Pbgoose
Active Member
Yes, the Vestige is very good. Next on my shopping list which is dormant at the moment.
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Weekly Razor Review
- Thread starter Errol
- Start date
Vittoria
Member
Firstly great review mate I enjoyed the read it brought a smile to my face and reminded me just how many design and name ripoffs there are out there.Kampfe KaiTian Ultra Light (China).
Your head would never stop spinning if you tried to keep up with every new razor release from China, the online retailers are brimming full of them. I was checking to see if one of the more reliable suppliers on AliExpress had any new product releases when I stumbled onto this, the Kampfe KaiTian Ultra Light razor. Borrowing a recognised manufacturers design has never bothered any Chinese company, but why stop at pirating their design, might as well steal a name from the past as well, let’s call it a Kampfe. At least this Kampfe is a double edged design, but they appear to be materialising in plague proportions so it is inevitable that a single edged razor will eventuate; ah shit, they already have.
Being titanium was only part of what drew me to the KaiTian Ultra Light, its head design looked very familiar and appeared that it might work, after all, the head design has Blutt written all over it. There was no information available on performance, but the blade gaps on offer were familiar so I selected the 1.2mm option over the alternate 0.9mm, time will tell. That long neck on the handle is reminiscent (reminiscent – bull shit, it is a dead set copy) of the one fitted to Blackland’s Vector SE razor, it will be interesting to see if a thin, long necked handle can successfully be utilized on a double edge razor, I’d not seen that done before. Being a copy of the Swiss designed Blutt, the head has all the usual Blutt features; wide flats positioned at the outer extremities of the cap for blade clamping, elongated blade posts on the cap mating to blind holes in the plate all in an ultra-thin profile. Where Kampfe have really excelled is in the polishing department, beautiful deep lustre with not a sign of a machine mark, all complimented by the underside of the cap and the top of the plate being bead blasted.
It was half way through the first pass before it dawned on me that I was using a pencil thin handle that I’d previously only used on the machine downed AC bladed single edge razors, no problem, it was working a treat. Whoever done the CAD drawings for the Kampfe could not read a vernier or mixed the measurements up during the transcription; efficiency was around Karve CB Level #C and the blade feel was only just on the positive side of neutral, but by hell it was smooth. On reflection, I’m pleased I purchased the 1.20mm gap, otherwise the KaiTian would have been way too mild for me. This is not the titanium Blutt that so many of us were calling for, but it will suit those who appreciate a beautifully made and polished titanium razor delivering a smooth shave with mid-range efficiency and only a little positive blade; if this is you, go for it, but I was left wanting.
Blades Used – Gillette Rapira and Willy’s
Material – Titanium
Weight – 52.7g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.35mm
Handle Length – 90.27mm
Handle Diameter – 10.99mm
Availability – AliExpress
Final Word – Everything borrowed
One that springs to mind is the Chinese copy of the The Goodfellas' smile Syntesi (they even use the same name!) on aliexpress
It even says "Italy Precision-engineered "
apart form the small differences in the top cap and base plate its a very close copy.If you haven't seen it it's worth a look just to see how similar this ripoff is the the fine Italian original.
Cheers.
It used to be a bit breathtaking to witness the brazenness of their outright theft of artisans' designs. But now we are inured to the comprehensive theft carried out to feed so-called artificial intelligence, we are forced to helplessly shrug our shoulders.
There are NEVER any consequences. EVER.
Errol
Razor Review Guru
Reggie’s Razor Jupiter Brass (England)
An almost 100mm long handle is a bit of an oddity these days, most razors are supplied with handles in the 85/ 90mm range. There are many who prefer the longer handle so it’s pleasing to see Reggie’s Razor catering for that demand. If, however they supplied the handle at 85mm it would have easily reduced the weight of the razor to under 100g, and with a hole in the end of the handle we could have been elated at the weight of the supplied razor, but we weren’t. Two rails on the top of the plate are utilized for blade clamping. These align with the inner face of the extra wide blade clamping surfaces of the cap. One wide lather clearing groove on each side of the plate disperse the residual waste and with no relief at the back of the plate, it looks quite chunky. A quality polished finish completes the build.
What a joy to use, the solid feel of the Jupiter counteracted what is a razor that is a bit on the chubby side. I was in awe of how comfortable and steady the razor felt in my hand, it just went about its business without any fuss. Even with the long handle, maneuverability was never an issue providing a quick and pleasant shaving experience. With efficiency on the high side of Karve CB Level #C and a well thought out amount of positive blade, the shave was ever so smooth and comfortable. This is another one of those razors that I could have continued using. Such pleasing results got me thinking that a stainless steel variant would make a special addition to the collection. I know I threatened to purchase a Reggie’s Saturn (stainless steel) previously but now I’ve got to have one; I’ve ordered it and it’s in the mail.
Blades Used – Gillette Minora and Royal II
Material – CZ121 Brass
Weight – 124.6g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.01mm
Handle Length – 99.80mm
Handle Diameter – 11.94mm
Availability – Reggie’s Razors
Final Word – Give me more
An almost 100mm long handle is a bit of an oddity these days, most razors are supplied with handles in the 85/ 90mm range. There are many who prefer the longer handle so it’s pleasing to see Reggie’s Razor catering for that demand. If, however they supplied the handle at 85mm it would have easily reduced the weight of the razor to under 100g, and with a hole in the end of the handle we could have been elated at the weight of the supplied razor, but we weren’t. Two rails on the top of the plate are utilized for blade clamping. These align with the inner face of the extra wide blade clamping surfaces of the cap. One wide lather clearing groove on each side of the plate disperse the residual waste and with no relief at the back of the plate, it looks quite chunky. A quality polished finish completes the build.
What a joy to use, the solid feel of the Jupiter counteracted what is a razor that is a bit on the chubby side. I was in awe of how comfortable and steady the razor felt in my hand, it just went about its business without any fuss. Even with the long handle, maneuverability was never an issue providing a quick and pleasant shaving experience. With efficiency on the high side of Karve CB Level #C and a well thought out amount of positive blade, the shave was ever so smooth and comfortable. This is another one of those razors that I could have continued using. Such pleasing results got me thinking that a stainless steel variant would make a special addition to the collection. I know I threatened to purchase a Reggie’s Saturn (stainless steel) previously but now I’ve got to have one; I’ve ordered it and it’s in the mail.
Blades Used – Gillette Minora and Royal II
Material – CZ121 Brass
Weight – 124.6g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.01mm
Handle Length – 99.80mm
Handle Diameter – 11.94mm
Availability – Reggie’s Razors
Final Word – Give me more
Here's a clear side view of the stainless steel version, which looks very similar to RazoRock BBS style shave, maybe?Reggie’s Razor Jupiter Brass (England)
An almost 100mm long handle is a bit of an oddity these days, most razors are supplied with handles in the 85/ 90mm range. There are many who prefer the longer handle so it’s pleasing to see Reggie’s Razor catering for that demand. If, however they supplied the handle at 85mm it would have easily reduced the weight of the razor to under 100g, and with a hole in the end of the handle we could have been elated at the weight of the supplied razor, but we weren’t. Two rails on the top of the plate are utilized for blade clamping. These align with the inner face of the extra wide blade clamping surfaces of the cap. One wide lather clearing groove on each side of the plate disperse the residual waste and with no relief at the back of the plate, it looks quite chunky. A quality polished finish completes the build.
What a joy to use, the solid feel of the Jupiter counteracted what is a razor that is a bit on the chubby side. I was in awe of how comfortable and steady the razor felt in my hand, it just went about its business without any fuss. Even with the long handle, maneuverability was never an issue providing a quick and pleasant shaving experience. With efficiency on the high side of Karve CB Level #C and a well thought out amount of positive blade, the shave was ever so smooth and comfortable. This is another one of those razors that I could have continued using. Such pleasing results got me thinking that a stainless steel variant would make a special addition to the collection. I know I threatened to purchase a Reggie’s Saturn (stainless steel) previously but now I’ve got to have one; I’ve ordered it and it’s in the mail.
Blades Used – Gillette Minora and Royal II
Material – CZ121 Brass
Weight – 124.6g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.01mm
Handle Length – 99.80mm
Handle Diameter – 11.94mm
Availability – Reggie’s Razors
Final Word – Give me more
Also, here's a clear side view of the brass version FYI
Errol
Razor Review Guru
Thanks for posting the photos @SpeedyPC. I never thought there would be so much chance in the design of the plates. Will be compelled now to use the Saturn.Here's a clear side view of the stainless steel version, which looks very similar to RazoRock BBS style shave, maybe?
Also, here's a clear side view of the brass version FYI
I always double checked the head design, because, not all razors have the same head for each steel metal types.
Errol
Razor Review Guru
The Razor Company Vanguard – Plus (USA)
The Razor Company has good reason to be well proud of their Vanguard razor. As I unpack the razor I’m surprised at the quality of the polished finish; then I disassemble the head, and low and behold, the underside of the cap is polished. Sure, there are machine marks visible through the polish, but the light must be in the right direction for these machine marks to stand out. Instead of round blade posts TRC has machined diamond shaped blade posts that mate into corresponding cut outs in the plate. Engraved on the underside of the plate is the company name and on one end of the plate – PLUS, how simple is that? There is a definite Gillette influence in the style of the handle, longitudinal grooves and fine knurling. Then to rub salt into the big names razor company’s wounds, TRC have drilled out the handle and given us a fully stainless steel razor weighing in under 90g.
Until I used the Vanguard, I’d been thinking that manufacturers who had released new razors in 2025 existed only to line their pockets and showed very little interest in satisfying their customers requirement to get a decent shave for their dollar. Thank you TRC, your Vanguard is a great razor, it is not overly expensive and delivered a Karve CB Level #D efficient shave with a robust but usable amount of positive blade. Sure, I opened up the point of my chin that bleed on and off all day with my first stroke, but most of that was put down to the operator’s poor technique, just don’t let your guard down, this razor has the potential to bite. After developing a healthy respect for the Vanguard’s ability, I enjoyed smooth and comfortable shaves for the remainder of the review. TRC’s Vanguard is a razor that will suit many shavers’ requirement for a mid-efficiency razor, it is readily available without mortgaging the house to obtain one.
Blades Used – Gillette Nacet and Willy’s
Material – 316L Stainless Steel
Weight – 88.5g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.51mm
Handle Length – 89.25mm
Handle Diameter – 11.55mm
Availability – The Razor Company
Final Word – My kind of razor
The Razor Company has good reason to be well proud of their Vanguard razor. As I unpack the razor I’m surprised at the quality of the polished finish; then I disassemble the head, and low and behold, the underside of the cap is polished. Sure, there are machine marks visible through the polish, but the light must be in the right direction for these machine marks to stand out. Instead of round blade posts TRC has machined diamond shaped blade posts that mate into corresponding cut outs in the plate. Engraved on the underside of the plate is the company name and on one end of the plate – PLUS, how simple is that? There is a definite Gillette influence in the style of the handle, longitudinal grooves and fine knurling. Then to rub salt into the big names razor company’s wounds, TRC have drilled out the handle and given us a fully stainless steel razor weighing in under 90g.
Until I used the Vanguard, I’d been thinking that manufacturers who had released new razors in 2025 existed only to line their pockets and showed very little interest in satisfying their customers requirement to get a decent shave for their dollar. Thank you TRC, your Vanguard is a great razor, it is not overly expensive and delivered a Karve CB Level #D efficient shave with a robust but usable amount of positive blade. Sure, I opened up the point of my chin that bleed on and off all day with my first stroke, but most of that was put down to the operator’s poor technique, just don’t let your guard down, this razor has the potential to bite. After developing a healthy respect for the Vanguard’s ability, I enjoyed smooth and comfortable shaves for the remainder of the review. TRC’s Vanguard is a razor that will suit many shavers’ requirement for a mid-efficiency razor, it is readily available without mortgaging the house to obtain one.
Blades Used – Gillette Nacet and Willy’s
Material – 316L Stainless Steel
Weight – 88.5g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.51mm
Handle Length – 89.25mm
Handle Diameter – 11.55mm
Availability – The Razor Company
Final Word – My kind of razor
Interesting looking razor, here's side view to see the head more clearlyThe Razor Company Vanguard – Plus (USA)
The Razor Company has good reason to be well proud of their Vanguard razor. As I unpack the razor I’m surprised at the quality of the polished finish; then I disassemble the head, and low and behold, the underside of the cap is polished. Sure, there are machine marks visible through the polish, but the light must be in the right direction for these machine marks to stand out. Instead of round blade posts TRC has machined diamond shaped blade posts that mate into corresponding cut outs in the plate. Engraved on the underside of the plate is the company name and on one end of the plate – PLUS, how simple is that? There is a definite Gillette influence in the style of the handle, longitudinal grooves and fine knurling. Then to rub salt into the big names razor company’s wounds, TRC have drilled out the handle and given us a fully stainless steel razor weighing in under 90g.
Until I used the Vanguard, I’d been thinking that manufacturers who had released new razors in 2025 existed only to line their pockets and showed very little interest in satisfying their customers requirement to get a decent shave for their dollar. Thank you TRC, your Vanguard is a great razor, it is not overly expensive and delivered a Karve CB Level #D efficient shave with a robust but usable amount of positive blade. Sure, I opened up the point of my chin that bleed on and off all day with my first stroke, but most of that was put down to the operator’s poor technique, just don’t let your guard down, this razor has the potential to bite. After developing a healthy respect for the Vanguard’s ability, I enjoyed smooth and comfortable shaves for the remainder of the review. TRC’s Vanguard is a razor that will suit many shavers’ requirement for a mid-efficiency razor, it is readily available without mortgaging the house to obtain one.
Blades Used – Gillette Nacet and Willy’s
Material – 316L Stainless Steel
Weight – 88.5g
Blade Tab - Covered
Head Width – 43.51mm
Handle Length – 89.25mm
Handle Diameter – 11.55mm
Availability – The Razor Company
Final Word – My kind of razor
