Closed Pass Around: Asylum RX - Finished.

I have consolidated the requests from ATG and TSR.
Also - the Asylum RX is on its way to me. Thanks @Paul.
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Nishy (ATG)
  3. rowlers (ATG)
  4. globalm (TSR)
  5. Nico1970 (ATG)
  6. Looney12345 (ATG/TSR)
  7. Acer89 (ATG)
  8. MrK1 (TSR)
  9. MikeyJ (TSR)
  10. Fuzzyian (TSR)
  11. Dogsmro (ATG/TSR)
  12. Mr Bigmem (ATG/TSR)
  13. p.b (ATG)
  14. Blademonkey (TSR)
  15. MPH (TSR)
  16. Burgundy (ATG)
The list is open.
Legend: Currently with, On the way to, Waiting, Completed
 
Royal Mail have done themselves proud. The Asylum RX has arrived. More later.
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Nishy (ATG)
  3. rowlers (ATG)
  4. globalm (TSR)
  5. Nico1970 (ATG)
  6. Looney12345 (ATG/TSR)
  7. Acer89 (ATG)
  8. MrK1 (TSR)
  9. MikeyJ (TSR)
  10. Fuzzyian (TSR)
  11. Dogsmro (ATG/TSR)
  12. Mr Bigmem (ATG/TSR)
  13. p.b (ATG)
  14. Blademonkey (TSR)
  15. MPH (TSR)
  16. Burgundy (ATG)
  17. Wayne (ATG)
  18. AlexNoodles (ATG)
The list is open.
Legend: Currently with, On the way to, Waiting, Completed
 
First impressions

The postman knows how to add drama to the delivery of a much anticipated razor. He knocks on the door shouting 'Royal Mail Special Delivery!!' on top of his voice. One way of doing this, I suppose. Now the neighbours know about it as well.
The parcel contains 6 packs of blades (an impressive collection), a few samples (thanks, @Paul - I'll pass the Wickham 1912 Parma Violet on as I already have some) and a box with a sticker announcing 'Asylum Shave Works'. A small and sturdy cardboard box without frills. Just the way I like it. A foam inset holds the razor. On first sight the razor looks cool. Very pretty. The brushed aluminium head and the handle look quite futuristic.
To quench my thirst for numbers I get out my digital caliper and the scales. The razor weighs 109.3g - quite heavy for its size. It feels quite solid. The handle is 82.6mm long and weighs 58.1g. The overall length of the razor is 105.7mm.
The razor can be attached to other handles, but the original handle looks very nice on it. I briefly tried my ↪ 96mm stainless steel handle (intimidating) and the miniature handle of an aluminium 1972 Gillette Tech (very top heavy). I think I'll stick with the stock handle.
The head is quite wide. Of course it is - it takes Feather AC style blades. Personally I prefer smaller heads (injectors), but the Cobra Classic has convinced me that wider heads can be quite nice as well.
After a bit of wiggling the head comes apart and I admire the design. Clever buggers. @Darkbulb has taken plenty of pictures ↪here or ↪here, so I don't have to.
I will have a shave with the Asylum RX later, so I pick a Feather Professional blade (I've used those blades before in the Cobra Classic and the Feather AC SS and they are good) and insert it into the head. Unscrew the handle slightly, slide blade in from the front, screw handle tight. Easy enough.
I have tried the razor briefly on the back of my hand to check the angle to use when shaving and it should be quite easy to find.
TBC. Soon.
 
Shave #1
I'm impressed. It's a very good looking razor. I had a very close shave. The blades are very sharp.
Let me build the suspension by talking about some other items used in the shave.
I have had the MÜHLE 25mm STF synthetic brush for a month now and it's the only brush I have used since. It's just about perfect. The face feel is fantastic and it holds enough lather for more passes than even I would ever do. It will also help eating through the too many soaps I have :D
I picked up a new Faena Mastic shaving soap today from the post office. @LeeBot from Bobbyshave practically gave it away because people were complaining about the unusual scent. I compared it to the soap I already own and it smells and lathers exactly the same. No surprise, as it was made on exactly the same date. I was using mine sparingly, now I can indulge more often.
Finally.. The Asylum RX…
Unusually I had two days worth of stubble to mow down. I had an inkling the Asylum RX might arrive today. :D
I know the Feather Professional blades and they are very, very sharp. So I started the shave carefully. Right from the start I could tell that the razor would do a good job. I could feel the blade, so NO PRESSURE is mandatory for this razor. Even so, due to lack of concentration, I nicked myself on the jawline near my left ear. This nick took some treatment with Proraso Riparatore gel after the shave and even then it took a good ten minutes to stop bleeding completely. Be warned - the Feather Professional blades are sharp and you can cause damage.
I did my usual four pass routine. WTG/XTG/GTX/ATG. After every pass the result was closer than that achieved by most razors. I think most of this can be attributed to the blade. Did I mention that they are very, very sharp? Good stuff.
I found the razor to be nicely balanced and easy to hold. I don't think I will be experimenting with different handles.
After three more passes without further incident I'm smooth. Not a single spot where any touch up is required. The job is done perfectly. I know immediately that this shave will last. Alum block and ASL sting just a little bit. A very good sign for a shave that close.
A quick word on the Tüff after shave. It's one of my favourites and I managed to get 6 bottles for €20 delivered to Germany and then free delivery to the UK by my parents who visited this week. :D While Tüff contains alcohol it is quite skin friendly and it only has a very faint herbal scent that doesn't last. It's perfect if you want to use another scent afterwards as it won't interfere. Paco Rabanne Pour Homme EdT is my smellie of choice today. Lovely.
Back to the Asylum RX. For me the biggest advantage of the razor (the blades) are also its biggest problem. The use of Feather AC style blades makes the head quite wide. I'm not a fan of wide razors and always think that a narrower head using injector style blades would be better. At least the head is not as bulky as those on Mongoose/Alumigoose razors. It's more like a Cobra Classic head and therefore quite easy to manoeuvre. From memory, the Cobra head is slimmer than the Asylum head, but I may be wrong. If @Nico1970 still has his Cobra Classic it would be nice to see side by side pictures of the two heads. The Asylum RX head measures 13.0 mm from the front of the safety bar to the back of the head.
To conclude:
I'm impressed. It's a very good looking razor. I had a very close shave. The blades are very sharp.
I'll probably use the same Feather Pro blade tomorrow if anything worth shaving off emerges.
 
Shave #1
I'm impressed. It's a very good looking razor. I had a very close shave. The blades are very sharp.
Let me build the suspension by talking about some other items used in the shave.
I have had the MÜHLE 25mm STF synthetic brush for a month now and it's the only brush I have used since. It's just about perfect. The face feel is fantastic and it holds enough lather for more passes than even I would ever do. It will also help eating through the too many soaps I have :D
I picked up a new Faena Mastic shaving soap today from the post office. @LeeBot from Bobbyshave practically gave it away because people were complaining about the unusual scent. I compared it to the soap I already own and it smells and lathers exactly the same. No surprise, as it was made on exactly the same date. I was using mine sparingly, now I can indulge more often.
Finally.. The Asylum RX…
Unusually I had two days worth of stubble to mow down. I had an inkling the Asylum RX might arrive today. :D
I know the Feather Professional blades and they are very, very sharp. So I started the shave carefully. Right from the start I could tell that the razor would do a good job. I could feel the blade, so NO PRESSURE is mandatory for this razor. Even so, due to lack of concentration, I nicked myself on the jawline near my left ear. This nick took some treatment with Proraso Riparatore gel after the shave and even then it took a good ten minutes to stop bleeding completely. Be warned - the Feather Professional blades are sharp and you can cause damage.
I did my usual four pass routine. WTG/XTG/GTX/ATG. After every pass the result was closer than that achieved by most razors. I think most of this can be attributed to the blade. Did I mention that they are very, very sharp? Good stuff.
I found the razor to be nicely balanced and easy to hold. I don't think I will be experimenting with different handles.
After three more passes without further incident I'm smooth. Not a single spot where any touch up is required. The job is done perfectly. I know immediately that this shave will last. Alum block and ASL sting just a little bit. A very good sign for a shave that close.
A quick word on the Tüff after shave. It's one of my favourites and I managed to get 6 bottles for €20 delivered to Germany and then free delivery to the UK by my parents who visited this week. :D While Tüff contains alcohol it is quite skin friendly and it only has a very faint herbal scent that doesn't last. It's perfect if you want to use another scent afterwards as it won't interfere. Paco Rabanne Pour Homme EdT is my smellie of choice today. Lovely.
Back to the Asylum RX. For me the biggest advantage of the razor (the blades) are also its biggest problem. The use of Feather AC style blades makes the head quite wide. I'm not a fan of wide razors and always think that a narrower head using injector style blades would be better. At least the head is not as bulky as those on Mongoose/Alumigoose razors. It's more like a Cobra Classic head and therefore quite easy to manoeuvre. From memory, the Cobra head is slimmer than the Asylum head, but I may be wrong. If @Nico1970 still has his Cobra Classic it would be nice to see side by side pictures of the two heads. The Asylum RX head measures 13.0 mm from the front of the safety bar to the back of the head.
To conclude:
I'm impressed. It's a very good looking razor. I had a very close shave. The blades are very sharp.
I'll probably use the same Feather Pro blade tomorrow if anything worth shaving off emerges.
A good report, thankyou. I am looking forward to my turn in the pass around. Thanks for the spoiler, couldn't help myself!! :)
 
I was planning an Asylum RX photo shoot today. Alas! It was raining. So I made up this instead:
FakeLondonEye.jpg
 
Shave #2
There was enough stubble on my face this morning to justify a shave. While the Asylum RX did a very good job yesterday, there are other razors that give me a longer lasting shave. The Bunny V3 for example.
The second shave with the Asylum RX went without drama. I didn't even re-open the cut I inflicted on myself yesterday. The Feather Pro blade was as sharp as it was yesterday, but I used utmost caution and absolutely NO PRESSURE to good effect.
I'm still struggling to like the width of the head. Not much that can be done about that when using Feather AC style blades. This is what I had to say about the head of the Cobra Classic:
You could shave the inside of your nose with it.
I don't think you could do this with the Asylum RX, so I'm even more convinced that the head of the Cobra is slimmer.
Four standard passes and I'm certainly clean shaven. Smooth all over with no blood loss and irritation free. Alum block and ASL have not much to say about the shave. Just how it should be.
Another thing I noticed is how easily the razor cleans. A quick rinse under water and a wipe on a towel and the razor looks as good as new. It's almost Teflon coated. :D
I'll probably use another blade tomorrow. Not sure which one. Suggestions? Too much choice! I might keep the used Pro blade, cut it down and use it in one of my injectors.
TBC…
 
Shave #2
There was enough stubble on my face this morning to justify a shave. While the Asylum RX did a very good job yesterday, there are other razors that give me a longer lasting shave. The Bunny V3 for example.
The second shave with the Asylum RX went without drama. I didn't even re-open the cut I inflicted on myself yesterday. The Feather Pro blade was as sharp as it was yesterday, but I used utmost caution and absolutely NO PRESSURE to good effect.
I'm still struggling to like the width of the head. Not much that can be done about that when using Feather AC style blades. This is what I had to say about the head of the Cobra Classic:

I don't think you could do this with the Asylum RX, so I'm even more convinced that the head of the Cobra is slimmer.
Four standard passes and I'm certainly clean shaven. Smooth all over with no blood loss and irritation free. Alum block and ASL have not much to say about the shave. Just how it should be.
Another thing I noticed is how easily the razor cleans. A quick rinse under water and a wipe on a towel and the razor looks as good as new. It's almost Teflon coated. :D
I'll probably use another blade tomorrow. Not sure which one. Suggestions? Too much choice! I might keep the used Pro blade, cut it down and use it in one of my injectors.
TBC…
Would you buy one?
 
Another note on blades

@Paul was kind enough to include a total of 106 blades with the razor. Given that they are around a quid each, that's very generous. Thanks, Paul.
I'd like the guys on the pass around to keep track of how many blades of each type are left.
To make that task easy, I'll include a sheet of paper. For every blade you remove from a holder, please cross out a circle on the sheet of paper. Just like this:
BladesUsed.png

Thank you.
 
Can i please get in on this passaround Andreas?

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
Certainly.
The pass around is now limited to 26 of you gents.

  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. Nishy (ATG)
  3. rowlers (ATG)
  4. globalm (TSR)
  5. Nico1970 (ATG)
  6. Looney12345 (ATG/TSR)
  7. Acer89 (ATG)
  8. MrK1 (TSR)
  9. MikeyJ (TSR)
  10. Fuzzyian (TSR)
  11. Dogsmro (ATG/TSR)
  12. Mr Bigmem (ATG/TSR)
  13. p.b (ATG)
  14. Blademonkey (TSR)
  15. MPH (TSR)
  16. Burgundy (ATG)
  17. Wayne (ATG)
  18. AlexNoodles (ATG)
  19. Chico Winterton (ATG)
  20. barber bear (TSR)
The list is open.
Legend: Currently with, On the way to, Waiting, Completed
 
Shave #3
Due to time constraints it's time to change blades. The Feather Pro blade will be cut down to size and used in one of my Schick injectors.
My thoughts about the blades available:
I have tried all the Feather blades in other razors. The Pro is, as expected, sharp. The Pro Super is just like a Pro, but wider with more exposure in Feather AC razors. The Asylum hasn't been designed to take it and although it is possible, I don't see why I should use it.
The ProGuard has little wire 'guards' across the blade edge. I might use it (or the KAI Protouch MG) later on.
I haven't used any of the KAI blades and I've heard good things about the Kai Captain Titan Mild. It's said to be slightly less sharp, but smoother than the Feather Pro. Sounds interesting, so that's the blade I'll use.
I'll keep it brief:
The Asylum RX doesn't look or handle differently just because there is a different blade in it. So there is not much to be learned. It's still beautiful and the head is still too wide for my taste.
Surprisingly the KAI blade is at least as sharp as the Feather Pro and certainly not smoother. If anything I get more blade feel from it. I'll see how the blade develops during the next shave.
There is no arguing with the result of the shave. Smooth all over, no cleanup required anywhere. Every time. The alum block and ASL gave a little more sting than after the first two shaves with the Feather Pro blade.
The Asylum RX handles nicely. Unlike @Darkbulb I have no issue with the length of the handle or with clogging, despite using Tabac soap.
So far I prefer the Feather Pro blade, but I remember that it only lasts for about three shaves for me, making it a rather costly option. I'll give the Kai Captain Titan Mild another chance tomorrow and then use one of the guarded blades, before passing the razor on.
TBC...
 
Back
Top Bottom