Henson Ti +++ Razor – I am a fan!

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One line summary: A very efficient, yet mild feeling razor

Was jonesing for a nice Ti razor and came across a comment from an avid enthusiast which
likened the Henson to "a cross between Blackbird and Timeless".

Picked the +++ head which Henson calls "aggressive"...the full razor arrived in flawless
condition from Maggard. The stock handle is actually very nice and grippy but I was blown away
by the pairing of the Timeless Crown Ti handle with this head...very elegant, a modern classic.

Spectacular shave with not one iota of irritation or any nicks whatsoever. I had a very unsightly
4-day growth of coarse beard and this device scythed through it with consummate smoothness.
The angle is to simply rest the slope of the head on your skin and go. If you overcompensate,
it will just result in the head sliding harmlessly over skin. I can see why this design was picked
to appeal to cartridge users...it's very intuitive and risk-free.

Caveat: if you do not appreciate the phenomenon of stiction (some call it "drag", which I feel is
not accurate for me), you will find this razor odd and perhaps not like it. I don't mind it at all...in
fact, the stiction is what informs me that it is cutting well.

In terms of efficiency I find this a relatively mild-feeling razor that delivers a high level of efficiency.
This mild face-feel may well be due to the Ti factor. I am about 18 hours out and am just beginning to
feel the faintest of stubble emerging. This could easily be a daily razor for those who have very fast
regrowth...for an alternate day shaver, ideal.

Wanted to address the comment about cross between blackbird and Timeless. I can see where the reference
to Blackbird comes from. The flat and sloping top cap reminds me of the BB and also the Sailor...the baseplate
looks pretty unique to me. Top marks to the Henson team for making this. Definitely a keeper for me...in fact,
I might consider emailing them to see if I can get just a "medium" head.
 
That setup looks fantastic.
A v2 head from the looks of it and I'm assuming it's aluminium? (like the new gunmetal v2 +++ I bought a few weeks ago). Or have Henson released a Ti aggressive V2 (as they did a limited edition v1 in the past)?

In any event, I must try pairing mine with a heavier handle. I can't stretch to a Ti handle but have a very nice Executive Shaving SS Super Grip which should do the job.

Like you I also noticed a bit of drag. I'd put that down to me not prepping correctly. However, with a very light hand this ended up not being an issue - other than having to get used to it.
Now that you've identified a known phenomena of "striction" I feel even better about using the Henson!
Are there any techniques to mitigate striction or does one just live with it? :unsure:

You didn't mention which blades you were using. I've basically stuck with Personnas and dabbled with Feathers Both of them spot on and producing an "all day" shave - something I've not experienced with other DE's to date (YMMV yada yada yada).

PS: I must be getting old. I had to Google jonesing ;)
 
Johnny Beeblebrox said:
That setup looks fantastic.
A v2 head from the looks of it and I'm assuming it's aluminium? (like the new gunmetal v2 +++ I bought a few weeks ago). Or have Henson released a Ti aggressive V2 (as they did a limited edition v1 in the past)?

In any event, I must try pairing mine with a heavier handle. I can't stretch to a Ti handle but have a very nice Executive Shaving SS Super Grip which should do the job.

Like you I also noticed a bit of drag. I'd put that down to me not prepping correctly. However, with a very light hand this ended up not being an issue - other than having to get used to it.
Now that you've identified a known phenomena of "striction" I feel even better about using the Henson!
Are there any techniques to mitigate striction or does one just live with it? :unsure:

You didn't mention which blades you were using. I've basically stuck with Personnas and dabbled with Feathers Both of them spot on and producing an "all day" shave - something I've not experienced with other DE's to date (YMMV yada yada yada).

PS: I must be getting old. I had to Google jonesing ;)
Click to expand...

This is the latest iteration of the Henson Ti Aggressive version...nothing remotely aggressive though.
Only available at a couple of online outlets used mostly by pro shavers. Henson doesn't want to popularise it among
newly minted DE users just yet.
Stiction is just "static friction" and it's the resistance that needs to be overcome to get one static surface moving over another.
It's the head geometry that creates this and I doubt it can be removed entirely. A thinner, slicker lather helps.
I have experienced it with the Blackbird as well. It is not a bug but a feature.
Another user got his Henson Aggressive polished and claimed the stiction had gone...that's possible but polishing removes
metal and removing metal can affect head geometry so I will leave mine as is.

I used a vintage Platinum Plus blade from the 70s and it delivered a magnificent shave....I feel a good razor should NOT be dependent
on a particular blade... it should work great with any well made blade.
 
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