pass around, the Timeless was a bit more blade forward and not as smooth as the Karve F plate rendering. I also found the Karve to be more intuitive and easier to get the right cutting angle as compared to the Timeless which had a smaller sweet spot, for me at least. Because of the smaller window I felt that the Timeless could be a bit harsh if a light touch wasn’t used. Still a very fine shaver but, the Karve F plate was easier to use and maneuver as it’s a bit lighter as well while being just as efficient as the Timeless Bronze OC.
I’m actually getting the OC B plate ready for my next shave. We’ll see how this fairs as it’s much lower on the aggression scale compared to thee F....
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Hmmmmm....sounds like I'll be making a trip to the Karve website. Depending on the result of your experience with the B plate, I might see the B/C/D OC plates and I think the B plate SB.

Haven't been keeping up with it, is CB still looking at producing a SS version of the Karve? I know there have been rumors floating around for a while.
 
Second shave with the Karve OC but, with the B plate the mildest one that I ordered. I had shaved yesterday with the F and it really gave me a superb BBS finish and stubble was very light this evening. Just enough to get a quick shave in and probably be done in 2 passes, if that. Well, let me just say that this was one very smooth and mild feeling shave. Yet, it removed the stubble very efficiently and comfortably. 2 passes and it was back to where I was yesterday. A very nice smooth feeling on my skin with a tiny bit of stragglers around the Sir Adam. But, that is always a problem spot no matter what razor I use. Most times I get it and some times I don’t. No biggie. The OC B was smooth and mild but, deceptively efficient. It somehow feels like a C SB plate but better. Crazy as it may sound but, it feels more efficient. I can’t explain it. It just shaves very well. As a daily this configuration of the OC B would be a nice combo for those quick, light stubble shave days. Impressive indeed.......

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Interesting. I've been wrestling with which plate to get and it seems as though you can get a BBS shave with any of the plates. Therefore, I'm just going to use a very non-scientific approach at picking a bottom plate for my open comb purchase and will go with the D plate, since my last name begins with D. I don't normally do such impetuous things but as I read the various reviews from people here and elsewhere it seems as though no matter which plate you go for, you can't go wrong. I'll start with the D and if I feel it doesn't do the job in some fashion or another, I'll consider another plate. And since I like my handles a little bit longer, I'm going to go with the 3.25" handle. My favorite handle is an Ikon Bulldog 85mm which is slightly longer than the 3.25" but shorter than the 3.5". I think I have my mind made up. Now to just pull the trigger once I can justify the purchase financially.
 
Skipped a day and got to try the Karve with the D OC plate for today’s shave. A great, great shave indeed. Excellent smoothness with a smidge more efficiency over the regular D plate. Feels just as good and perhaps even better than my E straight bar plate. Just a great feeling shave that made short work of 2 days growth without any irritation, nics or cuts. 2 passes that left me near BBS and a 3rd for touch ups that brought me there. Cleaned up around Sir Adam very nicely, better than the B plate on the previous shave. The D OC plate was a perfect bridge between the milder B plate and the bit more blade feeling F plate. All 3 are great and performed flawlessly from start to finish. But, the D OC is just about perfect for my whiskers. It struck the best balance of smoothness & efficiency between this trio. Whatever Chris did at Karve, he nailed the geometry on the open comb plates. Great face feel without any harshness for an open comb and as strange as it may sound, perhaps feeling a bit better than the Karve straight bar versions. I sampled an RFB and considered it to be one of the smoothest yet efficient razors that blended both qualities to near perfection. The Karve with the D just might have equaled it, if not surpassed it....

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Good write-ups on the open comb version of the Karve. I have the full set of SB plates from AA through F and have been contemplating whether to join the open comb club. This is a very flexible razor in the SB version made even more flexible by the addition of the open comb offerings. I have used every SB plate with success; the only marginal plate is the AA. I am very tempted to take the plunge particularly given the reasonable price.
 
So I just placed my order for the OC A and B plates!! Thanks for all the insight I think with the B, C and D SB plates I already have I will have all the bases covered to start. Thanks Cadre!!
 
Chan Eil Whiskers said:
Very good, thanks, and you?

Well, good except for a very bad case of RAD which seemed to develop when my BAD went into remission.
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Oh all the “ADs” are still around but I am doing quite well! Though I have fallen for Fountain Pens…😳
 
The Karve Copper. Shaves just as good as the Brass version (the only other alloy model that I own from Karve). It is just a superbly crafted safety razor. Without question, it’s the smoothest threaded stud to handle action I’ve ever experienced. CB/Karve has their business & sales issues that I have no care in explaining nor the time to dissect on what has gone wrong in the past to present for this razor maker. One thing is for certain though and I say it without any reservations whatsoever. This is a world class produced razor that not only competes but, also hangs side by side with the best artisan razor producers (Blackland, Timeless, Wolfman, Rocnel, ATT, HomelikeShaving and yes, Razorock plus a few others) here & abroad. It’s not a jewel like production as in a Wolfman which is on another level in terms of finish but, in terms of craftsmanship, quality, shave performance and price value it’s an elite level product, hands down. A wonderful day and shaves to all….

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Karve Copper in the E OC plate. Very smooth yet very effective cutting that yielded a BBS finish in an efficient 2.5 pass shave. Paired it with a Gillette Minora blade that has been a pleasant surprise showing good sharpness and a smooth feel. In all actuality, the Karve has proven to be an excellent shaver with nearly every blade I’ve installed in it. A testament to the outstanding geometry of the razor and its superb stability/rigidity and how it supports the blade. One of the best in the business.

Great shaves to all….

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Fantastic shave earlier today. Went with the D-OC plate & Gillette Platinum pairing. Absolute efficiency & smoothness rolled into one great package. Karve has created one of the best multiple plate combo sets in the business. Truly worth investing in for beginner & seasoned wet shaver alike.

Great shaves to all….

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