Blackland Sabre.

Ferrum said:

First run out with my Sabre, and yet another favourite makes my list.

Using one of the 3 blades supplied with the razor, P&B Sanskrit lathered in my nice new Giles Shaving bowl and a long-handle Zenith synth, I went for a two-pass shave, with first-class results.

The razor is perfectly balanced for me, and the 85mm handle is the length and girth that I like. At 111g, the weight overall is substantial but not excessive, and in particular, the head at 33g isn't top-heavy. With a solid safety bar, and .6mm gap, Blackland rates aggression at 5/10. However, it's one of those razors where any feeling of "aggression" is absent, and it just does the job. I couldn't detect a lot of "blade-feel", but, as with almost all razors using a Gem blade, the blade itself produces quite a lot of aural feedback. I like that.

The angle (each to his own) was quick and easy to find. With some SE Gem razors, I occasionally feel that if I get it wrong, especially on the point of my chin, then it will perhaps bite me. There's no suggestion of that with the Sabre.

The machining quality and precision is flawless. There are light horizontal marks on the head, which won't be there on a polished model, and the interior has the usual linear and concentric marks around the locating pins, holes and centre post. Blackland explicitly describe this on the website. Personally, none of that bothers me in the least, and I like to see evidence of fine machining anyway.

Blade loading is uncomplicated, and it is held firmly and precisely with the two locating pins in the blade cutouts either side. The central blade hole fits closely over the post. As the post is rectangular, and threaded on two sides (i.e. not round), it is necessary to pay some attention to locating the handle properly before screwing it on, so as to avoid cross-threading. This isn't a big deal, and anyone who can't do it probably shouldn't be handling sharp objects anyway. A nice Blackland touch (akin to the socketed handle on the Blackbird) is that the handle side of the baseplate, which could, I think, be plain flat, is machined to a central flattened pyramid profile. Other M5 threaded handles can be used, but the one it comes with is, for me, as good as it gets.

All in all, it's a superb razor.

There has been some discussion about how the Sabre compares to the Rocnel SE-G. To my way of thinking, they are two very different razors that share a common blade, and each has its own qualities. Setting aside obvious stuff like blade loading, OC versus SB, colour finish and handle length, the most evident difference is in the angle of the head relative to the handle. The Sabre angle is closer to, for example, a Natural Angle, and is about 80 degrees (according to my ancient Helix protractor). The SE-G is a smaller angle, at about 75 degrees i.e. the head bends back more sharply.

A great deal of how these Gem-type razors perform depends on the angle at which they're used, and the difference between the two makes the difference in how they may perform for individuals. I now have both these razors, and whilst each shaves very well, I personally don't think it's very profitable to attempt a direct comparison, as each is unique.

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Kypros Christodoulides said:

Thank you Ferrum for a very thorough and informative review. I especially appreciate your comparison comments between the SE-G and the Sabre.
I now understand they shave very differently, but if you were to choose one over the other, which one would it be? Or in other words, now that you have experienced both, would you still buy them both fo their own individual virtues?

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Blademonkey said:

I've just picked mine up from the local postal depot after paying my dues. I can not really add anything to what @Ferrum has already said about it, because he described it so well, all I will say is I'm very happy indeed. Guess what I will be shaving with tomorrow! I'm sure I will have more to say once I've had a few shaves with it.

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Blackmass said:

Look forward to your report Paul. Any chance you could tag me?

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culcreuch said:

It seems to be apparent that is the razor for me...even at this early stage after its release. I just hope someone in the UK or the rest of the EU takes it on board as I don't want the extra charges to bring it from the US.

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Ferrum said:

It's a very good razor.

It would be good to be able to buy it in the EU or UK, but there will still be extra charges.

I bought mine for $185 (about £145) plus $20 shipping to the UK, so the shipping cost was about £15. However, when it hit the UK, I had to pay an additional £45.64. That was £37.64 in VAT and duty, and the £8 Royal Mail fee. Whether from the UK or EU, there will be a VAT charge added at 20%, so there's no way out of that. The importer will have to pay a shipping cost from the USA, which will be passed on, but would probably charge less, or nothing, for the local shipping, and you'd lose the RM £8. As each razor will exceed the dutiable value of £135 ($185 is today about £143), then there will be 2.7% duty.

It's often the case that something from the USA, when sold here, will work out in sterling what it is in dollars at least ie. it seems to be 1=1.

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culcreuch said:

Thanks for the breakdown of costs. It is academic at the moment as none are available, and I have been stocking up on vintage razors. I really want a modern razor and this one seems perfect. I have signed up for a mail alert so I will have time to think about it and be able to act quickly when it reappears.

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Jpshaver said:

Mine arrived today....big hit on customs fees but on first impressions, very nice and excellent finish

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