- Pre-Shave : Shower, PAA Ice Cube
- Brush : PAA Amber Aerolite
- Soap : PAA Dapper Doc’s Lilac and Fig
- Razor : PAA Meta4 (Kirby) w/Wizamet Super Iridium Blade
- Post Shave : PAA Dapper Doc’s Lilac and Fig Aftershave Cologne, PAA Mysterium Serum (w/menthol)
TLDR : Dapper Doc’s is awesome, Meta4 is the new girl and she’s kicking everyone’s butt.
So it took a while but it finally got here to sunny Singapore after being stuck in LA for almost 2 weeks.
Dapper Doc’s Lilac and Fig smells fantastic, especially on the dry down when the accords settle and that lilac, fig, rose and musk blends into a heady sweet but almost boozy scent.
Make no mistake, this is a man’s scent that you’d imagine Sherlock Holmes (and his Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), Doc Holiday, or Tennyson and the men he pens in those famous lines in the Charge of the Light Brigade would wear.
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Yeah, definitely a man’s floral scent.
Now for the star of the show, The Meta4 (The Metaphor!)
The razor itself comes in a simple box with carboard holders to keep the razor in place while in transit.
And while some might want a more lavish presentation, I think it does what its supposed to do and by keeping the price of something you are probably going to throw away down, cost and money spent went into the razor itself and it shows.
Broken down, it is a slot post, three piece razor, simple.
You will notice that the finishing is well done, and especially, the brand and name etched into the baseplate is a very welcomed sight.
Little things but these little things give a sense of quality and soul to the razor.
At this point I should mention the knurling. Way too often, we get really good looking handles but more often than not, the knurling if any, or patterns in the handle are all but useless when you need a grip that counts, and really there to serve a cosmetic function.
Not so with this handle. Even with my hand (and yes I did that on purpose) covered in Cube Lather, and anyone who has used the Cube knows just how slippery and slick that is, I have no issues picking up, gripping and using the razor.
I’d still recommend to wash your hands off first of course. 🤣
When I first put a blade in and looked at the the working gap, I have to say, it is quite something else but don’t let it intimidate you, I’ll get to the blade geometry and head design in a bit.
I think the first time anyone sees this razor they’d go “Holy frack! Look at that gap!”
Seriously, lather and hair will pass through easily, pretty sure months old beard isn’t going to be an issue.
And here is where the genius of this head design shines.
The head itself is extremely nimble, not being bulky, it’s easy to maneuver around your ears and nose, along with the fully covered design means no blade tabs to accidently cut you.
Also, the top cap’s groves help those who want to buff, making “riding the cap” easier and not “sticky” (precursor to the double open comb) as some find with other smooth capped razors.
But the real genius is the business end of the razor.
The curvature of the blade and how it is set (recessed) makes it a very, very mild shave. Pop in a good sharp blade like the Bic / Nacet / Super Iridium and it will work its magic.
This thing will take off growth and you’ll barely feel if at all, the blade.
In my case, I felt nada.
Not a bit.
For those who want more blade feel, I’d recommend using Kai Blades.
Having said that, for those who like the feel of blade on skin, it is very likely you may over shave by pressing down harder than you should with this razor so you might take that into consideration.
For those who want something that feels super mild, this might work for you.
Given the gap and curvature, I’d say that this is a neutral blade exposure shave but because that the blade is slightly recess with its very shallow angle of attack of the blade, the blade will literally skim on lather, acting as a guillotine but just barely kissing the skin.
In short its going to be smooth as melted butter on a baby’s butt.
As our face will be after the shave.
All in all this is a beauty in the den and she has essentially kicked all my other girls in the nads.
And for the price, is definitely a must buy if you want a razor that will last a lifetime, is extremely efficient but surprising mild.
If you don’t want to spend a chunk of change on a Stainless Steel razor, give the Prismatic ($25) a try but I think most will just buy the Stainless Steel Meta4 due to the improvements (handle!) and looks.
Stay safe
Stay sane
Stay happy
Steve's Wet Shaving in Singapore 