Aylsworth Drakkant

slapo

slapo

It's... alive!
First shave in, on about 4 days of growth.
I did a side by side with both SB plates.
First few strokes with the standard plate were pretty smooth, so I decided to try ATG on the first pass. Still fels reasonably smooth, but there were weepers. I'm not sure the blade was sharp enough for this (plus my hair is pretty springy), although me having turned into a flabster helped none, and I didn't stretch the skin much, if at all. In short, I should've done the usual WTG+ATG I do.

I used Seaside Soap & Skincare's Lavender shaving soap sample. I had it in the paper wrapper in storage for way too long and the smell had lost most of its punch. 😔
However, the soap performed very well. I also used too much - very little of this soap is needed to whip up a good amount of lather.
I still have a bunch of samples left, but I think I'll buy a tub or two afterwards. They aren't cheap, but considering how little is needed, they should last a pretty long time, and should be worth the money, IMO.

Shave summary:
  • Both plates are somewhat surprisingly very smooth;
  • The razor seems to favour a very shallow blade angle, but it's alright even with a steeper blade angle;
  • Both plates actually felt about the same in terms of blade feel and smoothness;
  • The standard plate clogged too easily;
  • I actually had fewer weepers on the plus plate side, but I might've been more careful with it;
  • The shave was BBS on the plus plate side (except for a few spots that I missed on one of the passes), and DFS on the standard plate side - this might've been due to me getting used to the razor, though;
  • I think I actually did one pass less on the plus plate side, and got a better result, so I'm somewhat impressed by the plus plate.
To be quite honest, I think both plates would benefit from having a single lather slot, rather than two, and perhaps more frequent scallops.
Perhaps I should get more shaves in before drawing a verdict, though.

Come to think of it, the razor rather reminds me of the Soviet Luch-02 razor, in both some design elements and performance.
It's much better made, though, but then also a lot more expensive.

I'm also away on Monday and Tuesday, so I should get another shave in on Sunday (fingers crossed) or Wednesday.
It'll probably be another standard vs plus plate comparison, and then I'd like to compare the plus plate with the Rocca.
Afterwards, it should be OC plate time. :)
 
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slapo

slapo

It's... alive!
On Monday, I had a quick shave, both SB plates pitted against each other again, and the plus plate coming on top again (just no weepers on its side this time).

I had my last shave with the OC plate early this morning and it turns out that the top cap actually works with the dscosmetic Z0 base plate better than most top caps (though the combination still yields a rather aggressive razor).
I used Dorco Titan blades for all shaves with the Drakkant, a fresh blade each time.
The last shave was also the best shave yet.
A contributing factor might've been that the previous shave had been on Monday, but I might've just gotten used to the razor.
On half of my face, I used the Z0 base plate instead of Drakkant's OC plate. Initially, it seemed more efficient, but after three passes, the result was a BBS on both sides of my face.
However, while the Drakkant OC side felt nice and I got no weepers, the Z0 plate side felt a touch raw around my curvy bits (neck and chin contours), where I also got a few weepers.
Using the Drakkant top cap with the Z0 base plate was certainly an improvement for me in terms of how smooth it was, but it wasn't as smooth as with the native Drakkant plates (as expected) and still a good deal more aggressive than necessary, expecially because the blade exposure necessitated use of a pretty steep blade angle at times, which felt rather rough.

I'd thought that maybe the thickness of the teeth of the OC Drakkant plate could cause some issues, but I was pleased to find that wasn't the case. I suspect this was also because the teeth go in fairly deep, so when rinsing the razor, the space between individual teeth and the top cap is easier to flush.
I wish the week had been less tiring and I'd gotten one more shave under the belt where I'd compare it to either the PAA Ascension or my Winning Razor + iKon 103 frankenrazor, but it's alright.

Of all the plates, I found the OC plate the most pleasant and versatile, so if I were to buy the razor, that would be the plate I'd choose.
I rather like the raw machined finish, though considering the bead blast finish isn't much more expensive, I'd likely spring for that one.

I'll be posting the razor to @wooky114 early next week.

Thanks for letting me take part in the passaround. :)
 
Chris

Chris

Forum DOG!
Staff member
wooky114 said:
The best shave of the holidays so far; the Plus plate for the first pass and the Standard plate for the follow up passes. The shave was, from memory, akin to those I had with the Yates 921 with the H plates and M plates, which isn't a surprise given who produces both razors. But I'm a happy man with the results.
Click to expand...
Sounds good. I liked the Yates and was tempted to buy one but didn't like the handles available. The Drakkant handle looks really nice, although it is disappointing that it fits into a hollow in the base plate. One of my gripes with the Yates was that not only did I not like the standard handles, I couldn't use one that I did like because it fitted into a recess in the base plate and none of mine would fit. It's an odd design choice; I know they probably want you to use their handle, and to be fair the Drakkant handle is a looker, but it won't suit everyone and some people have a favourite handle they'd like to use.
 
Aylsworth Razors

Aylsworth Razors

Veteran
wooky114 said:
The best shave of the holidays so far; the Plus plate for the first pass and the Standard plate for the follow up passes. The shave was, from memory, akin to those I had with the Yates 921 with the H plates and M plates, which isn't a surprise given who produces both razors. But I'm a happy man with the results.
Click to expand...
Glad you enjoyed the shaves! Yates manufactured the razor but the design itself is by Aylsworth Razors, so any similarity in the shave experience is actually coincidental (although it's not the first time someone has made the comparison!)
 
Aylsworth Razors

Aylsworth Razors

Veteran
chris.hale said:
Sounds good. I liked the Yates and was tempted to buy one but didn't like the handles available. The Drakkant handle looks really nice, although it is disappointing that it fits into a hollow in the base plate. One of my gripes with the Yates was that not only did I not like the standard handles, I couldn't use one that I did like because it fitted into a recess in the base plate and none of mine would fit. It's an odd design choice; I know they probably want you to use their handle, and to be fair the Drakkant handle is a looker, but it won't suit everyone and some people have a favourite handle they'd like to use.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback! The slot in the base plate is designed to accommodate a standard nylon washer and also allow for more male to female thread engagement, which can prevent galling from repeated use and significantly extend the life of a razor (the threads being the weakest and most likely point of failure).

The slot is also designed to be wider than most handles at the point of contact with the base plate, although i can see how that may present an issue for some handles that are atypically thick at the top.
 
Chris

Chris

Forum DOG!
Staff member
Aylsworth Razors said:
Thanks for the feedback! The slot in the base plate is designed to accommodate a standard nylon washer and also allow for more male to female thread engagement, which can prevent galling from repeated use and significantly extend the life of a razor (the threads being the weakest and most likely point of failure).

The slot is also designed to be wider than most handles at the point of contact with the base plate, although i can see how that may present an issue for some handles that are atypically thick at the top.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I should mention in the interests of clarity that I have not yet tried the Drakkant, but that the slot is designed to be wider than most handles is good to know.
 
Holyzeus

Holyzeus

Forum GOD!
1. Holyzeus *Completed*
2. p.b *Completed*
3. semajohn *Completed*
4. LeeMaz *Completed*
5. slapo * Completed *
6. wooky114 *Completed*
7. Masamune * With*
8. Boycie83
9. art101980
10. Triple Milled
11. chris.hale
 
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Masamune

Masamune

Forum GOD!
Specs:
  • Weight - 97 grams
  • Thread - Standard 10-32
  • Handle - 89 mm (3.5 inches)
Gap/ Exposure:
  • Original Plate - 0.73 mm/ Neutral
  • Plus Plate - 0.99 mm/ 0.125 mm
  • Open Comb Plate - 0.99 mm/ 0.125 mm
Thoughts so far

IMG_0437.jpg


My first shave was rushed so I grabbed the OC plate and raced through 2 passes. Very comfortable and plenty efficient. Angle was easy to find. Shallow which suits me fine as I'm almost exclusively using GEM razors now. Must remember that this razor has a blade on both sides. It's a pretty hefty razor but not excessive and a very different experience to the Tatara passaround. Grip was excellent with the chunky knurling on the handle. No chance of slipping. Low blade feel considering the gap and exposure. Nicely machined but more Blackland than Tatara in the finishing touches.

I feel this open comb was almost designed for those who avoid OC razors. The oversized teeth make for a comfortable shave and reminds me of my Guerilla razor. Personally I would prefer a slimmer head but it works fine as it is.

IMG_0440.jpg


Next was the regular plus plate. I really thought there would be more comfort from the SB but both plates are very similar to me. A leisurely three-pass with the OC will confirm this soon. However I do use quite a few open combs so maybe not the best person to comment on this. Will have another go with the OC and then move down to the standard plate for daily shaves.

I'm sticking with the Polsilvers for the passaround.
 
Masamune

Masamune

Forum GOD!
I'll be sending the razor on to @Boycie83 next week.

IMG_0463.jpg


I bounced inbetween the standard and the OC this week. With a few comparisons to other open combs thrown in.

The standard plate is rather mild and the plus open comb isn't aggressive so most of the shaves have been with the OC. Yes, the standard is smoother than the plus but I'd like to see a little more efficiency in the shaves. Maybe a standard open comb may help. I do like a mild OC like the Masamune and the Guerrilla.

I don't really need more than 2 passes with the open comb. I don't chase efficiency but definitely prefer the OC.

The razor is a little industrial in the finishing for my taste. I'd prefer a standard curved cap and unhidden blade tabs.

Thanks for the opportunity to test out the Drakkant @Aylsworth Razors and @Holyzeus
 
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