Review Bullgoose Evolution: First impressions

[PLANofMAN]

@Darkbulb Darwin razors were typically made of "colbaltcrom" a tungsten chromium steel alloy. It was machined and then later heat treated to harden it.

The razors were sometimes marked "cobalt steel."

I've looked into using this alloy for modern razors, and it's a no go. It's unhealthy to be around during the machining process. Also the heat treating that must be done after machining causes shrinkage/expansion issues, which is why, though all Darwins shave similarly, some are more aggressive than others. More trouble than it's worth to try to recreate the Darwin exactly in modern times.

I wish your razor had been a real tribute piece, rather than an obvious cash grab. At least it shaves well, eh?

 

[Tras Krom]

@Darkbulb How does is shaves compared to BBS1? Which is giving you better and more efficient result?

 

[Darkbulb]

@Darkbulb How does is shaves compared to BBS1? Which is giving you better and more efficient result?

Sometimes when you talk about razors and how they perform compared to each other - and how much you 'like' one razor over another - I know that at least I start to include more intangibles such as 'how it feels' and 'how much you enjoy the shave'. When doing so it of course muddles the water even further as we've now moved into a hyper-subjective way of looking at a product.

The reason for bringing it up is that there are a lot of razors out there that are capable of producing results that are very close to each other as far as 'how clean shaven are you after two passes' - but there is something during a shave that makes you prefer the 'feel' of one razor and the shaving experience more than the other. That is the BBS-1 for me. It balances aggression and efficiency in a near perfect way for me. It's audible feedback and effortless shave gives me a 'combined' shaving experience that I haven't been able to find anywhere else - and that includes my Wolfman razor. It's like a finely tuned orchestra where the handle, weight and feel comes together and elevates it beyond the qualities of the individual components.

The Evolution gives me a great shave. I truly enjoyed using it. It has more of a 'using a vintage razor'-feel than the BBS-1 or any other modern SS DE razor that I can think of. To me it's rather unique in what it is but I don't see it as 'better' than my BBS-1 if I had to compare them side by side. The Evolution is to me a really good 'niche' razor in how it feels (the shorter handle and vintage/retro feel of the top cap, etc) but it's not as complete a razor as the BBS-1 is for me.

I'm fully aware of that the above answer is vague and full of metaphors that might be less apt than intended but it's a tough topic.

TL;DR:
Both are great razors. BBS-1 is a better daily driver as all things really come together for me but if you like a more 'vintage feeling' razor the Evolution will not disappoint as far as performance goes.

 

[Tras Krom]

@Darkbulb Thank you. As for me, using BBS1 razor , I needed 3 pass shave plus perfect angle to get really close BBS shave. That's the reason I am using SE mostly - 2 passes really close shave, similar to shaving with the straight razor. So BBS1 as a benchmark for me to judge razor efficiency. I think I got my answer.

 

[Frenky]

@Darkbulb thank you very much for your review! Which razor would you compare the Asylum evolution razor in term of blade feel, how "agressive" (not effective) it is? Just wondering if it could suit my sensitive skin
Thank you

 

[p.b]

I've yet to read a bad review on how this razor shaves, and I do like the look of it...

 

[Darkbulb]

I've yet to read a bad review on how this razor shaves, and I do like the look of it...

Well I was happy that the actual shaving performance was significantly more pleasing than the initial visual inspection of the razor.
I really can't fault the shave - quite honestly I rather like it.

My issues with the finish are obviously very subjective and might not even be an issue at all for people with less OCD about these things - or the willingness/ability to polish it up a bit on their own

 

[bakerbarber]

Some guys were absolutely outraged by the way the Barbaros TR1 was finished and it cost less. It shaves awesome.

It was a different situation. Different finish. Same, reasonable, high expectations when the wait is long.

 

[Darkbulb]

"Shave Report" 3

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Nothing really new to add to the previous shave reports - the razor shaves really, really well. Efficient and still a "6.5/10" on my highly made up and subjective aggressiveness scale.

 

[celestino]

Great impressions and lovely photos!

 

[Dobbo25]

Nice and honest review DB.

So its not only me who is getting fed up with some awfully inferior finishing to some of the newer razors on the market.

 

[Darkbulb]

Some interesting developments/plans now includes;
a) An XL version of the Evolution with a longer handle, and

b) A brass version (matte vs machined finish)

 

[Darkbulb]

...and now it's available in black.

 

[Rowlers]

...and now it's available in black.

Well it was fugly before, now it is horrific!

 

[Batch300]

...and now it's available in black.

Black certainly changes the razor's appearance. Looks less antique and more something else (Industrial ?).