Didn’t entirely anticipate writing up a review for the Charcoal Goods, level 2 razor when I bought it. I didn’t expect to be wowed by it any more than the handful of razors I’ve tried in the past year and a half. But, it turns out that this razor is damn good and I’m enjoying it like mad, so I wanted to let others know.

Like many, I split my profiling and assessment of razors into 2 dimensions: efficiency and comfort. My preference is an efficient razor, pretty much in the area of the standard gap Wolfman, that also provide a comfortable, limited blade-feel experience. The Wolfman has been my gold standard for that preference, so I’ll be using it a bit as a reference point for this review.

To say it outright: the level 2 baseplate is impressive as fuck. Since receiving the Wolfman a year and a half ago, I’ve yet to use anything that even comes close in giving me as comfortable a shave without sacrificing its beloved efficiency. That is, until the CG arrived. This pupper is throwing down. I’ve been consistently getting the closest shaves ever and the razor is an absolute pleasure to use. It’s intuitive and easy to find the correct cutting angle, which is actually quite steep. No tugging, no pronounced blade feel, no “rough” feeling whatsoever, like my skin is in the process of getting peeled away.

The razor cuts through hair easily, regardless of whether it’s been 3 or 6 days of growth. As you can tell, this razor is a star in my book. It’s more efficient than the standard gap Wolfman, but actually reminds me somewhat of the .74 gap Gruncle Dubya (grumpy /u/uncle_dubya) let me try out a while ago. While I loved the efficiency of the .74 gap, I hated its rough and aggressive sensation. The level 2 CG is like an improved iteration, giving that perfect efficiency while also feeling pretty damn buttery smooth.

Before discussing the fit and finish of the razor, I should be forthright in saying I utterly hate polished razors. Like, as much as I hate grown-ass adults still mixing up “Their,” “There,” “They’re.” I don’t baby my stuff, nor do I want to care attentively for my things, particularly when it comes to shaving goodies. My Charcoal Goods has got the machined, rugged look that seems to be so popular now. I love that the razor finish essentially encourages me not to go give a shit. Hell, I get rewarded with a bodacious patina for not even giving the head a good scrubbing every once in a while. Wish I could say the the same about my pecker. Regardless, the ease of care makes it wifey material, I say.

Others have gotten the polished finish (such as /u/OnaBlueCloud), so perhaps they could better comment of the finish of those razors, but they do look drop-dead gorgeous — shamelessly stealing his great pics, which are viewable here with his permission. Overall the tolerances are narrow and tight. Not BBS-1 or Wolfman material, but nothing quite comes close to those beauts. I’ve been using my Triad aristocrat handle with the CG head because I prefer the additional heft and length. Between the 3 handles I’ve tried, all have fit perfectly. Certainly no complains whatsoever - everything snaps and screws together with precision and ease. A huge plus of the design I’ve yet to speak of (a feature I think is criminally under-discussed) is the covered blade tabs. Can’t remember the last razor I owned which employed that feature.

Overall, I’m very impressed by the razor. I was excited to try it out, but given that the last 6 razors I tried had yet to make me even look away from the Wolfman (a la my new fave meme), I didn’t consider the CG as a serious threat. It’s certainly earned a spot in my prior 1-razor-spot den.

Edited to make reading a bit easier. Sorry iz long.