Ok, let’s lay it out and bring the full players into the game. Osprey by Blackland, Gillette Minora(1), WSP Mahogany Formula T, Graydog 26mm Badger Chechen, Proraso Red Sandalo after shave & Blackstone Matte Black edt. I have 4 days worth of whiskers to work with and I’m aiming to see if it can give me a DFS/BBS finish in two. Fingers crossed.
Was thinking about staying with the Feather but, it was going to be its third use and I have been getting some inconsistent blades from this particular tuck that I opened a couple weeks back. Decided to go with a tried & true Gillette Minora that almost equals the Feather in sharpness but, runs circles around it in terms of smoothness & reliability. Thick, rich lather from the WSP Mahogany and the Badger painted on some lovely suds for the first pass. Before I go on with the shave, I need to let those that are curious that I opened up the Osprey to the max setting, which is almost about 9.75 and maybe even 10 on the dial. I posted a few pics to try and give you the best look but, an IPhone though good with pics is not the best. But, if you look close enough or blow up the pics, you’ll see where the Osprey maxed out at.
First WTG pass was on and from the first stroke, this pup meant business. Blade feel is nicely amped up from the last setting of 7 on my last shave but, not much loss in smoothness. The feel is very good and so is the sound as it gave a bit more audible feedback. The first 2-3 strokes I adjusted trying to find the sweet spot where I can maintain cutting effectiveness while simultaneously trying to feed in a somewhat comfy arrangement. Towards the cap, I got more blade feel and just a tab bit of harshness than I did at neutral. I slightly brought the handle down past the neutral zone towards the safety bar and I hit my spot. Not on the bar but, close and it was a very nice and smooth action. Still plenty of blade feel but, in no way was it an intimidating process. Whiskers were brought down quickly and very efficiently to skin level. The weight helps tremendously here and a soft touch with NO pressure needed and it sings beautifully. Not loud but, nice and very noticeable. The Minora was as always up to the task with a very smooth feel and cutting ability. Nice pair these two. Done with the first pass and had a quick cold water splash. A quick look and feel, no weepers or red dots anywhere. Onto pass two.
Brought the setting down to 8.5 and went ATG. It was really an amazing pass as I went a bit slower with deliberate action as there is still good blade feel and a mishap will draw blood in an instant. It’s not a mild razor at these settings. Not Ikon Tech like but, Timeless .95 to Muhle R41 or even the Rocnel Sailor on 5.5 to 6. Need to do a shave off to really compare but, it’s in that territory. South to North starting at the bottom of Sir Adam with some nice skin stretching and the Osprey plowed through the whiskers with authority and relative comfort. It was smooth yet, it let you know that there’s a cold piece of sharpened steel in there lurking and waiting for a lapse in thought. The Osprey though kept it in check and not a single mishap once I was done with pass #2. A quick face rinse and feel and I was at DFS+ with just the tiniest amount of stragglers along the jawline and two small patches on the left of the Adam’s Apple and a corner of my chin to my right. Relathered and went for a quick seek & cut/buff maneuver while bringing the setting down to about 4.5. Man, that was an awesome shave that left me at baby buttocks on both face & neck. Splash & alum pass and I got the slightest of heat right on the chin where I worked to remove that stubborn patch. Everywhere else though was clean as a whistle with no disturbance, weepers or irritation of any kind. Very satisfying shave and one that told me that the Osprey can play with the big boys if you want big gap & blade feel rules in the game. The Proraso sealed the deal & a quick spritz or two from the edt and it was a wrap.
What do I think? Honestly, it’s still very early in my shave journey with the Osprey with just only this being my third shave with it but, these three shaves have given me a good idea on how it will work from setting 1-9. Granted, I haven’t fine tuned it for my specific routine and likes but, I see no issue with this razor giving me excellent shaves to rival some of the best adjustables in my den. There’s enough range in the Osprey from my initial findings and experience to undoubtedly say that a far majority of wetshavers out there can and will find their settings and feel totally confident that it will deliver a comfortable yet efficient shave without an issue. A true beginner can pick this up and totally get up to speed with it as the learning curve is not that difficult at all. Start low and go from there. For the veteran wet shaver this razor will provide excellent options on their needs for that particular shave day whether daily or multiple day shaving. And the ultra performance shave must have blade feel seeker there is more than enough to satisfy as well once one gets past setting 7. It gives direct feel and tells you what that blade is doing against the skin effectively while still exhibiting relative comfort in the upper ranges. Will max be useful for most? Absolutely not! If you hear anyone telling you that the Osprey is not efficient enough or lacks cutting prowess, then there are two things you need to consider here. Either the individual is a direct descendant of Bigfoot or the missing link to the Neanderthal lineage or, is merely talking about a razor that he’s never even used or held. Yes, they’re talking big poop, seriously. And Gent’s, we know there are plenty of haters out there so, use a big helping of salt if you happen to run across a statement or review that portrays the Blackland Osprey as an inadequate tool for the Grizzly Adams of the world. Personally, I might never see this razor past 7 to 7.5 but, it’s nice to know that it can bring some extra teeth and grunt if you happen to need it and feel a bit adventurous. For the rest of us mortals it will suffice and will kick a** whenever you need it to. Balance is slightly geared towards the head but, the feel in hand is great. Turning the adjustment dial and removing the handle just gets easier every time I use it. Tactile feel and grip is excellent for not offering any knurling or a micro-grainy like feel. The razor rinses and cleans up with ease and though I might need an extra minute to get it all cleaned up and dry, I love doing it while looking at this marvelously created tool. Caveat? I would prefer black numbers with a deeper etching of those numbers so my eyes can pick it up easier but, not a deal breaker in the least. Just a minor preference. On my end, more shaves are required to fine tune but, this thing isn’t going anywhere. Guaranteed.
Great shaves to all….
Apologies for the crappy close ups Gents.
theshavingcadre.com
