The Leaf Branch: My Take After Two Months and a Family Trip
Hey gents, Mike here, back in the shave den for Long Island Shaving. This one’s been a while coming: the new Leaf Branch razor is officially out, and I’m excited to finally share it with you guys. I’ve actually had this razor in hand for two months already, so I’ve had real time with it before we ever got here.
The box in this shot is actually the one I’m giving away to a subscriber. Leaf was nice enough to send an extra unit for that, so thank you to them. The giveaway is going to be its own video so I can run it properly, probably picking a winner about a week after it goes up. For now, let’s get into the razor.
First Look
This is the new Leaf Branch, with the Leaf logo stamped into the side and a rugged handle design that’s a real step up from what I’ve used before. Same top cap and shaving angle you’d recognize from the Thorn, which I’ve got sitting right here for comparison. The handle is the first thing you notice. Heavier, grippier, much better in the hand.
The mechanism that raises the top cap off the bottom plate is what actually surprised me. Listen to how smooth that is. Leaf tightened up the tolerances on this thing. Now listen to the Thorn doing the same motion. I never noticed how loud that razor was until I had the Branch sitting next to it. Still shave grade, still does the job, just noisier and looser than what they’ve built here.
Twig, Thorn, Now Just Branch
If you know me, you know I’ve always reached for the Thorn over the Twig. Never found it too aggressive, just efficient, and a great detailing razor. The Branch is Leaf’s attempt to stop making people choose between the two. Blade gap here is 1.1 mm, which is 0.1 mm more than the Twig and 0.1 mm less than the Thorn, splitting the difference between comfort and closeness. On paper that sounds like a compromise. In hand it doesn’t feel like one. I can’t really tell the difference in smoothness from the Thorn, and I’ve always liked the Thorn.
The Twig and the Thorn are both still up on the Leaf site. From what I understand, once those sell through, the Branch becomes the only single-edge razor Leaf makes. That’s a real change if it plays out that way, so if you’ve been on the fence about trying one of the older two, that’s worth knowing.
I took the Branch with me on a 10-day family vacation and used it basically every day of the trip, on top of the two months I’d already had it before that. That’s real use, not a five-minute unboxing opinion.
The Travel Bowl and Brush
I brought the travel bowl and brush combo with me too. Had a Zesty puck loaded up for the trip, a nice lime, citrusy scent, but for this shave I swapped in the Spruce puck, which came out last year. It’s a pine-forward scent, and if you’re into that lane, you’ll like it.
What I love about this setup is how convenient it is. Brush, soap, and bowl all in one, with a little measuring cup built into the top of the brush. Fill it to the rim, work the puck, and inside a minute you’ve got a full lather. That’s why it lived in my dopp bag the whole trip instead of a tub of soap.
Leaf also includes a rubber cover you can snap over a loaded blade, so if you’re traveling with the razor itself, the edge stays protected in your bag. There’s a separate stand you can buy too, same design as before.
Shaping a Goatee
I wet my face and decided to shape a goatee instead of doing a full shave, since that’s honestly my favorite use for this razor. I’ve got a brand new AccuForge blade loaded up, and about four or five days of growth to work through.
It got through that growth with ease. Very smooth, very comfortable. I think the reason people gravitate to the Twig over the Thorn is that the Thorn always felt a little aggressive to some folks. I never had that problem because I like an efficient razor, but Leaf clearly dialed the Branch in between the two. If you liked the mildness of the Twig, I don’t think you’re going to notice much of a drop-off here.
They kept the same low-profile head design from the Thorn, which I’m glad about, because that’s what makes this razor so good for tight spots, under the nose, around the edges of a goatee. I cleaned up the inside of the goatee the same way, and the small head made it easy to be precise about exactly where I was shaving.
How It Feels in the Hand
Compared to the Thorn, the Branch handle is heavier and a little fatter, which actually makes it grip better, especially with wet hands. The balance point sits right around dead center, and you can tell the extra weight was intentional. It feels substantial without feeling clumsy.
My Wife’s Leaf 2 Story
One more thing while I’m here: my wife has officially taken over my Leaf 2 razor. It took years to get her to try traditional wet shaving. She tried the original Leaf first and said it felt too heavy, so she went back to a cartridge razor. I talked her into trying the Leaf 2, and she’s used it ever since. That’s coming from someone who used cartridge razors her whole life, so credit to Leaf for building something that actually converted her.
That’s the shave, guys. Smooth, efficient, no drama, exactly what I’d expect after two months and a 10-day trip with this razor. If you’re a beginner looking for a first traditional razor, or you’ve got sensitive skin, or you’ve just got a beard that fights back, the Branch is worth a look. Thanks for watching, and I’ll catch you in the next one.