Completed Complete: Barbaros Rocnel Adjustable Pass Around

sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Taking apart the B&R Adjustable

First a quick note on yesterday's B&R Adjustable v. Merkur 45 shave:
I was unable to detect any difference whatsoever. I can't say when the stubble appeared first, because I was asleep when it happened. In the morning, both sides of my face feel exactly the same. That is of course a very good result for the B&R.

This morning I took apart the B&R Adjustable to see it's inner workings and I took some pictures:
First the razor in its assembled state:

First I unscrewed the handle. No surprises here...

Here a picture with the top cap taken off. You can see the screw that holds the spring in place in the bottom plate:

The screw is easily removed with a flathead screwdriver. Be careful to hold the baseplate firmly, so the spring doesn't shoot across the room. You're left with all the parts of the razor:

A similar image showing the unpolished underside of the bit that is pushed upwards by the spring:

The screw attaches to that part. Here is what went wrong when I first had the razor: If the screw is screwed in too far it sticks out and interferes with the blade:

Here a picture with the spring in place and the screw not protruding at the top. That's how it should be...

The same assembly with the base plate in place as well and the screw protruding. If your razor looks like this, you'll have a problem... Turn the screw anticlockwise until it is flush.

Here's a diagram showing how the parts work together. When you turn the handle (red) it pulls down the top cap (pink) and with it the screw (blue) and attached to it the blade platform (yellow). The spring (black) sits between the base plate (green) and the blade platform (yellow) and pushes the blade platform against the top cap. The screw (blue) in its top position is held in place by a narrowing in the base plate and this stops the whole assembly from falling apart. This is my take on how this razor works and I may be mistaken. :D Maybe Hasan can confirm or correct me ...
 
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sɐǝɹpu∀

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
B&R Adjustable - Final thoughts
No. It's a fantastic razor!
No. £320
My time with the Barabaros-Rocnel Adjustable has come to an end and it's time for my final thoughts on the razor.
First of all I want to thank Hasan @theunnamed to give some of us the opportunity to test a prototype of this razor - Thank you, Hasan.

What I like
  • I love the looks of the razor. It's well made and finished. You know you have a quality piece of equipment in your hands.
  • The handle: The knurling on it is beautiful and gives plenty of grip. It's the right length for me. A longer handle would increase the weight too much for my taste, but a longer handle option would be nice.
  • It gives the full range of shaves. From very mild to aggressive, there should be a setting for everyone.
  • It's quite simple and I can take it apart and understand it. I have no idea how my Digress works on the inside, although I assume it is similar.
  • Most importantly, it's a great razor. I managed to get very close shaves from it, up there with the best. It manages this on a setting that is not overly aggressive. This could be someone's only and daily shaver. Not for me, as I'm too fond of my SE razors :D
  • Some people complained about the packaging: a cardboard box and a piece of rough cloth. I like it. Rustic and sustainable. None of that hipster handcrafted real leather stuff the OneBlade came in. Good.
  • The handle is too fat for my 'Standard razor' stand. I wished it had it's own stand and the production version does. A simple metal base that stores the razor upright. Space efficient and elegant.
What' I'm not sure about
  • The logo on the head of the prototype is too big, but I believe that has been rectified in the production version. Still, I prefer razors without a logo on the top cap. This is of course a matter of personal taste. The 'haiku' engraved on the bottom of the base plate is a bit long as well, but that's not in-your-face visible. Personally, I'd put all that information on the inside of the head. Again, that's just me.
  • I'm not sure if the razor should come with instructions or not. Maybe with some instruction how to take it apart for cleaning or because you can, my initial problems with the razor would have been easily solved. Then again, I blame myself for not investigating what was amiss. I know that the orientation of the top cap is important for the alignment of the numbers on the handle, but it could say so somewhere for people who don't. I enjoy looking at old razor instructions that came with razors in the first half of the 20th century - a lost art...
  • I think the razor is slightly too heavy for my liking. That can't be helped as the razor is made from stainless steel and I find most stainless steel razors a bit on the heavy side. To be honest, the weight of a razor doesn't bother me too much. I like the 15g Merkur 45 and I liked the 164g Hone 15. I draw the line at the ↪Stahly with its original handle.
What I don't like
  • This is a razor for people with good eyesight. I can't see the numbers on the handle without reading glasses and I don't wear glasses when shaving. Then again that is true for all adjustables I own (Merkur Digress, Gillette Slim). I wish the numbers were colour coded somehow.
  • I managed to find a way to remember which way round the top plate has to go, but I wish there were more obvious markings, like on the Merkur Progress, except I'd like them visible without glasses. There is a theme here.
  • Finally, the elephant in the room - £320 delivered with customs, VAT and Royal Mail ransom is a lot of money. Too much money. Maybe it can't be made for much less, maybe it can. And maybe that's why no one has made a stainless steel adjustable razor before. Maybe it can't be made for half the price and this razor needs to be half the price it is now. Even then it would be a luxury high end razor for most people. There is only one razor I own that I'd pay that kind of money for, but luckily I won the Bunny V3 in a raffle. All this is of course a pity, as this is a bloody good razor.
The razor is now clean and disinfected and ready to be sent to the address Hasan has given me.
The End.
 
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