Blackland announces new Tradere Razors

The first-generation open-comb Tradere was the "black sheep" of the Tradere family, IMO.   

The Tradere razor was praised mostly for its buttery smoothness rather than its ruthless efficiency.  The first-gen open comb razor was a bit harsh, which made it almost the complete opposite of the second-gen safety bar version, which was money.  Smooth and comfortable.  Mid-range efficiency.  

These are my observations and recollections only.

I know everyone is waiting for the Blackland Tradere but I recently had the opportunity to borrow and try an Original (first generation and allegedly more aggressive version) Tradere. A member loaned me a first generation open comb Tradere which came with the included black plastic case. The case was like one of those durable Pelican or gun cases which was quite a protective case for a razor. The features for this original modern day razor have been discussed and are accurate. This stainless razor has its unique handle and is of heavy weight. The rather large head (it's no Tech) is well polished on the outer surfaces only.

The most important thing was how was the shave for this first generation (more aggressive) open comb Tradere ? For me who prefers efficient shaves such as those from a Charcoal Goods L3 or Yates H plate (even Karve F or GC 84), this original aggressive Tradere OC was a disappointment. I used it for a week and tried 3 different blades (Feather, Polsilver & Personna Red) but it was not a very efficient shave and it's open comb result (in efficiency and smoothness) was very similar to a vintage Gillette New long OC. It was not nearly as smooth as a Timeless OC and or the GC OC options.

Of course this is my personal opinions of the original Tradere OC and YMMV which does not reflect in any way on the upcoming Blackland Tradere. I look forward to how others will review the new Traderre when it comes to market.

Fair enough. Obviously I couldn't disagree more which is why I chose to put the Gen 1 OC back into production in addition to the Gen 2 SB. I find the Gen 1 to be smooth, blade-forward, and very efficient. If I didn't think it would be something my customers would love, I wouldn't make it. Importantly, it also provides an alternative to the more middle-of-the-road SB. I think there will be a Tradere that works for most people.

Edit: Added detail

I had a gen 1 OC, and a gen 2 SB. I found the gen 1 to be a very good shave. Like most razors I've had, you have to take it around the block a few times to figure it out. I liked the gen 1. 

When I first got the gen 2 SB I thought it was great. After awhile not so much. I mean it was good, but it was not as aggressive as I liked, and I liked the gen 1 OC better. I did like the lighter/smaller handle on the gen 2. The gen 1 handle was larger and heavier. 

After Shane announced his forthcoming redesigned Tradere I sold my originals to fund other insanity 

Here is an article on Sharpologist giving a 'history' with shaving review on the Tradere.
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[url=https://sharpologist.com/the-tradere-razor-another-modern-wet-shaving-collectable/]https://sharpologist.com/the-tradere-razor-another-modern-wet-shaving-collectable/

I also had the 2nd Gen SB and sold it back a few years ago as I was talked into it without knowing prices were starting to soar and I thought it was a little mild so I let it go for the original price.
About a year and a half ago I got a almost new in the box 1st Gen OC and I don’t find it aggressive meaning harsh at all but pleasantly efficient and I did a Shave Off comparison if I remember correctly with either a WR1 .86 OC or WR1 .94 DC and if memory serves me right they were very closely matched and now that this thread has some legs again I think I will have to revisit that comparison again. I found the 1st Gen to be fairly smooth and maybe it suits my technique but it’s definitely a two pass BBS razor for me With that said I will wait to hear some reviews on the new versions before jumping in. I also think Shane should consider a pass around as it seems to be a trend now with new razor releases that are entering the wet shaving marketplace.
Just my 2 cents on the subject.

I also think Shane should consider a pass around as it seems to be a trend now with new razor releases that are entering the wet shaving marketplace.
Just my 2 cents on the subject.

I’m pretty sure I’ve made a longer rant against pass arounds somewhere on DFS, but the short answer is “no”. In this case, specifically, the Tradere is not a new razor just entering the marketplace. So I don’t think a pass around would make sense even if I liked pass arounds generally (hint: I really don’t).

Because of my return policy, anyone can try out the razor for 30 days for essentially just the cost of return shipping and a refundable deposit. So if the five years of reviews up until now and the new reviews that will come aren’t enough, you can try it yourself with no risk. Seems fair to me.

I also think Shane should consider a pass around as it seems to be a trend now with new razor releases that are entering the wet shaving marketplace.
Just my 2 cents on the subject.

I’m pretty sure I’ve made a longer rant against pass arounds somewhere on DFS, but the short answer is “no”. In this case, specifically, the Tradere is not a new razor just entering the marketplace. So I don’t think a pass around would make sense even if I liked pass arounds generally (hint: I really don’t).

Because of my return policy, anyone can try out the razor for 30 days for essentially just the cost of return shipping and a refundable deposit. So if the five years of reviews up until now and the new reviews that will come aren’t enough, you can try it yourself with no risk. Seems fair to me.

Well I don't want to be comparing apples with oranges, but you Blackbird is one of the best shavers I've experienced, and I've experienced a lot of them. OC or SB, just one of the top 3 in my opinion. I have high hopes that your version of the Tradere will be even better than the original.

I also think Shane should consider a pass around as it seems to be a trend now with new razor releases that are entering the wet shaving marketplace.
Just my 2 cents on the subject.

I’m pretty sure I’ve made a longer rant against pass arounds somewhere on DFS, but the short answer is “no”. In this case, specifically, the Tradere is not a new razor just entering the marketplace. So I don’t think a pass around would make sense even if I liked pass arounds generally (hint: I really don’t).

Because of my return policy, anyone can try out the razor for 30 days for essentially just the cost of return shipping and a refundable deposit. So if the five years of reviews up until now and the new reviews that will come aren’t enough, you can try it yourself with no risk. Seems fair to me.

Hi Shane

I guess I've never ran into or read your rant on pass arounds so I had no idea on your position on them and it is your release and you can do as you please with how it goes to market.  I do however have to say I partially disagree with the statement that it's not a new razor. As I feel it probably is to 90% of the wet shavers out there in the same manner as the Gibbs which is a razor I've been a fan of for about 3 years and now there are two duplicates of it, one that's already been released and the other on it's way. I'm sure even though there were thousands of Gibbs made way back when, I’m pretty sure only a very small percentage of wet shavers to date have tried one. So how many people have used a Tradere? I"m guessing not many. I realize there are drawbacks to pass arounds. One being the person who gets the razor usually only has it for a short time and in many cases I've seen them use it once, draw a conclusion on whether they like it or not and pass it onto the next in line on the pass around list without giving it a chance. Even when guys keep them for 2 to 4 shaves there are razors out there that take longer than that to dial in so once again maybe the razor isn't properly judged. My statement was it seems like with so many new razors coming out and a lot of them offering up either a prototype or a finished razor for a pass around it may be a good idea. Apparently not in your opinion and like I said I respect your viewpoint on the situation. 

I do appreciate the fact that you offer a 30 day money back return policy. I for one would not take advantage of that. In my talks with one of the most respected razor makers in the USA he shared with me that it is against the law to resell a used razor so that's why he doesn't offer a return policy. I know from talks with another well known razor maker that does offer a return policy that because of the law they have to either give away razors that get returned or use other measures to unload them. I don't know maybe different states have different laws regarding the subject. Just going by what I've been told.  So for me I would never be a part of that. If I bought a razor from let's say you or any other razor maker and unless it was defective from the manufacture I would not return it if was just a case of the razor not working for me. I'll sell it on the BST or online and take the loss rather than lay that loss on the razor maker since it was my decision to buy it in the first place.

I've been very fortunate to have shaved with hundreds of both vintage and modern razors and I'm now a lot more selective in what razors I purchase than I was a few years ago. So I've signed up for like 3 pass arounds and I've also been asked to do both private and open reviews of prototypes of razors that were not yet released and honestly I'm glad I got to try them all out as some I've used are absolutely razors I'm purchasing or have pre paid for while others just didn't do it for me and I'm glad I didn't lay out the money for them only to turn around and have to sell them shortly afterwards.  So to me pass arounds have their pluses and minuses. Just my take on the subject. 

With all that said I wish you all the best with the release of this very special project you took on bringing back an Iconic razor like the Tradere to the wet shaving community and I look forward to reading all the reviews on the SB version as I already have the 1st Gen OC which I’m very happy with it and the SB has my attention. 

Regards

Frank

Might be nice to have a razor sell on its own merits rather than forum hype/groupthink.

Most of the fotm razors Ive bought have only been ok and the good ones are the ones that everyone's known about forever. The blackbird is better than 99% of what's out there and tied with the other 1%; that's personally enough for me.

Just my personal opinion, but I find passaround threads and first impressions to be of limited value. It's hard to put much stock in reviews based on only a handful of uses. My experience with many razors has changed after extended use. There are also a couple popular Youtubers whose reviews have occasionally been skewed by improper angle and too little experience with a given razor.

I guess I've never ran into or read your rant on pass arounds so I had no idea on your position on them and it is your release and you can do as you please with how it goes to market.  I do however have to say I partially disagree with the statement that it's not a new razor. As I feel it probably is to 90% of the wet shavers out there in the same manner as the Gibbs which is a razor I've been a fan of for about 3 years and now there are two duplicates of it, one that's already been released and the other on it's way. I'm sure even though there were thousands of Gibbs made way back when,  I’m pretty sure only a very small percentage of wet shavers to date have tried one. So how many people have used a Tradere? I"m guessing not many. I realize there are drawbacks to pass arounds. One being the person who gets the razor usually only has it for a short time and in many cases I've seen them use it once, draw a conclusion on whether they like it or not and pass it onto the next in line on the pass around list without giving it a chance. Even when guys keep them for 2 to 4 shaves there are razors out there that take longer than that to dial in so once again maybe the razor isn't properly judged. My statement was it seems like with so many new razors coming out and a lot of them offering up either a prototype or a finished razor for a pass around it may be a good idea. Apparently not in your opinion and like I said I respect your viewpoint on the situation. 

I do appreciate the fact that you offer a 30 day money back return policy. I for one would not take advantage of that. In my talks with one of the most respected razor makers in the USA he shared with me that it is against the law to resell a used razor so that's why he doesn't offer a return policy. I know from talks with another well known razor maker that does offer a return policy that because of the law they have to either give away razors that get returned or use other measures to unload them. I don't know maybe different states have different laws regarding the subject. Just going by what I've been told.  So for me I would never be a part of that. If I bought a razor from let's say you or any other razor maker and unless it was defective from the manufacture I would not return it if was just a case of the razor not working for me. I'll sell it on the BST or online and take the loss rather than lay that loss on the razor maker since it was my decision to buy it in the first place.

I've been very fortunate to have shaved with hundreds of both vintage and modern razors and I'm now a lot more selective in what razors I purchase than I was a few years ago. So I've signed up for like 3 pass arounds and I've also been asked to do both private and open reviews of prototypes of razors that were not yet released and honestly I'm glad I got to try them all out as some I've used are absolutely razors I'm purchasing or have pre paid for while others just didn't do it for me and I'm glad I didn't lay out the money for them only to turn around and have to sell them shortly afterwards.  So to me pass arounds have their pluses and minuses. Just my take on the subject. 

With all that said I wish you all the best with the release of this very special project you took on bringing back an Iconic razor like the Tradere to the wet shaving community and I look forward to reading all the reviews on the SB version as I already have the 1st Gen OC which I’m very happy with it and the SB has my attention. 

Regards

Frank

Hey Frank, 
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I can appreciate a well-considered argument even if I disagree with it so thanks for sharing your thoughts. I won’t lay out all the issues I have with pass arounds here. But a big issue that I will address is returns.

I’ve also said this before. USE RETURNS WHEN THEY ARE OFFERED. It’s baked into the business model so my products are priced to allow for a certain percentage of returns. I want you to return products you don’t like. It hurts my business more for you to offload things on the BST. A return policy is a mechanism to protect both of us. I’m protected from a stuck, unhappy customer and you’re protected from being stuck. It helps us both and is an important part of my business so please use it. I’ll probably eventually do a sale on used razors. In the meantime, return things you don’t want. If I didn’t want you to return products, I wouldn’t let you.

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