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Disclosure Statement

The Karve Shaving Co. Christopher Bradley aluminum razor is on loan from u/Cadinsor

Write-up:

Karve’s Christopher Bradley brass razor was my daily driver for months and months back in 2019, but for one reason or another I ended up selling it. I had always wanted to try out the aluminum version of the razor, but it was difficult for me to track one down due to the limited supply, not surprisingly. Thanks to one of the OG shaving iNfluEncerS u/Cadinsor for letting me try out his favorite razor. Made of 7075 aluminum, this razor is the most solidly built aluminum razor I have ever seen and doesn’t feel cheap at all. The aluminum has a bead blasted finish and the parts are anodized red and grey to create an awesome overall look.

Cadinsor sent me the C-SB and D-OC plates to try out. I started off the week only using the C-SB plate, and I found it to be very similar to the brass C-SB plate that I used to use as my daily driver, but the aluminum version felt a tad milder. Perhaps it has something to do with the weight of brass versus aluminum, or maybe my technique has improved since 2019 (I hope it has). The C-SB plate has a slightly positive blade exposure with a moderate gap to make for a comfortable yet efficient shave, though I find this plate to be surprisingly efficient. Especially considering the lightweight nature of the razor, I found it easy to overshave with this baseplate.

Likely due to its open comb nature alone, I found the D-OC plate to actually be more comfortable than the C-SB. I can feel the blade more while shaving, and this allowed me to manage my pressure better. However, both of these baseplates are still more efficient than I need for daily shaving, so in the future I would like to try an A or B open comb plate. Also, in an ideal world I would like a 3” handle on this razor instead of 3.25”, as I found myself choking up on the handle and only using the very top part, which is especially easy to do with a lightweight razor such as this one.

Overall, this razor is without a doubt the nicest aluminum razor I have ever tried. While I do love how the Fine Accoutrements aluminum slant shaves, it’s easy to see that the Karve aluminum is a higher quality razor at a cheaper price point (when available). I hope Karve can find a solution to the production and finishing issues that they have been having with the aluminum razors ever since they were first released. I’m happy that they have been able to improve their fulfillment of the brass and stainless razors, as I have heard that people receive those razors in a under week nowadays when ordering directly from Karve.

Until next time, thank you all for reading my reviews and watching my videos. Cheers!