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Lambda Athena – Titanium
Description
Lambda Athena Ti Gr.5 (Ti-6Al-4V)
A masterpiece in efficiency and smoothness
Lambda Athena is our second model released in late 2021. As soon as it hit the market, we received numerous excellent reviews. In fact, it became so popular that we couldn’t even keep up with the demand. The main quality of Lambda Athena is its efficiency, while still being gentle and smooth on the skin. A lot of customers praised Athena, making it quickly one of the most popular safety razors on the market.
Why "Athena" ?
Athena is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of various cities across Greece, particularly the city of Athens, from which she most likely received her name. The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens is dedicated to her. Her major symbols include owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion. In art, she is generally depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear. In Greek mythology, Athena was believed to have been born from the forehead of her father Zeus. In some versions of the story, Athena has no mother and is born from Zeus’ forehead by parthenogenesis. In others, such as Hesiod’s Theogony, Zeus swallows his consort Metis, who was pregnant with Athena; in this version, Athena is first born within Zeus and then escapes from his body through his forehead.
We took our inspiration from the goddess Athena, as the character of the razor has a connection to what she symbolizes. Wisdom, craftsmanship, and quiet strength. For us, Lambda Athena is a “wise war machine” without any exaggerations in its design. The “owl”, one of the most important symbols of goddess Athena, also inspired us in the design of the razor’s head profile.
Head Design
Athena’s head design is quite unique. We spent many hours designing until we achieved a perfect geometry that provides smooth and efficient shaves for everyone. There is no customer reporting to us that Athena is mild, non-efficient, or aggressive and non-smooth. We tried to achieve the perfect balance between smoothness and efficiency, and it seems we did it.
We are developing our designs, while others are still struggling to keep up...
A few important characteristics that give us the edge:
Edge-to-edge clamping: This is one of the most important aspects of our designs and we have implemented it from the very beginning. This type of blade clamping eliminates blade chatter, resulting in a smoother shave. The blade cuts through like a laser beam, effortlessly gliding through the hair.
- “Blind” bottom plate: The underside of the bottom plate is blind, meaning it does not have any holes or openings. This helps prevent slippery lather from ending up on the top of the handle and consequently on your hands.
- Lather channels on the bottom plate: Athena’s bottom plate design is unique, meaning that it features specially designed lather channels that drive lather and water out to the sides of the plate. When you rinse the head, water comes out from the sides of the head, perfectly cleaning the blade. This design is labor-intensive in CNC, requiring a significant amount of machining time.
- Neutral blade exposure: With zero blade exposure, you can be sure that the razor is safe, even for a beginner in traditional wet shaving.
- Small blade gap: Athena features a relatively small blade gap, while still being highly efficient. Again, this adds up to Athena being safe and smooth for everyone.
Handle Design
For the design of the handle, we drew inspiration from a unique type of ancient Greek amphora called a “lekythos”. This type of amphora was used in ancient times as a vessel to store perfumes for young women and athletes. We adapted the shape to create a razor handle that still maintains the essence of the original concept.
Material
We use Grade 5 titanium alloy for our titanium razors which is considered a high-end material for several engineering applications. Furthermore, Ti-6Al-4V exhibits exceptional chemical inertness, rendering it highly resistant to oxidation, corrosion, and rust.
Ti-6Al-4V is an alpha-beta titanium alloy with a high specific strength and excellent corrosion resistance. It is one of the most commonly used titanium alloys and is applied in a wide range of applications where low density and excellent corrosion resistance are necessary such as e.g. aerospace industry and biomechanical applications (implants and prostheses).
Despite these desirable attributes, Ti-6Al-4V presents significant challenges in machining processes, primarily attributed to its inherently low machinability. Machinability, defined as the ease with which a material can be machined, significantly influences manufacturing efficiency and cost. It encompasses various factors, including tool life, tool wear, cutting force, chip formation, cutting temperature, surface integrity, and burr formation.
Manufacturing
We are proud to manufacture our razors in Greece. The razors are manufactured entirely on the latest spec CNC machines, and we always ensure that the components are made with the highest precision.
The components are hand-finished to a mirror-like polish. This is a meticulous task that requires a lot of time time and attention to detail.
We utilize the laser engraving technique for logos and serial numbers.
Serial Numbering
We assign a unique serial number to each of our razors. It is positioned below the surface of the bottom plate. The format of the serial numbers is as follows:
xx-yyy
where xx represents the year of manufacture and yyy represents the sequential number, starting from 001 for the first batch of that year.
Personalised Booklet
Each razor comes with a personalized booklet. On the first inside page, there is the serial number of the razor, the model, and the name of the customer, all of which are handwritten. There is also a hand sign at the bottom of the page. This way, you can be sure that your razor is genuine. We also provide some brief information about “Lambda Razors” and our products.
Luxury Wooden Case
Lambda Razors is the only safety razor manufacturer offering such a luxurious and elegant packaging. Our philosophy is to offer a meticulously crafted, collectable item, which will be with you for many years. And what better way to present a special and unique item than “dressing” it with the best “clothing” out there?
Lambda Athena comes as standard with a high quality, perfectly crafted wooden case made of solid Manchurian Ashwood or Tamo Ash.* It is designed in 3D CAD software and manufactured to tight tolerances.
The two pieces of the case are shaped on CNC machines with special recesses inside them so the razor can fit tightly inside without moving when the case is closed. Additionally we are using a special beige color, suede-like fabric on the case recesses, so the razor will sit safely inside without any damage danger for the razor or the box itself.
The two pieces of the wooden case are connected together by a pair of bronze hinges.
The box also features a set of magnets embedded on the wood, so the top cap stays closed, a very useful feature while traveling.
On the top cap, you will find our logo engraved, as well as the model “symbol” on the front side. On the bottom there is an engraving of our website.
* We made a long research to use a material that would be elegant looking and matching the character of the razor. For our stainless steel and titanium razors, we have chosen a special wood, the Manchurian Ashwood material, a rare and hard to source material, which add a luxury note to the whole product. Below you can read a short description of the wood and its specifications.
“One of the world’s rarest, most beautiful hardwoods, Tamo Ash has been a favorite native species in North Asia and Northeastern Asia for millennia. Especially in Japan, where craftsmen historically reserved the beautiful material for royalty.
Tamo Ash has a grain pattern and figure that is completely unique. In its plain, unfigured form, Tamo Ash is very similar to the North American species, and is usually simply referred to as Japanese Ash (with the name Tamo being reserved for the more figured sections of wood). Sold almost exclusively as veneer, and nearly always with figured grain of some sort. Reportedly quite rare, and in limited supply; most veneer is exported from Japan. Prices are high for an imported veneer and are linked to the degree of figure in the grain: higher figure means higher prices.
No matter how Tamo Ash becomes Tamo Ash, it is truly, uniquely beautiful. The heartwood is a light to medium brown color, while the sapwood, which can be very wide, tends to be light brown or beige. Its extraordinary grain is renowned for its quilt-like, sometimes swirling “peanut” figuring. And it has a coarse, uneven texture. ”
Specifications
Overview
Type
Double Edge Razor
Head Design
Closed Comb
Material
Material
Titanium – Ti-6Al-4V
Manufacturing
Method
CNC Machining
Coating
Natural (No Coating)
Finish
Mirror Polished
Dimensions / Weight
Total Length
102mm
Handle Length
95mm
Weight
70gr
Geometry Data
Blade Exposure
0 (neutral)
Blade Gap
0.34mm
packaging
Wooden case
Manchurian Ashwood
Additional information
| Weight | 0,5 kg |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 15 × 15 × 11 cm |
| Finish | "Mirror Polished", "Satin Finish" |
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Hi.
I\’ve looked and can\’t find if there\’s a stand included or option to buy one for the Athena model?
Thanks in advance for you response.
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Hello Robert, we plan to release a set of stands around the end of this year. Thank you!
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Robert –
I\’ve looked and can\’t find if there\’s a stand included or option to buy one for the Athena model?
Thanks in advance for you response.
Theodoros Dragonas (store manager) –
Craig C. (verified owner) –
hayrettink (verified owner) –
Excellence in a Razor
I guess, the best explanation for Athena is “Incredibly smooth yet impressively efficient”.
Mark A. (verified owner) –
Kirk Cookerly (verified owner) –
Incredible!
Theodoros Dragonas (store manager) –
Many thanks for your review! Enjoy your Ti Athena!
Desislav Hristov (verified owner) –
One in world!
Elwyn (verified owner) –
Having the Bronze and SS I was curious to try the Titanium version
Due to the lighter weight it is easier to control.
It also seems a little milder because of de reduced weight but it does require at times for pressure to be added (which is easier to control because of its lighter weight)
it seems that this for me leads to an bit closer shave than with the SS and Bronze Versions.
it does change the feeling of the shave a bit (which seems to be a titanium thing)
it is a joy to use, and it is beautiful (just like the others)
Long T. (verified owner) –
Long To (verified owner) –
Beautiful Functional Art Shaver
Galin Ganchev (verified owner) –
So, almost four months later, after being added to the waiting list for the titanium Lambda Athena, today I became the first owner of the mirror polished Ti version.
The presentation is already familiar to me from my previous bronze Lambda Athena, a mahogany box with bronze hinges, and here the color is dark gray – graphite. A very stylish luxury performance. Absolutely the best razor presentation I’ve ever seen.
Each piece has a serial number and it is known to which customer it was sold. And the customer receives a booklet with instructions for use and maintenance, in which it is written by name that the particular shaver was made for him.
Regarding the razor itself, I don’t know if I will be able to find the right words to describe and convey as accurately as possible what I am holding in my hands.
Extremely precise craftsmanship, jewelry performance, attention to detail and overall finish. I look at her and try to find some kind of imperfection, but there just isn’t any. Everything is meticulously crafted, as can be expected given the experience I have with the bronze version.
However, here the material is grade 5 titanium (a high grade used in high technology, such as aviation) which means that due to its very high hardness, it is difficult to machine. These specs, however, clearly haven’t affected the quality and everything looks flawless.
Here comes the real reason I bought it. It’s not because of the stunning looks, but the way it shaves. This razor is not just a shiny object to leave somewhere and just enjoy it. Lambda Athena Ti is an extremely functional, practical, comfortable and very effective shaving tool.
The shave is really effective and very comfortable. It is like that with the bronze version, but with Ti it is something more, I would say luxurious and downright pampering.
It took me 2-3 shaves with the bronze Athena to realize that I could afford to change my technique, which became significantly more effective. With Athena, I can go straight across the hair – ATG, right after the first – WTG pass, skipping a cross pass – XTG, without it feeling rough. So, now I do one WTG and two ATGs (once in the direction of the hair and two counters). With every other razor I’ve tried, I have to XTG before ATG so it doesn’t feel harsh.
The strokes became, significantly longer, without me lifting the razor from my face. This also adds to the comfort because the short, energetic strokes actually overlap and mean multiple repetitions in the same area. I find that all of this, I can implement even more easily with the Ti version.
The titanium Athena has a slightly different bottom plate design than the bronze one I have. The corners are now cut without looking boringly rounded, on the contrary, the head looks better now in my opinion. The feedback is also a little different, I think the sound heard during shaving is more distinct, higher. The weight has also been significantly reduced, I don’t know exactly how much, but it seems half the weight of the bronze one. These specifications allow for much more agile movements, smoother touches, better maneuverability and easier access to difficult areas. In my opinion, the main reasons for the combination of comfort and efficiency are the ingeniously designed head and the extremely stable grip of the blade. I have never seen another razor that grips the blade so tightly, so close to the very edge. Thus, no parasitic oscillation occurs, which usually leads to irritation.
The end result of the shave is a quick, easy and uncompromising BBS.
I shave every two to three days, always aiming for the BBs, no matter what razor I use. Most of the time, I manage to do it with other razors, but sometimes at the cost of slight discomfort due to irritated skin. The Athena is the only razor I’ve tried that I don’t have to compromise on, BBS, at the expense of irritated skin. I always get a clean shave and I’m cool with that.
I know many people are wondering how this happens with such a small gap and neutral blade exposure. Well, I don’t know either. Apparently this is the engineering secret of the person behind this project.
Theodoros Dragonas (store manager) –