Haircut & Shave N075 SS & Hybrid Al DE Passaround Review – Simply the Best Mild DE

To me it's similar to the Yates "M" plate while the Yates "H" plate is  more like the Diamondback. That's what I'd expect as it's neutral exposure like the Yates "M". Still a great companion to the Yates. It can be as good a shave as the H and DB but will require more cleanup.

Thanks for the response!

Mine is from the BST (so I don't expect a warranty) but noticed this morning the corners have the finish wearing off in 2 corners. Anyone else have or seen this ? I only used it once and am careful with my things. How long have these been out on the market?

Put an enquiry into Aji

Put an enquiry into Aji

Dan, I was hesitant to contact him as I'm not the original purchaser and don't feel he owes me any kind of warranty. After thinking on it I inquired just to learn more about the finish so I know if they thought it is wear on it or a chip just for information. I made it clear I wasn't the buyer from them but got it 2nd hand. Nearly an immediate response from Aji and he was Extremely kind and asked me to mail it to them for a new replacement. WOW !!! Customer service is off the charts !!!!! Kudos to Aji and H & S

He was checking on a price is reason had yet to respond and yes, Aji outstanding on customer service. There is reason why sing his praises wherever possible, he rates it

Just checking in as I got the razor last Wednesday. Apologies in advance that this will be short. But, much of what I have to say about this outstanding razor has already been said.

It is well balanced, super gentle, and astonishingly efficient for how gentle it is.

I have a very, very, tough beard so I normally like to go with high efficiency razors. Charcoal Goods Level 3 is a good example. I can get BBS in 3 passes normally.

Lower efficiency razors tend to not be able to get me BBS. Maybe in 4+ passes, but I always have irritation by then. I generally have to walk a delicate balance between shaving until I am BBS, and not causing irritation from excessive passes.

The H&S shaves probably 75% as smooth as what I might typically use, with no blade feel whatsoever. Honestly, this is almost as good as my RS10, which is very high praise. I can easily get BBS in 3 passes. The BBS lasts a shorter time than some of my efficiency kings, but that is to be expected. This is an absolutely incredible razor.

Many, many thanks to DanLaw for setting this up!!!

Now that I have a fair impression of the razor, onto the soaps!

Put an enquiry into Aji

Dan, I was hesitant to contact him as I'm not the original purchaser and don't feel he owes me any kind of warranty. After thinking on it I inquired just to learn more about the finish so I know if they thought it is wear on it or a chip just for information. I made it clear I wasn't the buyer from them but got it 2nd hand. Nearly an immediate response from Aji and he  was Extremely kind and asked me to mail it to them for a new replacement. WOW !!! Customer service is off the charts !!!!! Kudos to Aji and H & S 

Just an update that I asked Aji to at least allow me to pay shipping and asked if I could also pay the difference and upgrade to the Stainless Steel base plate. He responded, "No problem" I received the SS Base Plate very quickly and can't say enough about the TOP NOTCH Customer service at H&S. 1st shave this morning with the razor and I'm VERY happy with it now in the all SS material. Thank you Aji and H&S !! Also thanks to DanLaw for organizing these pass arounds !!

[font=Calibri, sans-serif]NO75 vs NO75.  3 days of shaving using the pictured products (the pass around is on the left; my own razor on the right).[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]I think I’m closing out this NO75 pass around.  I already had an NO75 with both plates.  So I used the pass-around razor as an opportunity (at Dan’s good suggestion) to have shaves with BOTH plates EACH day to see if I could decide which plate I liked better.  Since I was already dialed into the razor, there weren’t any issues as to whether I would like or not like it, whether I would need time to get used to it, whether I would wonder about the aesthetics of the black aluminum plate (I don’t, I think it looks great and different), or whether I could find a blade that fit both it and me (I had been using Nacets with success all along).  I also don’t feel a need to repeat what others have said about the superb finishing or the fit or the basic feel in the hand.  You already have heard about that.  [/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]So, I spent three days shaving with two NO75s.  New Nacets for the first two days and then a new Feather for the last day (all blades hand-stropped, fwiw).  In order, my soaps were:  A&E SoCal Hipster, Tallow & Steel West Indies, and then, for the last day, the Cutting Edge Citrus Wood (my wife is not a fan of lavender soaps so I didn’t try that Cutting Edge sample).  Brushes in order were the Brad Sears/Estate badger; second, the H&S Brush itself (which has a nice hand feel and is just lovely in black and orange – colors that have alma mater meaning to me), and lastly my Elite Tourmaline/High Mountain White.  Aftershaves were, in order:  Arlington, West Indies, and Phytomer.  Also, the Grooming Department preshave all three days (not yet sure if it really does much).  All great soaps, great brushes, and aftershaves, and I can’t say that I believe any of these made any difference in my evaluation of the two bases.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]The first day I did the classic approach of shaving one side of my face with one of the razors and the other side of the face with the other.  The next day, I reversed the sides for each razor.  The third day, I changed things up by (carefully) holding both razors in my hand at the same time and going with alternate passes:  first one razor and then the other.  I found that an enjoyable way to truly compare the two bases against each other seconds apart.  [/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]So, to get to the point – my evaluative thoughts.  Well, at this point it almost goes without saying that Aji Sunjaya’s NO75 is a fabulous shaver:  so smooth and mild, it’s plain easy to get a BBS shave without weepers or irritation or discomfort.  This razor reminds me why I had, in fact, moved away from cartridges.  It’s a delight to shave with.  Period.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]As to the bases, however, I first had a surprise and then some reactions.  The surprise is that the differences between using the two bases were a less pronounced than I had expected.  That’s my reaction; I simply probably have less sensitive skin than those for whom the stainless base was harsh.  So, while others here have found more marked differences, I did not.  [/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]Yet, that’s not to say there weren’t differences.  There were.  They just weren’t overwhelming. And what I found tracks what others have said.  Namely, the stainless plate is a little more aggressive.  I think that largely comes from the way in which the steel on both sides clamps the blade in with such rigidity that there is no chatter or in which the aluminum perhaps damps the blade, but it may also come from the additional weight in the head which leads to the razor, as a whole, being (for me) so well balanced.  For whatever the reasons, it works.  The SS plate is smooth enough for me that I could use this razor as a daily shaver – these are efficient razors and all of my shaves were BBS.  I think – but I flip-flopped on this – that the stainless has more blade feel but sometimes I got what seemed like more blade feel from the aluminum.  Either way, everyone agrees that there is not a ton of blade feel with a NO75; it’s a mild, “gentle,” comfort razor that works.  This is all not to disparage the aluminum base. It has less “presence” or can be described as softer when passing over the skin than the stainless. And for me it is perhaps a small touch less efficient. Over all, the aluminum base offers incredible ease. With the stainless, I have to consciously shave (although, who knows? after six months more use maybe I won’t). In other words, I do have to concentrate on what I’m doing.  By comparison, the aluminum base verges on seamless, unthinking, shaving.  But the resulting shave remains smooth and fine.  I’ve tried other mild razors where ease and comfort just left stubble.  It would take a complete loss of concentration or perhaps slipping in the shower, for me to cut myself using the aluminum plate.  That’s a bit of exaggeration but I think you can get the point.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]Conclusion: I can’t decide which base, if either, I like better.  I love both.  The stainless provided more of a concentrated shaving experience while the aluminum was easier.  There will be many days when I will readily swap the stainless base out for the aluminum – particularly, for instance, if I’m in a hurry. I’ll report back if my views change over time.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]A note about blades:  the Nacets worked well in both. The Feather, however, for a first shave, was a touch even more efficient (I know that Feathers often are thought to lose their sharpness quicker than other blades, including Nacets). Ended up with as close a shave as I've ever had.  I may play around with more sharp blades going forward. After all, this is a classic mid/mild shaver that performs best with sharp blades.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]Of course, everyone’s mileage may differ. But as someone obviously thrilled by this razor, my recommendation to anyone else interested in it to get both bases.  You get two slightly different but both great shaves. And, of course, if you buy directly from H&S you get 30 days to try it out.[/font]
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[font=Calibri, sans-serif]Finally, as to the Cutting Edge soap.  I’m more inclined towards tallow soaps for all the known reasons, but I found this soap to lather easily and give a good slick shave.  In fact, I scooped out well more than I needed and had gops of lather by the time I had finished using a bowl.  I actually did like the scent a good deal and as a whole was quite pleasantly surprised.   Thanks for it having been shared!  [/font]

Have I ever told you the story about breaking the curve in an Organic Chemistry course populated almost exclusively by Princeton students...haha.  Nice review.  Gorgeous photo

Have I ever told you the story about breaking the curve in an Organic Chemistry course populated almost exclusively by Princeton students...haha.  Nice review.  Gorgeous photo
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.....ah you got it. New story to me, of course. That wasn’t very polite of you to break the curve. After all, they were undoubtedly -- and rightly -- too hungover to deal with orgo. Got to have priorities.