Darkbulb
Member #10
Bullgoose Evolution DE Razor
The latest offering from Bullgoose shaving in their Asylum line of razors is their recently released "Evolution" razor.
Just by looking at the razor it'll be rather evident to a number of wetshaving enthusiasts where the inspiration to it came from: The Darwin.
The Darwin design have seen quite some resurgence lately with offerings such as the Darwinesque handle from WolfmanRazors, the upcoming Hempel Darwin razor - and now this one from Bullgoose. It's a design that is somewhat polarizing as far as if you find it visually appealing or not. Personally I do and already owning the aforementioned Wolfman handles I also feel that the design is surprisingly ergonomic to hold during a shave as well.
Some short data points about the Bullgoose Evolution:
Material: 303 Stainless steel
Manufacturing: CNC machined
Handle: 78mm
Overall: 85mm
Weight: 77gr
Price: $185
Where: Bullgooseshaving
Design
As mentioned the design might be one of those 'love it or hate it' kind of things but I've always been attracted to razors with slightly unusual and different designs so to me an 'evolved' Darwin razor had the makings of a home-run.
Picking up the razor for the firs time there were a few things that stood out to me right away;
- the handle is a tad on the short side [for me].
A 78mm effective handle length feels maybe 15mm 'too short' to me.
Here are a few photos showing the Darwin handle next to the Wolfman handle for comparison;
(Bullgoose handle on top in the images).
- for a solid stainless steel razor it is rather lightweight at a mere 77gr.
Normally I'm drawn to razors with a bit more heft to them but this is not a real issue for me as there are even aluminum razors that I get along swimmingly with.
The razor is your traditional three-piece design with, well, one difference - the handle ends with a screw that goes into and through the head during assembly. It's a neat design and it appears to provide a very well secured head. I was not able to make it move or rattle in any way.
There is a fair bit of blade overhang on the edges of the razor but nothing really that would worry me;
The blade aligns very well and there is no movement whatsoever once the razor is secured;
Even though it might not seem that way the Darwin handle shape is actually very comfortable to hold and Bullgoose has done a good job replicating the overall shape.
Fit and Finish
I'll be honest in that when I received the first Asylum razor - the Rx - I wasn't overly impressed by the finish. It felt rushed and more 'industrial' than I expected from a razor at that price point. So I had somewhat mixed feelings ordering and opening up this razor having that experience still in the back of my mind.
So, does the Evolution look and feel like a $185 razor?
Well....not really.
The same challenges that I had with the Rx razor (streaks and the occasional dent and scratch) are very much evident in the Evolution as well. But it goes beyond that for me - the edges of the razor does in some cases not feel 'finished'.
Below are some examples to try to illustrate my points:
On top the Bullgoose razor and below the Wolfman.
As you might be able to tell in the photo there is quite a difference - to me at least - when it comes to the finish between the Bullgoose and the Wolfman. The Bullgoose handle feels less 'refined' and finished and has a considerable amount of small scratches and dents.
It might be unfair to compare anything to Wolfman in a way though as their products are so incredibly well finished that they are almost on their own league (if you ever wondered why they are so sought after...this is why).
That brings me to another part of the handle where I feel that the Bullgoose finishing came up short.
The very top of the handle ends on the Bullgoose version (top) in a rather harsh/sharp edge to the point where it's uncomfortable to the touch. It feels unfinished and 'cheap' to be honest.
The Wolfman (bottom) - used here to again illustrate the difference - has a very rounded, soft edge that feels good to touch.
All of that is obviously part my OCD in what I look for in a finished high-end product and at the end of the day it might have very little to do with how well it shaves (with the possible exception of the rough/sharp upper part of the handle).
It's still find it to be a beautiful razor. Would I have preferred to put my Wolfman handle on it to get a longer and more refined handle to go with the Darwin head? You betcha, but I can't.
Next Up: "How does it shave?"
Hoping to have a shave report posted this weekend.
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