Shave review of Janus Adjustable razor and Shave Off vs Gillette F4 Toggle

I want to start off saying thank you to Mark and Frank for letting me have the pleasure of trying this razor. In addition, I am not sponsored or getting any type of compensation for this.

Janus lvl 9 vs. Raw aggr plate

Equipment:
Soap- Eufros Dama de Noche (im a sucker for jasmine and this is night jasmine at that so Im a happy camper)
Brush- Declaration grooming Jefferson B5 28mm
Janus razor with new feather blade
Raw aggr plate with new feather blade
Thayers witch hazel
Maol grooming wilde flowers aftershave

Initial impression:
Holy cow this thing is big!...( thats what she said)...haha. Middle school humor aside the janus razor is a hefty razor and the weight is heavy compared to other razors. I thought this would be the big down fall of this razor and the reason why I would not like it but it actually surprised me during use...
The construction is top notch, if the world comes to and end tomorrow this razor will survive. It is very well built and I like how it uses 316 SS.
The notch changes setting easily and is straightforward

Shave:

1st pass WTG: I used the janus on the right and the raw on the left and from the first stroke I noticed that the weight of the janus is one of its best attributes. The weight complements the razor beautifully and makes it very balanced. When I shave I use no pressure and the weight helped to keep the razor at the perfect angle. The raw needs no introduction as it is a great razor (my favorite). I would tell even before I felt my face that the janus side was closer after the first pass. I would say for me the janus is about .5-1 step more efficient than the raw. Now comes the crazy thing... it felt almost as smooth as the raw. The raw is a very smooth shaver and I was surprised, but once again I feel that the weight of the janus helps with how smooth it felt. I would rate the raw about .5 smoother than the janus.

2nd pass XTG: With this pass my hair grows in different direction so this is usually the pass that makes or breaks my shaves and both sides did a great job. Once again the efficiency goes to the janus and the smoothness goes to raw but only by a bit. I was very impressed with how razor felt going XTG. They both gave me good audible feedback. In addition, the blade feel on the janus was minimal. I like aggressive razors and blade feel but I really appreciate a razor that has minimal blade feel while keeping the efficiency up.

3rd pass ATG: Here it was no surprise that ATG the janus did just as good of a job as the raw. Keeping in the same fashion the raw was a tad smoother while the janus has just a bit more efficiency. Going ATG with both razors was easy and smooth. At this point I was getting upset that the shave was coming to an end, but I have a feeling this will not be my last encounter with this razor.

Overall: This is a great razor and I hope that the kickstarter makes it. I am not currently a backer but I am thinking about. The price is expensive but as with anything in life the good stuff usually is. With how the razor first felt in my hand to the use I was impressed. Keeping in mind how smooth it was compared to the raw I was surprised and would love to see the Janus company take off. It was a pleasure to use and some might be put off by the size and the weight, but don't let it fool you...

Excellent review Bo and I’m glad to hear that the Janus was as smooth or almost as smooth as the Raw which has been the smoothest yet efficient modern razor in my den. Just for the heck of it the next time you pull out a new Feather Blade try hand stropping it 3 times on each of the 4 sides. Let me know if you notice a difference in smoothness.
I also at first thought the Janus would be to large a razor and you’re description of how your opinion changed once you actually used mirrors mine.

I also found that the Janus didn’t like a thick coating of shave soap but a slick soap with good ghost slickness worked best as you know I do a lot of skin stretching and reverse skin stretching when using my SSSST. Only a few days and we all get to meet up at Maggard’s Shave event.

Excellent review Bo, I'm with you on how the Janus surprises you on ease of use. My first impression was it was a tank but in use it operates very easily and smoothly. Let us know how long your shave lasts for you.

Very nice review and to hear the Janus is almost as smooth as the RS-10 is big. I do not have a Rs-10 but a friend sent his to me to try out for a little while and it is a very smooth and efficient razor. The more I read about this razor the more I want one.
Happy shaves
SMURF

Great review Bo! Was looking forward to seeing how it compares to the RS-10. I’m surprised the Size difference between the two is not that much. Any chance you could add a photo with the side profile of the heads (the sides where the tabs stick out)?

AQU, will have to ask mark since he had the razor back now, I’m sure he will

AQU here you go

Thank you! I’m beginning to think the size isn’t as big a deal as I had thought. Especially if the head will be shrunk for the final production.

Would love to get in on the pass around next time... but I live in Canada.

Also, during the duration of this thread only two new backers have appeared and there are 68 left. Janus Razors can you clue us in on what might happen should the Kickstarter fall through?

Janus Lev 9 vs Wolfman WR1 .94 DC
It has been about 36 hrs since my last shave and I am back into my nightly shave routine.
Pre Shave Hot Shower
Blades Polsilver
Brush Elite HMW
Soap Sebum Gold
AS Thayers Lavender follows by Sebum Purple
I only used the Solid Bar side of my Wolfman

First Pass WTG
Started with the Wolfie on my right side and it was a nice smooth pass, there is blade feel but the razor just glides so easily and it took down most of my beard.
On to the left side with the Janus on 9. The Janus is definitely heavier but is noticeably smoother it was not as nimble under my nose as the WR1 but I had no issues I just needed to tug up on my nose. Quick rinse and both sides are the same I could feel stubble if I ran my hand ATG.

2nd Pass ATG
Both razors handled this pass without tugging or skipping. The Janus felt slightly smoother but the Wolfie was great as always.
Cold Water rinse and splashed some Thayers on, cleaned my gear and did a cotton ball test BBS 2 on my face and neck but had a small catch of the cotton on both sides just under the jaw line. IMHO it was a dead heat but went to my wife for her test and she said the Wolfie side was a touch softer.
The Janus continues to amaze me how smooth it is for a heavy Adjustable razor and it’s efficiency is close or equal to the best in my den. This Shave goes to the Wolfie by a hair for efficiency but to the Janus for Smoothness.

Excellent review Mark and thanks for using the .94 WR1 for me as I didn’t have enough time with the razor to do it. Of course you know me and I can’t help but wonder if the results would be the same with both razors loaded with a Feather in them. I only use Feathers in my .94 as I have in all the Wolfman razors I’ve shaved with so I have no clue how the .94 would be using a Polsilver compared to the Feather. I do know the Polsilver was the least efficient of the 3 blades I used in the Janus which we’re the Feather being the most efficient with the Kai right behind it and the Polsilver noticeably less so. I don’t know the specs of each blade but I remember in one of my discussions with Eric that the Feather was larger than the other blade he was using and he said it’s one of the reasons the Janus was more efficient besides the fact the Feather is sharper.

Also how’s that Sebum Gold Shave soap?