Review Review: RR Hawk SE razor

[Darkbulb]

@Darkbulb Liking the polished but won't be buying any more black razors. Like yours a couple of my blacks do drag a little.
On the subject of black razors, I was meaning to ask you about black oxide. I haven't yet seen any of my blacks developing a natural patina and I'm keen to see what it looks like. Do you have any in your vast collection and any idea how long it takes for the patina to develop?

Funny you should bring that up right now as I just for a few moments ago,on another forum, read a post from someone arguing that a chrome plating have significantly less drag than black anodized ones. Maybe I wasn't imagining it

The black razor that I own - that I've used the most - is probably the Blackland Blackbird. It has somewhat of a start of a patina but not to the point where the underlying metal comes through. I can only imagine that it's a process that takes a LOT of use.

Near impossible to capture it in a photo but you might be able to see where the top cap has started to become 'shiny'/smooth from use.

 

[Acer89]

Funny you should bring that up right now as I just for a few moments ago,on another forum, read a post from someone arguing that a chrome plating have significantly less drag than black anodized ones. Maybe I wasn't imagining it

The black razor that I own - that I've used the most - is probably the Blackland Blackbird. It has somewhat of a start of a patina but not to the point where the underlying metal comes through. I can only imagine that it's a process that takes a LOT of use.

Near impossible to capture it in a photo but you might be able to see where the top cap has started to become 'shiny' from use.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I see that. Am I correct in assuming in time that patina will spread to create a unique pattern?

 

[Darkbulb]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I see that. Am I correct in assuming in time that patina will spread to create a unique pattern?

I believe that's the purpose/intent and it would be great fun to see some 'black razors with patina' photos... Hmm...now there's an idea for a new thread

 

[Acer89]

I believe that's the purpose/intent and it would be great fun to see some 'black razors with patina' photos... Hmm...now there's an idea for a new thread

Neat.... I'd like to see that too and I've just trawled through Google images and haven't found any.

 

[Mod action]

Great review @Darkbulb

Now, @Shaving Station - will you be getting these in my good man?

...and if I may add, not only this product from RR...

@Nick_S I have already been badgering Joe about these, don't you worry about that! Unfortunately at the moment demand is too high to release for wholesale, hopefully before Christmas we should be able to get our hands on some!!!

@scarface What other products would you like from RazoRock?

 

[scarface]

What I meant by "not only this product", was in principle the shaving soaps which made RR so well known.

I hope that my previous post is not interpreted the wrong way, I just wanted to express a wish of mine, which, I assumed, was what the majority of us would wish.
By no means did I have the intention of telling you how to run your business, I'm just a consumer-shaver who happens to have noticed that good american products are hard to find.

 

[Mod action]

What I meant by "not only this product", was in principle the shaving soaps which made RR so well known.

I hope that my previous post is not interpreted the wrong way, I just wanted to express a wish of mine, which, I assumed, was what the majority of us would wish.
By no means did I have the intention of telling you how to run your business, I'm just a consumer-shaver who happens to have noticed that good american products are hard to find.

No problem at all @scarface I was merely interested in which specific RazoRock products you were interested in.

PS Somebody needs to tell me how to run my business as I ain't got a clue!!

 

[Mr Bigmem]

No problem at all @scarface I was merely interested in which specific RazoRock products you were interested in.

PS Somebody needs to tell me how to run my business as I ain't got a clue!!

Don't be so hard on yourself...I think your doing ok in my books

 

[bakerbarber]

Got my Chrome Hawk today.

Wow it's lighter than I expected.

Looks nice. Plating isn't the best but for the price I'm happy with it.

Why didn't they leave the aluminum raw? I don't know much about metal, but is there a specific reason to chrome plate or anodize aluminum in this kind of application?

 

[Darkbulb]

Got my Chrome Hawk today.

Wow it's lighter than I expected.

Looks nice. Plating isn't the best but for the price I'm happy with it.

Why didn't they leave the aluminum raw? I don't know much about metal, but is there a specific reason to chrome plate or anodize aluminum in this kind of application?

Please do post your review(s) here - would love to get more thoughts on it

 

[bakerbarber]

Will be tomorrow. 14 hours or so at least.


I'll have a three day beard by then. I've been waiting for the Hawk.

 

[Darkbulb]

Will be tomorrow. 14 hours or so at least.


I'll have a three day beard by then. I've been waiting for the Hawk.

Will be very interesting to hear how this lightweight can/will deal with that.

 

[Nick_S]

Got my Chrome Hawk today.

Wow it's lighter than I expected.

Looks nice. Plating isn't the best but for the price I'm happy with it.

Why didn't they leave the aluminum raw? I don't know much about metal, but is there a specific reason to chrome plate or anodize aluminum in this kind of application?

Aluminium corrodes very easily, hence the need to protect it The metal would look horrific and be useless as a tool in almost no time due to pitting and roughness.

 

[bakerbarber]

I have shaved with the Hawk.

Not interested in the handle so I swapped in a BRW XL Deluxe with the bell end bottom. Now that's a little heft and length to get things going.

Used a Feather Pro blade fresh for the job.

This is no Cobra. If the blade wasn't so wide I might have thought I was shaving with a DE. Very nice.
Milder even than the ATT SE1. Not in a bad way. Mild when I say it does not mean inefficient. I mean I never felt in danger of life or limb.

The blade does all the work after all. That is why the Artist Club SE razors are a thing. The Hawk really has an intuitive and deliberate angle built in that just felt right to me. Some are probably going to call this too mild. They should perhaps give the Feather Super Pro a go then. No blade stops on the guard so I would imagine the slightly bigger and hungrier blades will work just fine. I don't have any so don't take my word for it.

Again, the blades are the stars of the show when you have an AC SE razor. The Hawk is just fine at holding the AC blade and being able to use any handle is a treat.

I like it a lot one shave in.
I have the two Cobras, an ATT SE1, and have owned a first gen Mongoose. While I thoroughly enjoy the Cobras - they can bite. I never got the feeling the Hawk was attempting to sink its talons into me. It might just be biding its time though. Lulling me into a false sense of security?

I digress.
I had no issue going ATG under my nose or anywhere that may be a bit tricky or dangerous with a more aggressive razor. The head is compact and the exposure is just right for my tastes. No trouble mowing down a three day beard for me with a fresh Feather Pro blade. I had three passes and some touch ups where I'd normally do two and touch ups. The extra pass was partially due to the extra stubble and the fact that I was kicking the tires on my new toy.

The finish is pretty jenky on the top cap.
When I dried it off after my shave it looked even worse. It's smooth sailing along the business edge where the razor glides just as well as any other blade holder on a stick I have. It just looks less than perfect on the broadest plane of the exposed top.

I will try to compare to DE razors here.

If the King Cobra is like an aggressive razor, let's say a Barbasol or Merkur Futur on 6 then I'd say the RazoRock Chrome Hawk is a mildly efficient razor along the lines of the Gillette Tech or Feather AS-D2.

Don't get me wrong here. This not like a Feather AS-D2 at all. My analogy is just to give a point of scale if you've never used an Artist Club type razor like a Mongoose or Cobra.

The overall feel to me is more similar to the Merkur HD or Muhle R89. Nice and tame middle of the road and efficient to get the job done.

It is the blade.
The blade really just is the star of the show in these razors. The Hawk held it back sufficiently without totally taming it. Right now I have no irritation. Zero. No real stubble yet. My impression is that I would not personally step down in the Hawk to a Kai Mild or any kind of Guard AC blade. I don't feel the need to go after the Super Pro either. It's just right for me so far with the Feather Pro.

I feel like I could shave daily with the ATT SE1 and after today's shave the Chrome Hawk as well. The Cobras could for sure too but with maybe only one pass and touch ups. I think the Hawk is a touch gentler than the ATT SE1.

Going to go the distance with this blade and keep using the Hawk until the blade taps out. Hoping to get through this week and all of next.
Seeing as the Hawk costs less than a pack of these blades the final finish doesn't bother me at all. The AC blade razors are about performance.

If you're looking for the lowest cost per shave it's not here. Even with the super low cost of the Hawk. The blades are just too pricey. The whole thing with the AC single edge razors is the results. The shaves are akin to a squeegee. Wipes the whiskers off and doesn't cause irritation. That's the value to look for here. I think like I said earlier that some may not like the mild tone of the Chrome Hawk. Especially those who have already got their sea legs on the Cobra or Mongoose boat. Coming directly from a middle of the road aggression DE razor the Hawk is outstanding.

I was tempted to turn the handle and use the other edge a couple of times during my first shave with the Hawk. It feels that much like a DE shave. The width of the head kept reminding me that it wasn't.

I like it.
At the price point I think it's phenomenal.
Everyone should at least try one for the sake of seeing how well a rigid SE blade performs.
No chatter, no skipping, no fiddling around with alignment, and extreme longevity compared to any other readily available DE blade.

 

[bakerbarber]

Aluminium corrodes very easily, hence the need to protect it The metal would look horrific and be useless as a tool in almost no time due to pitting and roughness.

So what are the old Rubberset 400 brushes? I recall seeing someone saying they were a pot metal that while mostly aluminum are a mix of metals. I've seen some pretty nasty looking Rubberset 400s but if they're aluminum, then many more have survived the ages of exposure to water and all that goes along with shaving than I'd expect if aluminum was so susceptible to corrosion as you say,

I'm surprised that it was chosen for the Hawk then. I get that it's cheaper to machine and all and pound for pound less expensive. The weight is a big detractor from the actual design though. If it's also going to melt out like Zamak the first time the plating is compromised I'm a sad guy over here.

I hope RazoRock pumps out a few thousand units in brass or stainless. I would be in for that for sure!