These are my impressions of the Razorock stealth slant. (The RRSS is sometimes available
here at Italian Barber or at BSTs). I greatly thank
@Lifes a Peach for his generosity in lending me his razor.
I also want to say that I will be very honest about my thoughts of this razor. My thoughts may not match other people's thoughts, so take that into account. I have wanted and tried to buy this razor since just after its first release. So I've been following its development and the reviews for a long time (almost a year). That means, I'm going into this review
favourably inclined towards this razor. I liked it before I held it and used it. Please keep that in mind.
I also did not go back and re-read all the reviews listed above in this thread or others posted elsewhere. This review is my personal thoughts and opinions as I used the RRSS over two weeks. So it is interesting to go back just now as I post this, and read all the reviews and comments. I would say that I am echoing (sometimes amplifying) what other people have already experienced and acknowledged.
Razorock Stealth Slant Version 3 Aluminium
Appearance and Feel
For me personally, I do not like the aesthetic design of the handle; it is not very pleasant to look at. It looks better in the photos. IMO it comes across as being designed to be functional first and foremost. The horizontal "ring" grooves are very grippy, but it doesn't feel nice to hold with the fingers. It feels a little rough or edgy to the touch. It's not a pleasurable tactile experience. So the handle is safe in the finger tips, but isn't as enjoyable to hold as most razor handles.
The top cap of the razor (as it sits on the base plate) is approx a millimetre short on either side. It looks poorly made and is not nice look for an US$80 razor. The whole head looks chunky. (I don't know why some of the bulk could have been trimmed; I know that some of the revisions have been to the head.)
The balance is neutral. It's very light, and
feels light. The Standard razor (also aluminium) is about the same weight. But since the RRSS appears chunky, you expect it to be heavier than what it is. So
comparatively it feels lighter than The Standard. It's a strange feeling as you hold it. I feel that the Standard is a better balanced aluminium razor.
In contrast to the design of the
Standard Razor which is aesthetically and functionally pleasing, the RRSS lacks. (It is the proverbial PC to the Apple.)
The shave
It feels light like a cartridge razor, and it behaves like a cartridge razor in the shave.
The blade gap is very small. So even though it's a slant razor with a twisted blade, it makes for a very comfortable shave. As a slant, it's efficient at cutting the hair; but only when it
does cut the hair. It is a comfortable shaver; but IMO too comfortable (as you will read below).
It has a very narrow cutting angle. If you hold the handle too close or too high to the skin, then the razor passes over your hair and simply leaves trails of lather. You have to maintain a very tight angle (within 8-15 degrees I estimate) in order to cut the hair (and remove the lather).
This means that if you draw the razor over your skin and you have the angle incorrect, the razor simply smooths the lather. This encourages you to return over the same spot until you achieve the correct angle and "wipe" the lather off. So you may go over a section several times.
Further, because it is comfortable to shave with (you don't feel like cutting yourself), it means you are more inclined to repeatedly shave the same area (or apply more pressure). This is exactly how you would shave with a cartridge razor. In addition, because of the narrow blade gap, it means it clogs up (like a cartridge razor).
I repeat what other say: due to the bulky head, it doesn't shave well under my nose.
When I shaved a two day growth, it was a generous 3 passes to smoothness. And post-shave I can still feel a few areas that it missed.
My honest thoughts
I wouldn't pay more than US$50 for this. (In fact, I notice that Italian Barber is now selling the
"Baby Smooth". It is a US$45 aluminium razor that has the same handle as the RRSS but a different head. So I feel paying US$50 for the RRSS is entirely appropriate and justifiable price wise.) For the asking price of US$75-80 I would want a better designed (The Standard) or more solid razor (stainless steel Weber PH) for my money.
I am disappointed by the business model of this razor's release. Even now, almost a year after it's release, it is only a "prototype" and is only released in batches. That's just crazy. For me, I see it as a marketing strategy that peeves off the customer rather than promotes wet shaving.
I would redesign the head and handle aesthetically and not copy directly the old Bakelite slant it replicates. Keep the slant design, but make it fit the material and the modern era of razor technology.
I would also increase the blade gap thereby increasing the cutting angle and make the user slow down their repeating shave strokes. (
Speaking out loud... I wonder if this is what has been done with the new IB razor? My guess is yes.)
As it is, it makes for a lazy shave. You would reach for this if you wanted a quick, no brain involved shave. For me, it's not a pleasurable shave, but a functional shave. The aesthetics and behaviour of this razor do not give me a love of wet shaving like so many other razors do. It reminds me strongly of a cartridge razor; too light, too comfortable, too tame.
My Conclusion
I said it'd be no-holds-barred review and it was. I feel the RRSS disappointed me. Perhaps I had too much expectation riding on this razor. (But the expectation was only increased by the limited-release-in-batches business model!) As others have said before: the hype generated didn't match the performance.
Of course, if you wanted to make it work you could. Spending time getting the technique down pat would result in better and better shaves. But it's not a natural DE razor as it has a few quirks you need to work through.
That all said, I feel that this razor would suit someone moving from cartridges to safety razors. Or wanted a light travel razor. Or wanted a quick shave in a rush. The disclaimer is that these "someones" would have to wait until it is available and fork over close to $100 Aussie dollars when they could simply purchase another suitable razor for half the price.
Edits: Minor typos