Exclusive: A hands-on, first look at the Blackland Blackbird razor

ShaneS said:
...I'm getting a full razor tomorrow, but I won't be showing it because the finish is really rough...
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I wonder how many machining marks will be left on the razor if they consider that a "rough" finish? What finishing steps do they have planned for the full production run?
DamianJ said:
I think I misunderstood and thought it was being plated, sorry...
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ShaneS said:
...The best thing about stainless is that it doesn't need a plating to be durable and attractive...
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Feather chrome plates their stainless razor. It's one of the reasons you never read about rust marks on their razors. It's also the reason it is considered to have the best/smoothest finish of all the stainless razors on the market.

Most people don't realize the razor is plated. I don't consider it a plus or minus for the razor, just an interesting observation.

iKon also plates their razors. Both the Feather and iKon razors are not machined, but made of sintered stainless steel. Just another interesting observation.
 
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PLANofMAN said:
I wonder how many machining marks will be left on the razor if they consider that a "rough" finish? What finishing steps do they have planned for the full production run?


Feather chrome plates their stainless razor. It's one of the reasons you never read about rust marks on their razors. It's also the reason it is considered to have the best/smoothest finish of all the stainless razors on the market.

Most people don't realize the razor is plated. I don't consider it a plus or minus for the razor, just an interesting observation.

iKon also plates their razors. Both the Feather and iKon razors are not machined, but made of sintered stainless steel. Just another interesting observation.
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Right. It can definitely be plated with great results, but it doesn't need to be to resist corrosion unlike other metals. Plating has its place, but I also think there is something romantic about a pure chunk of solid steel. Unplated machined steel also provides an industrial look that I really enjoy. Some plating ideas are on my list of potential future concepts, however.
 
A nice PVD coating wouldn't be amiss. I hate to think what that would add to the cost of the razor though.
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Personally, I can't see that there's much point in plating stainless with chrome, or even gold. It's just one more thing that's going to wear, and not especially well, to my view.
On the other hand, the black finish on the Blackland is the sort that looks good as it wears (eventually). It will make the razor look a well-used and favourite object, like fine woodworking tools or a good watch.
PVD would also look good and wear well, although I think I'd draw the line at pink or cerise for a man's razor.
 
The cool thing about black oxide is that it can be chemically removed without damaging the metal. It can also be redone without removing the old black oxide first. That is, if you don't like the way it's wearing you can remove it or black oxide over the old black oxide to restore the finish. And it's pretty cheap to have done. Coatings like PVD or DLC require physically stripping the coating with bead blasting or something similar which damages the metal below. Of course you can reasonably expect one of those coatings to last decades on a razor so it's not a huge deal. The color is also truer than black oxide.

Every finish is a compromise between appearance, cost, longevity, and versatility.
 
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Bechet said:
No compromise! Not on the one I'm going to 'adjust', anyway!
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It's going to be awesome to see what you come up with! I think it's great when people take razors and customize them. I definitely encourage making them your own and I hope to see a lot of cool custom jobs.
 
Enough, already! I just want mine, as ordered, in my sticky little fingers.
I know little about PVD on razors, but experience of it on other articles suggests that, as with many things, quality and durability can be extremely variable.
 
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