Razorock Baby Smooth

[GearNoir]

RR Baby Smooth. I got to use this for my shave, for the first time, today- what a wonderful razor!

Light is an understatement, it honestly felt about the weight of your average cart razor, maybe less. It was tempting to apply pressure, but I resisted; the knurling is such that I never felt at any point I’d loose my grip.

I was able to find the cutting angle moderately easy; lining up the sideburns was a little bit of a guessing game though because of the size of the head. The design, as I noted last night, is quite unique with the extreme curvature, but it works great!

I’d place it about the smoothness range of a Tech, but the efficiency may be a step or two higher than the prewar Fat Handle. The short of it...I got a BBS shave with little effort! I’m really pleased with it. It would make for an excellent daily driver.

I was waffling on a RR Game Changer, but if it’s even more mild than this...I dunno...

Have you tried the Baby Smooth? What are your thoughts?

 

[gvw755]

I tried the Baby Smooth when it first came out a couple of years ago. I think this was Joe's first attempt at big production machining. I know there was the Stealths before that in both stainless steel and aluminum but this was the first attempt as a razor for the masses. I remember getting the Baby Smooth, Merkur 45, and Fatip Gentile all around the same time. I kept the Merkur because it was the smoothest and most efficient. The Baby Smooth came in a VERY close second being slightly harsher, but just as efficient. These razors led me down the path that the best razors are not ones that sound like a buzz saw while shaving (so you know it's working right), but if you have to check after a couple of strokes to make sure it is cutting whiskers because you can't feel anything.

The Game Changer I shaved with for about a week and then sold it. It was aggressive without being more efficient than the Mamba. The Mamba, on the other hand is very similar to the Baby Smooth in efficiency and smoothness, but because it is a stainless steel razor, there is more heft to it (if you can't get used to the lightness of the Baby Smooth).

 

[GearNoir]

Interesting, I was reading in “the other place” a thought or two that the BS was more aggressive and efficient than the GC, which was why I’m hesitating now.

I indeed had to check after the first handful of strokes to make sure I was doing something other than removing lather. Sure enough, I was! This probably is the most silent razor I have, even over my Feather AC SS.

 

[BrickHud]

Pretty interesting. I've been put off by the Baby Smooth's reputation as a light and mild razor. With some exceptions, I usually end up passing mild razors on to someone else. And I don't always get along with light razors because of the skipping action some of them exhibit across my beard. Should a fellow who leans toward aggressive razors rethink his prejudice regarding the Baby Smooth?

 

[GearNoir]

Pretty interesting. I've been put off by the Baby Smooth's reputation as a light and mild razor. With some exceptions, I usually end up passing mild razors on to someone else. And I don't always get along with light razors because of the skipping action some of them exhibit across my beard. Should a fellow who leans toward aggressive razors rethink his prejudice regarding the Baby Smooth?

Well, truth be told, it is a light and mild razor, but it is (for me) also decently efficient. This is why I chose to compare it out of my known razors to my prewar Fat Handled Tech. It is a hair lighter but a tad more efficient. I suppose that means it could bite a bit or of course give rawness if you over stroke a spot or apply pressure. When you find the angle though, the smoothness of the Tech is there.

If I were to compare it to, say, my v2 Fatip Piccolo, the Piccolo would win no contest on aggression, blade feel, efficiency, and heft; the Piccolo is on another level in those terms. The Piccolo would not win on smoothness or relative gentleness on the skin.

If you like only aggressive razors, I might just try to borrow one if you can, you probably will not like it. If you can put aside aggression or favor variety and/or sheer smoothness, go for the buy.