Blackland Adjustable: Osprey

First shave today with the Osprey. It was very nice. I used a twice used Feather blade and went with setting 3 to start then switched to 4 then finished with 3. I got a great 3 pass shave. I use plates 3 and 4 on my daily driver Rockwell 6s so I thought I’d try the same numbers on the Osprey. Not really equivalent but close. Slightly less blade feel on the Osprey. I’ll try some higher numbers as I get used to the Osprey. I got a really nice shave with it. I’m happy with my purchase.

So, first shave with the Osprey this morning and did not have time to take pics yet.  I must say that I am impressed.  Used a Gillette Nacet and started at the 9 setting for the WTG pass and then backed it down to 8 for the ATG and XTG passes.  No cuts or weepers and the razor is smooth at that 9 and 8 setting with a nice amount of blade feel and aggression.  Got a great BBS and the razor is highly efficient from what I could tell after the shave was finished.  I think settings 7-9 will be used by me on this razor at all times.  I love the longer handle and it’s extremely well balanced.  I am going to take the insert out at some point to see how it does without it just for shits and giggles.  Might eventually have the top cap polished on this one but we shall see.  I can’t WAIT for the titanium version of this one!  Overall, Shane and company have a winner on their hands with this one!  It joins the club of all of my other adjustables and really holds its own next to my Rocnel, HLS, Tatara and others.  Great job Blackland and looking forward to seeing what else you all have in the works!


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Which setting is most comparable to the Blackbird, or is it a completely different experience? 

Setting 8-9 are similar to a Blackbird but smoother on the Osprey.


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Couldn’t disagree more but that’s what makes this hobby so YMMV

HOLYZEUS , what's your interpretation, then, if you don't mind sharing?

HOLYZEUS , what's your interpretation, then, if you don't mind sharing?

Only tried level eight and below.
IMO level nine is potentially Stirling HA territory.
Early days but 7/7.5 could be Blackbird
Don’t get the smoothness either

HOLYZEUS, thank you for your thoughts.

Ok, let’s lay it out and bring the full players into the game. Osprey by Blackland, Gillette Minora(1), WSP Mahogany Formula T, Graydog 26mm Badger Chechen, Proraso Red Sandalo after shave & Blackstone Matte Black edt. I have 4 days worth of whiskers to work with and I’m aiming to see if it can give me a DFS/BBS finish in two. Fingers crossed.

Was thinking about staying with the Feather but, it was going to be its third use and I have been getting some inconsistent blades from this particular tuck that I opened a couple weeks back. Decided to go with a tried & true Gillette Minora that almost equals the Feather in sharpness but, runs circles around it in terms of smoothness & reliability. Thick, rich lather from the WSP Mahogany and the Badger painted on some lovely suds for the first pass. Before I go on with the shave, I need to let those that are curious that I opened up the Osprey to the max setting, which is almost about 9.75 and maybe even 10 on the dial. I posted a few pics to try and give you the best look but, an IPhone though good with pics is not the best. But, if you look close enough or blow up the pics, you’ll see where the Osprey maxed out at.

First WTG pass was on and from the first stroke, this pup meant business. Blade feel is nicely amped up from the last setting of 7 on my last shave but, not much loss in smoothness. The feel is very good and so is the sound as it gave a bit more audible feedback. The first 2-3 strokes I adjusted trying to find the sweet spot where I can maintain cutting effectiveness while simultaneously trying to feed in a somewhat comfy arrangement. Towards the cap, I got more blade feel and just a tab bit of harshness than I did at neutral. I slightly brought the handle down past the neutral zone towards the safety bar and I hit my spot. Not on the bar but, close and it was a very nice and smooth action. Still plenty of blade feel but, in no way was it an intimidating process. Whiskers were brought down quickly and very efficiently to skin level. The weight helps tremendously here and a soft touch with NO pressure needed and it sings beautifully. Not loud but, nice and very noticeable. The Minora was as always up to the task with a very smooth feel and cutting ability. Nice pair these two. Done with the first pass and had a quick cold water splash. A quick look and feel, no weepers or red dots anywhere. Onto pass two.

Brought the setting down to 8.5 and went ATG. It was really an amazing pass as I went a bit slower with deliberate action as there is still good blade feel and a mishap will draw blood in an instant. It’s not a mild razor at these settings. Not Ikon Tech like but, Timeless .95 to Muhle R41 or even the Rocnel Sailor on 5.5 to 6. Need to do a shave off to really compare but, it’s in that territory. South to North starting at the bottom of Sir Adam with some nice skin stretching and the Osprey plowed through the whiskers with authority and relative comfort. It was smooth yet, it let you know that there’s a cold piece of sharpened steel in there lurking and waiting for a lapse in thought. The Osprey though kept it in check and not a single mishap once I was done with pass #2. A quick face rinse and feel and I was at DFS+ with just the tiniest amount of stragglers along the jawline and two small patches on the left of the Adam’s Apple and a corner of my chin to my right. Relathered and went for a quick seek & cut/buff maneuver while bringing the setting down to about 4.5. Man, that was an awesome shave that left me at baby buttocks on both face & neck. Splash & alum pass and I got the slightest of heat right on the chin where I worked to remove that stubborn patch. Everywhere else though was clean as a whistle with no disturbance, weepers or irritation of any kind. Very satisfying shave and one that told me that the Osprey can play with the big boys if you want big gap & blade feel rules in the game. The Proraso sealed the deal & a quick spritz or two from the edt and it was a wrap.

What do I think? Honestly, it’s still very early in my shave journey with the Osprey with just only this being my third shave with it but, these three shaves have given me a good idea on how it will work from setting 1-9. Granted, I haven’t fine tuned it for my specific routine and likes but, I see no issue with this razor giving me excellent shaves to rival some of the best adjustables in my den. There’s enough range in the Osprey from my initial findings and experience to undoubtedly say that a far majority of wetshavers out there can and will find their settings and feel totally confident that it will deliver a comfortable yet efficient shave without an issue. A true beginner can pick this up and totally get up to speed with it as the learning curve is not that difficult at all. Start low and go from there. For the veteran wet shaver this razor will provide excellent options on their needs for that particular shave day whether daily or multiple day shaving. And the ultra performance shave must have blade feel seeker there is more than enough to satisfy as well once one gets past setting 7. It gives direct feel and tells you what that blade is doing against the skin effectively while still exhibiting relative comfort in the upper ranges. Will max be useful for most? Absolutely not! If you hear anyone telling you that the Osprey is not efficient enough or lacks cutting prowess, then there are two things you need to consider here. Either the individual is a direct descendant of Bigfoot or the missing link to the Neanderthal lineage or, is merely talking about a razor that he’s never even used or held. Yes, they’re talking big poop, seriously. And Gent’s, we know there are plenty of haters out there so, use a big helping of salt if you happen to run across a statement or review that portrays the Blackland Osprey as an inadequate tool for the Grizzly Adams of the world. Personally, I might never see this razor past 7 to 7.5 but, it’s nice to know that it can bring some extra teeth and grunt if you happen to need it and feel a bit adventurous. For the rest of us mortals it will suffice and will kick a** whenever you need it to. Balance is slightly geared towards the head but, the feel in hand is great. Turning the adjustment dial and removing the handle just gets easier every time I use it. Tactile feel and grip is excellent for not offering any knurling or a micro-grainy like feel. The razor rinses and cleans up with ease and though I might need an extra minute to get it all cleaned up and dry, I love doing it while looking at this marvelously created tool. Caveat? I would prefer black numbers with a deeper etching of those numbers so my eyes can pick it up easier but, not a deal breaker in the least. Just a minor preference. On my end, more shaves are required to fine tune but, this thing isn’t going anywhere. Guaranteed.

Great shaves to all….




Apologies for the crappy close ups….

Osprey arrived! Had to black out the brass insert - sorry Blackland. Looks way better in hand. Shaves great. Very secure & efficient. No Bird replacement but a nice shaving tool to cover everything you need.

Osprey arrived! Had to black out the brass insert - sorry Blackland. Looks way better in hand. Shaves great. Very secure & efficient. No Bird replacement but a nice shaving tool to cover everything you need.

Well said. Personally and I'm going to be in the extreme minority here but, the Blackland Dart for me is the crowning achievement in Blackland's forever growing stable of razors minus the Osprey as I still don't have enough shaves with it yet to classify it in the respective hierarchy of their products. Why? It's equally as efficient as the Blackbird and yet undeniably smoother in my experience. I know shave members in this forum and across other social shave forum groups that shy away from the Dart because it was deemed "more or too aggressive" than the Blackbird. I just think that the Dart has distinctive character & personality and has a unique duality in how it can offer an individual a shave.

For me, I'll take the Dart everyday of the week and twice on Sunday over its more popular stablemate. Just my opinion based on my own personal shave experience.

Congrats on the Osprey acquisition.....

Osprey arrived! Had to black out the brass insert - sorry Blackland. Looks way better in hand. Shaves great. Very secure & efficient. No Bird replacement but a nice shaving tool to cover everything you need.

Well said. Personally and I'm going to be in the extreme minority here but, the Blackland Dart for me is the crowning achievement in Blackland's forever growing stable of razors minus the Osprey as I still don't have enough shaves with it yet to classify it in the respective hierarchy of their products. Why? It's equally as efficient as the Blackbird and yet undeniably smoother in my experience. I know shave members in this forum and across other social shave forum groups that shy away from the Dart because it was deemed "more or too aggressive" than the Blackbird. I just think that the Dart has distinctive character & personality and has a unique duality in how it can offer an individual a shave.

For me, I'll take the Dart everyday of the week and twice on Sunday over its more popular stablemate. Just my opinion based on my own personal shave experience.

Congrats on the Osprey acquisition.....

Thanks! You have to know the Dart to get a good shave with it. I mostly tend to ride the topcap with razors - Dart - for me is the opposite riding the Safety bar giving me a good shave! But thats the Hobby - we have enough stuff around to find the right tool

I've been having interesting shaves with mine:
After several face shaves (using most settings between 1-9), I need 7+ for the efficiency I like, which is fine. My go to razor is Ambassador on 6 for all 3 passes.

My issue is I get a good amount of irritation/redness with the Osprey. I've used different blades (my favorites gillette Plat, nacets, and the included personnas). Setting 8 and 9 have good efficiency but tend to mess my skin up. Wtg, and xtg is fine but doesn't feel as buttery smooth going through whiskers as say my Blackland Dart (one of my top 5 razors). Atg the Osprey feels better but then I get a bunch of irritation. My shaving habits are the same as any other razor I use. I'll be using a feather in it with the brass insert removed tomorrow. Setting 7 but I'll adjust as I feel necessary. I'm hoping the feather feels a lot smoother cutting the whiskers.

I really wanted to love this razor but it hasn't really done it for me, unfortunately.

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