Completed Tatara Masamune Razor pass around

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Yes- too late the Fatboy has already been posted. Otherwise a good idea.
You guys are too efficient. Never mind.
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀/riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Blademonkey (TSR)
  3. carbold (ATG/TSR)
  4. Rowlers (ATG)
  5. Salv (ATG)
  6. Holyzeus (ATG)
  7. Barry Giddens (TSR)
  8. ajc347 (ATG)
  9. Mikey J (ATG)
  10. p.b (ATG)
  11. Tomhstorey (ATG)
  12. Wayne Pritchard/2hot 2trot (TSR/ATG)
  13. Boru62 (ATG)
  14. ManicDee (ATG)
  15. Andymc133 (ATG)
  16. bagman (TSR)
  17. Celar36 (ATG)
  18. Nosdoh (TSR)
  19. Benz3ne (TSR)
  20. fixedwheel (TSR)
  21. nolisco (TSR)
  22. Simonfend (TSR)
  23. Bikerjohn (TSR)
The list is open.
Legend: Waiting, Currently with, Completed Pulled out
 

ajc347

Forum GOD!
I've had my final shave with the razor and must say that using this razor has been, for me, an enjoyable experience. :)

I've found the balance between efficiency and harshness to be good - the OC is as efficient as a Gillette NEW and the SB reminds me of a Rockwell 6S on a plate #4.

The only downside for me is the handle and the fact that it can't be swapped out for other handles. It would have been nice to have tried a UFO, BRW or Timeless handle instead of the stock one.

All-in-all, this is definitely a razor I would recommend. :)

Many thanks again to Andreas and @Paul for organising this pass around. It's been great to try a razor that I'm not sure I would necessarily have thought of purchasing. I've sent it on to Mikey J accordingly and it should hopefully be with him now.
 

Mikey J

Forum HOG!
Prep: Hot Shower, L'Occitane Ultra Rich Shower Cream

Brush: M&F Style 1 Finest 3 Porcelain

Soap: CRSW Limenthol

Razor: Tatara Masamune SB (Feather)

Post: Alum, Extra Lather, Witch Hazel, L'Occitane Cedrat Balm

Fragrance: Creed High Mountain Water

It’s not very often I say wow on the first stroke of a razor. In fact only the ER 1914 and BBS-1 have earned that title amongst the dozens of razors that I’ve owned/used. Bold statement alert, this may be the best razor I’ve used in terms of efficiency combined with smoothness. In the back of my mind the BBS-1 is the only thing that is casting doubt over that. Either way, it’s hit that Goldilocks blend of comfort and aggression right on the head.

The fit and finish is the kind of standard you’d expect from a razor of this price. The blade is clamped down tightly with no room for chatter and there are no alignment issues. The bead blasted finish is of a very high quality and the intricate design of the handle has been crafted nicely. I wouldn’t say it’s the most striking of razors but I can see a beauty in its simplicity. I’m a big fan of how the handle recesses into the base plate, much like the Blackbird does, but initially I thought it would be too short and narrow. In practice it wasn’t too much of a problem. In fact, for a stainless steel razor the Tatara actually feels very agile.

A few nice little touches worth noting include the letter T for Tatata milled into the baseplate which create the guide vanes for the top cap, the company logo and razor serial no. stamped into the baseplate, and a beautifully crafted wooden box to store it along with an optional additional OC baseplate.

On the whole I’m pleasantly impressed with this razor which was a nice surprise. There seem to be quite a few new companies coming to market with DE razors but this stands out enough to me to warrant purchasing it.

I’ll give the OC baseplate a try next.

Mike
 
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sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀/riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Blademonkey (TSR)
  3. carbold (ATG/TSR)
  4. Rowlers (ATG)
  5. Salv (ATG)
  6. Holyzeus (ATG)
  7. Barry Giddens (TSR)
  8. ajc347 (ATG)
  9. Mikey J (ATG)
  10. p.b (ATG)
  11. Tomhstorey (ATG)
  12. Wayne Pritchard/2hot 2trot (TSR/ATG)
  13. Boru62 (ATG)
  14. ManicDee (ATG)
  15. Andymc133 (ATG)
  16. bagman (TSR)
  17. Celar36 (ATG)
  18. Nosdoh (TSR)
  19. Benz3ne (TSR)
  20. fixedwheel (TSR)
  21. nolisco (TSR)
  22. Simonfend (TSR)
  23. Bikerjohn (TSR)
The list is open.
Legend: Waiting, Currently with, Completed Pulled out
 

Mikey J

Forum HOG!
Ok, so I used the OC base plate last night. It provides a shave just as close as the SB however it isn’t quite as comfortable for me. In general I’m not a massive fan of OC razors. Only the Timeless and the Wolfman are the ones that I’ve deemed purchasable.

Anyway, I’ve seen enough. I want this razor. Without this pass around I wouldn’t have even contemplated buying it but having used it it’s a must have for me. Such a shame that the beautiful wooden box has been replaced by a cork one. If any of the original backers with the wooden box have one they want to sell hit me up!

As usual, many thanks to Andreas and Paul for organising this!

@p.b Please could you PM me your address mate and I’ll send it on it’s merry way.
 

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀/riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Blademonkey (TSR)
  3. carbold (ATG/TSR)
  4. Rowlers (ATG)
  5. Salv (ATG)
  6. Holyzeus (ATG)
  7. Barry Giddens (TSR)
  8. ajc347 (ATG)
  9. Mikey J (ATG)
  10. p.b (ATG)
  11. Tomhstorey (ATG)
  12. Wayne Pritchard/2hot 2trot (TSR/ATG)
  13. Boru62 (ATG)
  14. ManicDee (ATG)
  15. Andymc133 (ATG)
  16. bagman (TSR)
  17. Celar36 (ATG)
  18. Nosdoh (TSR)
  19. Benz3ne (TSR)
  20. fixedwheel (TSR)
  21. nolisco (TSR)
  22. Simonfend (TSR)
  23. Bikerjohn (TSR)
The list is open.
Legend: Waiting, Currently with, Completed Pulled out
 

p.b

Forum GOD!
A week of shaving with this wonderful razor has been completed.

I love the design and execution:
  • the way the handle fits onto the thread
  • the way the handle locates the position of the base plate
  • how the head clamps the blade
  • the finish
  • the texture of the handle
The things I don't like:
  • the handle is a little too thin - I'd prefer 12-13mm diameter
  • I'd rather the handle had a flat bottom and more angular styling to be more in-keeping with the style of the head
  • the teeth on the open comb are too sharp
Overall I found the head to have a little drag. It's not too bad but I'd rather a polished finish that just slides along the skin. I found the closed comb to be a little too mild but very smooth. It worked very well with a Feather blade, with everything else it's just a bit too mild. The open comb is spot on - just that little bit more aggressive and from the first stroke it felt just right. However, and this is a big however, the teeth feel too rake like. I could accept that most of the time but when shaving ATG into the areas under my nostrils the teeth are pointy and sharp and it feels terrible. That alone is enough to spoil it for me.

I feel fortunate enough to be this picky that I can dismiss a razor on one flaw but the razor market isn't short of excellent, expensive, stainless steel razors and for me this is a 9/10 razor. If the handle were wider and the OC teeth smoother I'd probably be buying one.

Thanks for the opportunity - as always I enjoy trying out new things and this has been great.
 

sɐǝɹpu∀

riverrun
Could I please be added to this? Potentially my first pass around of 2018 and for a long while!
Aye! Not many places left on the list!
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀/riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Blademonkey (TSR)
  3. carbold (ATG/TSR)
  4. Rowlers (ATG)
  5. Salv (ATG)
  6. Holyzeus (ATG)
  7. Barry Giddens (TSR)
  8. ajc347 (ATG)
  9. Mikey J (ATG)
  10. p.b (ATG)
  11. Tomhstorey (ATG)
  12. Wayne Pritchard/2hot 2trot (TSR/ATG)
  13. Boru62 (ATG)
  14. ManicDee (ATG)
  15. Andymc133 (ATG)
  16. bagman (TSR)
  17. Celar36 (ATG)
  18. Nosdoh (TSR)
  19. Benz3ne (TSR)
  20. fixedwheel (TSR)
  21. nolisco (TSR)
  22. Simonfend (TSR)
  23. Bikerjohn (TSR)
  24. Looney12345 (ATG)
The list is open.
Legend: Waiting, Currently with, Completed Pulled out
 
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