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The PILS 104NL is, in a word, elegant. It even looks gentlemanly, with its black acrylic handle making the razor appear as though it were dressed in a tuxedo. Everything about the razor reflects quality and refinement, from its solid 112g weight to its tight tolerances, graceful curves, and restrained blade presentation.

The 104NL is a variant of the iconic 101NE. Mechanically the two razors are identical, with the only difference being the handle. Instead of a solid stainless steel bar, the 104NL uses a smooth black acrylic sleeve over what appears to be a steel core. ShaveSplash chose the 104NL not only because of its distinguished appearance, but also because the acrylic wrapped handle is slightly thicker than the all steel version, which better suits our preference for larger grips. The reduction in weight from 123g to 112g also makes the razor feel a little more nimble, although the balance shifts slightly toward the head.

Like the razor itself, the history of PILS is distinctive and, to some extent, mysterious. The company was founded in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1980 by Werner PILS, a former sales director in the fragrance and cosmetics industry who believed the market lacked truly premium men's grooming products. Long before artisan safety razors became commonplace, PILS was applying industrial design and precision machining to traditional wet shaving. Werner retired in 2003 and sold the company to Micha Birkhoffer, who also came from the fragrance business. Although the exact introduction date remains uncertain, the now famous 101NE appears to have entered the market during Birkhoffer's tenure in the late 2000s. Whatever its exact origins, it has become one of the longest standing designs among modern artisan safety razors and remains instantly recognizable today.

The design itself is unlike anything else currently available. CNC machined from stainless steel, the 104NL is a two-piece razor in which the handle and baseplate remain permanently attached, while the handle rotates freely. As the threaded stud from the top cap engages the baseplate, the handle is simply turned to tighten the assembly. The top cap is equally distinctive, with side flanges that fold neatly over the blade. The alignment posts are located on the baseplate rather than the cap. They hold the blade securely, but the cap must be seated carefully to ensure the blade is clamped evenly.

Architecturally, the 104NL is a classic Edge Clamper with a clamp width of 19 mm. The top cap is also 19 mm wide, leaving a 1.5 mm blade reveal that produces the familiar T shaped profile seen on razors such as the Wolfman. Unlike many razors, however, the baseplate contributes very little additional curvature. Even the bevel near the outer edge remains remarkably flat, allowing the blade to lie almost straight throughout its length. Because the top cap maintains continuous contact with the blade across its full width, rigidity is excellent, with only the faintest trace of blade flutter during the shave.

That blade orientation defines the character of the razor. The 104NL performs best at an exceptionally shallow shaving angle, with the cap at a 15-20% degree angle from the skin and the handle approaching perpendicular to the face. Those who naturally ride the cap will adapt immediately, while shavers accustomed to steeper angles may need several shaves before finding its sweet spot. PILS publishes no technical specifications, but by observation ShaveSplash estimates the blade gap at roughly 0.6 mm with slightly positive blade exposure. Running a piece of cardboard across the shave plane supports that assessment.

The engineering translates directly into the performance scores. The narrow blade gap and restrained exposure bridle Efficiency at 6, but thanks to excellent blade rigidity Comfort earns a 9. Ease of Use also receives a 9. Once the proper angle is found, the razor becomes remarkably forgiving. Consistency scores an 8 because the shallow shaving angle leaves less room for variation than razors with a more neutral geometry. The result is a Composite Score of 32, placing the 104NL toward the upper end of the BBS- category, which corresponds to a 5 on the ShaveSplash nine-point scale.

The comparison that comes most readily to mind is the Karve Overlander. While both razors produce similar shave results, they arrive there through different engineering solutions. The Overlander uses an 18 mm clamp width, but pairs it with a 19.5 mm top cap that extends over the blade to provide additional support and reduce blade reveal to roughly 1.25 mm. Equipped with the 4” inch handle, it weighs 113g, almost identical to the PILS, although its balance feels noticeably more neutral.

Both razors display exceptional machining, beautiful polishing, and forgiving shave characteristics. Both also produce consistently close shaves without demanding perfect technique. The Overlander gradually separates itself in small but measurable ways. Efficiency is slightly higher and, with additional buffing, it can occasionally reach the BBS/BBS- category. Blade support is marginally better, which improves Comfort. Its more balanced weight benefits Ease of Use. Finally, because it naturally encourages a shaving angle closer to thirty degrees, it is easier to shave consistently, giving it a modest advantage in Consistency as well.

The PILS 104NL succeeds because it offers something beyond shave performance. It has an unmistakable personality, combining elegant styling, distinctive engineering, and meticulous craftsmanship into a razor that feels genuinely special every time it is picked up. Enthusiasts who appreciate thoughtful industrial design, precision machining, and the history of modern artisan razors will find much to admire. It could easily become a daily driver for those who enjoy its shallow angle technique. For buyers searching for a single razor where absolute performance is the only priority, ShaveSplash gives a slight edge to the Karve Overlander. For those who appreciate originality as much as results, however, the PILS remains one of the hobby's true classics.

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The Goodfellas’ Smile Dominus is an unusual razor on several fronts, beginning with its material choice. Chrome-plated brass is not especially common in today’s artisan razor market, and TGS goes further by specifying the exact alloy: CW510L PB1, also known as CuZn42. This is a very low-lead brass with a high zinc content and roughly 57–59% copper, a material more often associated with plumbing and fittings than premium safety razors. TGS appears to be emphasizing the environmental angle, noting the alloy’s extremely low lead content of around 0.1%.

The Dominus is billed as 100% CNC-machined and then chrome-plated. Chrome plating is more often associated with zamak razors, but it makes sense here as a protective layer over brass, helping prevent tarnish and corrosion as long as the plating remains intact. The result is a razor with crisp lines and noticeably better tolerances than a die-cast zamak razor, though it still feels just shy of the precision normally associated with uncoated CNC-machined stainless steel or titanium. At 101 grams, the Dominus has satisfying heft and feels nicely balanced.

Architecturally, the Dominus falls into ShaveSplash’s Hybrid category, with a Clamp Width of 13mm. Hybrids sit between classic Blade Benders and Edge Clampers, using some degree of blade curvature while still leaving a meaningful portion of the blade unsupported near the edge. This category tends to produce lower Composite Scores than the more clearly defined classes, and the Dominus largely follows that pattern.

Its most striking design choice is the very narrow top cap. At only 17.5mm wide, it leaves a pronounced Blade Reveal of 2.25mm on each side. The stated Blade Exposure is extremely high at 0.25mm, a level rarely seen in modern safety razors. That positive exposure is visible to the naked eye and can be confirmed by running a thin piece of cardboard along the shave plane. The Blade Gap is also large at 0.85mm, putting both of its major blade specs in the zone normally associated with high efficiency. Interestingly, despite the wasp-stinger reveal, jutting exposure, and formidable gap, blade feel is only moderate. That is likely because so much of the blade is unsupported by the narrow top cap and modest clamp width, allowing the blade to flex rather than present itself as a rigid edge.

Unfortunately, that noticeable blade flex is also what holds the Dominus back. While it helps cushion the exposure against the face, it also reduces cutting authority and can introduce discomfort. Because so much of the blade is revealed and unsupported, the razor performs best at a shallow angle, slightly below the roughly 30-degree angle many consider neutral. The motion feels almost like pushing the blade edge forward in a subtle scything action, trying to keep the edge stable as it cuts. With this technique, a sharp blade is preferred because more of the cutting power needs to come from the blade edge rather than its motion.

Because of the flex and the slightly tricky shallow posture required, both Consistency and Ease of Use suffer. Despite the large 0.85mm Blade Gap and 0.25mm Blade Exposure, raw efficiency is held back by the clearly apparent blade flutter. The end result was on the lower side for ShaveSplash, finishing at DFS+.

Another unusual design choice is that the blade posts are located on the baseplate rather than the top cap. Although the posts are oblong, which should improve blade stability once everything is tightened down, placing them on the baseplate makes blade loading less intuitive. TGS has not explained this choice, but it may relate to the top cap’s extremely light and thin construction. At only 9 grams, the cap may have been designed more as a thin clamping shell than as a structural alignment piece, leaving the baseplate to handle blade alignment. The baseplate is also blind, with no cutouts or lather channels. That is another atypical choice, though in practice lather flow was adequate and there were no obvious signs of clogging.

The razor most similar to the Dominus is the little-known but excellent Rocnel 304. Like the Dominus, the 304 is an odd duck, with a 12mm Clamp Width and an enormous 2.5mm Blade Reveal, the largest ShaveSplash has tested. This is due to its similarly slender 17mm top cap. Where the 304 differs is in its wider 25mm baseplate and noticeably lower blade exposure. Interestingly, the 304 also uses a blind baseplate. The magic of the 304 is that its wider baseplate elongates the shave plane and, somewhat unintuitively, protects the skin from blade flex by keeping exposure low. The result is low efficiency, even lower than the Dominus, but with exceptionally high Comfort and Ease of Use. In fact, the Rocnel 304 remains a ShaveSplash favorite.

If nothing else, the Dominus is an interesting razor. The handle is grippy and well sized at 90mm, the overall build quality is satisfying, and at its price point it feels like a good value. It brings an unusual material, unusual architecture, and a genuinely distinctive shave character. But in a direct comparison with the Rocnel 304, ShaveSplash would choose the latter. The Dominus is more assertive and more technically curious, but the 304 turns its odd geometry into a smoother, easier, and more enjoyable shave.

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