RazoRock BBS Review – Meeting The Solid Standard
RazoRock BBS Safety Razor
RazoRock brings us a solid and sturdy razor that is perfect for your daily routine. The RazoRock BBS might just suit those that like a mild shave, perfectly!
Pros
Solid Design feels weighty and comfortable
Knurled Handle provides amazing grip
Clean Stainless Steel looks sleek
Balanced extremely well
Mild Shave, Great for Sensitive Skin
Holds blade securely
Cons
Standard Head might not be Aggressive enough for some
Requires frequent rinsing to keep from gumming up
Moves awkwardly around facial contours
The other side of our RazoRock review (after the recent RazoRock Hawk V2 Review) brings us to the RazoRock BBS Standard razor from their catalog. This razor is a normal DE safety razor using your typical double-edged disposable blades.
So what makes this one jump out of the pack? What makes it unique and worth looking at?
Let’s take a look and see if this razor is something you should pick up immediately, or just give a pass on.
About the Brand: We’ve looked at a few RazoRock products before on this site, and it is safe to say they are one of my solid brands. RazoRock goes by another moniker known as Italian Barber, and they are a family run business out of (you guessed it) Italy. They sell almost anything a guy could need for shaving and male grooming, and have some really nice looking and practical products.
RazoRock BBS “Standard” Stainless Steel DE Safety Razor Description and Features
The BBS Standard DE Razor is a traditional looking razor with interchangeable handles for best comfort.
- Material – 316L Marine Grade Stainless Steel. This is the same kind of steel that is used for medical implants.
- Standard Head – RazoRock offers multiple heads for their razors, and this one is the Standard model which just uses a flat bar. There is no comb on this at all.
- Three parts – The razor unscrews into three pieces like a standard razor.
- Blade Replacement – The RazoRock BBS uses normal DE blades. You replace the blade by unscrewing the top and sandwiching it between the two pieces of the head and screwing the handle back on.
- Handle – The BBS head comes with multiple options from: Bulldog, Super Knurl, HD, UFO, Barber Hole, and Titanium Halo.
- Aggressiveness – The blade gap on the Standard head is the mildest of aggression. Good for sensitive skin. The steep blade angle can mitigate the mildness of the aggression.
- Size and Weight – From top to base the razor measures 3.5 Inches (90mm) in length, and it weighs around 3 oz (85 grams)
For this review I used the Super Knurl handle, which turned out to be a good thing because it felt good in the hand.
The other options for handles vary on their texture and grip. The Super Knurl is a sharply textured handle that feels very spiky and rough, but it allows me to hold it tight even when I have wet and soapy hands. My old razor was almost completely smooth, so attempting to use both sides of the razor was always a chore.
It also makes it very easy to unscrew the handle for quickly changing out the blade.
On the underside of the blade housing is one long troth for drainage. This makes it easy to rinse when using the razor.
Replacing the blade is as easy as unscrewing the parts, and putting in the new razor. There are guide posts in the center to hold your standard DE razor blade in place.
Fun Fact: the BBS in the name is short for “Baby Butt Smooth” for obvious reasons.
How Well Does the RazoRock BBS Shave?
For the purposes of this review, I shaved three times total using my normal 3 passes per shave.
I judged this based on the amount of growth I had: 3+ days of beard growth, 2 days of beard growth, and then 2 days back to back.
I also gauged how well the razor dealt with pre-shaves and different weights in shaving soaps to see how much the blade can handle without getting gummed up.
How Does the BBS Perform with 3+ Days Growth?
For the most part, the razor did pretty well with extended growth. It was important to move slowly and make sure to take gentle strokes as you shave. This will keep your skin from getting irritated.
The mild aggression of the blade makes it easy to get the razor blocked up with hair and soap. You will need to rinse your blade relatively often to make sure the cutting edge remains sharp. Luckily the drainage holes are rather large.
How does the BBS Perform with Daily Growth?
This is where the Standard Razor really works well and excels. The mild aggression of the blade is perfect for shaving low stubble rather than longer whiskers.
That is a bit of a double edge sword however, because even after one day of growth you will start to feel the spots you may have missed. My hair grows very quickly, so I can always feel the 5 o’clock shadow coming in the next morning.
I suppose that means I will get more use out of the razor because I will need to shave more often.
What Kind of Blades Work Best?
Personally, I used Muhle DE blades for this razor, but almost any other DE blades would work. Really this is going to depend on your personal preferences.
How Easy does this Work with the Contours of your face?
The Standard head is not as wide as some other razors, so it works well with contours around the jaw. However, I noticed a slight issue when using it on the neck and around the adam’s apple.
Attempting to get the right angle around the throat to match with the steep cutting angle of the razor was awkward and really didn’t get the parts of my neck I needed it to.
As a nerd, I am always paranoid about making sure the neck area is well groomed, after all.
Blade Aggression
The Standard Head design of this razor is very mild compared to several others. The cutting edge has a bar that moves along your face with the razor. This makes it very easy to cut your whiskers without the worry of cutting your skin.
For heavier beard growth, or more smooth shaves, more aggression is needed. While I used a Muhle blade with this one, if you instead use something like a Feather brand blade, that should increase the sharpness just enough to equalize how mildly aggressive the blade profile is on the BBS Standard Head.
However, if you are just looking for something that you can use on a daily basis, this once is fine.
Handle and Grip
Frankly put, I love this handle and grip. It feels good in the hand and I do not have to worry about this razor moving around.
The Super Knurl doesn’t slide or shift in my hand at all, but it isn’t so spiky that it hurts my skin.
My one complaint here would be that it really isn’t long enough for me, but that is only a small gripe.
Weight and Balance
The weight of this razor is nice. It is light enough to move easily, but not too light. It feels solid, like a good weight of metal in the hand.
It’s balanced toward the head, obviously. However the point where it pivots is actually about an inch down the handle. This means it is really easy to hold and use without discomfort.
Look and Design
From the aesthetic perspective, this razor looks very timeless. It doesn’t really have the sleek modern look you get from the big name cartridge razor companies. Instead it has a very timeless and practical design.
There is no mistaking this razor as anything other than a solid DE razor choice.
Value for Money
This is where we hit somewhat of a snag in my glowing review of this razor.
It’s expensive. I mean really expensive.
From the Italian Barber website itself, it goes for $69.99 USD! 70 Dollars! You know how many pizzas that is?
(7 depending on where you get them.)
One would think that is pretty expensive for a razor, right? And if you were used to other types of razors that would be true.
However, this is a Stainless Steel Razor. This is heavy duty. This razor is built to last.
Most metal razors you find are going to be aluminum or brass, and they will corrode or get bent or just fall apart after extended use. This is not the case for a stainless steel razor. This one is going to last you a while.
So when you look at it from the angle of whether or not it is built to last, then 7 pizzas doesn’t seem like such a bad deal does it?
If you are really wanting to cut the cost, you can get just the Standard Head piece for only $37.99 USD. So if you already have a good handle, but want to try a different cutting head, then this is probably the less expensive option.
Common Consumer Issues, Complaints, or Positive Reviews
Going through other reviewers and customers to see what they have to say, I would say most people are very pleased with their 70 dollar investment.
Many reviews say this razor has replaced most others in their routine. That is definitely saying something, as I prefer to try out as many different tools as I can.
The only bad reviews I can find for this razor are from one person on amazon who thought it felt cheap, and…yeah I cannot see how they possibly thought that. Unless they were expecting a pure titanium razor.
Final Thoughts – Who is the RazoRock BBS For?
Overall, I would definitely recommend this razor to anyone who is looking to upgrade their shaving game from aluminum or brass safety razors to a more professional stainless steel razor.
Though the mild aggression of the razor is a consideration. Those looking for something more aggressive would be better to find a razor with an open comb or a larger blade gap, and straighter blade angle design.
If you have sensitive skin AND are looking to upgrade, then this is a perfect option. The mild aggression of the blade is great for everyday shaves with sensitive skin. You probably won’t even need pre-shave with this razor.
I would not really recommend this razor for someone who is just trying to get into wet shaving. A 70 dollar investment is really something you would want to go for once you know if this hobby is really for you.
