Another newcomer into the razor world. And I’m pretty sure a few have already heard about it but, for those that haven’t, here it is. The Ascension Twist Adjustable razor in SS 316/316L from PAA. There is another in Aluminum 7075 that was released a couple weeks prior to the SS version but, for this abbreviated review I will focus quickly on the SS model.
I have been a fan of the Dual Open Comb razors from PAA, especially the beastly but wonderful DOC EVO SS. Which, by the way cannot be confused with the Ascension as the EVO is an extremely aggressive/efficient tool. Contrary, the Ascension is smooth but very efficient and it does it with a simple twist of the handle. Yes, you can get to be smooth as glass or as efficient with lovely blade feel but still retaining a nice comfortable and smooth feel to it. Fit and finish is very, very good with a nice almost mirror like polish look to it. No, it’s not Wolfman, Charcoal Goods, Raw Shaving or Timeless looking, where you can see a reflection of your pearly whites but, for the measly sum of $79.99 you get a razor that is machined nicely with tight tolerances and finished quite well. See for yourself:
It has good balance and weight with excellent feel in the hands. The knurling could be a bit deeper and more pronounced but, I’ve had no issues with slippage in my 5-6 shaves with it so far. The blade lines up just about perfect every time without an issue and the extreme curvature of the razors design is what really makes this thing work so well. When you place the blade in between the cap and base plate, the razor acts like a spring and creates a bit of resistance and in providing the slight adjustability that was designed into the razor. I know, I thought a big gimmick as well just to promote and market to dummies like myself that love to look at new things and all in wet shaving. But, the gimmick does work and it does it in two ways.
The adjustability comes from a simple 1/4 turn from the handle counter-clockwise. You can even do it as minutely in 1/16 or 1/8 turns to get the feel you are looking for. And the kicker is that you get 2 benefits out of it as I stated before. You increase blade gap slightly but, more importantly you also increase positive blade exposure and that’s where this little giant excels at. Because of that extreme curvature on the cap and base of the razor, the blade acts like a thin sheet metal shock absorber/spring. Closing the handle minimizes gap and exposure while opening/loosening the handle slightly increases it evenly across the length of the blade on both sides.
Anyways, there’s a video clip on the PAA web site that shows it more clearly and explains it a bit more in depth than I possibly could. The thing is this, it shaves extremely well with excellent blade feel without being harsh. Say like an Muhle R41 (2013 and up) efficiency with an Rockwell R5/R6 smoothness and perhaps even smoother. It just works and the shaves have been great so far.
If your looking for a sub $100 razor that actually is made of quality alloys, is CNC machined to exacting tolerances and has a bit of adjustability to fine tune your shave, the PAA Ascension Twist Adjustable just might be worthy of your consideration. A fine shaver in my book......
I have been a fan of the Dual Open Comb razors from PAA, especially the beastly but wonderful DOC EVO SS. Which, by the way cannot be confused with the Ascension as the EVO is an extremely aggressive/efficient tool. Contrary, the Ascension is smooth but very efficient and it does it with a simple twist of the handle. Yes, you can get to be smooth as glass or as efficient with lovely blade feel but still retaining a nice comfortable and smooth feel to it. Fit and finish is very, very good with a nice almost mirror like polish look to it. No, it’s not Wolfman, Charcoal Goods, Raw Shaving or Timeless looking, where you can see a reflection of your pearly whites but, for the measly sum of $79.99 you get a razor that is machined nicely with tight tolerances and finished quite well. See for yourself:
It has good balance and weight with excellent feel in the hands. The knurling could be a bit deeper and more pronounced but, I’ve had no issues with slippage in my 5-6 shaves with it so far. The blade lines up just about perfect every time without an issue and the extreme curvature of the razors design is what really makes this thing work so well. When you place the blade in between the cap and base plate, the razor acts like a spring and creates a bit of resistance and in providing the slight adjustability that was designed into the razor. I know, I thought a big gimmick as well just to promote and market to dummies like myself that love to look at new things and all in wet shaving. But, the gimmick does work and it does it in two ways.
The adjustability comes from a simple 1/4 turn from the handle counter-clockwise. You can even do it as minutely in 1/16 or 1/8 turns to get the feel you are looking for. And the kicker is that you get 2 benefits out of it as I stated before. You increase blade gap slightly but, more importantly you also increase positive blade exposure and that’s where this little giant excels at. Because of that extreme curvature on the cap and base of the razor, the blade acts like a thin sheet metal shock absorber/spring. Closing the handle minimizes gap and exposure while opening/loosening the handle slightly increases it evenly across the length of the blade on both sides.
Anyways, there’s a video clip on the PAA web site that shows it more clearly and explains it a bit more in depth than I possibly could. The thing is this, it shaves extremely well with excellent blade feel without being harsh. Say like an Muhle R41 (2013 and up) efficiency with an Rockwell R5/R6 smoothness and perhaps even smoother. It just works and the shaves have been great so far.
If your looking for a sub $100 razor that actually is made of quality alloys, is CNC machined to exacting tolerances and has a bit of adjustability to fine tune your shave, the PAA Ascension Twist Adjustable just might be worthy of your consideration. A fine shaver in my book......
