The Hammer by Pearl Shaving. All Brass CNC produced…

[GlazedBoker]

Just came in today the Hammer from Pearl. Awesome shipping & packaging from Maggard Razors. I also picked up The Four Horsemen a/s splash that was on clearance. As you can see, the Hammer comes in a very nice presentation box and is completely sealed which is a nice touch. Whether it’s from the factory manufacturer or Maggard themselves I can’t say but, it gives the feel that you’re getting a new and premium product. That’s a plus from me. I took a few pics so that those interested can see that though the packaging seems simple from the outside, Pearl actually put some thought into this presentation. Listen, I wasn’t expecting a world class type presentation a la Rocnel or Atelier Durdan but, for $44 this is a nice touch and it shows they take pride in their product and how they want it represented to the consumer market. Kudos to Pearl for going a bit extra as it shows they care. Complete razor, open comb base plate, washers, polishing cloth and a box of 10 blades as well as an instruction/care booklet and a thank you note. The razor has some weight and is substantial in hand. The pics don’t really tell the story but, the serrations on the handle feel to be deep enough to give good tactile feel and grip. Hopefully it carry’s over into the actual shave itself once it gets loaded up with soap and water. I’m not worried much about it though to be honest. I’ll line up a blade in it to see how well the blade is supported and aligned (or not) in a bit but, just wanted to post this for those that were curious on the Hammer.

Personally, for the cash layout, one gets a lot for their money. Unfortunately, it will be on the back burner for a bit as I’m not going to shave with it yet (Fixed Four Event) so, hopefully someone has one coming in and can get to the nitty-gritty if the Hammer lives to its namesake or is just another paper weight.

A few pics & details below.

 

[GearNoir]

A new Mjolnir contender has entered the ring! Holy smokes!

 

[Scuttlesoap]

That is a lot for $44!

 

[GlazedBoker]

Ok, I finally got to put in a few shaves (5) with the Hammer from Pearl after a little over a month of having it in my possession. Made some commitments to some shaving events and did not want to break my promise in participating in those dedicated shaving events.

Anyhow, the experience with this razor has been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me. Off the bat, the Silvermax blades do not agree with my face. The very first shave was a weeperfest of epic proportions. At first I thought it was a bad blade on the initial shave so, I changed it out before completing my first pass. I did that one more time hoping that I just had a couple of rough blades but, to no avail. It just wasn’t smooth and felt kind of skittish on my skin. I managed to complete the first shave with those 3 blades but, it was weeper and irritation universe. I hadn’t experienced that in quite some time. Though the shave was nearly a BBS finish minus a spot around the Adam’s Apple area, the alum pass set my face on fire. A nice cold water splash for a few seconds and a healthy helping of after shave with alcohol gave me the bracing effect that I wasn’t welcoming but, definitely needed. It subsided within 30 minutes and after about an hour my skin felt smooth & clean of whiskers. Slight discomfort for a bit after but, I was clean shaven. Rough blades and getting to know a razor on it’s initial outing is a bad combo. I knew better as I should have gone with blades that I know and feel comfy with but, was just being stubborn and I paid the price.

The following 4 shaves have been with a Gillette Minora and it has been good to excellent shaves since. Finding the angle on the Hammer takes a little adjustment (it feels really good & smooth almost riding the safety bar) but, once there and one maintains that angle of attack, it’s a pleasure to use and wield. The weight for me is a non issue as I have razors that are equal to the Pearl Hammer with some exceeding it by a bit. Balance is quite good with weight bias that shifts slightly towards the handle. I can live with that. The handle is either love or hate and I’m somewhere in the middle. It offers good grip and tactile feel even with one’s paws full of suds. Lather slots work very well and the razor rinses clean with ease. For those that take this into account, the blade tabs are fully covered so no earlobe nics for some. To me it makes no difference but, it’s a positive attribute for the Hammer. Now I’ve had all my shaves with the sb variant base plate up until this point including today’s shave. The next couple of shaves I will swap out the sb plate for the oc version and put it through some shaves and see what it delivers which I think will be more of the same in good shaves with a tad more blade feel. Well, that’s the theory at the moment. Will post again in a few days and give a more complete report on the Pearl Hammer nice those shaves are completed,

Great shaves to all…

 

[NurseDave]

Oh I am so down. How can I not order a razor called Hammer???

 

[GlazedBoker]

Nearly 2 more weeks of shaves with the Pearl Hammer switching between both the safety & open comb plates. I’ve also used a few different blade setups which include Gillette Platinum (Black Ninja’s), Bic Chrome Platinum, Gillette Minora, Lord Platinum & KAI SS blades and all have worked tremendously well with the KAI’s giving more blade feel over the others mentioned. The Hammer gives a rock solid platform with excellent shave characteristics that should give most shavers today everything they could possibly want or need in a very affordable package that is well made and nicely presented. Of course if we were to speak on aesthetics alone, quite a few would write it off as a novelty razor at best. But, there is no razor in existence today that pleases every wet shaver including razors that are classified as luxury or ultra premium shave tools nor the vintage greats from the likes of Gillette, GEM, Gibson and countless others. I agree that for my own tastes the handle is not the most pleasing yet, in function it covers the most basic necessity in proving good tactile feel and better than average balance. The only caveat that I would say is that for a true beginner in the wet shave ranks, I would not recommend this to be your absolute first razor into the DE world of shaving. Not because it‘s an aggressive razor (I’d consider it mid-level at best) but, rather it fits the shaver that has had some experience with a few razors and have the experience to adjust their technique in acclimating themselves to a razor such as the Pearl Hammer. Not difficult to learn nor master just takes a few shaves to find that sweet spot where it works at maximum efficiency while still promoting smoothness with a comfortable shave experience. When those factors are taken into account, for the sufficiently experienced wet shavers this is a razor that exudes great value & performance in the shave universe.

It simply works. Great shaves to all….