I have shaved with the Hawk.
Not interested in the handle so I swapped in a BRW XL Deluxe with the bell end bottom. Now that's a little heft and length to get things going.
Used a Feather Pro blade fresh for the job.
This is no Cobra. If the blade wasn't so wide I might have thought I was shaving with a DE. Very nice.
Milder even than the ATT SE1. Not in a bad way. Mild when I say it does not mean inefficient. I mean I never felt in danger of life or limb.
The blade does all the work after all. That is why the Artist Club SE razors are a thing. The Hawk really has an intuitive and deliberate angle built in that just felt right to me. Some are probably going to call this too mild. They should perhaps give the Feather Super Pro a go then. No blade stops on the guard so I would imagine the slightly bigger and hungrier blades will work just fine. I don't have any so don't take my word for it.
Again, the blades are the stars of the show when you have an AC SE razor. The Hawk is just fine at holding the AC blade and being able to use any handle is a treat.
I like it a lot one shave in.
I have the two Cobras, an ATT SE1, and have owned a first gen Mongoose. While I thoroughly enjoy the Cobras - they can bite. I never got the feeling the Hawk was attempting to sink its talons into me. It might just be biding its time though. Lulling me into a false sense of security?
I digress.
I had no issue going ATG under my nose or anywhere that may be a bit tricky or dangerous with a more aggressive razor. The head is compact and the exposure is just right for my tastes. No trouble mowing down a three day beard for me with a fresh Feather Pro blade. I had three passes and some touch ups where I'd normally do two and touch ups. The extra pass was partially due to the extra stubble and the fact that I was kicking the tires on my new toy.
The finish is pretty jenky on the top cap.
When I dried it off after my shave it looked even worse. It's smooth sailing along the business edge where the razor glides just as well as any other blade holder on a stick I have. It just looks less than perfect on the broadest plane of the exposed top.
I will try to compare to DE razors here.
If the King Cobra is like an aggressive razor, let's say a Barbasol or Merkur Futur on 6 then I'd say the RazoRock Chrome Hawk is a mildly efficient razor along the lines of the Gillette Tech or Feather AS-D2.
Don't get me wrong here. This not like a Feather AS-D2 at all. My analogy is just to give a point of scale if you've never used an Artist Club type razor like a Mongoose or Cobra.
The overall feel to me is more similar to the Merkur HD or Muhle R89. Nice and tame middle of the road and efficient to get the job done.
It is the blade.
The blade really just is the star of the show in these razors. The Hawk held it back sufficiently without totally taming it. Right now I have no irritation. Zero. No real stubble yet. My impression is that I would not personally step down in the Hawk to a Kai Mild or any kind of Guard AC blade. I don't feel the need to go after the Super Pro either. It's just right for me so far with the Feather Pro.
I feel like I could shave daily with the ATT SE1 and after today's shave the Chrome Hawk as well. The Cobras could for sure too but with maybe only one pass and touch ups. I think the Hawk is a touch gentler than the ATT SE1.
Going to go the distance with this blade and keep using the Hawk until the blade taps out. Hoping to get through this week and all of next.
Seeing as the Hawk costs less than a pack of these blades the final finish doesn't bother me at all. The AC blade razors are about performance.
If you're looking for the lowest cost per shave it's not here. Even with the super low cost of the Hawk. The blades are just too pricey. The whole thing with the AC single edge razors is the results. The shaves are akin to a squeegee. Wipes the whiskers off and doesn't cause irritation. That's the value to look for here. I think like I said earlier that some may not like the mild tone of the Chrome Hawk. Especially those who have already got their sea legs on the Cobra or Mongoose boat. Coming directly from a middle of the road aggression DE razor the Hawk is outstanding.
I was tempted to turn the handle and use the other edge a couple of times during my first shave with the Hawk. It feels that much like a DE shave. The width of the head kept reminding me that it wasn't.
I like it.
At the price point I think it's phenomenal.
Everyone should at least try one for the sake of seeing how well a rigid SE blade performs.
No chatter, no skipping, no fiddling around with alignment, and extreme longevity compared to any other readily available DE blade.
Take the L'Occitane bowls for example. Their early products suffered horrendously with aluminium corrosion (mine being testament to that). The newer versions are corrosion resistant.
so I feel your pain. Man I hate the royal mail. Why does it only take 3 days to cross America and the whole Atlantic. And our blooming british postal service take so so so long and only has it sitting some where in a warehouse for 4 days not moving! I'm sure its below the customs fees but the corporate thief's are still going to proform day light robbery. Aggggh the wait lot
