Razorock Recurve razor
- Thread starter Sami
- Start date
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Came in today while I was at work. Bit of rain and the box was wet but, the contents were nicely packed with each component inside small zip-lock baggies. The RC120+ plate, RC top cap & the hollow Cyber handle. For those that were inquiring or thought that the serrations on the side were eliminated from the previous run, not the case as one can see below. Looks and feels exactly the same as the previous production run plates in spacing & texture. Plenty grippy. On a side note, the hollowed Cyber handle actually feels quite good and actually provides excellent balance & feel in hand. Still a bit longish for my tastes but, for me much better overall than the OG handle it came with which was the Barber Pole Long hollow handle.
Shave impressions to follow shortly….
Shave impressions to follow shortly….
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
This is going to be quick and to the point. The Recurve 120+ was simply superb. Not a big jump in blade feel neither a millimeter of harshness. This base plate is still as smooth & comfortable as the RC100+. There is the slightest nudge in feel but, it’s blended in so well with the geometry that one can really give this razor a go around one’s face. However, overconfidence after those first 2-3 strokes and I did end up with a couple of weepers in the cheeks and stache corners. Mia Culpa totally as this pup has some teeth to nibble at you. It’s just disguised so well in the overall design. If your looking for a major jump in blade feel & effect thereof, you will be slightly disappointed in that feature however, the efficiency at which it slices through whiskers (2 full days as of Saturday morning) is confidence inspiring and yet still quite easy and gentle on the skin and I believe more than makes up for that characteristic or lack thereof. To me, it’s exactly what the Shave Doc ordered via Razorock/IB. An outstanding shave that was BBS both face & neck. 2 full passes and just the quickest of a touch up pass around the jawline & Sir Adam. Simply fantastic….
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Short & Sweet. Just a lovely shave with the RC120+ with the Lord Platinum still in play. Took a little of the pace off from my previous shave on Monday as I skipped a day as the whiskers were still quite light yesterday evening. I could have shaved but, I did not want to alter the continued use with the 120+ so I simply canned the shave. Today though it was a solid 2 pass shave with a methodical light clean up pass & buff under the chin and neck area. Simply superb with no disturbance of skin, no red liquid from any nics or weepers. Not a single red dot to see. A nice simple final splash with the Myrsol for a nice and soothing bracing effect and BBS feeling from ear to ear, chin to the bottom of Sir Adam. The Cyber handle has proved to be better in hand with excellent balance, feel in hand with really good machined cut outs and fantastic ability to maneuver in hand whether choking up on the handle or coming down some. Really a nice combo mated to the Recurve head assembly. Only 2 shaves in Gents but, I’m telling you this razor has some chops that still maintains solid comfort and efficient smoothness. Real deal here.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
A brilliant morning shave with the RC120+. Running errands today (took off from work) and went with a nice methodical approach in taking my time while employing some nice skin stretching techniques to get in the shave exercise. Marvelous 2 pass shave with nothing left to do. No touch ups, buffing or clean ups required. The only thing that changed on the hardware front was the blade as I went with a fresh Gillette 7 O’Clock SP. The Lord was still good but, with a new razor about to come in that I want to get in the shave cycle, I wanted to try a couple of blades in the RC120+ before putting it aside. This blade was not only good but, it felt even smoother and worked beautifully with the Recurve. No nics, cuts, weepers or irritation to speak of anywhere. Just a superb BBS finish and a poop eating grin to attest to for this awesome shave.
The level of shaves that the Recurve delivers is unquestionably good. I can only attest for 3 specific plate options which are the RC80+, RC100+ and this one here, the RC120+. And I can tell you with definitive certainty that every single one will deliver exceptional shaves consistently. Here’s the kicker though. They all will do it smoothly, efficiently and with way above better than average comfort, bordering on excellent. These are not mild, extremely gentle nor mindless shavers however, the blade gaps with their attached blade exposures are so precise and well thought out with each size up, the blade feel is kept to a minimum while the efficient manner or action is quite present and tangible in their ability to give and deliver exceptionally good smoothness & comfort. There is not a single razor plate in this series that I own that I personally would deem aggressive nor even intimidating, far from it to be honest. Let me say it this way. If someone tells you that this razor and their plate options are too aggressive or harsh, reveal more blade than necessary and is not a smooth and comfortable shaver, bring a healthy helping of your favorite table salt because one of two things are happening here. One, they are lying out the wazoo and do not own one or are clueless in their shave regime, quite possibly even both. If you read the words skittish, flexing or instability hold it right there and turn the page. The stability & rigidity of the Recurve is like no other with clamping power that is vise like added to the torquing of the blade. That torque & rigidity is the whole kit & kaboodle of this razor. It’s what makes this design so successful up to this point besides being something that is completely new & innovative in the traditional 3 piece DE razor tools grouping. One finds their preferred gap with neutral or positive blade exposure and you are off to the races for some extremely smooth and comfortably efficient shaves.
In the 3 that I own, there’s not a single bad one in the bunch. They all work exceptionally well for me with the perfect combination of smooth, comfortable & efficiency that competes with anything and everything out there available both vintage & new artisan/luxury/boutique offerings at the present. All for a couple bucks past the Century mark in US dollar$ for a complete razor made of a premium alloy.
Razorock was kicking some nice butt in the affordable yet quality craftsmanship category with their house of razors. Honestly, the Recurve line has taken it to another level of innovation & craftsmanship and jumped into the arena of those that want to charge anywhere between 3-5 times as much in presenting to us a “premium razor” that will change how you take your shave ritual daily.
The Gauntlet has been thrown Gentlemen. RR/IB is playing for keeps and the Recurve is potentially the one that’s here to change the game. It’s not hyperbole to announce that this creation could create a new evolution in shave design & characteristics. We know for certainty that somewhere on this globe and I won’t mention what continent or country but, there will be copy cats readily available in the very near future. Will any of the major artisan makers come to see if they can make a version of this with their own design iteration and changes? Quite possibly. It be interesting to see where it goes from here. In the meantime all I’m saying is that Razorock has a kick ass razor in the Recurve. And that’s not BS.
The level of shaves that the Recurve delivers is unquestionably good. I can only attest for 3 specific plate options which are the RC80+, RC100+ and this one here, the RC120+. And I can tell you with definitive certainty that every single one will deliver exceptional shaves consistently. Here’s the kicker though. They all will do it smoothly, efficiently and with way above better than average comfort, bordering on excellent. These are not mild, extremely gentle nor mindless shavers however, the blade gaps with their attached blade exposures are so precise and well thought out with each size up, the blade feel is kept to a minimum while the efficient manner or action is quite present and tangible in their ability to give and deliver exceptionally good smoothness & comfort. There is not a single razor plate in this series that I own that I personally would deem aggressive nor even intimidating, far from it to be honest. Let me say it this way. If someone tells you that this razor and their plate options are too aggressive or harsh, reveal more blade than necessary and is not a smooth and comfortable shaver, bring a healthy helping of your favorite table salt because one of two things are happening here. One, they are lying out the wazoo and do not own one or are clueless in their shave regime, quite possibly even both. If you read the words skittish, flexing or instability hold it right there and turn the page. The stability & rigidity of the Recurve is like no other with clamping power that is vise like added to the torquing of the blade. That torque & rigidity is the whole kit & kaboodle of this razor. It’s what makes this design so successful up to this point besides being something that is completely new & innovative in the traditional 3 piece DE razor tools grouping. One finds their preferred gap with neutral or positive blade exposure and you are off to the races for some extremely smooth and comfortably efficient shaves.
In the 3 that I own, there’s not a single bad one in the bunch. They all work exceptionally well for me with the perfect combination of smooth, comfortable & efficiency that competes with anything and everything out there available both vintage & new artisan/luxury/boutique offerings at the present. All for a couple bucks past the Century mark in US dollar$ for a complete razor made of a premium alloy.
Razorock was kicking some nice butt in the affordable yet quality craftsmanship category with their house of razors. Honestly, the Recurve line has taken it to another level of innovation & craftsmanship and jumped into the arena of those that want to charge anywhere between 3-5 times as much in presenting to us a “premium razor” that will change how you take your shave ritual daily.
The Gauntlet has been thrown Gentlemen. RR/IB is playing for keeps and the Recurve is potentially the one that’s here to change the game. It’s not hyperbole to announce that this creation could create a new evolution in shave design & characteristics. We know for certainty that somewhere on this globe and I won’t mention what continent or country but, there will be copy cats readily available in the very near future. Will any of the major artisan makers come to see if they can make a version of this with their own design iteration and changes? Quite possibly. It be interesting to see where it goes from here. In the meantime all I’m saying is that Razorock has a kick ass razor in the Recurve. And that’s not BS.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
An exquisite shave with the RC120+. It was more of the same from yesterday’s shave without a single issue. It was a back to back shave and I can report for now that there is no tenderness or soreness felt on my skin both face & neck. I’ve been face rubbing for a good hour and change and my skin is smooth and clean with no sensitivities to mention. Swapped out the Gillette blade from yesterday and went with the Schick Platinum and the results were practically identical with the same smooth & efficient operation that the RC120+ has delivered these past few shaves. So far 3 blades and 3 fabulous shaves.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Again, I swapped into the RC120+ another blade going with the Gillette Nacet for this mornings shave. Another excellent shave that had me done in 2 passes and simply put down the razor as there was nothing else to buff or clean up. However, the acuteness of the Nacet blade in being slightly sharper than the previous blade, I did give myself a few weepers in a couple of spots particularly at the corners of the stache area & on my cheeks. No irritation or heat was generated anywhere during the shave and a cold water splash and alum bar run proved it to be an incident free shave minus the weepers, 4-5 of them roughly. Three consecutive days with the Recurve with different blades in each and not an uncomfortable or sensitive to the touch inducing results. Skin is calm, smooth and ultimately whisker free. I will be installing a Feather blade in the next shave and I could encounter a different experience with it as it is considered overwhelmingly as the sharpest blade in the business and I agree with that sentiment. It also has the biggest tendency to have the harshest feel among the sharpest of blades in my experience except for the mildest of razors say like a Gillette Tech or RR Mamba 70 in which it works marvelously in my experience. I will soon find out some time tomorrow and report those findings accordingly.
I’d like to note that all shavers including myself have different tolerances or sensitivities on how ones skin interacts during and after a shave. I’m very fortunate that my skin can tolerate somewhat aggressive razors by nature without creating negative skin sensitivity as a result of a blade forward or high gap razor tools that lean on the mid to high aggressive side. A methodical approach and employing some common sense in knowing the interaction between blade exposure & gap also helps one in how to approach a shave when those particular characteristics are on the higher end. One still has the responsibility to not dive in with both feet or shotgun it then claim a bad experience if due diligence or one evaded in doing their “homework” on a particular razor.
I’d like to note that all shavers including myself have different tolerances or sensitivities on how ones skin interacts during and after a shave. I’m very fortunate that my skin can tolerate somewhat aggressive razors by nature without creating negative skin sensitivity as a result of a blade forward or high gap razor tools that lean on the mid to high aggressive side. A methodical approach and employing some common sense in knowing the interaction between blade exposure & gap also helps one in how to approach a shave when those particular characteristics are on the higher end. One still has the responsibility to not dive in with both feet or shotgun it then claim a bad experience if due diligence or one evaded in doing their “homework” on a particular razor.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Another new blade and went with the venerable Feather in the Recurve 120+. A nice pick up in shave efficiency with a spicy uptick to the shave in blade feel & feedback. Not intimidating however, you have to mind your p’s & q’s with this combo as the Feather showed its pedigree in the RC120+ but, in a real good way with no harsh feel from the new blade. Nic, cut and weeper free but, I did manage to entice the heat gremlins at the curve of my chin and along the left side of my jawline. How? I have no clue. Maybe I exerted a bit more pressure in those two spots on the ATG pass but, I was done in two passes without having to worry about any patches nor a straggler or two trying to hang tough. The Feather & Recurve where not having it as it was an excellent BBS finish. The alum pass spiced things up for a couple of seconds but, the cold water splash & La Toja after shave splash brought some nice relief and the heat dissipated within 10-15 minutes. A little sore & irritated to the touch in those two spots but, everywhere else was a big thumbs up. Trust me, most shavers won’t need to go with this combo except for the performance shavers and for those few that like to spice up their blade feel & efficiency every so often. This would be a superb combo for a full weeks worth of some thick stubble. For a day or two worth of whiskers, a blade a notch or two under the Feather with a smoother demeanor will suffice nicely for most. What a ride though!
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Finally had the time to take a dual razor shave off with the Razorock line of razors, the Recurve. One being the RC80+ & the other the RC100+ using new Feather blades in each. I’ve shaved with both independently and found them to be very similar in feel with practically identical results in shave quality and just overall comfort. At least that’s the perception and from my recollection how I think I remembered the shaves. Well, today will confirm those thoughts or simply blow them up and give me some new information to consider in evaluating these two incredibly good razors. As tradition goes, each razor was assigned to a specific side for the whole of the shave as I just don’t want to determine shave feel & characteristics but, I also want to see if there is an advantage in terms of longevity of the shave from one over the other. The RC80+ was on the left and the RC100+ obviously was on the right. Went with a traditional three pass shave and went with a methodical and deliberate controlled smooth passes with speed of use not part of the equation. Think of it as the Sunday morning meditative shave and just enjoying a good exercise with time a non-issue.
The Feather in these two razors really gives them a nice touch in blade feel yet, they are both so good on the skin with excellent audible feedback transmitting every sound of whiskers being cut at every single stroke and cycle of passes whether WTG, XTG & ATG. On feeling the cutting edge in both I will say that the action was nearly identical from of them. Whether I tried to gain an advantage with either one in adjusting shave angle of whether neutral, angling towards the top cap or riding it closer to the safety bar, there was n perceptible advantage from either one. Coincidentally, on the ATG pass I did perceive a small but, distinct uptick with the RC100+ blade feel with a near identical feel to the RC80+ performing the same ATG pass. That slight uptick did give me the perception in action that the RC100+ felt more direct on my skin but, it also gave me the sense that if I got lackadaisical during that pass that I could create a situation of my own doing. I never got that feeling with the RC80+ in either of my passes as it just gave smooth, solid and efficient performing strokes at every point or position of the shave. Not saying that the RC100+ was less confident inspiring or created a moment of trepidation at any point as well, it was just that the shave with the RC100+ gave a more acute sensation of cutting while the RC80+ was almost like a bit muted in that feel or perception if you will. The whole shave was simple, smooth, comfortable and completely easy to perform. Both sides were completely whisker free without a single incident nor any red liquid drawn. A BBS feel was achieved on both sides with the bare minimum of buffing around the chin & jawline on both sides. Irritation or heat was non-existent on both left and right sides of face & neck. The alum pass and the after shave splash gave no other indication of any false shave moves or strokes to awaken the discomfort gremlins. Just great feeling skin after the shave that was both supple & smooth.
Other than that minor feel that I described concerning the RC100+ on the ATG pass, these two shavers are even closer that I had originally thought. The design of the Recurve lends to a very rigid and stable platform that practically eliminate the potential for a blade to exhibit chatter or a skittish feel while slicing through whiskers regardless of growth (well at least 2-3 days as I haven’t put these razors through a full week or more of stubble yet) whether thick or thin & wirey.Both just cut through my 2 days worth of stubble with ease and efficiency that was absolutely wonderful to see & hear. The only thing I would have to report on will be the length or duration of the shave with whisker free growth. I shave about 6:30’ish this evening and that was nearly two hours back. We’ll see in the morning where I’m at and update accordingly.
The Feather in these two razors really gives them a nice touch in blade feel yet, they are both so good on the skin with excellent audible feedback transmitting every sound of whiskers being cut at every single stroke and cycle of passes whether WTG, XTG & ATG. On feeling the cutting edge in both I will say that the action was nearly identical from of them. Whether I tried to gain an advantage with either one in adjusting shave angle of whether neutral, angling towards the top cap or riding it closer to the safety bar, there was n perceptible advantage from either one. Coincidentally, on the ATG pass I did perceive a small but, distinct uptick with the RC100+ blade feel with a near identical feel to the RC80+ performing the same ATG pass. That slight uptick did give me the perception in action that the RC100+ felt more direct on my skin but, it also gave me the sense that if I got lackadaisical during that pass that I could create a situation of my own doing. I never got that feeling with the RC80+ in either of my passes as it just gave smooth, solid and efficient performing strokes at every point or position of the shave. Not saying that the RC100+ was less confident inspiring or created a moment of trepidation at any point as well, it was just that the shave with the RC100+ gave a more acute sensation of cutting while the RC80+ was almost like a bit muted in that feel or perception if you will. The whole shave was simple, smooth, comfortable and completely easy to perform. Both sides were completely whisker free without a single incident nor any red liquid drawn. A BBS feel was achieved on both sides with the bare minimum of buffing around the chin & jawline on both sides. Irritation or heat was non-existent on both left and right sides of face & neck. The alum pass and the after shave splash gave no other indication of any false shave moves or strokes to awaken the discomfort gremlins. Just great feeling skin after the shave that was both supple & smooth.
Other than that minor feel that I described concerning the RC100+ on the ATG pass, these two shavers are even closer that I had originally thought. The design of the Recurve lends to a very rigid and stable platform that practically eliminate the potential for a blade to exhibit chatter or a skittish feel while slicing through whiskers regardless of growth (well at least 2-3 days as I haven’t put these razors through a full week or more of stubble yet) whether thick or thin & wirey.Both just cut through my 2 days worth of stubble with ease and efficiency that was absolutely wonderful to see & hear. The only thing I would have to report on will be the length or duration of the shave with whisker free growth. I shave about 6:30’ish this evening and that was nearly two hours back. We’ll see in the morning where I’m at and update accordingly.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
OK, I have a quick update on shave longevity and the earliest detection of whisker growth. I'm going to say the shave was at 6:30pm yesterday evening (give or take 10-15 mins) and when I got up this morning, my face and neck were still smooth and whisker free to the touch. At about 6am, I felt the slightest hint of early stubble on the left side of my face which was the RC80+ side. So, I'll put the duration on that part of it between 11 and 11 1/2 hours or thereabouts for whisker free paradise. Excellent if you ask me. The right side was still good until about 20 mins ago where I felt the tiniest patch again, along the right jawline on the RC100+ side. Therefore, I'd say duration was close to abouts 13 hours for me on that side. Excellent results that are simply + or bonus under my own interpretation of shave expectations.
The RC100+ gave a tad bit more longevity however, they were both superb in providing excellent feedback and feel on shave smoothness, efficiency and ultimately what all shavers want which is simply a comfortable feeling shave. Both Recurves offer that in spades...
The RC100+ gave a tad bit more longevity however, they were both superb in providing excellent feedback and feel on shave smoothness, efficiency and ultimately what all shavers want which is simply a comfortable feeling shave. Both Recurves offer that in spades...
Sami
Forum GOD!
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
Round 2 and it was as good as it was going to get when it comes to shave offs. Let me be clear here and not beat around the bush. The RC120+ is the top of the line in gap & exposure reveal razor in the Recurve line up with the RC100+ backing it up in 2nd place. And though it’s not a distant second place, there is a substantial difference in blade feel & efficient performance between the two that is unmistakeable. Having said that, the 120+ is still a smooth and in my experience a fairly easy razor to use in getting a thorough 2 pass and perhaps a clean up pass done in quick work. In the shave off today there was no 3 pass traditional shave routine with this tool and I actually used it to clean up on the side where the 100+ did it’s work and did it well. It just left a slightly bit more of whiskers behind so, I wasn’t going to waste any more time and decided to just finish off that side with the 120+. A fabulous shave from both of these incredibly good razors and there is no denying that the highest gap razor in the Recurve line is the top dog from Razorock.
Here’s the lowdown from my perspective people. The RC120+ is the flag bearer of the Recurve line up to this point. Yes, there is an uptick in blade feel and one has to be a bit more attentive in their shave while using the 120+ but, it’s not an intimidating nor fear inducing experience, far from it. It will tell you exactly what it’s doing at every stroke and feed you that data unequivocally both audibly & visually. And it’s the sweetest of sounds for the performance chasing enthusiasts in the business and also for those that don’t mind venturing out of their perceived comfort zone in attempting to discover a more efficient performing shave tool. It’s the best aggressive minded or designed razor in the game that is simultaneously the most comfortable to use quite quickly & naturally as well within the aggressive razor category. However, is it the best in overall smoothness, comfort & ease of use in the Recurve Line? No, for me that honor would fall between either the RC80+ & RC100+ because they both slightly tone down the blade feel while almost by default still deliver efficient finishing shaves that are second to none. One is more relaxed and not as zoned into the shave for fear of taking a bad stroke or a quick lapse of attention as I find all the Recurve plates forgiving, more so as the gap & exposures go down somewhat. Again, I’m speaking for the performance shave chaser here and in no way am I making the argument for the average shaver/user. Though, I will say that the average shaver would have no issue in using any of these plates with their passive learning curve except maybe for the 120+. In other words, Razorock created a performance oriented razor that has been tuned for the average/everyday joe shaver. It really is that simple. Rigidity is unmatched with a stable platform that is light, maneuverable and quite thin in profile. It’s quite an ingenious design that wins on all those fronts and makes the Recurve a very easy to use and a very forgiving design format.
For those still considering or waiting for the next drop, pick a plate or even two. It will not disappoint.
Here’s the lowdown from my perspective people. The RC120+ is the flag bearer of the Recurve line up to this point. Yes, there is an uptick in blade feel and one has to be a bit more attentive in their shave while using the 120+ but, it’s not an intimidating nor fear inducing experience, far from it. It will tell you exactly what it’s doing at every stroke and feed you that data unequivocally both audibly & visually. And it’s the sweetest of sounds for the performance chasing enthusiasts in the business and also for those that don’t mind venturing out of their perceived comfort zone in attempting to discover a more efficient performing shave tool. It’s the best aggressive minded or designed razor in the game that is simultaneously the most comfortable to use quite quickly & naturally as well within the aggressive razor category. However, is it the best in overall smoothness, comfort & ease of use in the Recurve Line? No, for me that honor would fall between either the RC80+ & RC100+ because they both slightly tone down the blade feel while almost by default still deliver efficient finishing shaves that are second to none. One is more relaxed and not as zoned into the shave for fear of taking a bad stroke or a quick lapse of attention as I find all the Recurve plates forgiving, more so as the gap & exposures go down somewhat. Again, I’m speaking for the performance shave chaser here and in no way am I making the argument for the average shaver/user. Though, I will say that the average shaver would have no issue in using any of these plates with their passive learning curve except maybe for the 120+. In other words, Razorock created a performance oriented razor that has been tuned for the average/everyday joe shaver. It really is that simple. Rigidity is unmatched with a stable platform that is light, maneuverable and quite thin in profile. It’s quite an ingenious design that wins on all those fronts and makes the Recurve a very easy to use and a very forgiving design format.
For those still considering or waiting for the next drop, pick a plate or even two. It will not disappoint.
Str8Mug
Forum GOD!
I can’t add anymore to what has been said by many here, myself and all those that across the internet shave forums have already surmised with the Recurve by Razorock. Simply a fantastic shave by a razor that shifts the paradigm somewhat on traditional shave design & geometry. Today it was the RC100+ paired with a Treet Platinum blade that delivered a comfortable yet effective shave in both smoothness & efficiency.
Since day one, not a single bad shave has been had on my part. It has met and exceeded my expectations and truly is a shave marvel in simplicity and overall shave performance.
Since day one, not a single bad shave has been had on my part. It has met and exceeded my expectations and truly is a shave marvel in simplicity and overall shave performance.