⭐ Review of the Urkunet "Assassin" Razor

Introduction: About Urkunet

Urkunet is the evolution of Master Carry’s earlier ventures—OUMO Makeup Brush and URKUNET Makeup Brush. The same team behind the respected Oumo Shaving Brush brand—known for premium knots, beautifully engineered CNC handles, and continual innovation—has now turned their attention to razors.

The Urkunet Assassin is their first DE safety razor. If this is their entry point into razor design, it’s an extremely strong debut.

About the Assassin Razor

The Assassin is a precision-engineered, CNC–machined stainless steel (316L) three-piece DE razor, offered in:

• Machined finish
• Bead-blasted
• Polished

It comes with:

• One top cap
• Three handle options (Fuxi, Xuanyuan, Kunwu), each named after legendary figures in Chinese cultural lore
• Three interchangeable base plates, each with constant blade exposure (+0.10 mm) but variable blade gaps:
  • Plate A: 1.5 mm
  • Plate B: 2.0 mm
  • Plate C: 2.5 mm

Pre-order price: $129 (about 10% below expected retail)

My test unit was a pre-production sample and arrived with mixed metals:

• Brass cap
• Copper 1.5 mm plate
• Brass 2.0 mm plate
• Stainless 2.5 mm plate
• Xuanyuan handle

Production versions appear to be full stainless.

⭐ Testing Protocol

To evaluate razors consistently, I use a structured methodology:

• Four-blade diagnostic test
• Geometry and rigidity assessment
• Weighted scoring (RS² system)
• Carbon Test Score (CTS)
• Normalized scoring
• Comparison to three reference razors

1. Four-Blade Diagnostic Suite

Each razor is tested in this sequence:

• Mild Blade — Derby Premium
  Tests comfort, smoothness, and angle forgiveness.
• Medium Blade — AccuThrive (or Dorco Prime)
  Represents realistic, everyday performance: efficiency, glide, consistency.
• Treet Carbon (Black Beauty)
  A geometry stress test — exposes chatter, rigidity issues, poor alignment.
  Carbon flexes and reveals flaws stainless hides.
  The Assassin showed zero chatter from the first pass, so I did not need to run the full carbon protocol.
• Feather (Very Sharp)
  Tests maximum sharpness tolerance and safety margin.
  Due to time constraints and my skin’s Feather sensitivity, I only used this blade on the 1.5 mm plate.

2. RS² Scoring System

Each razor is evaluated on eight weighted factors (0–10):

• Efficiency
• Smoothness
• Comfort
• Maneuverability
• Angle Forgiveness
• Blade Stability / Clamping
• Build Quality
• Value

Combined, these create the RS²_raw score.

3. Carbon Test Score (CTS)

Even without running the carbon blade shave, the Assassin’s:

• absolute rigidity
• perfect clamping
• zero vibration
• consistent alignment

made a CTS score feasible. CTS evaluates:

• Clamping
• Chatter resistance
• Alignment
• Angle tolerance
• Low-sharpness smoothness

4. Score Normalization

As the database grows, scores are normalized so that:

• 5.0 = “average modern razor”
• >7.0 = above average
• 9–10 = elite
• <4 = below average

This ensures fair comparisons across many razors.

5. Benchmark Razors for Context

Every razor is compared to three well-known references:

• Merkur 34C — mild, forgiving baseline
• Edwin Jagger DE89 — smooth and refined mild-medium
• Mühle R41 — aggressive, extremely efficient benchmark

These three form a performance “triangle” most wet shavers understand intuitively.

⭐ Why the Assassin’s Geometry Is So Unique

The Assassin’s performance cannot be understood without understanding its geometry.

Nearly all multi-plate razors (Rockwell, Greencult, Timeless, RazoRock, Karve, etc.) change both gap and exposure when switching plates. This is because:

• raising or lowering the baseplate
• changes the blade bend and edge projection
• simultaneously altering gap and exposure

Thus the typical “mild → aggressive” scale always feels different on the skin.

⭐ Why You Can Still Get Nicks at Larger Gaps

The paradox of the Assassin is:

Exposure controls feel; gap controls forgiveness.

So even though exposure is constant, a 2.5 mm gap means:

• Much more skin and hair can enter the gap
• The guard is farther from the blade edge
• Skin stabilization decreases
• Angle discipline must increase

My nicks occurred when:

• The razor wasn’t parallel to the skin
• Using a Gillette Slide
• Initiating a J-stroke
• Shaving my head (always angle-unstable)

Geometry predicted this exactly:

• 1.5 mm = safe, easy
• 2.0 mm = efficient, slightly angle-sensitive
• 2.5 mm = extremely efficient, technique-dependent

⭐ Shave Results

Below are my impressions and scores for each plate, with side-by-side comparisons to the 34C, DE89, and R41.

⭐ Plate A — 1.5 mm

(Mild–Medium Feel, Excellent Efficiency)

Comparative Table: Assassin 1.5 mm vs Benchmark Razors

Attribute	Assassin 1.5	34C	DE89	R41
Efficiency	8	6.8	7.0	9.8
Smoothness	8	8.5	8.8	6.0
Comfort	8	9.0	9.0	5.0
Maneuverability	8	8.5	8.0	7.5
Angle Forgiveness	9	8.0	7.5	4.5
Clamping	9	7.5	7.8	7.0
Build Quality	8	7.5	8.0	8.5
Value	9	8.5	8.0	7.5
CTS_raw	8	7.5	8.0	5.0

Summary

An outstanding plate.

With the AccuThrive, I easily achieved a two-pass DFS+ and a three-pass BBS with almost no alum feedback. The plate feels like a Carbon CX+ or WR2 .85, which is astonishing given the 1.5 mm gap.

Derby Premium required a bit of pressure and caused slight irritation, reinforcing that the Assassin as a system is truly pressure-free for best results.

Even the Feather delivered a two-pass BBS.

Plate A alone could justify purchasing the razor.

⭐ Plate B — 2.0 mm

(Medium–High Efficiency, Daily Driver for Many)

Comparative Table: Assassin 2.0 mm vs Benchmark Razors

Attribute	Assassin 2.0	34C	DE89	R41
Efficiency	9	6.8	7.0	9.8
Smoothness	8	8.5	8.8	6.0
Comfort	8	9.0	9.0	5.0
Clamping	9	7.5	7.8	7.0
Value	9	8.5	8.0	7.5

Summary

This plate simply clicked.

The 2.0 + AccuThrive pairing felt like they were designed for each other—efficient, smooth, predictable. It reminds me of the Carbon CX+ and WR2 .85, but with slightly more punch.

A bit more angle-sensitive than Plate A, especially with Derby during head shaving, but still very comfortable.

This is the plate I’d reach for every other day.

⭐ Plate C — 2.5 mm

(High Efficiency, Technique-Dependent)

Comparative Table: Assassin 2.5 mm vs Benchmark Razors

Attribute	Assassin 2.5	34C	DE89	R41
Efficiency	9+	6.8	7.0	9.8
Smoothness	7+	8.5	8.8	6.0
Comfort	7	9.0	9.0	5.0
Clamping	9	7.5	7.8	7.0
Value	9	8.5	8.0	7.5

Summary

A controlled beast.

Plate C performs at a level approaching the 2011 R41 in efficiency, yet it is noticeably more comfortable. This is the plate for dense, coarse, or multi-day growth—especially Mediterranean or Middle Eastern beard types.

But technique is non-negotiable:

• zero pressure, steady angle, no lateral movements.

For me, this plate is more of an occasional tool or blade-testing platform.

⭐ Pressure Guidance Across Plates

Because exposure stays constant but gap changes dramatically, each plate tolerates pressure differently:

• Plate A (1.5 mm):
  Can tolerate some pressure; friendly for trick areas and head shaving.
  “You can add a little pressure, but you don’t need to.”
• Plate B (2.0 mm):
  Prefers almost no pressure; brief targeted pressure is acceptable.
  “Light touch only — let the razor work for you.”
• Plate C (2.5 mm):
  Absolutely no pressure.
  “Float the razor. Gravity is the maximum pressure.”

⭐ Build Quality & Handling

Even as a pre-production unit, the Assassin displayed:

• excellent machining
• perfect blade clamping
• zero chatter
• exceptional rigidity

Minor notes:

• a few visible machining marks
• initial cap threading required precise alignment (improved over use)

The Xuanyuan handle balances the razor beautifully.
Slightly exposed blade tabs turned out to be a benefit during disassembly when everything was slick with lather.

Compared to premium stainless razors like the Merkur 34 INOX or Mühle R41GS, the Assassin offers better performance and more artistry at a lower price.

⭐ Final Thoughts

The Urkunet Assassin is one of the most thoughtfully engineered DE razors I’ve used in years. Its combination of:

• constant exposure
• variable gap
• shallow blade curvature
• rigid clamping

creates a shaving experience that is unique in the modern market.

Three plates, one blade feel, selectable efficiency.

Plate A tolerates some pressure, Plate B nearly none, and Plate C absolutely zero—let the razor do the work, and the geometry will reward (or punish) accordingly.

I am ordering one immediately — and all three plates.