H&S P076 Ti DE SB & OC Passaround Review–Epitome of Craftsmanship & Efficient Comfort

Are you using the Nacet blade with the H&S?

Quick first impression. I've had two shaves with the titanium razors. One with the SB and one with the OC. Fit and finish is perfect on these razors. Polish isn't quite as magnificent as their 17-4 counter parts, but its better than the Carbon titanium razors I also recently trialed. These being the only two brands of titanium razors I used I have no other comparisons. I used a nacet blade for both shaves, and the supplied ETHOS soap. The shaves were good, but seemed to lack a bit of efficiency that I had with the 17-4 razors. I assume its from the reduction of weight. Towards the end of my last shave with the OC I started using a touch more pressure and had better efficiency. Ill need to (carefully) try that during my next full shave. Both razors shaved comfortably but had issues around my chin where the hair grows thickest. The razors perform best with a shallow angle and gets uncomfortable (tugging) with a steep angle. Im starting to think im missing the "sweet spot" leading to the lack in efficiency I'm experiencing. I couldn't tell a difference in efficiency between the SB and OC, but the OC did leave some lather behind which was nice for clean up passes. I have owned ETHOS Succes for a few months now and love it. It is a pheonominal soap. I've been using the "clean" and enjoying every second of it. Same great lather minus the scent. Look forward to the next few shaves and hopefully solving some of my issues! 

In your case try a slightly more aggressive blade, see what happens.

Will do, thanks Dan.

Pretty brush

Thanks! Its a 2 band yaqi I bought during their 11-11 sale for about 10 bucks. Surprisingly a great brush.

Are you using the Nacet blade with the H&S?

I did. It’s a smooth criminal in the fact that it feels smooth during the shave but once rinsed the irritation sets in. Hoping a less sharp blade smooths out the end result

Bet an Astra might do the trick

In some of my more aggressive razors, a Voskhod really smooths them out. I do notice a slight decrease in efficiency, but never any irritation I may get from other blades. YMMV.

Life got in the way, but finally here is my review of the H&S P076 Ti razor with the dual head (SB and OC).  Everyone prior to me has written about the “perfect” polished finish and overall quality, so there is nothing I can add.  All of those observations are accurate.  The finish on this Ti razor is astonishing.

I shaved with the H&S P076 Ti dual head razor 4 times.  I mostly used the SB side, but did use the OC side enough to get a comparative feel for each.  I used a different blade for each shave (Tatra, Wizamet, Nacet & Voskhod).  For me, the Nacet was the best pairing for this razor.  The Wizamet was my next favorite.  The milder Tatra and Voskhod worked well, and proved that this razor can take most any blade.  I typically shave every two to three days, which is how I tested this razor.

My second shave ranks as the best shave I have ever given myself with a DE razor. Equal to an Italian barber straight edge shave I had in NYC a few years ago.  I had nearly undetectable growth for 12 to 16 hours and could not justify shaving for well over 48 hours!

This razor’s light weight and small head make it very easy to maneuver and get under the nose effortlessly.  In that regard, it is very much like the Carbon head.  I prefer a smaller head and a 90-100mm handle.  I love the P076 handle design and it is one of my favorites.  The grippy knurling is the perfect length and placement.  For me, this razor is as good as it gets.  When shaving, I preferred the SB side to the OC side.  The SB side was smoother and the OC side was only slightly more efficient, based on my technique.

IMHO, what makes this razor different is it’s deceptive efficiency for a .076 blade gap.  It is much more efficient than I expected with a .076 blade gap.  It has positive blade exposure and minimal chatter with great audible feedback.  This razor has a perfect combination of smoothness, blade feel and efficiency.  Compared with all of my other razors:  This razor gave me the closest shave with 3 passes and required almost no clean-up.  I mostly judge the “value” of a razor by how it shaves.  This razor has earned the highest “value” I can assign, based upon performance.

I need to shave with the 17-4 or stainless steel version to determine which is best for me.  It is possible that with my shaving technique, the heavier stainless or 17-4 may be better. I am on the pass-around list for the 17-4 and look forward to shaving with it and comparing the two.

Included with the razor were 3 Ethos Grooming Essential soaps.  I tried all 3.  The performance of all 3 was above average for bowl lathering, slickness, protection and post shave feel.  All of these Ethos products are very high quality soaps.
The lavender was one of the best lavenders I have tried, since it has a stronger lavender scent than most.  I do not like minimal or weakly scented products.  The orange was very good, but not my favorite orange scented soap or cream.  The Succes was beyond fantastic in all metrics.  It was my favorite.  It is an homage Creed Aventus.  If you like Aventus, you really need to try this.  I ordered both the Succes soap and aftershave from Ethos Grooming Essentials (Dragonsbeard).

My thanks to Dan Law for his time and effort to coordinate this pass-around.  He is providing us a great service, by sharing his enthusiasm and giving us the opportunity to experience this exceptional razor and soaps.  Thanks to H&S for providing the DFS wet shaving community the opportunity to review their new Ti P076.  Lastly, thanks to Dragonsbeard for providing his Ethos Grooming Essentials soaps for our sampling.