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Lupo SS. Razorock’s crown jewel....

GlazedBoker

GlazedBoker

0
I recently acquired (less than a month) one of the latest and newest creations from Razorock, the Lupo SS. The Lupo series is offered in a few different configurations for ones own personal tastes in shave requirements. It’s available in .72 oc, .72/.95 dc & .95 sb which is the one that I purchased. Quality, tolerances and craftsmanship are simply superb. No, it’s not Wolfman high polished jewel like artwork but, very close to say a Timeless SS polish, maybe a notch below. It’s made of 316/316L SS and offered at an unbelievable $69.00-$72.99 price tag depending on the configuration one chooses. And honestly, that’s a steal for what one is getting here. How RR/IB does it, I haven’t the slightest idea. Truth be told, I don’t care as I have razors in the expensive category and others that are extremely affordable. The Lupo SS falls right into the extremely affordable category and yet kind of stands alone amongst all. The value is just unprecedented and yet one gets a shave that is similar to some of the best and more expensive razors out there in wet shavedom. Nearly equals the Timeless SS .95 sb in shave performance (just my opinion) for 1/3 of the cost.

Anyways, Ive had about 12-15 shaves with this razor in the .95 sb configuration and not a single bad shave has been had. My last 2 shaves have been with a Feather blade and it was just spectacular in every facet from start to finish. I’ve tried Gillette Black Ninjas, Lord Platinums and Shark Platinums as well And equally, great results. But, with the Feather the shave results was just turned up a notch. Yes, Feathers can be harsh and for me they usually are during that first shave. From the 2nd one on up though, the Feather really shows how good it really is. And in the Lupo .95 it’s a magnificent pairing as the razor kind of subdues that harshness and allows the blade to cut with an amazingly comfortable feel while exhibiting real nice blade feel that is not intimidating at all. Granted, it’s not a mindless shave as the Feather has a well documented reputation for being ferocious and will make you pay if you’re careless during your shave. But, with the Lupo & Feather you don’t need Zen like concentration nor an offering to the shave gods for a smooth outing with the blade. I’m not shaving with an RR Mamba or British Tech where I can sling those with aplomb all over my face but, I still shaved with a good pace as the Lupo reigns that harshness & sharpness of the blade quite well. There are only a couple of other razors in my den that can do it as well and perhaps a bit better such as the Timeless Ti .95, H&S PO76 Ti and the HomelikeShaving Taiga but, again those razors are costing anywhere from 3 to 5 times as much as the Lupo. Think about that for a minute, $73 gets you a shave that is roughly 90% to 95% to those that I mentioned previously. Value, value and more value.

I think that the Lupo Series of razors has taken another step forward within the house of RR/IB and has established it as the premium razor performer in the razor line up, even surpassing the wonderful Gamechanger Series of razors. As I’ve stated previously, this is a write up for just the .95 variation as I have not tried any other of their offerings in this line up. And honestly, I don’t think I’ll acquire any of the other 2 options available as the GC’s that I have cover the gambit under this razor here. I’m actually quite surprised that a thread hasn’t been started on this razor and that the talk of it has been practically non-existent. For the far majority of users on the shave forums, it has been an absolute success in the artisan razor maker wars and I can honestly say that whichever ones choice is, you will certainly not be disappointed. Especially if one likes to save a few greenbacks in the process. You know, Filet Mignon tastes but, Bic Mac pockets?

Definitely worthy of consideration.....

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Yes indeed it is an excellent razor and your review is perfect. As far as how IB can sell a quality razor at very low prices might be where the razor is made and where IB is located. I once read that some companies in Canada are subsidice by the government. Of course I have absolutely no proof that this is the case with IB but the question is how do they do it ? Interesting enough Karve Shaving's razor prices are not extremely expensive and they also are located in Canada. Food for thought.
 
GearNoir said:
Great review Gus! RR continues to offer premium razors at excellent, accessible pricing...I wish more would follow suit.
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Thanks amigo.....
slantman said:
Yes indeed it is an excellent razor and your review is perfect. As far as how IB can sell a quality razor at very low prices might be where the razor is made and where IB is located. I once read that some companies in Canada are subsidice by the government. Of course I have absolutely no proof that this is the case with IB but the question is how do they do it ? Interesting enough Karve Shaving's razor prices are not extremely expensive and they also are located in Canada. Food for thought.
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You bring up a great point. RR/IB & Karve both produce excellent shave kits for the $$$. Does make one wonder. And thanks...
Soap Thing said:
I got a RazoRock Lupo 72 on a BST recently. It took a couple weeks to get it dialed in, but once I did, I haven’t had a bad shave with it since... Knock on wood.


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Congrats & enjoy. Thank you for your Service....
 
Wrapped up shave 3 about 45 minutes ago and nothing out of the ordinary. Again, just a smooth 2 pass shave with a slight buff on the chin & corners of the stache. I maintain a mustache so, I don’t shave that area but, if I did, this razor would be nearly perfect for that spot. Extremely low profile head that gives the Lupo SS excellent maneuverability that inspires confidence unless of course, you’re all thumbs. Then only providence or The Almighty can provide you with a comforting solution. Or, just grow a beard.

So far the Lupo .95/Feather combination is as formidable a combination as any razor that I’ve shaved with to date that does NOT feel intimidating nor ferocious by any stretch of the imagination, just an excellent melding of efficiency & smoothness. If you look at the pic, you can see a bit of blade reveal/exposure with a decent gap between the guard & blade. Don’t pay any mind to that as that is just the angle at which the pic was taken. Looks like a Tiger but, purrs like a putty-tat. I’ll run this blade out until it gives up the ghost and unto the KAI.

Happy Shaves & Happy Easter/Passover to all.....

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Shave 4 with the Feather & Lupo combo and it was a fine one indeed. Unfortunately, on the ATG pass, it started to get a bit tuggy so, I knew the Feather didn‘t have much left (Feathers are great in sharpness and their ability to cut even the densest of hairs. Longevity though is among the lowest of the low. Shame really for the premium price tag). Anyways, I finessed the rest of the shave and still managed a BBS finish though, I did get some feisty growling from the Alum Bar pass on a couple of spots and the splash was a bit more livelier. I put the final results on me, no blame on the razor or blade. I just rolled the dice there and took a slight loss on end result comfort. But, the irritation gremlins were gone in less than 30 mins.

Overall, the Feather & Lupo are a dream combination that gives superb results against some big hitters in the same class (Timeless SS .95, H&S PO76Ti, GC .84 sb/oc & Jaws, Carbon Cx-Ti). Shave 1 was very good, shaves 2 & 3 were darn near perfection. Problem here is that the shaves are limited with the Feather and that’s no fault of the razor at all. If I could get a weeks worth of shaves from them, I’d be happier than a pig in poop on a warm spring morning.

Well, it’s unto the KAI blade for the next shave. Looking forward to that pairing.

Happy shaves to all.....
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Yeeaaaaaahhh..... Fantastic shave. The KAI & Lupo .95 just brought it today On their first shave pairing. Couldn’t get my shave in sooner as work & schedule played a role in pushing things back. But, man this was a stellar shave. Blade feel was ramped up ever so slightly yet, it still maintained a cool smoothness & efficiency that was right on. A 2 pass shave with 2 1/2 days of beard growth and a slight touch up on the corners. Finito. A very impressive shave outing that shaved about as good as my Timeless .95 SB but, just a hair under in smoothness and comfort. No nics, cuts, weepers or irritation to speak of. Not bad at all for a sub-$100 razor. We’ll see how it goes on consecutive shave days with this combo....

Happy shaves......

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Ok. I had shave #3 with the Lupo 72 today and it went great. Very efficient and not much blade feel (at times it is similar to my H&S N095, wondering if a blade is even in the razor). Got a BBS with only the most minor irritation on my right jawline. I know the 95 is getting a lot of press as RR’s most aggressive offering, but as a daily shaver, this Lupo 72 is doing a pretty bang up job!
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I still prefer my GC .84 over the Lupo .72 by a small margin, but the Lupo is a darn good razor and a great value.
 
A great shave last night with the Lupo .95. Almost 10 hours later and still very smooth face feel. Light stubble round the Adam's Apple area but, that's always one of the first spots for me that sees the earliest growth. Still, that's more than acceptable for me. Solid, solid performer the Lupo .95 is. And with the Ethos soap, it's like taking candy from a baby.

Great shaves to all...

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Just my thoughts on a shave comparison between the Lupo .95 & the Timeless Slim .5 SS that I wrote up on another forum. Taking out price point as the Lupo is much more affordable, these two razors shave very similar to one another.


For those that follow the RR Lupo thread you have heard me sing its praises for the tremendously affordable yet stout performer that the Lupo is. In whatever configuration that fellow members have tried it in, it has garnered well deserved praise & accolades from the masses or the far majority with a few reports from some that found the series either too aggressive or too mild (yes, I’ve read from those whom have considered the .95 Lupo too mild of a shaver and perhaps for their particular beard it could possibly be. Helping of salt always needed in whatever razor thread you may follow) of a tool. Regardless, in my humble opinion, I find it to be an extremely well crafted razor with tolerances and performance to go neck and neck with some of the more expensive and “luxury” brand razors out there. I was asked by a fellow forum member what my thoughts were on the .95 Lupo on how it shaved compared to a .5 Timeless SS Slim. I thought I had done a shave off between the two and apparently I have not. So, I wanted to do a quick shave comparison between these two without having to start a new thread as there are many that follow here. I apologize to the OP as I know this thread is mainly for the RR Lupo series and relevant discussions about its abilities in wet shave world. Perhaps I’ll link this post to a Timeless thread as well for Timeless followers for good measure.

Quickly on the Timeless SS .50 Slim. I’ve had it since its first release and I consider it to be an excellent shaver on par with the Timeless .95 version in the SB configuration. It carries a thinner head height from base plate to top cap with a slight change in shave geometry that encompasses blade reveal & exposure. I find the .5 Slim to provide just the slightest increase in blade feel over the .95 version while retaining near identical shave feel & comfort. Both razors are very efficient while retaining very good comfort and skin feel during one’s shave. Personally, I consider the Timeless SS variants to be arguably the best 3 pc. razors in the “luxury division” when a shaver wants to upgrade or consider an heirloom quality tool in a Stainless Steel alloy.

So, how does the RR Lupo .95 stack up against the Timeless .5 Slim SS? Can it hang with a tool that cost 3 times as much and is equally as crafted that provides smooth, efficient and consistently great results nearly every time out? In a word, yes. And personally, I was shocked at how good of a showing it rendered. How did it do it? Read on.

As always, my shaves are a 3 pass affair when I’m pitting mano a mano shave tool face offs just to get a full shave in and really get to feel the differences between each razor. Each razor gets a side of the face and you just get in tune with the nature of the shave and searching for differences. Nothing special or getting a Zen like quality moment or concentration. It’s just a normal shave with your senses tuned up for feel & sound. Criteria is simple with performance (cutting ability within each pass in efficiency or effectiveness), comfort (the ease of feel on the skin in connection with how it feels in hand as balance and ease of movement plays a big roll in overall comfort in what is occurring during the shave) and quality of shave which encompasses whether there was or wasn’t any irritation, nics, cuts or weepers encountered during the shave process.

Cold morning so, I went with Wholly Kaw Project leather for the suds and splash and installed fresh new Wizamet blades in each razor. The table was set, the lather was ready and it was on as both these razors were taking on 2 days growth.

Pass 1 WTG. Went with the Lupo .95 first on the right and just let it drop. Easy cutting with enough audible sounds to tell one clearly that it was doing some serious cutting. First time use of the Wizamet Iridium Super in this razor and it was eye opening. So smooth yet so effective in cutting those whiskers down to skin level. I mean from the burns on down to my neck and Adam’s Apple, it was like riding on Lard while effectively removing lather & whiskers. Hell of a first pass with the Lupo .95. Grabbed the .5 Slim and went over to the left side. Again, placed at the burns and just let drop down. Simply a gorgeous feel with this Wizamet blade installed in the Slim (1st time as well in this razor). The cutting effect was equally as good as well as the smoothness on face feel though, I think it sounded a bit bore muted versus the Lupo .95 on this WTG pass. Burns to neck was identical in feel and both razors removed a tremendous amount of whiskers that quite frankly was just about identical. Marvelous first pass from both of these whisker whacking contenders. On overall smoothness and feel on skin on this first pass, I’d slightly give it to the .5 Slim. By the width of a whisker.

Pass 2 XTG. This pass is always from ear to stache on the face and from the neck just under the ear to my Adam’s Apple. Started with the Lupo .95 and the audible clarity that it gives is just a real pleasure to hear. No drama as it just went about its business bringing the hairs down even further. Easy good strokes with smooth blade feel and a feel in hand that was near perfect. Transitioning from one side of the razor to the other is just flawless. The Radio Knob handle gives superb feel with the knurling with a very neutral feel in weight bias from head to the bottom of the handle. Cleared out the right and went to the left with the .5 Slim. Just an amazing pass as well. Like I said previously, the .5 Slim is a bit more muted than the Lupo .95 yet it still gives you enough sound to clear out whiskers. Again, just a very smooth feel on the face that was just a tick smoother than the Lupo .95. Balance and feel in hands is equally as good though the grippiness is slightly lacking on the Timeless Ti handle. Overall it is slightly the lighter razor though not by much. Balance feels almost neutral with a slight weight bias towards the head, barely. Transitions are just about perfect as well on the flip from one side of the razor to the other. Cleared the left out and did a cold water face rinse. I’m astounded at how both sides feel identical to the touch and at this stage I could declare a DFS feel from face to neck. Both razors have locked horns in a ferocious fight on who is going to get the upper hand. Think of it as two bulls during rut season. Neither one is giving an inch. Just a fabulous shave so far from these two. Well, you know what’s left and that is pass 3 and chasing the little one’s buttocks.

Pass 3 ATG. My ATG pass is from South to North, bottom of my neck to the sideburns, mid-ear level. Both of these razors shined in this pass as many consider (myself included) the ATG pass the make or break moment for any razor to be considered a darn good one. The Lupo demonstrates a bit more blade feel just by the slightest over the Slim and when your skin stretching to get those last bit of hair straggler hold outs in the tough spots, trust me it is an added bonus to hear that it has cleared it. I love when a razor sings and they both do. The Lupo sings slightly better. The Slim though with that smooth feel just does a fabulous job of cleaning up the tough spots just as well. It hums but, it hums beautifully. I put the razors down when I felt I was complete and went for the final face rinse and feel. Almighty! This was as good a shave as I’ve given myself between two razors in quite some time. Felt my face for any spots or stragglers and absolutely nothing including the tiny nooks around Sir Adam. Flawless face smoothness including the neck that was a BBS finish of the highest order. Better yet was a quick alum pass and not a single spec of irritation. Cleaned up and threw some splash on to seal the deal. Fabulous, fabulous and simply fabulous shave result. I could not have asked for a better shave off in terms of performance, comfort and quality of shave.

I’m writing this post now and it is about 2:30pm eastern time, give or take 5 minutes. I shaved this morning at about 7am. I couldn’t call it back then on which gave the closer shave and now as I feel my face, I still can’t call it as I’m still clear of the whiskers on both sides with equal face comfort to boot. These two are stellar performers and will give individuals consistently great shaves day in, day out. I liked the feel of the Lupo .95 in hand with its great knurling and nearly neutral razor balance a notch better over the overall feel in hand of the Timeless .5 Slim. Though I prefer weight bias toward the razor head in which to me the Timeless exhibited, I still preferred the overall maneuverability of the Lupo .95 just a tad bit more. They are both supremely comfortable tools when it comes to mid aggressive razors and up, as clearly these two do not feel like a Mamba .70 or a Feather AS-D2 in practice. The Timeless puts a bit more of a bend on the blade over the Lupo with a down tick in gap while still providing very good blade exposure/reveal leading to an inherently smoother feeling shaver. Not by much but, to me it was apparent. The Lupo .95 is still a very smooth shaver but, with it’s larger gap and not as much bend will lose out on the smoothness part to the Timeless slim. But, that’s is not a bad thing at all. Not by a long shot. The Lupo feels more direct in feel and that is evidenced by the razors nature in giving a much more acute audible feel that translates, at least in theory to a more aggressive attacker of whiskers. Whether that is true or not it has to account or mean for something because when you are shaving, sound & feel tell you/me at least subconsciously, that this thing is doing a number on the whiskers.

The Lupo is $70. The Timeless Slim .5 SS is $200+. So far 7 hours into my shave the Lupo matched the Timeless in every facet of the shave and so far during post shave longevity. That’s a hell of a statement from a sub $100 razor. We’ll see how long the shave lasts and I’ll post an update once I feel stubble returning. Call it a draw for now.

Great shaves to all….

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Ok. Just to follow up on the shave between these two stellar razors, I have finally started to feel the slightest of growth on both sides about half an hour apart. At about 5 pm I felt the first level of the 5 O’Clock shadow just under the jawline finally appear and about 30 minutes later, the same on the other side. Which was growing first? The right side where the Lupo .95 had taken its turn. Nearly 10 full hours of a clean shaven & smooth mug. And the left side with the Timeless .5 Slim, nearly 10.5 hours of smooth face feeling bliss. Extraordinary close shave between these two with durability or duration of shave only separated by minutes. Top level shave with well above average post shave duration. The 8-10 hour window is about as good a time frame as one can expect. If I can get 7-8 hours I’m a happy camper. These two clearly exceeded that time. All things being equal though, the Timeless .5 Slim pulls it out by a whisker, literally.

Question is now, for nearly 1/3 of the cost of the Timeless the Lupo delivered a very near identical shave losing out by only minutes. So, for the same quality shave & performance, is it worth the price to get a Timeless over the Lupo if you’re solely basing your shave requirements on sheer performance and price/value proposition? Clearly on value & performance the Lupo is the deal of the day and with looks that are close to a Timeless with tolerances that are nearly identical, how can one say that the Lupo is not the winner? It will always come down to the individual shaver. Needs and wants will exponentially vary between users and ultimately there is no right or wrong nor a definitive winner or loser.

Pick up a Timeless and you will have an heirloom quality piece that will perform to the nines for years to come and eventually can be passed down to the next generation or two. On the other hand, grab a Lupo that might not look as highly polished or that boutique/niche look, save some $$$ for that college fund or a night out for some steak & vino with your significant other and still have a piece that will last well after your gone that the next generation can use as well.

Decisions, decisions. Oh my…..:unsure:;)
 
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