Blackland Osprey Adjustable Razor Review

Blackland recently launched the Osprey adjustable razor with some unique characteristics. I picked one up to try.

Blackland

[Note: Blackland links are affiliate.]

From the Blackland Osprey webpage:

With its huge adjustment range and the ability to change the razor’s weight, the Osprey perfectly adapts to your routine – no matter your beard type, skin sensitivity, or experience level. Its three-piece lightweight design provides the solid dependability and compactness of a traditional safety razor with adaptability that is anything but traditional.…

• Designed and fully CNC-machined in the USAThree-piece adjustable design
• Includes five (5) Personna Lab Blue DE Blades
• Billet 303 stainless steel construction
• Fully hollow handle with removable brass insert
• Weight: 105g with insert, 88g without insert
• Handle length: 82mm. Handle + knob: 90mm

My Experience With The Blackland Osprey Adjustable Razor

[Note: I paid for my Osprey. Blackland links are affiliate but the opinions express here are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by Blackland.]

Presentation

The Blackland Osprey adjustable razor arrives in the same kind of presentation that other Blackland razors use, a black-on-black box with a black foam insert.

Those who have other Blackland razors will surely see a family resemblance on the Osprey. However there are some visual aspects that I think set it apart from other Blacklands. To me the finish is between their regular matte and polished finishes (like other Blackland razors the top cap has some subtle visible striations on it)–images here don’t really do it justice. And the top cap is noticeably flatter. The handle is slightly larger in circumference (no doubt to better accommodate the insert).

14 December ’23 addendum: Blackland has announced a fully polished finish version of the Osprey.

Disassembly and reassembly of the pieces of this razor is easy. As with other Blackland razors the fit-and-finish of the Osprey is impeccable.

In my hand the Osprey feels secure, quite heavy, and balanced to somewhere between mid-handle and two-thirds toward the head (with the brass insert installed. More on this later). Other Blackland razors I have are noticeably more balanced toward the head.

By the way, the top cap completely covers the side tabs of a blade.

Adjusting

I’m conflicted here. On the one hand the Blackland Osprey’s adjustment range can go from very mild to very aggressive. I doubt there is a setting that any shaver would not be happy with.

On the other hand, the adjustment process itself is a little cumbersome to me. First, the handle must be loosened slightly to adjust the setting. This is de rigueur to anyone using an adjustable twist-to-open (“butterfly”) razor but I find it odd (and a bit disappointing) to see it in a three-piece razor.

Second, adjusting “upward” (going to a higher, more aggressive setting) gets progressively more difficult as I dial up the scale. By the time I reach setting “9” I’m putting quite a lot of effort on the dial. This could be an annoyance if you are the kind of shaver who likes to change settings on an adjustable razor mid-shave.

Shaving

It’s no secret that I really prefer shaving with adjustable razors so I came into this with a lot of curiosity. Would the brass insert make a noticeable difference? What would be my preferred adjustment setting(s)? Would the thinner head make the otherwise ‘large’ razor more nimble?

Insert In

As mentioned earlier the balance with the insert in is more toward the center of the handle than the top. I find there is a fair amount of blade feel at all dial settings but the shave is by no means harsh or uncomfortable. I settled on relatively mild settings, 2-4, though I did dial way up a couple times just to see what happens (tl;dr–with a really good shave cream and a really light touch I got a very close shave but it took a lot of focus not to hurt myself).

Along with the blade feel I found there is a fair amount of audio feedback from this razor (particularly at the higher settings).

I thought the smaller head height did not make shaving detail work like under the nose noticeably easier…it was pretty much like most of the other double edge razors I have used.

Insert Out

Removing the 16 gram brass insert is easy with a small flat screwdriver. I find the without the insert the razor does not “feel” that much lighter. And while the balance obviously shifts toward the razor’s head, it is not as dramatic as I assumed it would be. I was able to easily shift my grip expectations to compensate. I think it’s one of those personal preference kind of things. It did not change the character of the shave that much for me.

Summing Up

I find that my opinion of the Blackland Osprey adjustable razor to be mixed.

Pros:

• Incredible flexibility: adjustable not only in the normal sense by changing blade gap, but also the ability to change the balance of the razor by installing or removing the brass handle insert.
• Wide adjustment range: the razor can be very mild, very aggressive, and everything between.
• Great feedback characteristics: you know you’re shaving with this razor.

Con:

• Three/four piece design: disassembly and reassembly for blade changing and razor cleaning can be fussier than other razors.
• Adjustment: the razor handle must be loosened slightly to adjust the razor, and the adjustment dial gets tighter as the razor is dialed higher.
• Finish: the combination finish may not appeal to some.

Which brings me to the elephant in the room…pricing. At US $350 the Blackland Osprey adjustable razor is firmly in the realm of the premium tier! Other adjustable razors in this range and material include the Rocnel Sailor (US $550), the Rex Ambassador (US $295-$445), the Tatara Muramasa (about US $389), and the stainless steel version of the Rockwell T2 (US $250). Like the Osprey, the Muramasa is a three piece razor. The T2 is a twist-to-open (“butterfly)” razor. The others are two piece razors.

At that pricing, buyers have high expectations.

The Blackland Osprey adjustable razor is available from Blackland Razors.