Domain Change - We have moved to https://paste-and-cut.com as our new domain.
If you are using shortcuts or bookmarks for the old paste-and-cut.com.au domain, you need to update these or they will cease working from the 25th January, 2025. Please check the notice post for more details on this change to the forum.
I hadn't heard about it being discontinued so soon, I guess sales of such a (comparatively) expensive razor might be slow...
Thank goodness I didn't get the titanium, because, I knew the razor would be too light, glad I got the stainless steel and the weight is bloody perfect for level 2 & 3 shaves. If, you think about it when having a titanium razor, some shaves can cause your shaves skipping without any extra weight to prevent from skipping.(Wolfman) Guerrilla Ti 0.69mm OC (Canada)
There have been many less than flattering comments about the handle of the original Guerrilla over the last eight years of manufacture regarding its lack of grip and the aesthetics of having a straight shaft with no machining other than three narrow grooves at each end. Personally, I thought the handle suited the intended purpose, I have never had a grip issue and quite liked its presentation but that did not stop me from ordering this razor with the alternate Rebel handle. With a titanium Guerrilla on offer, its selection was never in doubt, in fact this razor would never have materialized had it not been titanium. Having previously been blown away by the performance of the 0.69mm plate, selection for the blade gap was simple; might as well try an open comb though. Also offered was a second plate so I grabbed a 0.84mm SB plate and that will be the review for next week. All the usual Guerrilla features are present including no excess material in the cap or the plate, blade clamping at the very edge, round blade posts on the cap that mate into blind holes in the plate, Guerrilla’s ever commendable thread engagement and the standard satin finish. Another feature I’d like to commend Guerrilla on is that each plate now has the blade gap engraved at the rear.
First shave completed and I’m caught off guard, so I scuttle out for my glasses to check that the plate really does have 0.69 engraved on it and my records of the SB 0.69; the Ti’s aggression was far more than I was expecting. Efficiency for the 0.69 plated OC Guerrilla was in excess of Karve CB Level #D and it had blade feel by the truck load; back to the old days of the OC version of a razor being more aggressive that the SB plated version. My approach to subsequent shaves was a lot more cautious. A close shave was never in doubt and some weepers on can testify to that; nothing major, just those small patches that close almost immediately. The teeth on the comb can be felt but they are rounded and smooth, so they just glide over the face and become a non-event after the first couple of shaves. Lately I’ve become critical of razor balance, especially on titanium razors, so it is pleasing to report that the Guerrilla’s balance is very good. It displays all the qualities of a top shelf razor, I have been a fan of the Guerrilla since its first inception and now with the blade posts relocated to the cap, a choice of efficiency levels and four different metals to choose from, I can’t speak highly enough of the Guerrilla. I appreciated my time with the 0.69mm OC plated Guerrilla but it demands respect.
Blades Used – Wizamet Polsilver and Royal II
Material – Gr5 Titanium
Weight – 55.9g
Blade Tab - Exposed
Head Width – 41.69mm
Handle Length – 89.98mm
Handle Diameter – 12.83mm
Availability – Guerrilla Razors
Final Word – SB Please
I have been scouring the boards and online ever since I got my Ti Diamondback for a stainless one... no joy. I keep looking at the rack - Ti, Cu, Salient and I keep looking fo SS and the ever elusive SE. I agree with your sentiment.SHIT!!!
I like to shave with GEMs. I have both the V1 and the V2 in stainless. I find V2 #2 perfect for everyday use, and #3 for cleaning up after using a straight (I am still learning, and I have a couple of spots with a cyclonic growth pattern and constrained access) when I am doing one for my wife. I now have the V2 on the counter loaded with #3 for touch-up work and the V1 (mild plate) in my regular rotation. It shaves like a #2. If someone had to have only one GEM, the V2 should probably be it.Blackland Sabre II Ti - #3 (USA)
Blackland’s email advising that their Sabre II was to be discontinued took me by surprise. The November Black Friday sales were still a way off and I’d been holding out to get one at a discounted price, caught out by my own frugality. By that time there would be none available, only one thing to do, lay down my hard earned and get one before they disappeared. Stainless steel? Titanium? both versions were available but being a titanium devotee, the selection of material was straight forward. I’ve been caught out previously by the less than desirable machined finishes on Blackland products, so the polished version was selected. What a stunning polished finish Blackland has presented on the Sabre II, every side of each piece has been meticulously done. Well, that is not quite true; the forward grip on the handle retains a machined finish, providing both contrast and positive grip. Highlighting the whole Sabre II package is that efficiency can be swapped by flipping over a removable safety bar section at the leading edge of the plate. Two bar sections are provided, thus giving the purchaser four different efficiency levels to choose from. For this review I have selected the #3 bar section, so I’ll see how that goes before trying to determine my next level to try or even if I need another selection. Taking its que from the original Sabre, the sides of the handle post have been machined off to permit it to protrude through the hole in the centre of the GEM blade to give the Sabre II a small head profile. With the desired bar section and blade fitted, the head is clamped down in a flat package.
My selection of the #3 bar section was based on personal preference for efficiency just above mid-range, the #3 bar section fitted that criteria in theory. However, it did not take long to discover that I had chosen too high an efficiency level with the #3 bar section; efficiency was slightly on the high side Karve CB level #D which was not a problem in itself, but the abundance of positive blade feel was less than welcome. Naturally sharp GEM blades do a fantastic job of mowing down stubble but the Sabre II with its #3 bar section fitted was leaving behind patches of weepers. Less downward pressure reduced the number of weepers but that required concentration all the way, not my idea of a comfortable shave. Of course, the shave was close, but I have had many better shaves, time to go down a notch and give the #2 bar section a whirl; with the Sabre II already out of its packaging - next week.
Blades Used – Personna
Material – Titanium
Weight – 45.5g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 39.85mm
Handle Length – 88.08mm
Handle Diameter – 12.48mm
Availability – Out of Production (Temporarily)
Final Word – Bloody horrible
We could probably have a hundred reviews of modern GEM razors, and we would probably end up with a hundred different impressions. @Errol has given us a less than glowing review of the Sabre V1 L2, and now likewise for the V2 L3. For a while I had wondered if he just didn't get along with that blade format, but his impressions of the Vestige, and to an extent the WR3 belied that. (Page 88 of this thread: I can't see it in the index, which is mostly out of date now.)
