Tatara Nodachi Ti Passaround - Titanium Makes a Shocking Improvement

Third shave in with the SB plate... Smooth like butter... Very easy ..just executes....cannot come up with anything that should be improved..

Just works

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Another shave with the SB plate this morning with about 25 hrs growth. Used a Wilkinson sword saloon pack blade... Couldn't even feel the blade and gave me super results....

This is a very versatile razor... Can mow down 5 days growth with the Astra SP or Nacet and can go to a milder blade for a daily shave.. zero irritation....

Cheers... Great job Tatara
Much prefer this to the Muramasa.



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Thanks to inspiration largely from this thread, I jumped in on the Black Friday sale and picked up a Tatara Ti Masamune SB/Nodachi Cap for a great price. The shaves have been most excellent--among the very best I have had. I wanted to thank all of you...BTW, my blade of choice has been a new favorite, the Gillette Platinum New.

Razor has been shipped and probably has reached the next in line. Thanks so much Dan and Tatara for the opportunity. I had never tried the SS Masamune or Nodachi and was expecting a bit of an aggressive shaver...but this was just a wonderful treat to use. Very efficient yet feels smooth and not aggressive... Where I just did not have to fear cutting myself. Few razors can give you an efficient shave and feel easy to maneuver. One of the top razors that can be used as a daily driver but can also mow down many days growth with ease.

The titanium feels great... Assuming this is easier to maneuver than the SS counterpart. Enjoyed the SB plate and thought the open comb was also very good... A tad more aggressive...

A simplistic look and good finish. Would I recommend this... Definitely....Do I need one tomorrow..... No... But it is high on my list when I do think of swapping something out.

Cheers and keep up the great work Tatara

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I received the Tatara Nodachi Ti razor late on Thursday. (thanks Ketotrader) I had shaved on Thursday, and my normal routine is every other day, so I will get a shave in with it later today.
My first impressions were as expected, I love the look and feel of this razor. I don't currently have a Tatara razor, but did have a Masamune with Nodachi cap for a while, and it was one of my favorite shavers that I've tried. I haven't had the opportunity to try the Nodachi before, so I expect this to be a treat in the Ti. Like DanLaw, I have some background in engineering and design, and this razor is such a treat from that perspective. The way that the handle engages the plate and topcap for alignment doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. I am also a big fan of the finish of this razor. I have some polished razors, but in my mind, the Tatara finish lends to the overall design aesthetic and just works. I can't wait to give it a try. 

A few thoughts after my first couple of shaves with the Nodachi Ti. 

Shave #1
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Astra
Brush: Turn N Shave w/ Strike Gold hand-tied knot
Soap: CBL Orion Hamam Spa
Post: Nivea Sensitive Skin Balm


First shave with the Nodachi wasn’t quite as good as I expected. I haven’t liked Astra blades in the past, but I wanted to try it with one of the included blades. I don’t think I can blame my not-no-great shave on the blade, though. More on that below.

The first thing I noticed was there was a fair amount of blade feel. This was perplexing based on the previous postings. But I went on with three a three pass shave to see where things went. I wound up with a few tiny weepers, but nothing out of the ordinary. My face was smooth, but I had a little bit of razor burn. Enough that I used my Nivea balm to calm things down a bit. I then realized that I had used a much too steep angle during this first shave. The razor I use most requires a bit of a steep angle, and I didn’t adjust my usual routine enough with this first Nodachi shave. Lesson learned.

Shave #2
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Wizamet
Brush: Graydog w/Maggard’s SHD
Soap: A&E Peaches and Cognac
Post: Ethos Lime Skin Food Splash

After looking back at the original Nodachi post with the info on shave angle, I adjusted my technique accordingly. I switched to a Wizamet blade, which is what I use most often these days. First pass, now we’re talking… much lower blade feel, much smoother. Shave angle is fairly critical with the Nodachi, definitely something to keep in mind when you’re trying out this razor or considering purchasing it. To me it presents a narrower band of "sweet spot" shave angle than some other razors. 

I haven’t mentioned the weight and feel of the Titanium. I’ve tried several Ti razors, and owned a couple as well. I do like the face feel of it, though sometimes the weight gives me a bit of a challenge and I press too hard. It can take a little practice for me with a Ti razor. It’s interesting that I have a Henson AL, but I’ve never had this issue with it, even though it’s lighter than Ti.

There has been some comment on the handle; I find the length to be great, as my large hands and long fingers prefer a longer handle. The small amount of dimples is a design difference to set apart from the Masamune. I prefer the look of the Masamune handle, but I had no issues with the Nodachi handle, even when wet the grip was fine. I attribute this to the unique finish that Tatara has created.

I’ll have a few more shaves with the Nodachi Ti, and will post more thoughts. 

Thanks to Tatara and to DanLaw for this pass around.

rocket did you contact DanLaw about joining this pass around?  I think it could be in your sweet spot!

rocket did you contact DanLaw about joining this pass around?  I think it could be in your sweet spot!

I did. I believe I am up next in the pass around. Looking forward to evaluating the Nodachi!

My last couple of shaves with the Nodachi.

Penultimate:
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Wizamet (2nd use)
Brush: Graydog w/Maggard’s SHD
Soap: Ethos DFS Colonia
Post: Ethos Lime Skin Food Splash

Final:
Baseplate: SB
Blade: Wizamet (3rd use)
Brush: Turn N’ Shave w/ Strike Gold hand0tied knot
Soap: House of Mammoth Sonder
Post: House of Mammoth Clean

Now that I have the angle down, these were nice shaves. I did two passes with cleanup, which is my normal routine with any razor that has above mid-efficiency. I do get a slight amount of harshness on the ATG passes if I’m not really careful with the angle. I’m not completely sure, but I attribute it to the positive blade exposure. I’ve experienced this with other razors that have positive exposure. It may be something with my technique, or my skin, or a combination, but it’s something I’m sensitive to. I’m sure with time I could get used to it and make the necessary minor adjustments. A very small weeper on the last shave, but it didn’t require anything to stop almost immediately.

A few other thoughts on this razor; I’ve never had a chance to use the stainless steel Nodachi, but I can imagine it is also a great shaver. Ti razors have been interesting for me to try. I had a lot of trouble with some of them, I had assumed it was the light weight. But others I’ve tried I had no issues with. The Nodachi falls somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. I should have known how angle sensitive this razor would be, having owned a Masamune previously. Once I got the angle down, the shaves were nice, smooth, and efficient. I think I could make them more efficient with a bit more practice.

In general, I have been super impressed with all of the Tatara razors that I’ve tried. The designs are impeccable, and I was pretty excited to try this one in Ti. I don’t think it knocks my top razors out of their spot, but if I was in the market for another razor, this one would be on a short list (I’m actually trying to minimize the number of razors I have). If you are looking for a razor that’s smooth and efficient, with really good blade clamping and great maneuverability, this one's for you. The Ti does make for a really nice face feel, also.

Thanks DanLaw  and tatararazors  for the opportunity to participate in this pass around!

The razor has been cleaned, packed, and sent on to the next participant.

Happy New Year everyone!

I just received the Tatara Nodachi Ti razor set. First shave planned for tomorrow morning.