Tatara Masamune Nodachi DE Passaround Review - A Notable Evolution of the Original

Razor in hand. One shave down with the open comb. Let me get another done and I’ll report.

Thanks so much to Mr. Dan Law for putting together this Tatara Nodachi razor pass around.  It’s a thankless job I’m sure.  Anyway, I received the razor this past Friday just before heading out for an extended Memorial Day weekend, thus did not get to use it until Monday afternoon when I got back.  Two days beard which usually means an exceptional shave is coming!  Prep was a shower and face wash.  Chosen gear was Stirling Tea Tree soap, Teton Shaves silvertip brush, Nacet blade.  All of this is gear I am very comfortable with.  I chose the open comb for the first shave as I do really enjoy open comb razors.  The fit and finish on this razor are impeccable.  Just glancing, the exposure and gap appeared very similar to a vintage Gillette New which is a favorite of mine.  Weight was very nice.  Balance was perfect.  High hopes until I put the razor to my face and started to shave.  Ive read perfunctory reply’s from others who have tried the razor and they all reported smooth shaves.  That was not my experience.  I rechecked to make sure the blade was loaded correctly.  It was.  I swapped blades to make sure it wasn’t a dud.  It wasn’t.  I changed angles, changed grip, changed pressure and still received an uncomfortable shave.  Two passes only where generally do three.  Followed with an alum block and felt significant sting.  I would have guessed that with this hot of a face feel I would be shorn very close but I was not.  I like alcohol splashes but used just Shea butter afterward.  This was one of my most memorable rough shaves.  I felt quite a lot of chatter but the blade seems supported very nearly to the edge.  I have no idea why my experience was so different than others of you who used it except my face and style don’t match this razor in an open comb format.  

     I tried it again today with the solid bar head expecting a milder experience, and it was but still much more harsh than any razors I own.  Today was Tabac soap, Nacet blade, and the closed comb.  Again, chatter however I held it.  I only used it for the first pass and swapped for my Karve and D plate to finish up.  The feel of the two was remarkable.  The Nodachi was hot with strong blade feel and the Karve was so very comfortable.  The Tatara razor is very beautiful but for whatever reason not for me.  Envious of you fellas that enjoy this one. 
 

Bit surprising but there you are...it happens that not every razor is right for every person.

Bit surprising but there you are...it happens that not every razor is right for every person.

Amen!  I use razors from mild to wild.  Like the Razorock Mamba which is super mild and I can’t get a great shave with the Rockwell except on plate 5 or 6.  My favorite razor is a Merkur Futur which seems to be talked about as a hot razor and I love it.  But my oh my the difference in feel from the Karve D vs the Nodachi SB was night and day.  Sure would like to be smart enough to figure out why it hates me so.  So pretty and that slim head drives nice.

I just received the Nodachi pass around razor this afternoon.  I will use it in the morning and post my thoughts on it.

Thanks so much to Mr. Dan Law for putting together this Tatara Nodachi razor pass around.  It’s a thankless job I’m sure.  Anyway, I received the razor this past Friday just before heading out for an extended Memorial Day weekend, thus did not get to use it until Monday afternoon when I got back.  Two days beard which usually means an exceptional shave is coming!  Prep was a shower and face wash.  Chosen gear was Stirling Tea Tree soap, Teton Shaves silvertip brush, Nacet blade.  All of this is gear I am very comfortable with.  I chose the open comb for the first shave as I do really enjoy open comb razors.  The fit and finish on this razor are impeccable.  Just glancing, the exposure and gap appeared very similar to a vintage Gillette New which is a favorite of mine.  Weight was very nice.  Balance was perfect.  High hopes until I put the razor to my face and started to shave.  Ive read perfunctory reply’s from others who have tried the razor and they all reported smooth shaves.  That was not my experience.  I rechecked to make sure the blade was loaded correctly.  It was.  I swapped blades to make sure it wasn’t a dud.  It wasn’t.  I changed angles, changed grip, changed pressure and still received an uncomfortable shave.  Two passes only where generally do three.  Followed with an alum block and felt significant sting.  I would have guessed that with this hot of a face feel I would be shorn very close but I was not.  I like alcohol splashes but used just Shea butter afterward.  This was one of my most memorable rough shaves.  I felt quite a lot of chatter but the blade seems supported very nearly to the edge.  I have no idea why my experience was so different than others of you who used it except my face and style don’t match this razor in an open comb format.  

     I tried it again today with the solid bar head expecting a milder experience, and it was but still much more harsh than any razors I own.  Today was Tabac soap, Nacet blade, and the closed comb.  Again, chatter however I held it.  I only used it for the first pass and swapped for my Karve and D plate to finish up.  The feel of the two was remarkable.  The Nodachi was hot with strong blade feel and the Karve was so very comfortable.  The Tatara razor is very beautiful but for whatever reason not for me.  Envious of you fellas that enjoy this one. 
 

I used to have a Karve D and I tried the Nodachi on the passaround. The gap and exposure are very similar between them, but there is definitely more blade feel with the Nodachi. I think that’s why some manufacturers don’t like to publish gap and exposure. The same numbers can produce different characteristics.

I had my first shave this morning with the Nodachi.  My regular daily shaver is a Karve Aluminum with either the B or C plates.  I generally prefer a milder razor so I can shave every day.

My shave this morning with the Nodachi was excellent.  I used Grooming Dept’s Angel and my super gel tipped Heritage Collection brush.  This razor is beautifully made.  The Astra SP blade, which Danlaw recommended for this razor,  fit very snugly with zero movement.  The handle seems to have a proprietary end which snugs up inside a hole in the base plate.  All three pieces all came together nicely with no worries about blade alignment.  The blade extends about 1mm out on the sides of the cap so you can hold it while you assemble the razor. 

I found the razor handle heavy because my daily driver is a Karve aluminum with a 3” handle.  If I were to purchase a Nodachi, I would prefer a shorter handle.  The smooth handle was also slippery once lather drifted downward into it. 

The razor is aggressive for me but I received a very close shave with no irritation.  I can feel the blade because the exposure has the edge sticking out further than I am accustomed to. 

All said and done, I like this razor.  This is a razor that for me would work best with 48 hours of growth.  I would need a slightly milder razor for daily shaving.  Fit and finish are excellent. The design is modern and reminds me of the Merkur Futur.

Thanks so much to Mr. Dan Law for putting together this Tatara Nodachi razor pass around.  It’s a thankless job I’m sure.  Anyway, I received the razor this past Friday just before heading out for an extended Memorial Day weekend, thus did not get to use it until Monday afternoon when I got back.  Two days beard which usually means an exceptional shave is coming!  Prep was a shower and face wash.  Chosen gear was Stirling Tea Tree soap, Teton Shaves silvertip brush, Nacet blade.  All of this is gear I am very comfortable with.  I chose the open comb for the first shave as I do really enjoy open comb razors.  The fit and finish on this razor are impeccable.  Just glancing, the exposure and gap appeared very similar to a vintage Gillette New which is a favorite of mine.  Weight was very nice.  Balance was perfect.  High hopes until I put the razor to my face and started to shave.  Ive read perfunctory reply’s from others who have tried the razor and they all reported smooth shaves.  That was not my experience.  I rechecked to make sure the blade was loaded correctly.  It was.  I swapped blades to make sure it wasn’t a dud.  It wasn’t.  I changed angles, changed grip, changed pressure and still received an uncomfortable shave.  Two passes only where generally do three.  Followed with an alum block and felt significant sting.  I would have guessed that with this hot of a face feel I would be shorn very close but I was not.  I like alcohol splashes but used just Shea butter afterward.  This was one of my most memorable rough shaves.  I felt quite a lot of chatter but the blade seems supported very nearly to the edge.  I have no idea why my experience was so different than others of you who used it except my face and style don’t match this razor in an open comb format.  

     I tried it again today with the solid bar head expecting a milder experience, and it was but still much more harsh than any razors I own.  Today was Tabac soap, Nacet blade, and the closed comb.  Again, chatter however I held it.  I only used it for the first pass and swapped for my Karve and D plate to finish up.  The feel of the two was remarkable.  The Nodachi was hot with strong blade feel and the Karve was so very comfortable.  The Tatara razor is very beautiful but for whatever reason not for me.  Envious of you fellas that enjoy this one. 
 

Nice


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Here's my .02 worth. Many thanks to Dan Laws for putting this trial together and keeping track of everything. Excellent job Dan.

Well, I had time with the Nodachi or should I say it had a time with me. For starters this is a really nice razor. From an engineering standpoint this thing really showcases the whole by blending the mechanics as well as the estetics into a terrific total presentation. Even the stand is an extension of the overall design instead of just an add-on. I have a bit of a mechanical /machining background so I found the interface between the cap and baseplate especially notable. The groves in the baseplate and the protrusions on the cap mate in a manner that really provide the foundation for the cap, blade, baseplate alignment. There is a small bit of longitudal movement between the cap and base (without the intended handle installed) but that does not affect the practical alignment of the parts. No "twisting" of the three parts (cap, blade, base) can occur so an afore mentioned adapter or bushing should really not be a concern if one should choose a handle from another manufacturer as some have already done. It is true the intended handle with is stem and "ball" seat fully solidifies the connection as the most solid ever. The blasted finish in my opinion has a dual purpose here. I think it adds an industrial appeal and really blends all the pieces together asthetically as well as providing grip to the handle. I also think the blasting also has some benefits to the manufacturer. It is a very quick and inexpensive way to provide a consistent finish and blend together all the various machined surfaces. No, I'm not saying there cutting any corners but If you're the manufacturer it beats the heck out of hand polishing. (I've done both). Besides the finish is very unique and I like it.

So...I'm sure you guys already knew all that from previous reviews so on to the shave. This thing tried to eat me up. I used Wholly Kow soap for all shaves. My typical is three passes with some minor clean up. I started with a GSB with one previous good shave on it and took a beating. Dan made an excellent recommendation to switch to an Astra SP and I did see a slight improvement. I use about 5 blade brands (most everybody's favorites) that I can basically interchange and in all my razors and get good results so I did'nt see the need to try a bunch of blades in this trial. I did'nt try any other blades after the SPs. The face feel overall is very unique. With the excellent blade gripping ability of this razor the blade feel on the face was nice and the passes were very smooth for such an aggressive (to me) razor. The audible feedback was minimal but yet enough that I could "find" the stubble. I did use the safety bar mostly but switched to the open comb for the last shave just because. The open comb for me was very similar. I thought the blasted finish reduced the slickness against the face and the Nodachi handle is too long and heavy. I did note the safety bar looks a bit thin and could sustain damage if the razor were dropped directly on it. With these minor personal gripes aside it was the aggressive nature that got me. I know I'm in the minority here. I did like the Nodachi alot. I just wish it liked me. If you like aggressive razors this is an awesome choice and I'm glad I got to try it.

If you pair the Nodachi top cap with the Masamune SB baseplate it becomes zero exposure and provides a wonderful daily shave.