New Blackland Era

Could you explain why you feel that CNC machining could not make a head clamp a blade as well as the ERA process? When I look at my Tatara Nodachi head the blade is clamped almost identical to the ERA, and it is CNC machined.

The head is finished via CNC, so there you go.

Could you explain why you feel that CNC machining could not make a head clamp a blade as well as the ERA process? When I look at my Tatara Nodachi head the blade is clamped almost identical to the ERA, and it is CNC machined.

The head is finished via CNC, so there you go.

Exactly, not sure why Donald says it certainly can't be accomplished by CNC as it was......

I no longer own a Tatara Nodachi, but as I recall there was a difference of several millimeters between the outer edge of the baseplate and the outer edge of the topcap.  However, on the Era the outer edges of the baseplate and topcap match precisely, which is why the Blackland Era has such a superior blade vice.

It is the undercutting of the baseplate which allows this exact mating which I am told cannot be achieved by means of CNC machining.  As for exactly why this is so, I cannot skillfully answer.  I suggest that you ask Shane at Blackland Razors.  He is probably better equipped to answer that question than I am.  

I've had my Level 5 SB for two weeks now.  In that time I also bought and sold a Lambda Athena, and got back a Weber that had been on an extended loan.  Of those three razors, I get my best shaves from the Era, with the Weber coming in a close second.  Of all the DE razors I have ever used, the Era has by far the best blade vice.  Nothing else even comes close.  Because of its design it clamps the blade closer to the edge than any other razor; a design that was accomplished by its method of manufacture.  Perhaps it could have been achieved using MIM (I don't know), but certainly not by CNC machining.  

Like Dragonsbeard I waited until the reviews were in before pulling the trigger.  Being a one pass shaver with a coarse white beard, I had my doubts that it would work for me (the Lambda Athena did not).  However those doubts were laid to rest from the first shave.  I do have some criticisms, but not of the shave quality.  The finish is rough, the handle is too heavy for the head, and the safety bar's connection to the baseplate looks a bit frail.  I like the feel of my 30 gram Tibam Ti handle with the 28 gram head, even though the two finishes look somewhat incongruous.  Maybe I'll have the head polished to match the handle; I haven't yet decided.

That Ti Handle may be my direction to. Two shaves in and I’m liking this razor but still haven’t warmed up to the handle.

When I look at my Tatara Nodachi head the blade is clamped almost identical to the ERA...

No it isn't. The Nodachi appears to be clamped fully when assembled. However, the support does not extend through the majority of the base plate so the vast majority of the blade does not have the support that the sides do. See the red circle in the first pic below.

Compare that to the Era in the following two pics. In the first, you can see that the top cap and base plate touch at the leading edge across the entire span of the blade.

In the second, you can see how the blade support does not change across the full width, while the Nodachi does.

Btw, this isn't a hit against Tatara. They make amazing stuff and I'm a big fan. I just want to correct this one post.

Could you explain why you feel that CNC machining could not make a head clamp a blade as well as the ERA process? When I look at my Tatara Nodachi head the blade is clamped almost identical to the ERA, and it is CNC machined.

The head is finished via CNC, so there you go.

Exactly, not sure why Donald says it certainly can't be accomplished by CNC as it was......

I'm a bit confused by this. The blade support and clamping were not accomplished by CNC and could not be done so as designed.

Blackland Razors 
Shane, I think the question that Dave in KY & BJP were asking was why it could not be done using CNC machining?  I don't have the technical knowledge to answer that question.  

My question is about the weight of the handle (73 g), and how much weight can be removed by drilling out the handle completely?  Have you tried doing that?  I'd be curious to know.  

The size and shape and grip rings are all good, but the weight IMO is excessive.  Please let us know.  
It would be appreciated.  Thank you.

Blackland Razors 
Shane, I think the question that Dave in KY & BJP were asking was why it could not be done using CNC machining?  I don't have the technical knowledge to answer that question.  

My question is about the weight of the handle (73 g), and how much weight can be removed by drilling out the handle completely?  Have you tried doing that?  I'd be curious to know.  

The size and shape and grip rings are all good, but the weight IMO is excessive.  Please let us know.  
It would be appreciated.  Thank you.

It's a fairly long technical explanation, but the short answer is that to machine anything you have to physically get the tool into that area. With 3D-printing you don't have these limitations. To be clear, you could machine something similar with a lot of work and some cleverness, but it would be even more expensive than typical machined razors already are.

73g is a pretty reasonable weight for a handle and it puts the center of balance in the correct spot. I don't know how much weight could be removed by additional drilling.

I have been gravitating towards lighter handles lately, and yet, I still like the balance and feel of the Era.  This discussion has led me to question why.  My tentative answer is that the bottom 26mm of my handle are hollowed out, so the handle's moment (torque) is significantly less than the weight alone would suggest (handle = 72g, head = 16g).

EDIT:  The correct head weight is 16g.

I just reordered an era with a level 5 SB plate. I'm holding off on ordering an OC plate again until I spend more time with the SB plate.