Weight: 105g with insert, 88g without insert Handle length: 82mm. Handle + knob: 90mm From the website. $350. No mention of the blade gap range.
"It has long been an axiom of mine that if you want those kind of details, the vendor websites are the last place to find them." - Sherlock Holmes, "A Study in Razors", 1898. If they remake GOLDFINGER, that's the razor they should use in place of the Slim! Although the "hidden" compartment is not so hidden! Q would be proud, though! Try bringing that razor on a plane, lol.
I was not going to shave with the Osprey until the weekend as I wanted to put in a few shaves with some vintage Gillette Tech’s that I‘ve acquired recently but, I said “self, those Gillette Tech’s aren’t going anywhere, don’t be a pansy and get on with it.” I must say, self had a point. So, this will not be extensive nor detailed just a quick shave report and a couple of observations from my perspective. As many here and across multiple forums have stated about the Osprey, quality, fit, finish and feel are world class and perhaps might have even set a new standard of those attributes for the house of Blackland and its extensive stable of razors. That’s no small feat as Shane & his team have come up with some of the more modern/contemporary razors in the post 2000 era that scream iconic and outside the box execution. One will never confuse a Blackbird, Sabre or Vector with anything else out there today. There are pretenders but, that’s all they are, pretenders. All right, enough brownie smooching. Knob adjustment has a nice solid feel to it with good tension/resistance. Might be a little too much for some but, it works nicely for me. Installing a blade, making adjustments, unscrewing the handle, more adjustments and retightening was a bit off for me but, I’ll get it down with more use as I get familiar with what setting(s) I prefer. Nothing difficult to do, just one getting accustomed to a new way of doing things with an adjustable. A new Feather was installed and I just set it at 5 and left it there for the whole shave. Excellent 3 pass shave that had me at DFS in two. I chased the baby with a 3rd and it was fantastic. 3 tiny weepers on the chin and not an iota of irritation or discomfort to speak of. The handle felt great in the hands and somehow the hollowed out handle allowed my digits to seat comfortably within the recesses of those cutouts providing very good grip and tactile feel. Blade feel was minimal at the 5 setting yet it removed whiskers with ease and effective efficiency. To my minds eye, think shave feel of a Gillette Tech with cutting ability of an RR GC .84 SB or somewhere thereabouts. It’s not a loud singer but, it hums nicely on each stroke and one can hear those whiskers being cut while being smooth & comfy simultaneously. Early peeve? I wish the numbers were filled in black. It helps my poor sad eyes…. I want to point out something very quickly as I have come across a couple of critiques about the adjustment mechanism. On a social media forum a couple of shavers reported that their Ospreys would not adjust past the 8 marker once the razor was submerged in hot water to get some heat into the razor. Prior to them doing so, the razor went through a complete range of motion adjustment without an issue. Personally, I did not experience any such thing as my Osprey went through the range of motions on the adjuster both hot & cold, before and after the shave. An anomaly with those particular shavers? Don’t know but, I figured I’d mention it here. I say that because some of those forums and members can be a little suspect especially the more known social media sites. There are those that might have ulterior motives and again, they could be legit issues or concerns. Just reporting experiences from others that I can’t confirm, nothing more. Excellent first start and on initial feel & performance, this has meet and far exceeded what I was expecting. Time and further use will tell how it compares with the other “Elite Adjustables” in the market today. For now, heck of a start for me. Great shaves to all…
This will be brief. I debated on the Vintage Gillette Tech’s, the arrival of my Wolfman Alum Guerilla plates or the Blackland Osprey. I went with the Osprey and I’m glad I did. The same Feather from the first shave and an uptick to gap size #7. I built my lather and what followed was a sensational 2.5 pass shave that was uber comfortable with no irritation or weepers anywhere. The Feather had a bit more feel on #7 than it did on #5 from the 1st shave but, it was exceptionally smooth with just a tad bit more cutting prowess which I welcomed immediately. Superb shave really as I have no need to add more to it. The Osprey brought its A-Game in that setting for me and I loved every single cutting stroke. I’m going to try the Osprey at full tilt the next time I shave with it, at least 3-4 days of whiskers and see what it produces. I just need to fight the urge to try the other razors that are waiting and screaming at me every time I walk by my shave den. “Try me! Try me!” is all I keep hearing. You know what I mean? Yes? No?? A quick word on the soap that I used. If you like vetiver that is clean & crisp that carries a professional yet gentlemanly air about it, Yetivert by Ethos is as good as it gets. F base formula that produced an intoxicating lather that was rich, dense & yet light with that gorgeous Vetiver aroma and a dash of bright citrus accords. Phenomenal and addicting with performance to match. The skin food splash is just icing on the cake. Great stuff. Great shaves with your Osprey & any other razor you might have …..
A really good shave opened up at its max setting, almost a 10 on the adjustment dial. Not as intimidating or aggressive as one would think with the gap one will see below. A steady hand and a more determined methodical approach required but, not zen like focus or one needs to be in “the zone” to achieve an excellent shave. More docile than say an Ikon Tech on skin with a feel that is closer to a Timeless .95 maybe a tad bit higher. For me a better shaver at max than the more popular and beloved by many, the Legendary Blackbird. Just my take is all from personal experience. Obviously the Osprey has the lineage and shows top shaving pedigree to it’s more known shave stablemates in the Blackland line up.
Sunday morning is a moment or day that represents to me the pinnacle for a potential sublime shave. First, I give thanks to The Almighty. Next, I hit my brewer for a steaming hot cup of coffee that is to come. Then, I gather my gear for the shave that’s about to begin. A quick hot shower, dry up and then pour myself a cup of that fabulous eye opening black elixir as I trudge back to my shave den. I get down to business and proceed to scoop out some soap, grab the brush to build a luscious lather and promptly paint it on my mug. For a moment I take in all the scents & aromas that swirl around in my den, appreciating every single note and nuance that it all brings about. I like simplicity and though shaving can be tedious or complex for some, I find it straightforward, routinely basic and a personal indulgence that I never will tire of. Simple. Men in general don’t need much to be content. Put the steel to skin and just proceeded to remove whiskers stroke after stroke. WTG, ATG & XTG passes were executed to near perfection. The Osprey with the same Feather and from yesterday performed marvelously as I set it at #6.5 or thereabouts for all 3 passes. No buffing, no pick ups were needed once I laid down the Osprey on my bathroom sink. Not a single weeper, not a nic nor an inkling of irritation to be felt or seen. Calm, smooth and buttery soft skin was all that was left in my hands to behold. An alum pass, cold water rinse and a quick splash of the after shave to seal the deal. Grabbed my almost empty cup of wake up potion and poured myself another. A fabulous sunrise, the perfect shave and a good cup of coffee. I want nor need anything more. Well, maybe bacon & scrambled eggs with some sliced avocado wedges to get the taste buds going. Did I mention that it’s NFL Sunday, too? Great shaves to all….
Hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day with good eats, goods drinks and great laughs but, most importantly we were all grateful to have what we have to share with those we love and love most. An update with my Blackland Osprey on this cold & crisp Saturday morning. Went with the normal set up that has worked with consistent effectiveness from shave to shave and that has been starting it at about #7. Worked my way down to #5 for a near flawless shave. I say near flawless as I did give myself a couple of weepers with a fresh Feather blade that brings the Osprey to a more acute level of cutting ability. And if one thinks or acts like they have an Astra SP or similar blade in it like I did, the Feather will remind you that it’s not one of those blades. No irritation or discomfort which is always welcome and as some of you may know and have used a Feather blade, it does get smoother after that initial shave. Well, at least for me it does. I’m still tinkering with different blades but, so far the Gillette Minora’s have been the best in providing excellent smoothness with a combined sharpness that works for my shaves. Granted that I’ve only used 3 different blades but, I’ll get a few more in just to settle on 3 blades that will work best in the Osprey. Great shaves to all…
The Osprey Ti delivered and then some. Just about perfect in weight & balance with excellent feedback during both passes. Went with setting #5 then to #4 for the final pass. Titanium for me has always been the optimal alloy for face feel & comfort and the Osprey Ti is no exception in this regard. It just feels right in the hands and even better on my face. Shave wise not a single complaint. The stainless is great but, the Ti just takes it to another level of shave nirvana. The Ethos shave stick is a real nice alternative for a quick shave when time is of the essence. A couple quick passes on the face and let the brush do its work making some gorgeous face suds. And lastly, get yourselves some Schick de blades Gents, these things deliver both smoothness and sharpness. Not Feather or Top tier Gillettes but, it’s close enough. Price & availability is the only caveat but, it’s worth it to me. Great shaves to all…
That is one gorgeous razor. Never shaved with a titanium razor. Sounds like it gives a great shave. With those two beautiful razors you have, it must be tough to keep the ol Techs in a rotation with these!
I'm just glad my 'collecting' days are over, otherwise I'd want an Osprey. I've learned to be content with what I have already. For this particular hobby, anyways...
It's a very nicely done razor & thank you. And to be quite honest, I have a few Techs with the pre-war Fat Handle my favorite vintage razor only behind the RFB. Both are fantastic. I'd survive with just those two for the rest of my shaving days if I were stripped of all modern razors. I'd shed a tear or two but, I'd get over it. This is the truth. I really could be fine with 4 razors in my current collection. Yet, truth be told I truly thoroughly enjoy the aspect of trying something new whether vintage or modern/contemporary every once in awhile. I enjoy shaving and the shave hobby as a whole. Besides Bikes, Women and an occasional round of golf a couple times a month weather permitting, I do enjoy these wonders of shave gear that do the simplest thing of removing whiskers. Happy shaves to you...
