Over the last two weeks I did three split shaves (one razor on either side of my face) with the RazoRock Stainless Steel HAWK "A" and the Above The Tie Windsor SE1. Both razors were used twice with a KAI Captain Titan Mild blade and once with a Feather Professional Super blade. I used Arko Cool shaving cream and a Knothead 24mm SHD 2-band badger knot in a Pereira Shavery unbreakable shaving bowl. For the aftershave I used a touch of Spanish Aqua Velva on the face, using the alcohol burn to rate my shaving technique. I then finished with Barrister & Mann Reserve Cool aftershave balm. @Fenster you said you wanted to know how these two Razors compare, well here it is.
Above The Tie Windsor SE1:
The ATT went first. With the blade loaded and the Atlas handle, it weighed 4 ounces at 3.3 inches long. This razor is made in the United States from 303 stainless steel. I’m a left-handed shaver so I used this razor on the left side of my face. The guard is supposed to be similar to their Windsor R1 double edge razor. I have never used that razor so I’m afraid I cannot compare the two This razor used to be finished in a bead blasted satin matte. In this finish, I found the razor was slightly abrasive against the face. I went to my local gunsmith and had him refinish it in a brushed (pictures included). Yeah, I’m a dork just go ahead and say it. But I did it and it worked. That alone smoothened out the shave a lot. Make no mistake, you can get a great shave with it in the original finish, but I didn’t like the original finish aesthetically anyway, and I was surprised to learn that it actually helped the shave. The shave with the Feather ProSuper was a little too aggressive for my taste and the alcohol burn from the Aqua Velva was pretty intense. Your face may vary. With the 2 KAI shaves the alcohol burn was minimal and I got one of the most satisfying shaves I’ve had in years. This razor isn’t the easiest to load and the blade likes to slip out while you’re trying to load it but that’s a nitpick and I can live with that. Another nitpick is that the top cap might not always be perfectly aligned when you screw the razor together. This is easy enough to fix just by holding your thumb against the top cap, holding it in place while you tighten the handle.
P.S.
Now I’m stuck with the same Feather ProSuper all of February for the one blade challenge. So I will be getting VERY familiar with that blade this month.
RazoRock Hawk A:
On the Right side of my face, I used the Hawk A. with a loaded blade and the Super Knurl handle, the Hawk A weighed 3.56 ounces at 3.8 inches long. This razor is made in Canada from 316 stainless steel. The “A” model is supposed to be Razorock’s more aggressive Hawk. However, I think their version of aggressive has misleading connotations. With the 2 KAI shaves, the Hawk A was a nothingburger. It was much too mild for my stubble. Once I outfitted it with the Feather ProSuper, it turned into a lean mean shaving machine. It was a very enjoyable shave. Again, your face may vary. The alcohol burn was minimal with the Hawk A, the metal finish on this razor was a brushed finish out of the box, so contact with the face was buttery smooth. The blade is easy to install and locks in tight very easily.
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Above The Tie Windsor SE1:
The ATT went first. With the blade loaded and the Atlas handle, it weighed 4 ounces at 3.3 inches long. This razor is made in the United States from 303 stainless steel. I’m a left-handed shaver so I used this razor on the left side of my face. The guard is supposed to be similar to their Windsor R1 double edge razor. I have never used that razor so I’m afraid I cannot compare the two This razor used to be finished in a bead blasted satin matte. In this finish, I found the razor was slightly abrasive against the face. I went to my local gunsmith and had him refinish it in a brushed (pictures included). Yeah, I’m a dork just go ahead and say it. But I did it and it worked. That alone smoothened out the shave a lot. Make no mistake, you can get a great shave with it in the original finish, but I didn’t like the original finish aesthetically anyway, and I was surprised to learn that it actually helped the shave. The shave with the Feather ProSuper was a little too aggressive for my taste and the alcohol burn from the Aqua Velva was pretty intense. Your face may vary. With the 2 KAI shaves the alcohol burn was minimal and I got one of the most satisfying shaves I’ve had in years. This razor isn’t the easiest to load and the blade likes to slip out while you’re trying to load it but that’s a nitpick and I can live with that. Another nitpick is that the top cap might not always be perfectly aligned when you screw the razor together. This is easy enough to fix just by holding your thumb against the top cap, holding it in place while you tighten the handle.
P.S.
Now I’m stuck with the same Feather ProSuper all of February for the one blade challenge. So I will be getting VERY familiar with that blade this month.
RazoRock Hawk A:
On the Right side of my face, I used the Hawk A. with a loaded blade and the Super Knurl handle, the Hawk A weighed 3.56 ounces at 3.8 inches long. This razor is made in Canada from 316 stainless steel. The “A” model is supposed to be Razorock’s more aggressive Hawk. However, I think their version of aggressive has misleading connotations. With the 2 KAI shaves, the Hawk A was a nothingburger. It was much too mild for my stubble. Once I outfitted it with the Feather ProSuper, it turned into a lean mean shaving machine. It was a very enjoyable shave. Again, your face may vary. The alcohol burn was minimal with the Hawk A, the metal finish on this razor was a brushed finish out of the box, so contact with the face was buttery smooth. The blade is easy to install and locks in tight very easily.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
