Closed Pass around: Option Five - Finished.

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Thanks to the generosity of ↪Option Five I can offer a pass around of the new, you guessed it, Option Five razor.

OptionFive.png

This is an exciting opportunity to try this new and very modern razor. The razor has been discussed in ↪this thread on ATG and ↪this thread on TSR.
Please read and agree to the following rules and remarks before joining the list:
If you are new to pass arounds, please read ↪this article on how pass arounds work first.
This pass around is available to members of both the ATG and TSR forums in the UK. If you don't want to post your reviews on both forums I will post a link to your review on the other forum.
The pass around is not limited to a fixed number of members. I'll restrict the pass around to members who have been around for a while. Don't apply with your first post. UK based members only, due to postage costs. EU based members are welcome if they are willing to cover the extra postage.
Please send the razor by a 'signed for' Royal Mail service or equivalent. You send the tracking number to the recipient and to me.
The razor is your responsibility from the moment you receive it until the next person receives it. You break it or lose it - you buy it. If Royal Mail loses it, they'll pay for it.
Don't hog the razor. A week should be enough time to form an opinion.
Let's know what you think about the razor. Post your thoughts on this thread and if possible on the other forum as well. OptionFive deserve your feedback for making this pass around possible.
Make sure the razor is shave ready for the next person, i.e. cleaned and disinfected using for example ↪Barbicide.

Who is interested?
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. p.b (ATG)
  3. Rowlers (ATG)
  4. You?
The list is open.
Legend: Completed, Currently with, Waiting
 
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Thanks to the generosity of ↪Option Five I can offer a pass around of the new, you guessed it, Option Five razor.

OptionFive.png

This is an exciting opportunity to try this new and very modern razor. The razor has been discussed in ↪this thread on ATG and ↪this thread on TSR.
Please read and agree to the following rules and remarks before joining the list:
If you are new to pass arounds, please read ↪this article on how pass arounds work first.
This pass around is available to members of both the ATG and TSR forums in the UK. If you don't want to post your reviews on both forums I will post a link to your review on the other forum.
The pass around is not limited to a fixed number of members. I'll restrict the pass around to members who have been around for a while. Don't apply with your first post. UK based members only, due to postage costs. EU based members are welcome if they are willing to cover the extra postage.
Please send the razor by a 'signed for' Royal Mail service or equivalent. You send the tracking number to the recipient and to me.
The razor is your responsibility from the moment you receive it until the next person receives it. You break it or lose it - you buy it. If Royal Mail loses it, they'll pay for it.
Don't hog the razor. A week should be enough time to form an opinion.
Let's know what you think about the razor. Post your thoughts on this thread and if possible on the other forum as well. OptionFive deserve your feedback for making this pass around possible.
Make sure the razor is shave ready for the next person, i.e. cleaned and disinfected using for example ↪Barbicide.

Who is interested?
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. p.b (ATG)
  3. Rowlers (ATG)
  4. You?
The list is open.
Legend: Completed, Currently with, Waiting
I would like to try this razor please , thank you.
 
Yes please, it's been a while since I've been involved in a pass around.
Of course.
  1. sɐǝɹpu∀ / riverrun (ATG/TSR)
  2. p.b (ATG)
  3. Rowlers (ATG)
  4. Blademonkey (TSR)
  5. Mr Bigmem (ATG/TSR)
  6. Mr_Smartepants (ATG/TSR)
  7. Whosthedaddy (TSR)
  8. You?
The list is open.
Legend: Completed, Currently with, Waiting
 
Day 1 - Shave 1

  • MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
  • Tabac Original soap
  • Option Five razor
  • Voskhod blade (1)
  • Alum block
  • Tüff Herb ASL

There goes my plan for tomorrow. I was building up four days worth of stubble to have a go with a straight razor tomorrow, when the postie delivered the Option Five today. So the Option Five gets three days worth to work with.
Let's have a look at the razor first. It comes in a cardboard box. Nothing special, but that's OK with me. I don't need a handcrafted box made from unicorn hide. Inside the box is one of those thin and flimsy plastic insets covered with some velvety stuff. Those easily break and this one already has two cracks. I note that there is room for improvement and then decide that I don't care.
Inside the box is of course the Option Five razor. I'm not going to describe it in details. That's been done before. My first thought, when lifting it out of its box was: This is different! The second thought was: This is heavy!
Option Five are to be congratulated for coming up with a novel and unique design. It makes a nice change from the same old Gillette inspired design of most DE razors. It looks good. The handle is very smooth and in combination with a hefty weight of 116g I get worried about it being slippery when wet. I'll come back to that later.
Let's have a look at the blade changing mechanism. Press the two buttons on the handle and the cap pops off. Nice. Put the blade inside the cap and click the cap back on the handle. Done. Easy enough. Now here's a detail that will get everyone (except me) excited: the blade tabs are completely hidden inside the head. I have two problems with this: Firstly, I use the very edge of the blade to shave the stubble close to (almost inside) my nose. The head is too wide to achieve this. Secondly, I found that removing the blade after the shave was difficult. The top cap makes the blade taps completely inaccessible leaving nowhere to touch the blade safely when removing it. I managed without injury, but I don't like it.
On to the shave. As I have three days of stubble I give the Option Five good stuff to work with - a fresh Voskhod blade and some Tabac Original soap. I'll do my usual four pass WTG/XTG/GTX/ATG routine. Right from the start this razor surprises me. Because of the weight and heft of it I was expecting a quite shave, but this razor is quite noisy. It gives excellent audible feedback. I like it. I find that I need to 'ride the cap' more than with other DE razors. I like that as well. What I initially don't like is the slippery handle and the balance of the razor. The razor is very top heavy. The balance point is right where the handle joins the bulk of the head where the buttons to release the top cap are. Holding the razor down on the handle, it's too heavy on my face and the handle feels a bit slippery. However, very soon I adjust my grip and hold the razor at the balance point and all is well. The handle is no longer slippery and there is none of that excessive pressure on my face. From now on everything is (almost) great. I find that the head is not as easy to use just under the nose (see above), but apart from that I have an easy and great shave. I get a very smooth result and eight hours later I'm still pleased with it. The shave was not without incidents. I must have had a small spot or something on my neck. Styptic pencil and Proraso Riparatore gel don't do the trick and I don't have any plasters at hand. 45 minutes later the bleeding finally stops. This doesn't happen very often. Luckily. And I can't blame the razor for it.
To conclude: So far I like this razor.
To be continued...
 
Day 2 - Shave #2
  • MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
  • Castle Forbes Lavender
  • Option Five razor
  • PolSilver blade (1)
  • Alum block
  • Cella Eau de Lavande
I'll keep it short. Disappointing lather (strangely). Good shave. No blood. Smooth face.
However... here is a thought on the Option Five razor:
Will stuff get into the mechanism chamber under the head? I'm sure it will. So how do you clean the razor thoroughly? Can it be disassembled? I spotted some very tiny screws hidden deep inside the head.. (The hole is 3.1mm in diameter and the screw is 4.4mm down the hole). Here's a picture (why doesn't my phone do manual focus?):
magnifier_screw.png

Can the head be taken apart for cleaning? Is it advisable? I'm tempted to try, but I know that I'll either drop an almost invisible screw, won't be able to reassemble the razor or the screws are not meant to be used more than once.
As I don't want to kill the pass around before it has even started, I'll refrain from experiments. I'm confident that my ultrasonic cleaner is capable of removing any soapy crap that might potentially build up inside.
Tomorrow there will be no shave with the Option Five, because it's August-W-Scheuber-Day, or 1912 patent day as it is otherwise known. 105 years ago tomorrow, August W. Scheuber was granted the ↪Patent for the 1912 razor. So that's what I'll shave with tomorrow.
To be continued....
 
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Day 2 - Shave #2
  • MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
  • Castle Forbes Lavender
  • Option Five razor
  • PolSilver blade (1)
  • Alum block
  • Cella Eau de Lavande
I'll keep it short. Disappointing lather (strangely). Good shave. No blood. Smooth face.
However... here is a thought on the Option Five razor:
Will stuff get into the mechanism chamber under the head? I'm sure it will. So how do you clean the razor thoroughly? Can it be disassembled? I spotted some very tiny screws hidden deep inside the head.. (The hole is 3.1mm in diameter and the screw is 4.4mm down the hole). Here's a picture (why doesn't my phone do manual focus?):
magnifier_screw.png

Can the head be taken apart for cleaning? Is it advisable? I'm tempted to try, but I know that I'll either drop an almost invisible screw, won't be able to reassemble the razor or the screws are not meant to be used more than once.
As I don't want to kill the pass around before it has even started, I'll refrain from experiments. I'm confident that my ultrasonic cleaner is capable of removing any soapy crap that might potentially build up inside.
Tomorrow there will be no shave with the Option Five, because it's August-W-Scheuber-Day, or 1912 patent day as it is otherwise known. 105 years ago tomorrow, August W. Scheuber was granted the [emoji670]Patent for the 1912 razor. So that's what I'll shave with tomorrow.
To be continued....

I bought an O5 when they first came out, and although I wasn't too sure about the Space Age look, it's turned out to be a very good razor.

A couple of points. I wouldn't mess with the tiny screws that hold the head on, as it's not designed to be user-disassembled. When I first received mine, there was slight play in the head, which I solved by tightening the screws. They hadn't been sufficiently tightened during assembly.

I've used mine with many different soaps, and find that a good rinse through seems to keep it free of build-up. Of course, an ultrasonic clean won't hurt.

I find that the easiest way of removing the blade is to turn the razor upside down and drop off the top cap. Often the blade will come with it but, if not, it's easy enough, with care, to take it out.
 
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I bought an O5 when they first came out, and although I wasn't too sure about the Space Age look, it's turned out to be a very good razor.
I like the looks of the Option Five, which is strange as I don't like the looks of the Merkur Futur or Vision.
I wouldn't mess with the tiny screws that hold the head on, as it's not designed to be user-disassembled.
It's tempting though... :p When I see tiny screws I get an urge to tinker with them...
I find that the easiest way of removing the blade is to turn the razor upside down and drop off the top cap. Often the blade will come with it but, if not, it's easy enough, with care, to take it out.
My issue is that when the cap is off, there is nowhere to touch the blade safely for removal:
OptionFiveBlade.png
Turning the cap upside down doesn't always do the trick if the blade is still wet.
 
I like the looks of the Option Five, which is strange as I don't like the looks of the Merkur Futur or Vision.

It's tempting though... :p When I see tiny screws I get an urge to tinker with them...

My issue is that when the cap is off, there is nowhere to touch the blade safely for removal:
OptionFiveBlade.png
Turning the cap upside down doesn't always do the trick if the blade is still wet.
I think you'll find that if you press gently down with your thumb on either of the blade tab centres (above the 2 or below the 1 in your photograph), the other end of the blade will tip up and thus enable you to grip it by the "free" tab and lift it out. This will work best when the blade is lying in the removed top cap (my preference), as there isn't so much weight to handle. It will also work when the blade is laying on the baseplate with the top cap off, but this is not so easy as you have to hold the weight of the razor with your "pressing" thumb hand, and also press the blade down.
 
I think you'll find that if you press gently down with your thumb on either of the blade tab centres (above the 2 or below the 1 in your photograph), the other end of the blade will tip up and thus enable you to grip it by the "free" tab and lift it out. This will work best when the blade is lying in the removed top cap (my preference), as there isn't so much weight to handle. It will also work when the blade is laying on the baseplate with the top cap off, but this is not so easy as you have to hold the weight of the razor with your "pressing" thumb hand, and also press the blade down.
I'll give that a go tomorrow. I'll remain the only? fan of exposed tabs though :D

SOTD: It's 1912 patent day!! I shaved in style. What a wonderful machine! The Option Five has to wait...
 
Day 5 - Shave #3
  • MÜHLE 35K256 25mm synthetic brush
  • Faena Mastic soap
  • Option Five razor
  • PolSilver blade (1)
  • Alum block
  • Faena Mastic ASL
Monday was 1912 patent day and yesterday I couldn't find five minutes to shave, so today I'll treat myself with a mastic shave. I can clearly see half the bottom of the Faena Mastic container by now, but no panic - I've got a spare one. Oh how I love the smell of mastic and how I love the performance of this divine soap. The perfect combination of slickness, protection and intoxicating scent. The Option Five with a fresh PolSilver blade had no choice but give me an almost perfect shave. I even seem to get better at reaching the tricky bits under the nose. I still think the weight is a bit high and the balance slightly weird, but I'm getting used to it. Don't be tempted to hold the razor at the bottom of the handle and then use the weight of the razor to do the work. That would be way too much pressure. At least for me.
I tried the trick to drop the cap with the blade in upside down and then press on one tab of the blade to lift the other one. That works fine, but it's not how I normally do things. I'll get used to it.
A word on the Faena Mastic ASL... it smells nice, but I can't detect any alcohol in it. I like a good sting at the end of a shave. Maybe I'll mix some of it with the unscented Tüff Sensitiv ASL for extra oomph. My skin feels nice and soft though.
I think I'll have one more shave with this razor before passing it on to @p.b (I still have your address if you haven't moved) and then I'll deliver my final verdict.
To be continued....
 
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