New Razorock razor in the works

Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
Just for the sake of conversation, I wrote up a shave comparison between the Lupo .95 & the Timeless Slim .5 SS. Taking out price point as the Lupo is much more affordable, these 2 razors actually shavre some similarities in overall performance.


For those that follow the RR Lupo thread you have heard me sing its praises for the tremendously affordable yet stout performer that the Lupo is. In whatever configuration that fellow members have tried it in, it has garnered well deserved praise & accolades from the masses or the far majority with a few reports from some that found the series either too aggressive or too mild (yes, I’ve read from those whom have considered the .95 Lupo too mild of a shaver and perhaps for their particular beard it could possibly be. Helping of salt always needed in whatever razor thread you may follow) of a tool. Regardless, in my humble opinion, I find it to be an extremely well crafted razor with tolerances and performance to go neck and neck with some of the more expensive and “luxury” brand razors out there. I was asked by a fellow forum member what my thoughts were on the .95 Lupo on how it shaved compared to a .5 Timeless SS Slim. I thought I had done a shave off between the two and apparently I have not. So, I wanted to do a quick shave comparison between these two without having to start a new thread as there are many that follow here. I apologize to the OP as I know this thread is mainly for the RR Lupo series and relevant discussions about its abilities in wet shave world. Perhaps I’ll link this post to a Timeless thread as well for Timeless followers for good measure.

Quickly on the Timeless SS .50 Slim. I’ve had it since its first release and I consider it to be an excellent shaver on par with the Timeless .95 version in the SB configuration. It carries a thinner head height from base plate to top cap with a slight change in shave geometry that encompasses blade reveal & exposure. I find the .5 Slim to provide just the slightest increase in blade feel over the .95 version while retaining near identical shave feel & comfort. Both razors are very efficient while retaining very good comfort and skin feel during one’s shave. Personally, I consider the Timeless SS variants to be arguably the best 3 pc. razors in the “luxury division” when a shaver wants to upgrade or consider an heirloom quality tool in a Stainless Steel alloy.

So, how does the RR Lupo .95 stack up against the Timeless .5 Slim SS? Can it hang with a tool that cost 3 times as much and is equally as crafted that provides smooth, efficient and consistently great results nearly every time out? In a word, yes. And personally, I was shocked at how good of a showing it rendered. How did it do it? Read on.

As always, my shaves are a 3 pass affair when I’m pitting mano a mano shave tool face offs just to get a full shave in and really get to feel the differences between each razor. Each razor gets a side of the face and you just get in tune with the nature of the shave and searching for differences. Nothing special or getting a Zen like quality moment or concentration. It’s just a normal shave with your senses tuned up for feel & sound. Criteria is simple with performance (cutting ability within each pass in efficiency or effectiveness), comfort (the ease of feel on the skin in connection with how it feels in hand as balance and ease of movement plays a big roll in overall comfort in what is occurring during the shave) and quality of shave which encompasses whether there was or wasn’t any irritation, nics, cuts or weepers encountered during the shave process.

Cold morning so, I went with Wholly Kaw Project leather for the suds and splash and installed fresh new Wizamet blades in each razor. The table was set, the lather was ready and it was on as both these razors were taking on 2 days growth.

Pass 1 WTG. Went with the Lupo .95 first on the right and just let it drop. Easy cutting with enough audible sounds to tell one clearly that it was doing some serious cutting. First time use of the Wizamet Iridium Super in this razor and it was eye opening. So smooth yet so effective in cutting those whiskers down to skin level. I mean from the burns on down to my neck and Adam’s Apple, it was like riding on Lard while effectively removing lather & whiskers. Hell of a first pass with the Lupo .95. Grabbed the .5 Slim and went over to the left side. Again, placed at the burns and just let drop down. Simply a gorgeous feel with this Wizamet blade installed in the Slim (1st time as well in this razor). The cutting effect was equally as good as well as the smoothness on face feel though, I think it sounded a bit bore muted versus the Lupo .95 on this WTG pass. Burns to neck was identical in feel and both razors removed a tremendous amount of whiskers that quite frankly was just about identical. Marvelous first pass from both of these whisker whacking contenders. On overall smoothness and feel on skin on this first pass, I’d slightly give it to the .5 Slim. By the width of a whisker.

Pass 2 XTG. This pass is always from ear to stache on the face and from the neck just under the ear to my Adam’s Apple. Started with the Lupo .95 and the audible clarity that it gives is just a real pleasure to hear. No drama as it just went about its business bringing the hairs down even further. Easy good strokes with smooth blade feel and a feel in hand that was near perfect. Transitioning from one side of the razor to the other is just flawless. The Radio Knob handle gives superb feel with the knurling with a very neutral feel in weight bias from head to the bottom of the handle. Cleared out the right and went to the left with the .5 Slim. Just an amazing pass as well. Like I said previously, the .5 Slim is a bit more muted than the Lupo .95 yet it still gives you enough sound to clear out whiskers. Again, just a very smooth feel on the face that was just a tick smoother than the Lupo .95. Balance and feel in hands is equally as good though the grippiness is slightly lacking on the Timeless Ti handle. Overall it is slightly the lighter razor though not by much. Balance feels almost neutral with a slight weight bias towards the head, barely. Transitions are just about perfect as well on the flip from one side of the razor to the other. Cleared the left out and did a cold water face rinse. I’m astounded at how both sides feel identical to the touch and at this stage I could declare a DFS feel from face to neck. Both razors have locked horns in a ferocious fight on who is going to get the upper hand. Think of it as two bulls during rut season. Neither one is giving an inch. Just a fabulous shave so far from these two. Well, you know what’s left and that is pass 3 and chasing the little one’s buttocks.

Pass 3 ATG. My ATG pass is from South to North, bottom of my neck to the sideburns, mid-ear level. Both of these razors shined in this pass as many consider (myself included) the ATG pass the make or break moment for any razor to be considered a darn good one. The Lupo demonstrates a bit more blade feel just by the slightest over the Slim and when your skin stretching to get those last bit of hair straggler hold outs in the tough spots, trust me it is an added bonus to hear that it has cleared it. I love when a razor sings and they both do. The Lupo sings slightly better. The Slim though with that smooth feel just does a fabulous job of cleaning up the tough spots just as well. It hums but, it hums beautifully. I put the razors down when I felt I was complete and went for the final face rinse and feel. Almighty! This was as good a shave as I’ve given myself between two razors in quite some time. Felt my face for any spots or stragglers and absolutely nothing including the tiny nooks around Sir Adam. Flawless face smoothness including the neck that was a BBS finish of the highest order. Better yet was a quick alum pass and not a single spec of irritation. Cleaned up and threw some splash on to seal the deal. Fabulous, fabulous and simply fabulous shave result. I could not have asked for a better shave off in terms of performance, comfort and quality of shave.

I’m writing this post now and it is about 2:30pm eastern time, give or take 5 minutes. I shaved this morning at about 7am. I couldn’t call it back then on which gave the closer shave and now as I feel my face, I still can’t call it as I’m still clear of the whiskers on both sides with equal face comfort to boot. These two are stellar performers and will give individuals consistently great shaves day in, day out. I liked the feel of the Lupo .95 in hand with its great knurling and nearly neutral razor balance a notch better over the overall feel in hand of the Timeless .5 Slim. Though I prefer weight bias toward the razor head in which to me the Timeless exhibited, I still preferred the overall maneuverability of the Lupo .95 just a tad bit more. They are both supremely comfortable tools when it comes to mid aggressive razors and up, as clearly these two do not feel like a Mamba .70 or a Feather AS-D2 in practice. The Timeless puts a bit more of a bend on the blade over the Lupo with a down tick in gap while still providing very good blade exposure/reveal leading to an inherently smoother feeling shaver. Not by much but, to me it was apparent. The Lupo .95 is still a very smooth shaver but, with it’s larger gap and not as much bend will lose out on the smoothness part to the Timeless slim. But, that’s is not a bad thing at all. Not by a long shot. The Lupo feels more direct in feel and that is evidenced by the razors nature in giving a much more acute audible feel that translates, at least in theory to a more aggressive attacker of whiskers. Whether that is true or not it has to account or mean for something because when you are shaving, sound & feel tell you/me at least subconsciously, that this thing is doing a number on the whiskers.

The Lupo is $70. The Timeless Slim .5 SS is $200+. So far 7 hours into my shave the Lupo matched the Timeless in every facet of the shave and so far during post shave longevity. That’s a hell of a statement from a sub $100 razor. We’ll see how long the shave lasts and I’ll post an update once I feel stubble returning. Call it a draw for now.

Great shaves to all….

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
Ok. Just to follow up on the shave between these two stellar razors, I have finally started to feel the slightest of growth on both sides about half an hour apart. At about 5 pm I felt the first level of the 5 O’Clock shadow just under the jawline finally appear and about 30 minutes later, the same on the other side. Which was growing first? The right side where the Lupo .95 had taken its turn. Nearly 10 full hours of a clean shaven & smooth mug. And the left side with the Timeless .5 Slim, nearly 10.5 hours of smooth face feeling bliss. Extraordinary close shave between these two with durability or duration of shave only separated by minutes. Top level shave with well above average post shave duration. The 8-10 hour window is about as good a time frame as one can expect. If I can get 7-8 hours I’m a happy camper. These two clearly exceeded that time. All things being equal though, the Timeless .5 Slim pulls it out by a whisker, literally.

Question is now, for nearly 1/3 of the cost of the Timeless the Lupo delivered a very near identical shave losing out by only minutes. So, for the same quality shave & performance, is it worth the price to get a Timeless over the Lupo if you’re solely basing your shave requirements on sheer performance and price/value proposition? Clearly on value & performance the Lupo is the deal of the day and with looks that are close to a Timeless with tolerances that are nearly identical, how can one say that the Lupo is not the winner? It will always come down to the individual shaver. Needs and wants will exponentially vary between users and ultimately there is no right or wrong nor a definitive winner or loser.

Pick up a Timeless and you will have an heirloom quality piece that will perform to the nines for years to come and eventually can be passed down to the next generation or two. On the other hand, grab a Lupo that might not look as highly polished or that boutique/niche look, save some $$$ for that college fund or a night out for some steak & vino with your significant other and still have a piece that will last well after your gone that the next generation can use as well.

Decisions, decisions. Oh my….. :facepalm::wink:
 

Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
A copy & paste from another forum on my initial shave experience with the RR Lupo .95 OC.


Batter’s box today and in steps the Lupo .95 OC. Last shave was Thursday evening with the TFC Brass and wanted a couple days of whisker growth for the initial shave and just for the simple reason that I could. Went with a fresh K.C. Gillette Platinum, Taconic Tequila/Lime shave cream and the face freezing yet oh so soothing Stirling Lemon Chill Glacial. Yeah, I was expecting a doozy. But, that’s not what I got. In my 10-15 minutes of me time and my almost sacred shave ritual, I was transported to a tropical white sand beach somewhere along the equator with a Tequila Samurai shooter in hand (Don Julio Reposado) and with what feels like the entire Bering Glacier in Alaska sitting on my face. Aaahhhh, total shave nirvana. The shave was blissfully exquisite and gave me exactly what the RR Lupo .95 OC was meant to do. What is that you say? Well, the tiniest amount of blade feel over its SB brother, an uptick in razor/blade cutting feedback and an almost equal feel in glide & smoothness to its SB counterpart. No harshness nor an aggressive or overly aggressive shave action in my first shave experience. A breakdown of the shave nor an explanation of what this Lupo does and delivers is not needed on my part as the posters here before me have done a mahvelous job in detailing and explaining the pros and some cons of this razor quite accurately. The negatives are extremely and grossly outweighed by the positive attributes and characteristics of the RR Lupo .95 OC. I see no weakness nor do I think there are negatives that could place this razor in a negative light or in the shade of a storm cloud.

I can’t tell you which one I like more of the two only after one shave. I’ve had the .95 SB longer and I truly love that razor. More time is needed to get a few more shaves under my belt with the OC .95 to see how the shaves stack up to one another. It’s going to be another real good week of shaves ahead and that is a fact on my end, gents.

Great shaves to all…

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
Yep, another one. RR Lupo .95 OC & King C. Gillette Platinum again for this evenings shave. Nothing but smooth, efficient and comfortable. An easy 2 pass shave with some minor buffing on the chin and corner stache areas. The Stirling Gin & Tonic soap has plenty slickness but, the Ethos Lather stick just takes it to another level. Superb glide and protection not that the Lupo felt aggressive or bitey because it did not. Just another excellent shave from this razor and honestly, I wasn’t expecting anything less. It delivered and then some.

Great shaves to all…

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
The more I use the RR Lupo .95 OC, the more I like it. The SB counterpart is for me a tick or two smoother but, the gain in shave feel and cutting prowess of the OC might be a definite worthwhile trade-off between the two for many. So close of a call between these razors. Still might need a couple more shaves with it and one with the SB to see if there is a clear King of RR razors in my den. And Ethos Success is as always the elite performer that is is. Great lather, glide and awesome protection with an aroma that rivals the mighty Creed elixir. Great shave and great scents.

Great shaves to all…

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
It was another good one with the Lupo .95 OC. I won’t tell you that it’s superior to its SB brethren because, it is not. It all depends on what you’re looking for in your shave and what one needs to be addressed. They are both equally superb in terms of value, performance & craftsmanship. A smooth efficient and easy on the skin shaver, the .95 SB will do tremendously well. Want some extra ooomph in blade feel while hardly trading any of the inherent qualities of the SB, the .95 OC will fit the bill to a tee. Personally, I do prefer the .95 SB just by a hair as it gives me the perfect combination of smoothness and cutting prowess that I look for in a shaver. But, in all fairness I feel that it’s not redundant in owning both as they both serve their purpose equally well. Both winners in my book and the OC will be a permanent fixture in my den for many years to come.

Great shaves to all…

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
The Lupo .95 can do it all, period. Unless of course, one is a descendant from The Bigfoot lineage like The Yeti, Sasquatch or The Abominable Snowman (depending on what continent you’re from) then you’d need a walk behind lawn mower. Everyone else from Cro-Magnon Man on up (Neanderthal is 50/50) will do just fine. :D

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R181

Grumpy old man
I initially got the Lupo 95 SB and was very pleased with it except for the fact that it clogged up on occasion. That disappeared when I went to the Lupo 95 OC.

I have used the OC version as my only razor for a while now. It has handled every blade make I have tried with it well enough for a week's worth of daily 4 pass shaves. I'll grant that that some were slightly better than others, but all worked. Absolutely no complaints about the quality of both the Lupo 95 OC and it's performance. I think it is excellent value for the money. I am not actively looking to try out any more DEs at this point.

Bob
 

Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
I have to agree 1000% with @R181 and what he stated in his post above. One can keep the Lupo .95-OC as their only razor and be perfectly fine for the rest of their shave days. Not that I would as I just love variety and am drawn to razors like Stars, Planets & gases are to a Black Hole, I can’t escape the RAD. Seriously though, this razor is just that good.

Great shaves to all….

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Sami

Forum GOD!
I couldn't agree more when it comes to range of variety razors razorock offers for a reasonable price considering the quality material used, for anyone seeking like 1 razor 1 soap 1 brush to do the job and for hobbyists collection razors soaps and brushes as well.
 

Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
The RR Lupo .72-OC is a dealer gents. Really easy on the face yet it removes the whiskers with authority. If the .95-OC felt a bit much on the skin, this version takes it down a couple notches while still delivering a very satisfactory result. It might take you an extra pass or slight buffing/touch-ups to get an all around DFS to BBS finish but, your face will thank you for it with above average comfort & ease of use. I know, the price to acquire is a bit wonky especially for overseas shave brethren but, if you can swing the extra coin, I think it's a worthy investment for what it delivers.

Great shaves to all....

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Str8Mug

Forum GOD!
A really nice early morning shave with the Lupo .72 OC. I’ve been using it with a 3 blade rotation of Bic Chrome Platinum’s, Gillette Super Platinum’s & Gillette Minora’s. And each give excellent feel and cutting ability while maintaining a smoothness that just augments the shave capabilities of the Lupo. Regardless of the pass phase one is in whether ATG, XTG and WTG, the Lupo .72 OC just delivers a consistent action of cutting whiskers efficiently with ease of use and ease of feel on skin. Well, I say that with the reservation that this is my own personal experience with this iteration of the Lupo. I can count on one hand the mishaps or when irritation creeped up on me while using this razor and I’d still have a couple fingers leftover to grab my coffee cup.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Razorock/ItalianBarber nailed it with this series of razors in the Lupo Line up. Value, precision, quality and performance that nearly anyone can afford. One gets their money’s worth, have their cake and eat it too.

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