Pearl Blaze

sev-8

Forum GOD!
Basically, yes.
The base plate resembles the Parker safety bar heads more than the DE89, except for the posts, which are a lot like they are on RazoRock's MJ-90a.
Never having used a Parker DE, how does it compare to the DE89? Still wishing someone would make a non-zamak version of the DE89
 

slapo

It's... alive!
Never having used a Parker DE, how does it compare to the DE89? Still wishing someone would make a non-zamak version of the DE89
I think it has a bit more blade exposure than a DE89 and it is a little more aggressive as a result, but I found it a little smoother than a DE89. At least the one I have has slightly wider posts than the DE89 head I have, which I reckon helps.
I found the RazoRock MJ-90a even more aggressive, and the posts are basically points, so there's loads of blade flex.
I have a Stando Cat Claw top cap which should work with the base plate pretty well and make it behave better, but I haven't tried it yet.

I think this one with the closed comb plate should be basically a SS DE89 head:

There's also the Fendrihan MK II SS head, which I think is more or less a clone of the Merkur CC head, which makes it a DE89 cousin in my eyes.
 
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slapo

It's... alive!
I received my Blaze today. This razor is pretty well made overall.
It looks like there might've been a few burrs on the thread, but screwing the handle on and off a few times did the trick and it's fine now.
Blade exposure seems to be neutral and the blade seems to be supported at three points of contact - the two posts and the middle of the top cap.
I'm probably going to give it a go by the end of the week.
 

slapo

It's... alive!
I ended up using mine for the first time today, my previous shave having been on Sunday.
I loaded it with a SuperShave X blade that had been added as a nice bonus to the package.

There's no blade overhang, which, for me, is a plus.
It's also interesting how well the blade follows the curves of the top cap.
The handle doesn't feel very grippy, but I haven't had any issues with grip during the shave.

It's a mild razor, and the pretty small blade gap and fairly large distance between the blade's cutting edge and the nearest support point meant I had to rinse fairly often on the WTG pass. I actually loosened the handle to be able to rinse the blade that way to get some stubborn hair from under there when it didn't seem to be allowing the blade to cut well, but that's always an issue for me with this type of head design.
Otherwise, the WTG pass was without issues.
The ATG passes surprised me a little. They're generally nicer when I haven't shaved for a couple of days, but with this design, I generally get this unpleasant, plucky feeling ATG. Today, however, wasn't the case.
I'll try again in a day or two, as that's when these passes are likely to get troublesome, but so far, I'm fairly happy with it.
 

Cannoncocker

Forum GOD!
Never having used a Parker DE, how does it compare to the DE89? Still wishing someone would make a non-zamak version of the DE89
The Muhle R89 is still made from zamak, but I believe the newer caps have brass cap posts where most of the failures happen. I know Your Shaving sells the top cap replacements that fit both Muhle R89 & DE 89.
 

slapo

It's... alive!
I know this. Which Rockwell plate corresponds the blaze?
I can only go from memory, but the lower number plates did hardly anything for me in the 6C. The 3 and 4 plates were unpleasant ATG, 5 was better, 6 was the smoothest of them (but still only OK, though) as well as the most efficient one, but perhaps that was because I'd been able to apply blade pull up with that plate with the most ease.
The Blaze doesn't really feel like it's doing much of anything, but it does actually shave pretty well, and it's alright ATG, too. I'd have to get my hands on a 6S or 6C to compare in more detail, though.
 
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culcreuch

Forum GOD!
I can only go from memory, but the lower number plates did hardly anything for me in the 6C. The 3 and 4 plates were unpleasant ATG, 5 was better, 6 was the smoothest as well as the most efficient one, but perhaps that was because I'd been able to apply blade pull up with that plate with the most ease.
The Blaze doesn't really feel like it's doing much of anything, but it does actually shave pretty well, and it's alright ATG, too. I'd have to get my hands on a 6S or 6C to compare in more detail, though.
Pretty much sums me up as well. The Blaze is a really nice razor at a very reasonable price. May even be preferable to the Flexi. Same result without adjustable settings to worry about!
 

slapo

It's... alive!
Pretty much sums me up as well. The Blaze is a really nice razor at a very reasonable price. May even be preferable to the Flexi. Same result without adjustable settings to worry about!
I do wish they came up with an OC version that would be the same as the current Blaze otherwise. Or just an extra plate.
That would be a better all-rounder for me. The Blaze is a nice shaver for more frequent shaves, though.
 
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