Review Bullgoose Evolution: First impressions
- Thread starter Darkbulb
- Start date
Darkbulb
Member #10
"Demanding" sounds so much better than the "anal retentive" that I normally get
One could argue that being bothered by things like a bit of a sharp edge or some streaking on a machined handle is being overly fussy but another, to me equally valid, argument can be made for expecting a rather refined product when you're shelling out $200 for...a razor.
I think that 'demand' or expectation is also heightened when you have experienced how well a finish can be made when skill and effort comes together.
Anywho, I do want to emphasize that my impressions are just mine and that they come from someone who literally sits and inspects a product from different angles trying to catch issues. I'm fairly certain that most people might never notice/care about such details but all I can do is review a razor based on what I look for and not what someone else values.
Speaking of...hoping to have my first shave with it tonight and as much as I care about appearance - I still do care more about performance
Darkbulb
Member #10
I'll try to have a real crap shave tonight
Darkbulb
Member #10
So far yes.
Lets see if maybe the Evolution blows me away with a marvelous shave tonight though...
Darkbulb
Member #10
I noticed something kind of interesting today.
The marks on the handle, as called out below, appears identically on three of the six sides of the handle.
Not sure what would cause this to be identically replicated across three sides.
Note: again these are zoomed in images of the handle and the photo does make them 'worse' than they appear to the naked eye.
The marks on the handle, as called out below, appears identically on three of the six sides of the handle.
Not sure what would cause this to be identically replicated across three sides.
Note: again these are zoomed in images of the handle and the photo does make them 'worse' than they appear to the naked eye.
Darkbulb
Member #10
I'm still hoping it'll shave amazingly
Hopefully it will.I'm still hoping it'll shave amazingly
With the machine marks it doesn't seem to be a premium product but has a premium price tag, which wouldn't be a problem if it shaves amazingly.
Nico1970
Forum GOD!
Great opening review @Darkbulb.
When I first learned of the Asylum Evolution and that it was going to be a Darwin homage, I was particularly interested. Then, when I saw the pictures on the Bullgoose website, that interest turned to mild disappointment as the quality looked somewhat suspect. Now, though - and thankfully - your fantastic pictures and detailed critique have put the final nail in the coffin for the Evolution and saved me 200-odd quid.
Who knows, if and when these quality issues are solved, I might return for another look, but, as it currently stands, it's a 'no' from me...
That said, it'll still be interesting to hear what you think of how it shaves.
When I first learned of the Asylum Evolution and that it was going to be a Darwin homage, I was particularly interested. Then, when I saw the pictures on the Bullgoose website, that interest turned to mild disappointment as the quality looked somewhat suspect. Now, though - and thankfully - your fantastic pictures and detailed critique have put the final nail in the coffin for the Evolution and saved me 200-odd quid.
Who knows, if and when these quality issues are solved, I might return for another look, but, as it currently stands, it's a 'no' from me...
That said, it'll still be interesting to hear what you think of how it shaves.
PLANofMAN
Retro Razor Junkie
It is markings from the lower surface that the handle was resting on when it was being machined. Three of the sides didn't touch the lower surface after being machined, and so didn't get scraped up by whatever chunk of metal was poking up. The handle was turned once for each side.I noticed something kind of interesting today.
The marks on the handle, as called out below, appears identically on three of the six sides of the handle.
Not sure what would cause this to be identically replicated across three sides.
Note: again these are zoomed in images of the handle and the photo does make them 'worse' than they appear to the naked eye.
Piss poor QC from whoever was making these.
Edit: A quick wipe of the machine's tabletop with a shop rag every so often probably would have prevented those marks from being there.
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Darkbulb
Member #10
Ah thanks for clearing that up
vtmax
Forum GOD!
Bullgoose is a high priced, big margin shaving store. Probably a full time endeavor for this guy.
Concentrate on big margin returns. Many items that can be purchased elsewhere are priced for that margin.
It looks to me that both the RX & Evolution are just a play for a quick buck when one looks at the quality (not commenting on the actual shave) of the products being offered.
Concentrate on big margin returns. Many items that can be purchased elsewhere are priced for that margin.
It looks to me that both the RX & Evolution are just a play for a quick buck when one looks at the quality (not commenting on the actual shave) of the products being offered.
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slantman
Forum GOD!
To me the bottom line is the shave. I will have mine next week and post my own feelings. As for the Wolfman and Timeless razors. After owning several of each I can attest the finish is first class. However, the shaves are only okay and nothing special. My $20 Stirling Soap Co closed comb razor shaves much better.
Darkbulb
Member #10
Shave Report 1 ... and 2
Here's two shave reports for the price of one.
Shave 1: Sunday afternoon w/ close to three days of growth
Shave 2: Monday afternoon w/ one day's growth
Shave 1
After having been a bit disappointed in the finish of the razor I think it tainted my expectations of the shave somewhat as I wasn't completely looking forward to it. I loaded a fresh Wilkinson blade (that have become one of my favorite blades), lathered up some 1912 Cashmere and took the razor on it's maiden spin.
First pass: WTG
Handle feels a bit short - and it is - but surprisingly not really an issue for me during the shave.
The angled top cap allows for the angle to be found rather effortlessly.
The razor felt milder than I thought it would... Not mild..but non-aggressive. I dislike using 'scales' to describe how mild or aggressive a razor is as it's so subjective in the first place but if I had to I'd say it was maybe a 6.5/10 on a made up scale of aggressiveness. Less aggressive feeling than say a Blackbird or Timeless with a .95 base plate.
Finished the first pass w/out any incidents and the general feeling of it being relatively harmless made me move it around at a somewhat faster pace than how I handle, say, a King Cobra. The shorter handle actually benefited that as it made moving around a breeze.
Second pass: ATG
Same feelings towards mild/aggressive but what stood out now was that this thing was really efficient. After my first pass I had a pretty socially acceptable shave - and that's with three days of growth where the beard was about maybe 3-4mm across my face.
The second pass took the shave closer and I ended up with a very, very clean shave. Even underneath my nose which I had feared would be a trouble area for the razor.
Hmm.
Shave 2
Less to shave off this time. Lathered up some LA Shaving soap and actually felt a bit excited to use the razor a second time.
I'm such a flip-flopper. Do I actually really like it now?
FIrst pass WTG:
I hate that I like the short handle as much as I do. I mean I love long, heavy club-a-seal handles normally. I think I figured out why I like it though.
This razor is probably as close as you can get to shaving with a fully replicated vintage razor - but made today in stainless steel (what was the Darwin made out of? Cobalt steel maybe? Can't remember). The shape of the top cap, the length of the handle and the actual shape of the handle comes together and actually does give you a really weird feeling of shaving with a vintage razor much more so than the last 15-20 or so modern stainless razors I've bought. I almost don't want to say it - but I really liked it.
The pass goes quickly. I'm enjoying it.
Second pass ATG:
Almost identical to the first shave. This time I deliberately try to see if the sharp/hard edge on the upper part of the handle gets in the way of how I enjoy the shave but the way my fingers fall on the handle actually keeps them away from that area throughout the shave.
No incidents. The razor strikes a very nice balance between mild and aggressive and you come out of the shave with a very, very close and clean shave.
In summary
* Disappointing, to me, finish with some scratches that shouldn't have been there
* A handle that is short but for some reason, for me, works really well and produces a shaving experience that quite honestly was a bit unique. It did have that 'stepping back in time' feel to it.
* 6.5/10 on my made up aggressiveness scale but a 9/10 on my equally made up efficiency scale. I really couldn't fault the shave.
So, is it worth $185?
Had the handle sported a finish similar to Wolfman's I would have said that the price is absolutely justifiable. As it is I think it will come down to how much you value a refined, finished product vs how much you value a rather unique throw-back feel through the use of a modern razor.
If you have the ability to maybe polish it a bit and take down the harshness of some of the edges that might just resolve the last remaining challenges I see w/ the razor.
As always everything in my initial impression write-up as well as the shave reports are obviously very subjective and is in no way a guarantee that they'd be similar to how you get along with the razor. Looking forward to seeing more thoughts on it.
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