Impressed or disappointed …

[Dickie]

What has impressed or disappointed compared to your expectations?

For example …

Impressed - Lea Professional - Cheap as chips, but great
Tiger Superior - Good performance and super Cheap
Proraso Splash - Excellent and not expensive
Lea Classic- Awesome cream, not expensive

Disappointed - Dovo Merkur Blades - Expensive and average/sub par
TOBS Cream - Thought this would better than I found it to be
Astra Green - Didn’t suit me at all

With a lot of hype around, it would be good to help people avoid expensive or wasteful mistakes

 

[De 2]

Just two


Dorco blades, great sharp blades and if you keep an Amazon they can be cheap by the 100

Vulfix best badger brush, floppy and just plain nasty

But as always one mans Harry Ramsdens best haddock is another mans poisson.

 

[hotmetal]

Impressed: Wickham Gothic Revival soap. Performance and scent top notch. Same for the thick balm.

Disappointed: matching splash. Not to the same standard, the raw grain spirit smell of the alcohol is like when all the booze companies started making hand sanitiser, and it overpowers the scent.

 

[TobyC]

Impressed;
Arko shave soap, puck or stick, or vintage Williams Mug soap.
Pretty much any vintage brass razor, DE or SE, especially pre-WW2.
Any good quality, not overly processed, boar knot, with a proper vintage handle.
Pinaud Clubman Original, Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal, Skin Bracer Original.


Disappointed:
Anything expensive, anything with too many useless bells and whistles, anything made of "exotic" or trendy metals, anything plastic, most modern things.

 

[Rohleder]

Memorable fails: Merkur Futur, Razorock Gamechanger, Simpsons brushes (in general) and all US/UK artisan software.

Memorable wins: Fatip razors, Plisson synths, Omega boars, cheap soaps such as Arko/Derby/Speick/Tabac & Proraso aftershaves.

 

[Boycie83]

Impressed;
Arko shave soap, puck or stick, or vintage Williams Mug soap.
Pretty much any vintage brass razor, DE or SE, especially pre-WW2.
Any good quality, not overly processed, boar knot, with a proper vintage handle.
Pinaud Clubman Original, Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal, Skin Bracer Original.


Disappointed:
Anything expensive, anything with too many useless bells and whistles, anything made of "exotic" or trendy metals, anything plastic, most modern things.

I'm going to challenge your disappointments. In this context, it's to do with something you've tried and had high hopes for but subsequently didn't live up to those expectations. What are the modern razors you disliked? Not a problem if you've not tried any but they wouldn't then be disappointments. If that's the case, which vintage razor hasn't lived up to your expectations?

 

[LeeMaz]

Impressed;
Tabac soap and cologne I love it and the smell!
Basic Alum cube
HWF for price, ease of use, quality and post shave feel.
Barts Balms always soothe me after any shave good or bad.


Disappointed:
My 2 Fatboy’s, both excellent condition, one fully restored, just didn’t/couldn’t get as smooth a shave as I could from my more modern razors or indeed compared to my Tech.

 

[Boycie83]

Impressed:

Palmolive Cream
Signature Soaps (Brian's first samples)

Disappointed:

Blackland Vector
Gillette New LC
Arianna and Evans Soaps

Edit: How could I forget the disappointment that are A&E soaps?

 

[LeeMaz]

Impressed:

Palmolive Cream
Signature Soaps (Brian's first samples)

Disappointed:

Blackland Vector
Gillette New LC
Arianna and Evans Soaps

Edit: How could I forget the disappointment that are A&E soaps?

Forgot Signature Soaps everything I’ve tried has been a delight!
I love most A&E but now slightly worried about saving for the Vector. What didn’t you like?

 

[Boycie83]

Forgot Signature Soaps everything I’ve tried has been a delight!
I love most A&E but now slightly worried about saving for the Vector. What didn’t you like?

It's a beautiful looking razor Lee and it feels great in the hand. I really wanted to love it. I found the shave rough and eventual sold it to a top chap here. I personally prefer the Colonial Generals, ATT X1 and RazoRock Hawk V3 to the Vector.

 

[LeeMaz]

It's a beautiful looking razor Lee and it feels great in the hand. I really wanted to love it. I found the shave rough and eventual sold it to a top chap here. I personally prefer the Colonial Generals, ATT X1 and RazoRock Hawk V3 to the Vector.

Hmm that’s not good, I found the Blackbird blade forward and not as smooth as others I’ve owned. I love my Hawk, Excalibur and am now beginning to think Claymore or Colonial General.

 

[donnie_arko]

Impressed;
Arko shave soap, puck or stick, or vintage Williams Mug soap.
Pretty much any vintage brass razor, DE or SE, especially pre-WW2.
Any good quality, not overly processed, boar knot, with a proper vintage handle.
Pinaud Clubman Original, Pinaud Clubman Lilac Vegetal, Skin Bracer Original.


Disappointed:
Anything expensive, anything with too many useless bells and whistles, anything made of "exotic" or trendy metals, anything plastic, most modern things.

I've tried a few 'boutique' shaving soaps, and the majority have made my face burn, as did using a badger brush.

I've used a number of MIC razors, near enough every single one has been a disappointment. MIC brushes are great, but the razors I'm less impressed with.

So, my impressed list is actually most other things, but if I had to pick one thing, I'd nominate most Omega boar brushes. I've used many over the years, and some of the cheapest Omega boars, they might have cheap light plastic handles but will have a knot which is as good as anything.

 

[Boycie83]

Hmm that’s not good, I found the Blackbird blade forward and not as smooth as others I’ve owned. I love my Hawk, Excalibur and am now beginning to think Claymore or Colonial General.

The Generals are quite hard to get hold of. I can highly recommend the Claymore Evolution - it's a great razor at a good price.

There are a load of people who enjoy the Vector Lee so don't let me put you off it completely.

 

[LeeMaz]

The Generals are quite hard to get hold of. I can highly recommend the Claymore Evolution - it's a great razor at a good price.

There are a load of people who enjoy the Vector Lee so don't let me put you off it completely.

Don’t worry it hasn’t but the Claymore as you say is cheaper and easier to get hold of so might be a good interim.
Oh and on my biggest disappointment, I can’t believe I forgot the Hone 15s. Th first full price, higher end razor and it’s draggy and not a patch on the original, and those of us that dived in are still waiting for a fix. Can’t decide whether it’s worth the hassle for the half fix on offer, (self polish when instructions finally are released), get it polished or plated or move on and cut my loses.

 

[Satanfriendly]

Unimpressed

Feather razors - Far too mild
Ikon Tech - Scary
Ikon SE - Far too aggressive. A big Tech
Most ATT razors - rough as buggery to me. Except the SE slant which is very impressive
Yaqi Moka brush - Strips of sandpaper on a handle
Acqua di Genova soap - The unsoapable soap

Slightly unimpressed

Claymore. I enjoy the shave but there is something slightly crude and rough about it. Was expecting a lot better after the initial hype

Impressed

Tatara Nodachi - Heaven on a handle
Ikon B1 - Finest razor on the planet?
Polsilver Lodz blades - Best of the best to me
Stainless Mongoose - A revelation after the alugoose which was dreadful
Most Signature Soaps - Except the minty ones. I prefer the older home brewed labels
Abbate Y Mantia Krokos soap - Best of the best Soaps?
Most Cashmere brushes - could easily be the 'one Knot for life'

Vastly overlooked

Occams Enoch - Crap blade loading but superb results. Very accurate for an AC SE. The modern Cobra

 

[Scorpio93]

Unimpressed

Feather razors - Far too mild
Ikon Tech - Scary
Ikon SE - Far too aggressive. A big Tech
Most ATT razors - rough as buggery to me. Except the SE slant which is very impressive
Yaqi Moka brush - Strips of sandpaper on a handle
Acqua di Genova soap - The unsoapable soap

Slightly unimpressed

Claymore. I enjoy the shave but there is something slightly crude and rough about it. Was expecting a lot better after the initial hype

Impressed

Tatara Nodachi - Heaven on a handle
Ikon B1 - Finest razor on the planet?
Polsilver Lodz blades - Best of the best to me
Stainless Mongoose - A revelation after the alugoose which was dreadful
Most Signature Soaps - Except the minty ones. I prefer the older home brewed labels
Abbate Y Mantia Krokos soap - Best of the best Soaps?
Most Cashmere brushes - could easily be the 'one Knot for life'

Vastly overlooked

Occams Enoch - Crap blade loading but superb results. Very accurate for an AC SE. The modern Cobra

gotta agree with a lot of this Chris... after all quite a few of my purchases were inspired by you... (AYLM Krokos, mongoose, nodachi...) But I disagree with ikon SE - it is an absolutely amazing shaver!