Test shave to compare RazoRock Baby Smooth and the Standard
Sort of hard to see the razors, but that’s the Standard in front (with a UFO handle) and the RazoRock Baby Smooth in the back.
First the lather. This tub of Truefitt and Hill long antedates their outsourcing and any reformulation and it creates a terrifically good lather with a very traditional lavender fragrance. The Vie-Long horsehair brush is a lather beast.
I used both razors in each pass, shaving some with one and some with the other. So far as I can tell, they are very close. Both are very comfortable, and both are very efficient. The RazoRock might shave a tad easier, but it’s quite close (for me).
Here is a close-up of the heads:
As you can see, the RazoRock on the left curves the blade substantially more than the Standard on the right. The Standard also has a large blade gap compare to the RazoRock, but the blade’s edge is inside the protective envelope formed by cap and guard—thus the equivalent feel of comfort, I imagine.
Considering that the Baby Smooth costs just a little more than half of the Standard, it’s a relative bargain: $45 for Baby Smooth, $80 for Standard.
A good splash of Lilac Vegetal and I get a very late start…
Nice review. I have the Baby Smooth and it shaves really nice, except I prefer a heavier razor, like my Merkur 34c.
Geoff
21 March 2015 at 7:45 pm
You can use the head on a heavier handle, which will solve that problem. You probably noticed that I used a (95g) UFO aluminum bronze handle instead of the original 31g handle.
Obviously, you cannot do that kind of swap with the 34C, a two-piece razor. The two-piece format has, IMO, some serious drawbacks.
LeisureGuy
21 March 2015 at 7:52 pm
Geoff: I’ll be happy to buy your used Baby Smooth if you want to sell it. Just let me know.
Dr. Robert Levine
22 March 2015 at 6:36 am
It took me a few shaves to get the RRBS “just right” – man, it was aggressive the first few times out. Very efficient and comfortable, but I was getting a bit of burn in the end, even with no pressure. I dialed down the pressure even more, went with a slightly milder blade, and it really does the trick.
I own the Standard as well – similar outcome, only I didn’t experience that initial “burn” and found I acclimated to it instantly. Different blade alignment/curve/exposure, but it is amazing how similar the overall experience is to the RRBS. Light, efficient, comfortable.
toddster64
23 March 2015 at 3:15 pm