The Ascension Twist-Adjustable Double Open Comb Safety Razor | Removable Bomb Tips! | 316L Stainless Steel
*No Discounts on this item. In an effort to keep the price as low as possible for everyone we are not able to offer any discounts on this item. Thank you for your understanding.
BOOM! Meet the new Removable Bomb Tip Ascension DOC! From the folks that brought you the original Bomb Tip, us.
With all the attention our Flare Tips were getting, Bomb Tip felt left out...so clearly, something had to be done! Note, at this time we don't have any colored Bomb Tips for sale...but they are coming soon! That said, there's something I didn't mention yet, the goal was to make both handles and tips compatible! So by all means, mix and match till the cows come home! Of course that begs the question, where are the cows currently and was it my turn to watch them? More importantly, what do cows have to do with our razors? Ahem, what I am trying to say is, Our Flare Tips will fit the Bomb Tip Handle and our Bomb Tip Tips will fit the Flare Handle! Dizzying I know when put that way but you must admit EPIC! Soooo, until the Colored Bomb Tips decide to show up, only Flare Tips will be on offer as an add on!
So exciting news for sure, eh? Not the cows but the Removable Bomb Tips! Now, if this is your first time learning about our Famous Twist- Adjustable Ascension DOC Stainless Razor please read on!
What Is This Ascension?
Well folks, FINALLY we deliver on our promise to someday build a Stainless Steel DOC...and what a DOC it is, The Ascension! This my friends is one beast of a razor; great weight, great feel, great look, very sleek and beautifully buffed up taboot. So yeah, I, like you, am REALLY EXCITED to finally get this piece of awesome out there and into your hands!
Many of you fine folks who purchased our 7075 Aluminum Ascension noticed a certain check box on the underside of the packaging the razor came in, "Stainless Steel"...yeah, that was a pretty good tip off that we planned to someday release one. Lol, and so the curious emails and PMs began.
"When's the Stainless coming Doug?"
"Douglas, I know you are holding out on us, where is the cold steel?"
or my favorite: "Have you thought about doing this in Stainless?"
With the overwhelming fanfare of The Aluminum Ascension it became clear, we really had to move full speed ahead with the production of the stainless, and man did Fran and I really go a little nutty with this one.
Our goal was to create the best damn razor currently out there made of the highest quality material at a fair, affordable price...and we did! I can say with much certainty that in 100 years from now, people will still be shaving with our Marine Grade Stainless Steel Ascension.
What makes you so sure Doug?
Well, the entire razor is CNC machined and constructed of no bs 316L Stainless Steel. 316L Stainless Steel has a few, most EPIC differences when compared to the cheaper, more popular 303 & 304 Stainless Steel.
The Best Steel for The Job
For one, it is Marine Grade Stainless Steel, called type 316L, and resistant to certain types of staining familiar to those in the hobby; tea stains, hard water marks, soap stains, etc. While similar to the cheaper 303 & 304 Type Stainless Steel, which is common in the food industry, 316L exhibits better corrosion resistance and is stronger at elevated temperatures. This baby is built to last!
Type 316L steel is an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel that contains between two and three percent molybdenum. The molybdenum content increases corrosion resistance, and improves resistance to pitting, and again, tea staining...Music to the ears, no?!
Type 316L grade stainless steel is particularly effective in acidic environments. This grade of steel is effective in protecting against corrosion caused by sulfuric, hydrochloric, acetic, formic, and tartaric acids, as well as acid sulfates and alkaline chlorides.
In short, we could have gone cheap on this razor but we opted against that to deliver a truly superior, legacy razor that can be passed down from generation to generation!
Now lets dig into the features once more on how these gosh darn "Twist Adjustables" work, followed by the specs.
Twist - Adjustable?
Yes my friends, you read right, this razor is indeed an adjustable...fo' real!
ad·just·a·ble əˈjəstəb(ə)l/adjective: able to be adjusted.
ad·just·ment əˈjəstmənt/noun: a small alteration or movement made to achieve a desired fit, appearance, or result.
First off, though this razor resembles our original DOC I promise you, this is a whole different animal. Unlike the Original DOC, The Ascension is not mild when set snug on the handle but slightly more aggressive and efficient.
Not aggressive like our DOC Evolution (2015-16), but more than our original DOC (2013), and not in a bad way at all, but in a smooth way. That said, you can easily change and adjust the blade angle with a simple twist of the handle and in turn, customize the aggressiveness and feel of the shave. (see what I did there?)
You see, after years of selling the DOC I observed it really didn’t take much to close up the blade gap by over tightening the handle, which many newbs tend to do. Snug rather than tight was always the best way with that razor…and that got me thinking, How Can I Explore This More?
So, once again we went back to the drawing board and unlike the DOC Evolution, we added a little more shape and curvature to the base plate. This would force the blade to act as a form of flat tension spring which applied just enough push-back to allow for a more tight and seamless adjustability in the space of a 1/4 turn of the handle. Note: While a similar technique can be done with other 3 piece razor designs it is really the exaggerated, intentional shape/curvature of the top and bottom cap that will dictate how effective it actually is.
Unlike a traditional adjustable razor, the Ascension does not lock into fixed points. Which I find gives the user even more, subtle control in finding their own unique Sweet Spot. There is more intuition relied upon with this new design that actually feels a bit Zen or Jedi for sure, but once you start using it, I know you will really fall for the twist action.
Anyone who has followed us and what we do, knows that I absolutely love the double open comb design and often wondered out loud, publicly why no one has actually explored it more. I mean the self-lubricating action of the top cap really does function as the Original Grand Shave King Razor claimed.
It captures lather and water in the top cap channels and redistributes a trail of it evenly on the skin during the pass, much like a lawnmower leaves a trail behind it. For this reason both the DOC and Grand are known to be the best buffing razors out there. I really thought including this concept in every razor was a no brainer…
Yet the DOC Evolution of 2015-16 was the only time I believe it was further explored? Regardless, we kept at it and knew this new adjustable experiment would be yet another variation on the classic top cap open comb design.
We chose to also lengthen the top and bottom caps so as to encase the blade tabs. This was not the case with The Original DOC & Grand Razor…so we decided we would make this modern tweak and consideration in the design of The Ascension.
We also chose to keep what I believe was just decorative flair or indents on the side of the Original DOC cap design. However these curious divots would now serve a real purpose, and that is a secure rest for your thumb and forefinger when Twisting the razor. In slippery, soapy conditions these indentations prove to be highly effective and provide a virtual no-slip grip.
Bomb Tip Handle
We ultimately decided to pair The Ascension head with the 3.5" Bomb Tip Handle after testing out a few different handle designs. These components seemed almost calibrated for each other when combined. The balance and fulcrum really makes this razor feel like a surgical grade tool when in hand giving you effortless control.
The 316L Stainless Bomb Tip, is a killer, classic handle that possesses real neo nouveau character, balance and great feel...and man does it shine!
The Perfect Shave is Just A Twist Away!
Over the last 5 years we took all your feedback on our Original DOC and our DOC Evolution to heart and really gave this latest design our all with a bit of artistic license. You will truly be impressed and I do believe in awe of the quality of shave it provides.
Special Thanks to our good friend Aaron Frugiradet of Frugal Shave! Without his help I know for certain this particular razor would not have seen the light of day! Thanks bud for being awesome Aaron! Check out his designs folks!
LISTING FOR ONE RAZOR With BOMB TIP HANDLE
The Ascension Safety Razor Specifications:
Starting Blade Gap: 500 Microns Complete Razor Approx. Wt. 98 grams/ 3.46 Oz Handle Approx. Wt. 72 grams/ 2.54 Oz Handle Length: 3.5" Complete Razor Length: 3.75" (95mm) CNC Machined
Material: 316L Marine Grade Stainless Steel Hand Polished