Head & face shave in the shower.
Technique: WTG / XTG / ATG
Prep: Shower. RazoRock Artisan Bar Soap "XXX" in Soap Commander's Soap Net
Soap: Soap Commander "Courage"
Brush: Ever-Ready 100T restored by Thomas Burgess with TGN Finest Badger knot
Razor: RazoRock Stealth Slant v4
Blade: Treet Platinum Super Stainless(1)
Post: Cold tap water rinse. Fine's "Snake Bite". 1740 Beard Balm "Death Wish Coffee Infused"
Pay-off: LaCOLOMBE Bleu Coffee prepared in Bodum Chambord French Press
Ever since I picked up the Merkur 37C, I've had an affinity for slants. The 37C isn't the most comfortable shaver for me, but I definitely appreciate its efficiency. The iKon #102 has quickly become one of my favorites because, in addition to its efficiency, it is an incredibly comfortable razor.
I was recently fortunate enough to snag possibly one of the last batch of the Stealth Slants from RazoRock. It's not much of a gamble, because should it not be a good fit for me, it would likely be quite easy to recoup my funds in a BST. After my first spin with this razor, I never want to be without it. This shaver lives up to the hype. I typically gravitate more to heavier razors, so my expectations weren't very high, but I just had to try it. This razor is very similar to RazoRock's Baby Smooth both in appearance and weight, but that's where the similarities cease. The Baby Smooth is a good shaver, but due to it's weight, it's not going to be my daily driver.
The slant head of the Stealth v4 is perfect. The top cap is symmetrical, so you can't put it on backwards. It incorporates a twisting, torquing slant of the blade like the Merkur. (iKon angles the orientation of the blade without twisting it.) The only documented difference between the v3 and v4 is that the v4 touts a thinner base plate. The Stealth has an even, subdued black anodized finish. In the right light, I can see evenly spaced ~5mm machined facets on the top cap. I can not detect them by feel, however. The Stealth is a slightly lighter shade of black than that of my Baby Smooth. It almost has a very dark gun metal blue hue. The handle is identical to that of the Baby Smooth, but the Stealth's edges feel sharper. I doubt the difference in shade or the sharpness of the handle grooves are anything more than production batch variances. My calibrated scale showed the Stealth handle to be 29.0 grams (exactly the same as the Baby Smooth's handle). The Stealth's head weighed in at 15.2 grams for an overall weight of 44.2 grams without a blade loaded. It can easily be balanced and stored vertically due to the perfectly flat planar base surface. However, it came with a hefty lathe-turned 304 polished stainless steel stand that weighs in at 121.1 grams. Some will no doubt lament that the polished stand doesn't match the matte black razor, but that's irrelevant to me.
With the first pass, the Stealth's uncanny efficiency was apparent. In fact, a single with-the-grain pass on my head yielded a passable shave. I could feel no stubble when I swiped my hand with the grain. That's never happened before with a single pass. Of course, I wet shave not only for the results, but also the process. So with that, 2 more passes would ensue. I easily achieved BBS head and face in even the most notoriously difficult places. A clean-up pass was not needed.
This was one of the most comfortable shaves I've ever had. There was no grippiness of the head to my skin (a critique I have with the Baby Smooth). There was no tugging or harshness whatsoever.
I've never used the previous versions of the Stealth, so I can't make a comparison. I can say that the head is small enough as to promote ease in reaching those tight spots just above the ears. Despite it's light weight, it is well-balanced. I could easily change between choking up on the handle on my temples and holding the very end of the handle for the base of my neck. The angle is quite intuitive. The audible feedback is mild, but due to the aluminum resonance, the tactile feedback in the handle is generous. This lends well to blind shaving which is a great benefit to head-shavers.
As usual, Soap Commander provided an essential layer of protection. I find I go to Soap Commander often when I'm trying out new hardware. It's very consistent, and it holds up while I take my time experimenting with new razors.
I can't shut up about Treet Platinum Super Stainless blades. They are, by far the smoothest blades I've ever used.
I finished with Fine's Snake Bite because I wanted some extra cooling so I could endure the East Texas hot and humid climate while I shot the SOTD pics on my porch. Snake Bite also helps keep the mosquitoes at bay---at least for a short while. It was such a low-key shave, that there was no burn from the alcohol, but oh, that menthol!
The Van Dyke got the 1740 Beard Balm treatment. This stuff is really marketed to those with more epic beards. However, I find it not only tames my coarse and wiry hair, but it also nourishes my problematic dry patches around my mouth and nose.
Tonight's topper was "Bleu" courtesy of LaCOLOMBE Coffee Roasters. It's a seasonal offering that I've really been enjoying recently.
Happy shaving, gents!