You’re listening to Wet Shaving Talk powered by Sharpologist.com where we’re dedicated to preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host Joe Borrelli and today is April 6th, 2026.

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Today on the Show:

A Razor for the Tool Lover 

Battle Bros Blades Made in the USA!

Parker AeroShave New Razor 

RazorRock Next Level Razor 

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A Razor For the Tool Lover 

As the son of a 40+year mechanic, I have learned the importance of quality tools. Those of you who know understand how important Snap-On tools are to mechanics.  I found it really interesting that they made a razor in the same fashion as their tools. 

The Snap-on Tools Ratchet Handle Razor is a popular collectible grooming item designed to look like a standard Snap-on 1/4″ soft grip ratchet. While it resembles a tool, it is a functional cartridge razor. 

Key Features

• Design: Modeled after a 1/4″ Soft Grip Ratchet with a chrome die-cast zinc alloy head.
• Compatibility: Uses standard Gillette Mach 3 triple-blade cartridges, making replacement blades easy to find at most retailers.
• Handle Colors: Available in various signature Snap-on colors, including Red, Blue, Green, Orange, and Hi-Vis Yellow.

Included Accessories: Typically comes in a brand-new box with a clear plastic travel case featuring the Snap-on “S” logo and one or two replacement cartridges. ___________________________________________________________________________

Battle Bros Blades Made in the USA!   

• The company has transitioned its manufacturing to the US; while some older stock may be labeled as “Non-US”, current offerings focus on domestic production: 
• Made in USA (50-Pack): These are high-performance stainless steel blades often sold as a “one-year supply”.
• Material: Premium high-performance stainless steel.
• Coating: Includes a post-process with Teflon, nitrogen, chrome, and platinum for a low-friction, smooth glide.
• Sharpness: Sharpened to 550HV; reviewers often compare them to Astra Green or Gillette Platinum in terms of smoothness and efficiency.

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Parker Aeroshave New Razor  

The Parker AeroShave is an ultra-lightweight, 3-piece closed comb safety razor newly introduced in 2026. CNC machined from solid 6061 aluminum, it is specifically designed for a mild, irritation-free shave, making it a strong choice for those with sensitive skin or daily shavers. 

Key Features and Performance

• Mild but Efficient: It features a mild blade gap (0.59 mm) and a slight positive blade exposure (0.015 mm), providing a forgiving experience that remains efficient enough for light to moderate beard growth.
• Unique Design: The razor has a sandblasted matte silver finish with a distinct green-anodized safety bar plate, signifying its eco-friendly, all-metal construction.
• Nimble Maneuverability: Due to its light weight and slim head design, it is highly maneuverable, especially in tight areas like under the nose or around the chin.
• Precision Engineering: The handle includes a press-fitted plastic washer to prevent the metal handle from contacting and potentially scratching the baseplate. 

Recently reviewed on Sharpologist 

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RazorRock Next Level 

Key Features & Design

• Modular System: The razor uses a universal top cap that fits multiple base plates, allowing you to swap plates to adjust efficiency from mild to aggressive.
• Precision Alignment: Unlike previous models that used only center pins, the NEXT LEVEL combines center slot tabs with corner posts to lock the blade securely and eliminate chatter.
• Edge-to-Guard Design: Borrowing from the Lupo and Recurve models, this design offers superior visibility for detailing around sideburns or a mustache.

Note: This razor is based on the WR2 design from Wolfman Razors (Confirmed by post on B&B) 

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Our show is powered by Sharpologist.com, “What Your Father Didn’t Teach You about Shaving” 

Special Thanks to:

Mark aka Mantic 59

Most of All……….YOU!!!!

Don’t forget to check out my blog site www.shavestraightandsafe.com  for the tips and interesting wet shaving stories!

Please feel free to contact me at [email protected]  

Subscribe to my You Tube Chanel for videos regarding some interesting wet shaving content.

Don’t forget to check out my book “The Modern Guide to Straight Razor Shaving” available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and at Pasteur’s Pharmacy in NYC. 

If you’re a vendor and would like to be featured on the show please contact me!!

Transcript (Generated using Transcript LOL)

You’re listening to Wet Shaving Talk, powered by Sharpologist.com, where we’re dedicated to preserving the art and skill of classic shaving. I’m your host, Joe Borelli, and today is April 6th, 2026. Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast today.

And we have an exciting show for you with a lot of innovation, a lot of new items. So I’m really excited to be bringing this to you. Now, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been really researching wet shaving, looking around and trying to find some new stuff. And I can tell you right now, a lot of the groups that I’m in, a lot of the places that I follow are having new items come in, including software.

So a few weeks ago, we talked I know a lot on these podcasts, we’re talking about, you know, well known companies closing. But we don’t really talk about some new ones opening up. Until really recently, there’s been a couple of vendors that have been starting off right there starting I noticed a couple of one vendor I noticed artisan came out with some, I guess you could say it was some homages to some past soaps and stuff like that. And again, really interesting.

I was really excited to see that because I know that I guess you could say how hard it is to come up with a company. We always talk about innovation. We talk about staying fresh. And one thing is with wet shaving is one soap can last you a year or more, right?

A big soap can last a long time. And not only that, if you use one soap all the time, then you might be buying, you might be a return customer to a vendor once a year. And you know what, that doesn’t really pay the bills if you think about it, right? If you, we’re not that big of a group to where, hey, we’re buying 40 or 50 soaps a day, or, you know, these guys are selling 50 to 100 soaps a day online to different people.

No, we’re, a lot of them are return business, right? So you want to make it fresh and keep it innovative. So that’s where I’m starting to see like hey, you know with it with the Hardware razor companies. They are staying innovative.

They’re coming out with new designs. They’re trying different stuff and they keep it going Software guys got us to kind of keep up with that too because even some of their well-known brands are you know, they they are they kind of get a little stagnant here, too. You know, example, we had Mitchell’s Wool Fat. We’ve talked about all that stuff in the past, if you’ve been listening.

Mitchell’s Wool Fat, Williams Shave Soap, a lot of companies are just no longer around, right? And it’s kind of sad, but it’s also, I mean, tobacco, too. I think tobacco’s gone, or on its way out. And all these well-known companies, because it’s just like, hey, you know what, nobody’s really using them anymore, or it’s just getting too costly to keep that one item in their lineup, right?

Cost, everything goes up. So staying innovative is really important. You know, a key person to this is our key company is Phoenix Artisan Accrouchements. If you’re not a fan and you take a look, you got to applaud them anyway because they are always innovative.

They have something, Douglas Smythe has something coming out with a story or something every month, right? Every time to the point where he’s got his own app. He knows how to keep everybody going and I’m sure it’s very difficult for him at times to keep up getting these new ideas fresh and all that good stuff because of how important it is for him to stay innovative. He knows it.

He knows he’s got to keep everybody going. And that’s how he stayed in business for 13, 14 years and is still one of the leaders, I would say, out there in the wet shaving world. So, innovation is key and you know what, this show is all about that. And that’s why I’m really excited and you can actually tell in my voice, it’s been fun doing some research recently.

Why not get into it then? Today on the show, we have a razor that’s for the tool lover. That’s right. If you love tools and if that’s something that you really enjoy, this might be the razor for you.

We have Battle Brothers blades that are now made in the United States. A great item to hear. This is yet another blade manufacturer that’s coming in or another, at least another brand that’s made in USA blades from something that was only one skew, one item up a few months ago to now there’s several. So that’s great.

Very exciting. The Parker AeroShave razor. This is something new from Parker that came out. It is a homage to another razor.

And I can tell you that it’s, you know, Parker is one of those companies, again, where we can talk about them. They are very innovative. It’s just a lot of fun to talk about them and just, and focus on what they’re coming out with. Because I know a lot of their stuff is homages and, or replicas, or something that they took from somebody else, another idea.

but they’re affordable and they are actually, you know, something that everybody can try. And I think they come out, they have some of their own really good stuff too. Finally the razor rock next level razor this razor has had a very largely Anticipated release online and it’s out. It’s been out.

It’s been selling out very quickly So it’s another one probably their biggest release since the game changer razor about ten years ago So really excited to talk about this one. I don’t have one yet, but I will I this is definitely on my on my wish list so without further ado guys, let’s get on with the show a Razor for the tool lover now I don’t really talk too much about myself and my background and where I’m from and all that stuff, but I am, I’ll let you guys know a little bit about me now. I am the son of a mechanic.

My father was an auto mechanic for about 40 years, pretty much my whole life. And through that time, I’ve learned a lot about cars, how to fix them. I’ve learned about cars that, you know, and I’ve learned a lot about, you know, different kinds of car parts, quality parts, what to get. And I’ve also learned a lot about tools and the importance of tools.

Those of you who are mechanics out there or have a family member that is a mechanic or understand the quality of tools know that the right tool for the right job equals money. It saves you money, makes you money. Having a tool that works well and doesn’t break is also very important. Growing up, my parents and my father, my grandfather always said, buy certain brands of tools because they are going to last.

You don’t want to get hurt and bust a knuckle or something like that if you didn’t have a tool slip with a cheap tool. So always buy a quality tool and use that and spend the extra money there instead of skimping out in certain areas. So those of you that know, understand how important snap-on tools are to the mechanic. These tools have been made for over 100 years in the United States, most of them, at least their hand tools are, and they’re still guaranteed for life.

And they’re very innovative. It’s an innovative company, right? Well, they have a, and I’m not sure how to get it because I see it on eBay, but I think you can get it from the tool truck or on their website, or I don’t know. I haven’t really looked too much into it.

I think I’m going to ask my friend that’s a snap-on, that has a snap-on route. He’s a mechanic. I’ll say, hey, do they have this and see if I can get my hands on one because I’d love to get it. They make a razor now and it’s based off a quarter inch drive soft grip ratchet.

It’s the smaller ratchets that have the smaller like little, you know, smaller sockets that you use. And this is using the same exact soft handle now. If you’ve ever used a, with the soft grip, if you ever used a razor, excuse me, you might use a razor now if you get this one, but if you ever used a ratchet with that soft grip handle, you get a lot of torque with it. So I love those, right?

I think they’re really good. This one’s based on, it looks like the handle and then uses a Mach 3 cartridge style razor. So it’s got a Mach 3 cartridge on it with a metal and a soft grip handle. So if you look in the show notes you can see it and I think it’s really cool.

So I was looking at it and just because it’s a cartridge razor doesn’t mean it’s not something that everybody would want because I know a lot of people do use cartridge razors and it’s something that they may like to have something different, right? A quality one. So I’m not sure if this one’s made in the United States. I’m not sure if this one’s made by Snap-on itself or if they outsource it.

They might. It doesn’t say, so probably would be. It’s available in several handle colors. So the Snap-on colors include red, blue, green, orange, and yellow.

So those are available. People can get them. And it comes with accessories such like a brand new plastic box, which looks nice, and it comes with two cartridges. I thought it was really cool to see that.

As a tool lover myself, I do own quite a few Snap-on tools. Again, I am not a professional mechanic as you guys know. But I am an amateur mechanic and I do like having good tools. So, I usually buy my stuff on eBay and buy used Snap-on tools or, you know, Mako tools or Craftsman, you know, vintage Craftsman tools because I like the actual…

I like to actually use a quality tool and I don’t have the money to… or I don’t… I can’t justify the money. to spend $250 on a ratchet when I could get one for $80 online, that would be just as good because it’s just got a few scratches on it because somebody used it.

Remember that, you know, tools are all, you guys can fix them, you can rebuild them, you can bring them to a tool man, a tool truck, and they will fix it or replace it for you for free. as they are guaranteed for life, or you can send it into their website. But I thought it was really cool. I’ve been a huge fan of Snap-on, and I’m surprised I haven’t seen this sooner.

I don’t even know how I found it. I think I found it by accident, but I was really impressed to see that, and I hope it’s a good quality tool. So if any of you have one, let me know, and let me know if it’s good. Make sure it’s full metal, because nobody’s disclosed on that.

If it’s metal, if it’s not plastic, I want to make sure it’s plastic, but I can definitely tell the handle is right. But just to make sure, if it’s a full metal razor, it might be a cool little keepsake for us wet shaving collectors who like tools. So snap on a cartridge razor. Yep, that’s there.

And there’s a lot of them on eBay. They’re about $30 to $50. Battle Brothers Blades, that’s right. Battle Brothers Blades are here and now they’re made in the United States.

So Battle Brothers is a relatively new wet shaving company, been around a few years. And they used to have blades, I guess they were imported, but now they’re getting them made in the United States. So I am not sure where these are made or who makes them. I don’t know if Persona, the same company that makes Persona makes them or if they are just rebranded Persona Blades.

But if they are, they are pretty good because I do like those persona blues. I think they’re nice, especially for the more of a milder razor. So they’re made out of high performance stainless steel and they have, they go through the, of course, the post process with Teflon, nitrogen, chrome, and platinum for a low friction glide. And then the sharpness is to a 500, 550 HV, which would be compared to like a Astro Green or Gillette Platinum in terms of smoothness and efficiency.

So yeah, I’m looking at that now and it does sound like kind of like a persona blue. Probably it is maybe it’s not I don’t know so I can’t I can’t disclose that but really excited to see this here and to see that more Manufacturing coming to the United States and giving us another chance to continue to make blades and stuff That means we’re going to be around, you know, we’re going to be making blades for a while and razors to hopefully So, great job, really excited and looking forward to seeing some more reviews on it. I was looking to get a pack, I’m almost ready to get a pack of blades.

I don’t use the double edge razor as much as I used to, but I do use it and 100 blades will last me probably a couple of years because I use a straight razor mostly. So, I think I’ll get myself a pack of them and try it out. You know, 50 pack, what can go wrong, right? So, good blades, get good reviews online and I think it’ll be a lot of fun to hone.

All right, next up, the Parker AeroShave. So this is a new razor, just came out. And it’s kind of looks like the, I think it’s the Matura razor from Spain or from Portugal. I forgot where that razor’s from.

It looks very similar to that. It’s been around. I think it’s, the handle looks exactly like it, to be honest, and the head too. But this is an ultra lightweight.

It’s a closed comb safety razor. It’s CNC machined from aluminum. So 6061 aluminum. So this is really for a mild, very easy razor to use for a daily shaver.

So it’s great for the beginner. And I do like that they used aluminum, because aluminum brings in a nice lightweight and good balance. So I like aluminum on razors. I think they are nice.

So some notes on it’s mild but efficient says here on the website. Features a mild blade gap of 0.59 and a blade exposure of 0.015 so not showing too much of the blade and the gap is about the middle. Again guys a lot of stuff a lot of people talk about blade gap and I do too and you know what There are some razors out there that are really good, really high blade gaps that are very, very efficient. Example, the Wolfman BBS1’s got a one millimeter blade gap, right?

And it’s still very, very mild, but effective, right? That’s all about the exposure and about the angle of the blade. So, I don’t really look too much in the blade gap. I know some razors have very big, like I could tell you, there’s some slant razors out there that have huge, you can see the blade gap, right?

You can literally see it. It’s over a millimeter and they’re still mild, right? They don’t cut you up or anything like that. So, just go by the exposure is really where it is, the amount of the blade showing.

And the amount of blade that’s showing can, more blade is less, the more flex you can get. So, that’s where you can get the irritation, at least in my experience. So the design is a sandblasted matted silver finish with, it’s kind of got like a green anodized safety bar plate. And it’s again eco-friendly, all metal, no plastic in it.

And it’s very light. So it’s, I think they said it weighed like 35 to 40 grams. I think it’s, you know, that’s about half of the weight of a stainless steel razor. It’s just um it was it just seems to be like a really nice piece and a good cheaper alternative under $100 for this razor, and it’s recently I think I’m mantic just reviewed it on sharpologist So if you just search it you’ll find it right there.

You’ll find his review. Which is really good I mean as I’ve said Parker is a great brand I think and a lot of people are you will say hey, you know what they copy everybody whatever yeah, I know but They also give us a chance to buy something without breaking the bank, right? They give you the option to purchase something that’s not overly expensive.

So, really excited about this one. Again, another raiser from Parker. They’ve had several releases in the past couple years that have been coming out and they’re staying innovative. So, I can tell you right now that Parker is still going to be a fun company to collect and still play with their razors, use their razors.

I say play because I think of it sometimes as we’re having fun instead of just doing a task in the morning, right? We’re shaving, but it’s definitely a good piece for their lineup. So good luck with that, Parker. Finally, the Razer ROK Next Level.

This Razer is incredible, in my opinion, because it is based on a lot of innovation. Now, we’re gonna talk about, first off, about a year and a half ago, there was a thread on here, started, and it started with, With the design that this razor was designed after now if you take a look at the blade you can definitely tell it is a based on the WR2 BB or the BBS1 similar to that Wolfman razor This is something that they like to do the Lupo razor. They came out with as it was a WR1 clone, right?

It was something they made it based off that so I don’t know if it’s a clone or homage and They use the design, they base it off that, they make it out of stainless steel, and then they sell it for about, you know, under $100 for each of them. So this system was something that was being, I guess, worked on for over a year. There’s a huge, very long thread on Badger and Blade regarding this design.

A lot of people were in on it, a lot of the guys there were testing it for Razor Rock and Italian Barber. And they were working on it and trying it out and seeing what made it right. Now this design, I’m gonna be honest, is probably the best design I’ve ever seen in a safety razor. And this is not just, I’m not just talking about this particular razor, I’m talking about the BBS1, the Wolfman WR2, and this is all based off the Gillette Tech, right?

The that one the the fat handled tech which is also on that, but what’s more I guess would be more Closer to is that persona BBS zero that I kind of nicknamed a long time ago But it’s the persona like throw away double-edged razor with this has the same head I thought that was the best vintage razor shave wise I’ve used and It’s got a huge gap, a one-inch gap, and it really shaves well. And these are coming like homages towards, I think, that and the Gillette Tech. Those are the ones that are where this comes from, right?

So whether or not to use Persona, I could tell you right now, the Persona razor does all the parts are interchangeable with the BBS-1 and with the WR-2. So the gap, the top cap, and the guard all fit. And it will fit in the handle. So it’s all 100%.

It definitely is interchangeable. I’ve tried it. I’ve used it. I’ve done Frankenstein razors with it and I’ve had good results.

And I’ve done it with a Gillette tech as well. They both work. So they’re all fitting together. So I’m pretty sure this would fit into that too.

Now what’s really cool about this is They changed it to where it uses the universal top cap for their razor. So it kind of fits different razors. So we’ll work on different ones. I’m pretty sure it works on all of their higher end razors, but I’m not 100% sure because it does look different.

But it said that online. But I would say it would work on different gaps. They make different base plates with different gaps. They have a whole bunch of them.

So that’s available that you can buy separately and or with your kit. and different handles. You know, as you know, Razor Rock, they have different handles that may not be precisely machined as the head, which is really important, but you can choose your own handle. You can use your own one, right, when you buy it from them.

They talk about the alignment unlike previous models. It uses the center slot tabs in this. So this is actually pretty cool too because the other ones do not have center slot tabs to put the blade in. So interested to see that.

That’s their change on the design. The other ones all connect at the end with those four corners. So they actually will fit in that way. This one has a center slot.

So this is a little different than the other models. And then it’s also, again, based on the WR-2 design, which is based off the BBS-1 design, which is based off the Gillette Tech and that Persona design, too. So, again, really good. Price point on this is under $100.

So I would say for a CSE machined in Canada and individually Guess mark two it’s individually serial numbered. This is a razor. You guys gonna want to try it This is really good again If you’re on a budget and you want to try a WR 2 and you want to try a BBS 1 which you know There’s only 400 of those 420 hundred and twenty one of those out there It’s not something you’re gonna be able to get your hands on that easy But this one is you can get it eventually it will it will The demand will dissipate they’ve been selling out quickly But once you get your hands on one you’ll have it and you get

to try that shave and you’ll see what i’m talking about Great for head shavers great for you know face I i’ve always loved that design still to my this day. My favorite razor is my bbs1 from uh From wolfman right from from james who made that it’s still you know, I have one I spent years trying to get one i’m never getting rid of it So it’s my favorite double-edged razor that I own and I also I love that persona Little cheapo persona razor that I guess they gave out in the airplanes or whatever I have that I call it the BBS zero because it’s so similar to it and that’s a great shave as well, especially when you use it on a nice handle, so That’s it.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it guys So check out that when you get a chance Italian barber or razor rock comm they both had they have them they have them on the website I don’t know if it’s in stock but be on the lookout for that as well. I All right, everyone. So that kind of concludes the show for this week.

And, you know, I’m really glad to be bringing all this innovation to you guys. And it’s just so much fun to be able to see all the new items. Now, I did talk about going to the maggots shave meetup coming up in a few weeks. I am still on the fence of doing that I had a couple things happen to you know, work and stuff that’s kind of delaying me from being able to leave at the moment.

but I am still looking to try to get there, so if you’re still not, if I can’t, I will definitely make it for next year, because I’m gonna put in the time off request to make sure I get it done right away. Just because this year’s been tough. I had a couple things happen, so a lot of things going on. It’s just being an adult, I guess.

Sometimes it’s hard being an adult, and sometimes it’s just not as hard, and it’s definitely not bad, it’s just takes a lot of your time being one. A lot of stuff going on at my job and a lot of stuff at home. I’m studying for a couple of certifications, so I’ve been studying a lot, reading a lot, and a lot of it’s been taking up all that little free time, especially when you got a little guy who’s getting to be almost seven. He’s going to be seven next month, so I can’t believe it.

He likes everything’s daddy, everything’s daddy, let’s go do this, let’s do that, so I am very happy to be doing that too. So, I apologize if the cast is a little bit here and there, a little spotty here and there, a little bit late, a little bit maybe a little early, but we’ll get there, right? It’s definitely something that we’ll continue to have some fun with it. But the next show I’m definitely going to have, I already started making it, some software stuff, some software news coming up, some soaps and aftershaves, and let’s take a look at some brushes too.

I haven’t seen any real new brush designs coming out, so I’m going to really start researching that and see if there’s anything cool. As always, guys, you can always contact me via email at joe.wetshavingnews at gmail.com. And remember, our show is powered by sharpologist.com, which your father didn’t teach you about shaving. Special thanks to MarkMantic59 for everything that he does for the wet shaving community and the support he does for the podcast.

And of course, most of all, you guys, the listeners. Don’t forget to check out my blog, ShaveStraightAndSafe.com and then my book is also still available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at Pasteur’s Pharmacy, The Modern Guide to Straight Razor Shaving. Alright guys, until the next show, shave straight and shave safe. Bye bye now.