Review: Rocnel SE50 razor

Could you please let us know if the screw has any play in securing the blade, please?  The other reviewer didn't care to answer the question.  Thanks in advance!

Was that a question originally asked of me, asking as I can't find that question.

I got mine today in the mail. I can't wait to take it home tonight and give it a good try!
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Shave It Up!
The Clean Shaver
YouTube.com/c/thecleanshaver

Could you please let us know if the screw has any play in securing the blade, please? The other reviewer didn't care to answer the question. Thanks in advance!

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The top cap is not threaded. The set screw goes through the base plate and ads tension to the top plate, which leverages a fulcrum point in the middle to apply top pressure on the blade. You see the gap in the back? The top cap sits a little off-set from back to front to secure the blade. Interesting setup.



Shave It Up!
The Clean Shaver
YouTube.com/c/thecleanshaver

Thanks for the posting looking forward to the review from both of you

Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk

One thing I don't like about this one is the engraving on the top cap. It totally takes away from the design, IMHO. I don't know, it seems like it should be on the bottom of the baseplate if anywhere. I guess it doesn't really matter if it shaves well.

I’m with you on this, Jeff, and I feel the same way about the Feather AS-D2 (the top cap of which has the Feather logo and the words “All Stainless Razor”). Company name, fine, but why on earth would I need to read all these other details about the razor on its top cap every time I use it? Wouldn’t it be better to just print those details on the packaging?

Anyway, that’s just me being a nitpick.

Shave Report​

It had only been 24 hours since the Timeless Razor had done away with my stubble so I wasn't overly bearded this morning.
There was the usual scruffy feeling though running my hands across my face. My beard doesn't grow extremely dense - I'd say medium - but it's rather coarse.

I was really looking forward to trying out the SE50. It has a loading mechanism that I quite frankly have never seen before and if it's one thing I admire it's creativity and innovation in an area that sometimes seem to have stagnated.

But, it obviously also need to perform so let's have a look.

Loading the blade
As covered in the opening post the blade is places on the base plate and you slide the topcap in from the side, in a machined groove, until it covers the base plate. You then secure the head by twisting the screw a few times until its locked in place.
It's easier than it sounds but I do wish that the slots that the blade rests on on the base plate were a little bit more pronounced so that they would stay put a bit more. There is a little bit of dexterity required to load it. Having said that...today was the second time I played around with loading a blade and it took me seconds.

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Once the blade is in place the sides of the head lines up very evenly. The base and top plate are exactly the same length - as opposed to the upcoming DE42.
I did notice an interesting thing though - the back of the head leaves a slight 'gap' when the head is secured. It might be a side effect of the tension lock and it doesn't seem to have any impact on the shave of course but thought it was worth calling out.
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The original Rocnel SE (that takes DE blades snapped in half) was designed so that, even if the tabs were snapped off, small pieces of the blade would still protrude on the sides. It caused me - and others - some concern but after a few uses it was one of those things that stopped being an issue in reality.

Taking a closer look at the head once the, in this case a Feather Pro, blade is loaded one can see that there is a small amount of blade exposed on both sides of the head;
(Apologies for shoddy "macro" photos - lost my close-up lens)
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The amount of blade extending past the head is not as significant as on the original SE and I didn't honestly see it as an issue as this amount is something I see on a number of razors - including the recent Timeless Razor.

Shaving
It became apparent within a few strokes down my face that it's rather mild razor.
If you're the kind of person who likes the idea of these SE razors using the Feather/Kai blades but feel that the Mongoose/Cobras are too aggressive this razor might be the one for you.
Mild yet surprisingly efficient.
As expected (hoped) the 'blade overhang' had no impact on the shave or how I moved the razor around my face.

After two passes (WTG and ATG) I was very clean shaven and there was never any fear of cutting myself as I often get with the other common Feather/Kai razors. Mild. Efficient. I believe it's a "P" (mild) model just as the original Rocnel SE.

The head is huge. At 69gr it's quite something to balance during your shave.
I did find myself wishing it had been trimmed by 20gr or so to make it feel a bit more balanced.
I'll be trying it out with various handles to see if I can find a good balancing sweet spot.

So a quick summary;
- Interesting/different loading mechanism where the tabs on the base plate could be a bit more pronounced to help keep the blade in place,
- Slight blade overhang on the sides that doesn't seem to affect the shave,
- A rather mild shave that felt very comfortable and was surprisingly efficient
- A big, heavy head

I was chatting with TheCleanShaver earlier in the week about the razor as he had also received his and I made the comment that the Rocnel razors might appeal the most to "DYI"-kinda people..the model airplane builders...the tinkerers. The razors are quirky, very efficient but might require a bit more time and practice in handling and than your off-the-shelf Merkur.
That's neither good or bad - just different. And having options is never a bad thing

My shave today was great. Was it flawless? No but it was quirky, fun and gave me a clean shave.

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I got mine today in the mail. I can't wait to take it home tonight and give it a good try!
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Shave It Up!
The Clean Shaver
YouTube.com/c/thecleanshaver

Could you please let us know if the screw has any play in securing the blade, please?  The other reviewer didn't care to answer the question.  Thanks in advance!

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The top cap is not threaded. The set screw goes through the base plate and ads tension to the top plate, which leverages a fulcrum point in the middle to apply top pressure on the blade. You see the gap in the back? The top cap sits a little off-set from back to front to secure the blade. Interesting setup

Shave It Up!
The Clean Shaver
YouTube.com/c/thecleanshaver

Thank you sir! Looking forward to your video review and speed shave

Rocnel SE50 Review

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Received a Rocnel SE50 razor in the mail today and thought it could be interesting to people to see some more photos of it and hear some subjective thoughts on it.

Rocnel History/Background
If you've lived under a Roc (ok, that was bad..) for the past six months or so Rocnel is a company out of Turkey that is coming out with some really interesting safety razors.

There is an early (and more expensive) 'deluxe' DE razor but the later offerings seems to all have some things in common;
- CNC machined out of 316 stainless steel,
- Innovative blade loading mechanisms,
- Priced very competitively, and
- Very well machined

Their first offering in this 'budget' line of razors was the Rocnel SE that took a DE snapped in half and loaded into a solid head design. It received a number of reviews ranging from 'unusable' to 'my favorite razors these days'. Me, I was very happy with mine and I think that with shipping it set me back about $35 which was, to me, an incredible value.

Receiving close to 4,000 pre-orders (many duplicates as people were not sure if their order had been registered and re-did it) of their Rocnel SE razor two things became apparent to them; a) there was a huge interest w/in the wet shaving community for well machined sub-$100 razors and b) being a machine shop first and foremost they needed to outsource the actual selling of their razors due to the issues the overwhelming amount of pre-orders caused.

Next in their line up are;
1) The SE50 razor that takes your Feather Problade and whatnot-kinda-blade, and
2_ The DE42 razor that will take 'full' DE blades

This pre-production review is about the first out of the two:

The Rocnel SE50

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Some data points about the SE50;
- CNC machined out of 316 Stainless steel,
- Feather Pro compatible blades,
- Price: Approx $85 / £60
- Availability: TBD but appears to be Aug-Sep, 2016
- Sold at: extrashaving.com

Disclosure
As always I try to fully disclose how I acquired the razor I'm reviewing as for some people it matters and I can fully understand that. As this razor is not yet available to purchase it was sent to me free of charge to do with as I please. There was not even a requirement to post a full review - just to let Murat at Rocnel know what I thought about it.
So take that into consideration when you read the obviously subjective (I can only state what I think about it based on my own preferences and background/experience and odds are they will never be a perfect match with your own) shave reports.

First Impressions
"You load the blade how?"
That was honestly the first thought that ran through my mind when I picked out the head out of its box. Rocnel is really setting the bar high when it comes to innovative and different blade loading mechanisms. The question is of course what price this innovation comes at - does it provide improved functionality and/or does it come across as quirky and inconvenient?

The quick answer is 'yes' - but there is a longer answer as well.

Design
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I love creativity and innovation but any design should, I believe, adhere to the old triple-F mantra "Form Follows Function"

The Rocnel SE50 is an attractive looking razor in an almost industrial-design kind of way. It feels and looks like a Man's razor. If this razor was a person his name would be Mitch, 37 years old. Divorced, hates his ex-wife, likes his scotch at the local bar, works construction and enjoys fishing and cigars. Considers plastic cartridges to be for hipsters and 'other types of women'.

Anyroad, let's go back to the blade loading mechanism...
It's a six step process;
1) Uncscrew the handle,
2) Unscrew the head,
3) Place blade on baseplate
4) Fit the top cap into the groove and slide it across the base plate
5) Insert and twist the screw into the head until the two head pieces are securely joined
6) Attach the handle to the screw

Pros:
* Much easier than it sounds. There is really no risk of cutting yourself.
* Innovative and rather 'fun' to see something that is not yet another Mongoose copy

Cons:
* The blade, when placed on the base plate doesn't have any really well defined tabs to sit securely on. It does require a tad bit of dexterity to make sure the blade stays put as you slide the top cap over it. I didn't have any problem doing it but it's possible that people with reduced dexterity in their fingers could experience some challenges here.
* Every time you want to clean your razor you do need to go through these steps and the screw is a separate piece which does increase the possibility of losing it.
(I assume this design was another cost-cutting decision and I don't have an issue with it. Would I had preferred to have it permanently mounted to the handle? Sure, and I think I might superglue it to it down the road)
* I am not convinced yet that this rather alternative way of loading and securing the blade improves on the traditional head design but will keep an open mind and see how it works out for me over the next couple of weeks

The top and base plate taken apart:
(The machining is really stellar)
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A Feather Pro blade resting on the base plate:
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Sling the top cap over the loaded base plate:
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(The screw btw is about twice the length of the screw used in the first Rocnel SE razor. This due to the thickness of the base plate and that it's used to friction hold the top cap in place.
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Speaking of design, I did rather enjoy seeing the subtle pattern in the base plate. Nice touch.
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Quality/Machining
Like the previous Rocnel SE all parts are expertly machined. Pieces are smooth, well finished and fits perfectly together. The weight of the stainless steel adds to that perception of 'quality' as well. A very fine machined piece of shaving gear. I believe this razor will appeal - or not - to people purely on the merits of its design and price point.

Competition/Comparison
I think the natural comparison to make is with the Mongoose razor.

Below are some snaps showing some aspects of the two razors;

The Mongoose head is slightly longer:
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Profile comparison. Rocnel on the right.
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Disassembled, Rocnel on the right
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Base plates. Rocnel on the right.
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Some of the usual, modern suspects in this SE sub-category
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Left to right:
Rocnel SE50 ($85),
Cobra Classic ($200)
King Cobra ($240)
Mongoose, SS ($180)

Coming up next
Shave reports.

I hope this can be of use to anyone considering the razor.

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Great review, even if it was 6 years ago..
I recently bought an SE50 and it is definitely a different animal, compared to all the other AC safety razors I've tried. Quite the jump in cost as well. ?

The Mongoose is also on my wishlist, so if it's possible, it would be great if the photos were made available for viewing, again.

Thanks for the review, very informative!