I Love The Karve Razor

I've been looking at getting one of these razors for a while and I've followed the numerous threads discussing various aspects of the razor (and the razor maker) and even a thread where several members discuss their challenges with the razor.  I finally went and bought one, the original CB brass from www.stonefieldshave.com  - Jonathan bundles the razor with plates B, C and D.  I've used it with all three plates at first with a Crystal blade (great blade, I think its the same blade as Vikings Sword both from Israel/Personna) and I really like it.  Today I used it with B and a Feather blade and it was excellent.  I had to ride the top cap a little more than I normally do but I got a top notch 3 pass shave.  This is the first razor I've encountered that can challenge the Rockwell 6s as my favourite razor.  I used the B&M O, Delight for the first time and it was Oh Delightful   lathered beautifully with a Semogue 1305 boar brush.  I took the beard off last weekend and I'm loving the full face shaves again.  The brass Karve is beautifully made, fit and finish is excellent and its high auditory razor too.  I love to hear the blade engage the whiskers as it effortlessly slices them off.  I think I'll be happy with this razor for a long time to come. 

I've been looking at getting one of these razors for a while and I've followed the numerous threads discussing various aspects of the razor (and the razor maker) and even a thread where several members discuss their challenges with the razor.  I finally went and bought one, the original CB brass from www.stonefieldshave.com  - Jonathan bundles the razor with plates B, C and D.  I've used it with all three plates at first with a Crystal blade (great blade, I think its the same blade as Vikings Sword both from Israel/Personna) and I really like it.  Today I used it with B and a Feather blade and it was excellent.  I had to ride the top cap a little more than I normally do but I got a top notch 3 pass shave.  This is the first razor I've encountered that can challenge the Rockwell 6s as my favourite razor.  I used the B&M O, Delight for the first time and it was Oh Delightful   lathered beautifully with a Semogue 1305 boar brush.  I took the beard off last weekend and I'm loving the full face shaves again.  The brass Karve is beautifully made, fit and finish is excellent and its high auditory razor too.  I love to hear the blade engage the whiskers as it effortlessly slices them off.  I think I'll be happy with this razor for a long time to come. 

Glad you are happy with it.

I definitely agree that Karve > Rockwell. But in the end I wasn't impressed by Karve either. I think both are just not very efficient compared to better razors out there. Individual thoughts about each: the Rockwell is too mild in all settings, people equate the mildness with smoothness which I think is wrong. If the razor feels good on the face but isn't removing hair efficiently then that's problematic. I think the Karve moves more towards the right idea and is more efficient, but still I feel like for the face feel it does provide the efficiency is still severely lacking. I have had all the Karve plates, the face feel goes up but the efficiency is mediocre on all of them IMO.

This becomes obvious if you try something from Tatara or a Wolfman, where for the same face feel equivalent plates on either Rockwell or Karve the efficiency is much better. My Wolfman feels like a B or C plate but cuts better than the G plate. Made the Karve superfluous, what's the point of it if it's less comfortable, doesn't cut as well, and you have to own multiple plates to figure this out fully .... MOIMO YMMV etc

It is a great razor, at an affordable price. Unfortunately, my skin didn't get on with it.
Glad you are enjoying it.

Hi Marko

I’m glad that your Enjoying your Karve that’s awesome  .

As stated on Karve site if it’s not Perfect it’s not Good Enough and I truly appreciate what Karve does and Chris his meticulous work towards it.

I’m a huge fan of Karve they are many reasons for it lol. When I saw it when it came out at first I was like wow that’s Beautiful Razor loved the Top Cap the way tabs are exposed and plates as well not to mention their Handles have Guilloche design which was found in watchmaking. 

As a kid I grew up in Horology and passion towards watches taking trips to Jura Region in Switzerland seeing watchmakers their design on cases of watches Karve took my eyes spot on lol.

Yes I’ll be honest I was little frustrated what plate would shave me better I did bough few plates to try as I’m a mild shaver and tend to get irritation quick and razor burns..

I have plate A,AA,B I gotten along with them all but still needed that efficiency to cut make 3 passes and done so don’t have to go over and over lol.

Yes I spend a lot buying all plates trying to find a right one wasn’t cheap but I loved Karve so much and also to support small business in Alberta as love Karve’s Craftsmanship.

I gotten recently plate C and I was quite surprised it’s shaved me so well paired up with Tigers Platinum as it’s my to go blade for my skin.

So at the end it’s all about technique, right plate, right blade and how much you care for razor.

I can have all razors in my den but at the end my hand always reach toward Karve.

This is preferential choice and view and I respect everyone’s view and opinion towards Karve.

I would love to have Aluminum some day with plate C.

Take Care 

Alan H

AlanH81  thanks for your comments. I think you and I must have similar taste in razors. For sure YMMV applies here but if you’re committed to finding the razor/plate / blade combination that works for you then I think you’ll be rewarded with a great shave. I wasn’t expecting to get such a great shave from B plate and Feather blade but I was blown away. It was excellent. I appreciate you sending a little love our way out in Alberta, we need all the lovewe can get. I’m in Calgary. About 180 miles south of Edmonton where Chris makes these razors. We have some top notch machinists in the Edmonton area courtesy of the oilfield operations that have traditionally run out of that part of the province. Chris for one and James Dufour Wolfman Razors is in Morinville just a few miles North of Edmonton.

Hi Marko

Thank you for reply oh my gosh it’s my pleasure Marko Alberta it’s beautiful and great folks out there I know in Calgary it’s a big Croatian Community even soccer club lol.

We were supposed to be in Alberta upon arriving to Canada but my father settled in Ottawa 1997 as teacher and recently passed away so only my mother wife two kids here at the moment rest family in Germany and my cousin is a nurse in Zürich in Switzerland and some family in Croatia.

To be honest way before I join DFS I have been a huge Karve Fan so this is nothing new lol and I did share with lots of folks and even some Horology folks I knew they bough Karve and my coworkers at Transport Canada. Beautiful Razors as you said if your committed to it finding right plate, blade you will get Best of both Worlds..

I would like someday hopefully get aluminum Karve and Titanium when it becomes available and Karve Nut-Meg Brush ohh you should see that brush in person beautiful colours I don’t know how Chris does it but it’s another level and I love wooden brushes that polyurethane he is using gets outstanding colours of wood shine trough.

As per Wolfman Razors James does awesome work too as well outstanding quality fit & finish.
I didn’t even know about Wolfman Razors till later on never heard of it as I was focused on Karve and knew about few others that are popular like Joe at Italian Barber.

I did put my self on list to get Wolfman Razor from James with Darwin Handle probably dual comb but I’ll like to get it basic so I can polish it my self if I had money sure I’ll buy polished from James lol.

Also to mention when I was at Shouldice Hospital getting my hernia surgery last March one fella was from Alberta and showed me views at night at Grassland Park wow I have to make a trip there someday to see that scenery at night.


Take Care 

Alan H

I love my brass Karve with D plate...just ordered the B and C plates....looking forward to it...

I juat shaved today with my new razorock lupo 95...Maybe this gives my Karve some serious competition.....it was just fabulous.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

Ordered my Karve on Monday.
Departed from Edmonton on Tuesday.
Arrived in Saskatoon on Wednesday.
Departed from Saskatoon on Wednesday.
Arrived in Winnipeg on Thursday.
Departed from Winnipeg on Friday...
I live in Montreal!

Shipping fulfillment is great and my wife ordered Franky my Pear from Karve and arrived to Gatineau 3 days as promised

You’ll enjoy Karve once you find a way and your technique you’ll see amazing results.

Alan H