The Dreadnought shaving line launched in the United States in mid-2012.  That same year, the Dreadnought Spartan Double Edge Razor was the named winner of the 2012 About.com Readers’ Choice Award for “best wet shaving razor.”   I got mine around the spring of 2013 and it's been in the rotation ever since.  Admittedly, since I've picked up some more razors over the years, my Spartan double edge hasn't been coming up to the top of the order as regularly as it once did.  

Dreadnought's Spartan Double Edge Razor

The Dreadnought Spartan is a three piece razor with a polished chrome plating finish and features the Dreadnought logo on the cap.   It measures roughly 3.75 inches from end to end and weighs approximately 2.6 oz (according to our scale).

The Edwin Jagger DE89 (left) and Dreadnought Spartan both measure about 3.75"

There are some wet shaving forum threads and even some YouTube videos noting that this the Spartan DE razor is the same razor as the Edwin Jagger DE89, except that it has the Dreadnought logo printed on it.  While they are the same style, size, and weight I have not personally seen Edwin Jagger or Dreadnought state who manufacture’s the Spartan.  So, this is something that wet shavers will have to draw their own conclusions on. 

Edwin Jagger DE 89 weighs 2.6 oz, which was the same weight as the Dreadnought Spartan

Regardless of who makes it, I do like this Razor.  I personally find that it is not an aggressive razor.  As with most mild razors in my den, I find that I can use it with just about any razor blade.   So if I’m going to be trying out a new DE Blade, I won’t reach for my iKon Tech or Muhle R41.  Rather, I’d reach out for something like the Dreadnought Spartan.   



Have you tried the Dreadnought Spartan Double Edge Razor?  Please leave us a comment  below and let us know.

I like going to farmer’s markets and craft fairs to discover the different handcrafted items.  Particularly, I like to see the bath and body product artisans.  Especially if there is shave soap and other men’s products involved.  

Gentleman's Shave bar by Rad Soap Co.

I was at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market in Troy, NY some time ago and found the stand for RadSoap Company. They had a good amount of products on display but one in particular grabbed my attention.  It was a bar of soap packaged with a paper band around it that pictured the Rad Soap Co. logo, a barber pole, and a moustache.  It only listed the ingredients and the words “Mens Shave Bar” on it.  It was a 3oz cube of soap that smelled nice and was reasonably priced (around 5 dollars at the time). So, it was yet another wet shaving impulse buy. The packaging didn’t have any directions or even a detailed description.  But the company’s web site did provide a little more detail.  

The Soap Fit Perfectly in my Old Spice Shave Mug

On the site it is listed on site as Gentleman’s Shave Bar and is described as: “A thick lathering shave bar crafted with Bentonite Clay.” The website also noted it is scented with Plumeria and Lime and goes on to further describe it as “… a moisturizing and smooth-lathering bar of soap to gently cleanse and prep the skin for shaving” as well as it not containing parabens, sulfates, Phthalates, harsh chemicals, gluten, GMOs, animal products, or nut oils.  The packaging has since been updated since I purchased mine.  I'm not certain if the formulation has changed, but the ingredients listed on the site match what is printed on the label of the bar I purchased.

Ingredients listed on the packaging

The directions/suggested usage from the site:

• Gently massage bar onto moistened skin, or badger brush creating a thick lather.
• Apply lather generously to desired areas.
• Shave desired areas as you would with a shaving cream.
• Rinse clean with water.

One of my Shave Of the Days when trying out this soap.

It produced a generous amount of bubbly lather

Figuring that it might have been bigger knot, I tried lathering this soap another time with a smaller brush.  But the results were still the same.  Finally, I tried massaging it onto my face and then lathering with a brush in Arko Shave Stick-like fashion.  Unfortunately, this didn’t work at all for me.  I got a small amount of bubbles on the face and a little that ran down my hand as well as brush handle.  So, I had to abandon this lather and move on to a different soap to finish the shave.

After about 45 seconds after applying, the lather seemed to thin

I like the Rad Soap products.  The company is a purveyor of natural products and they have a Natural Insect Repellant that my mother really likes.  But, for me, the Gentleman’s Shave Bar didn’t offer the thick, stable lather that I was hoping for.  The soap smells nice and it didn’t leave me with a feeling of residue on my face.  So, personally, I’d most likely use this in the routine as preshave soap to help soften my stubble rather than a shave soap. 

Have you tried any of the Rad Soap products? Please leave a comment and let us know.

The Master Barber CM0690 Safety Razor is a single piece twist to open (TTO) or butterfly open design. The butterfly doors open and close by twisting collar.  The CM0690 is nickel plated, has the Master Barber logo featured on one of the butterfly doors, and has a textured handle to help prevent it from slipping.


The razor is made in Pakistan as indicated by the printing on the bottom of handle.  I’ve had my Master Barber razor for some time.  It hasn’t been used heavily, but the lettering of the country of manufacture has worn off.  We show this in the above YouTube video.  The Master Barber Classic Safety Razor, measures about 4.25” and weighs roughly 1.9 oz.

The Master Barber Razor (center) was about as long as my iKon Tech razor (left) and weight a little more than the Feather Popular DE (right)

For the price, I think this it is decent razor.   While I find it to be an aggressive razor I don’t find it to be proportionately effective.   To me it feels that there is a lot of blade touching the skin and I struggle with finding the proper angle for an effective with the grain (WTG) pass.   Though, I do find it to be pretty effective for my against the grain pass.

Found it to be an aggressive razor, but could not find the most effective WTG angle.  Maybe it has to do with the blade gap?

I also feel that I had to be careful when choosing a blade to use with this razor.  For some reason blades that don’t really work for me but could normally yield an adequate shave with in a Merkur or Edwin Jagger Razor (such as: Crown, Derby, Shark Super Stainless, or Merkur razor blades) would irritate my skin in the Master Barber Razor.  A really sharp blade like the Feather worked well after the second or third shave. Prior to that, I was more prone to giving myself a weeper.  So far, I did have the best luck with the Wilkinson Swords, Crystal , and the Personna Blue razor blades; though, im sure I’ll be trying it with others eventually.  That’s the great thing about wet shaving as a hobby, there are so many products and combinations to try.

Haven't seen the Master Barber Razor in many SOTD photos

I haven’t seen many use this razor in their Shave of The Days photos on Instagram,  Facebook groups, or any other social media outlets.  So, if you’ve tried the Master Barber Classic Safety Razor, please leave a comment below.  Would love to hear about the experience others have had with this this razor.

iKon’s ShaveCraft Tech Razor is considered by many to be an aggressive shaving razor. For me, I consider it almost as aggressive as my Muhle R41 or R102 Open comb razors, t that’s just my opinion.   The Tech weights about 3.7 oz. So, it weighs slightly less than my Merkur 38C. 

iKon ShaveCraft Tech Loaded with a Shark Super Chrome

The Tech’s razor head is made of aluminum while the iKon OSS handle (this is the handle I have on my version) is made of 316L Stainless Steel.  Not knowing too much about the significance of the stainless steel numbering, I discovered a little more about it from a YouTube video about wire (check it out below). 

Paraphrasing what the speaker had said: Medical/Surgical Grade stainless steel is graded in the 300s.   With 316L the L indicates lower carbons meaning longer life and doesn’t oxidize as quickly.  According to AZO Materials: “316L stainless steel is also easier to machine compared to 316 stainless due to its lower carbon content.”[1]  

Stainless Steel Handle and Aluminum Head, the Tech Feels Pretty Hefty at 3.7 oz

At any rate, I like the length of OSS stainless steel handle, which measures about 3.75” and is longer than the handles on many of the razors that I use.  I generally don’t have a preference. But sometimes I like going with a beefier hand and I think the OSS handle qualifies. 

Similar in Size to the Merkur 38C (right)

The Tech is similar in to the Merkur 38C in size and weight. Both measure approximately 4” from end to end. However the 38C weighs slightly more at 4 oz.  Personally, I think the heft feels similar. But the iKon feels a bit more streamlined than the 38C.  While I do like my Merkur Barber Pole Razor, it feels a bit cumbersome in comparison to the Tech.   I’ve had the tech in the rotation for a few months and am really liking it.  Thus far I have tried it with Shark Super Chrome and my go to Crystal razor blades.  But I am looking forward to trying it with others.


Have you tried the iKon ShaveCraft Tech Razor?  Please leave us a comment below. Let us know what you think.



References:
[1] Stainless Steel - Grade 316L - Properties, Fabrication and Applications (UNS S31603)