Bullgoose Shaving just announced the Paradigm Shave Ware Titanium DE Razor. Phil at Bullgoose had asked me to help evaluate the razor before it became generally available, so I have had some experience with it. With the buzz of the launch announcement I figure now would be a good time to review it here….
Titanium?
Wikipedia describes Titanium as “a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength. Titanium is resistant to corrosion in sea water, aqua regia, and chlorine.” Obviously, a razor with such corrosion resistance is of interest to the wet shaver!
Of course, there are other lower cost corrosion-resistant metals for the wet shaver out there–Stainless Steel leaps to mind. Titanium, however, is more resistant than Stainless Steel.
Titanium is also more expensive than other metals and can be much more difficult to work with in a manufacturing setting. It’s strength and durability characteristics take their toll on tools and machines.
But is Titanium over-kill? What other differentiating factors does a Titanium razor offer?
The Paradigm Shave Ware Titanium DE Razor
From the design perspective, the Paradigm Shave Ware Titanium DE Razor shows some interesting elements. One thing I really like is the blade-holding design of the head. Instead of the typical two-pin design it uses the less-common (but superior IMO) ‘bar’ design. Engineered correctly this can make blade alignment and symmetry much more consistent…and this razor looks to be engineered correctly.
Another uncommon design element of the razor is it’s 3.5 inch hexagonal handle. Although the etching in the handle is not particularly deep, I’m able to easily hold it in my wet hand during a shave.
An element that could be a positive or a negative depending on how you look at it is weight. This razor is an example of Titanium’s characteristic of both high-strength and low-density: it weighs in at 70 grams, about 20 grams lighter than the typical “heavyweight” razor.
Another “positive or negative” is the razor’s finish. Again, a common characteristic of titanium is that the finish may not be quite as “shiny” as other metals. While Titanium can have a high finish, it generally requires more complicated manufacturing.
More background on the razor is available on Paradigm’s website.
The over-all “fit and finish” of this razor seems excellent.
So How Is The Shave?
For me, using the Paradigm Shave Ware Titanium DE Razor took some adjustment. It’s lighter weight and corresponding balance characteristics took me a few shaves to get used to. And, again for me, the razor was a bit more aggressive than I prefer: though this razor is probably well within “middle of the road” territory (I think it’s roughly the same as a Merkur HD for comparison purposes), I prefer milder razors.
Then there’s the elephant in the room: the razor’s price. This is not an inexpensive razor. And it seems like the high-end of the razor market is getting crowded–if you are looking for a luxury razor you have quite a few choices!
But from the performance perspective, the Paradigm shaves well–very consistent and efficient in my opinion. If you are looking for a luxury razor that might become a long-term “heirloom” for your descendants by virtue of it’s resistance to the ravages of time, the Paradigm Shave Ware Titanium DE Razor might be worth looking at.
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Interesting product … might have to give one a test drive somehow before I could be convinced to buy it.
Environmentally, titanium is one of the few good rare metals. It is strip mined so the local impact is 100 percent devastation. The soil is sent to an extraction plant
and processed safely without polluting people’s drinking water. As a light and durable material it decreases fuel consumption and long term maintenance. Shavers seem to think our pursuit has little impact; no more than shooting just one of those billions of passenger pigeons, planting another acre for palm oil production and chasing out the orangutans or a bronze razor made from stolen boilers from a WW2 designated war grave british destroyer. People might want to pause and consider what their carbon footprint is goosestepping on. This one passes, except the inherent price may restrict it to Florida golf club owners swinging titanium drivers.
Overdramatize much? Bronze is made from copper and tin; considering the quantities of both those metals available, it’s not particularly cost effective to fish WW2 boilers out of the ocean to produce razors. Titanium is much less common, but it still is used in large quantities relative to the few grams used in a razor. Wet shaving supplies are not going to end the world as we know it.
It’s great to see manufacturers thinking outside of the box. In my opinion; at this price, this razor is going to be a luxury piece for a very limited market. A large population of wet shavers still prefer the vintage equipment, much of which is still in very good condition. I have carbon steel straights that are well over 100 years old that look and function as well as they did when they were new. “Thumbs up” though, for those supplying any equipment for today’s wet shaver.
That’s one steep price for just a razor. I wish manufacturers would just go back to using brass. Many of us use razors that are over 50 years old and still rock solid. My black beauty that I use to shave my head is 47 years old and the straight razor I use for face shaving is 83.
The shape looks a bit like Merkur 42C razor. Perhaps it is inspired by the Gillette 1904 razor that is rumored to be the inspiration behind the Merkur. (For the life of me, I can’t find the model # of the Gillette razor that resembles those. But you can see it in the first image here, for what it’s worth: http://www.razoremporium.com/gillette/ )
I love the size and shape. But since I have very little interest in the material of my razor, and have no intention in spending that kind of money, I think I’ll stick with my $30 Merkur. Which gives a fabulous shave, BTW.
The razor in the top row/center here may be a better example of the Gillette I’m thinking about:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/63/6c/80/636c80a39a41456fcd4f7aedd678f03a.jpg
Actually, those are all GEM razors.
Ah, interesting, Robert. Both pictures posted?
Still I wonder if any of these were the/an inspiration for this Paradigm razor?
Just thought I’d introduce myself and leave a brief comment. I’m Andy Andersen, proprietor of Paradigm Shaveware. Mark, I’d like to thank you for a thorough, fair, and well balanced review. As far as corrosion goes, nothing is really impervious … but titanium is very good, certainly good enough for the wet shaver. Where it is superior to stainless in practice is in the matter of galvanic corrosion, the tendency of a razor to rust with a wet blade left in it. The blade will still rust, but not the razor.
The weight and balance are by design. A razor with lower mass can make it easier to shave with less pressure. Also, we put weight in the handle more so than the head, which avoids the head heaviness that some razors suffer from. YMMV.
As for price … well … it’s made in the USA, and the manufacturing ain’t cheap. I’ll be updating my website today to explain the costs in greater detail.
Thanks again to Mark for the insight, depth, and fairness he is known for. There’s a good reason Mantic’s reviews are at the top of the heap.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comments and clarifications!
I’m sure there’s a market and I might be a buyer. How it shaves is the most important thing though. The metallurgy is subordinate to the geometry IMO. An R41 made of ruby still an uncomfortable razor.
SOLD OUT!
I’m not sure I need a lightweight Aqua Regia resistant razor. Any guesses on the price range for this razor?
Hi Larry, the pricing is listed on the Bullgoose page linked in the first line of the article ($395).
Not bad considering the difficulty of working Titanium. I sold a Weber PH for 350.00 not far off. I’ll be keeping my eye on this one?
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