A big shave this morning. I went with a soap I like a lot, and one of my favorite brushes—like wearing your good suit to the Big Meeting, in a way. Excellent lather applied after showering and then washing my face with the Jlocke98 mix.
The DLC Weber (on a UFO handle) in the foreground I used just to compare the DLC coatings, Weber v. iKon. The iKon DLC coating is definitely shinier, as though it had been polished, and it seemed slicker, though it was hard to tell. I didn’t want to shave much with the Weber because the main comparison is between the two iKons. But my impression is that the iKon DLC is a tad bit smoother on the face.
Now, comparing the two iKons. I was asked to check the blade seating/play. Truthfully, this has never been an issue for me with this razor: I plop the blade onto the cap, add the baseplate, and tighten the handle. Generally I don’t even look at the result, just start shaving. I tried but did not see much blade play (once the blade was pushed down over the center post and alignment studs) in either razor. Once after tightening the uncoated head I thought the blade was a little askew, so I rotated the cap 180º and it still seemed a little off, so I forgot about.
In any event, both razors shaved extremely well. In terms of performance and comfort, they are closely matched. The DLC head may glide a bit more easily, but it’s scarcely a blind test and I was expecting that, so it may be a placebo effect. Both razors shaved effortlessly, comfortably, and sans nicks.
The longer “special edition” handle is quite comfortable: the additional length was no problem, and it felt fine in the hand. The razor seems well balanced with it, possibly a bit more agile than the stock handle (because the head seems lighter in proportion). The knob works well, and overall I like the handle more than I expected: it feels good in the hand.
Three passes, Personna Lab Blue blades, no nicks, BBS result. A good splash of Fine’s Clean Vetiver, and the day at last begins.
Filed under: Shaving
