Very good razor. I bought this razor to keep in a travel kit. My normal razor is a Merkur 33c that I've had for several years. This razor is a little more aggressive but it gave me a very smooth shave. It's so good that I contemplated buying another and using it as my main razor. I don't know how it will hold up over time but the finish on it is very good. No rough spots or burrs or anything. The head screws into the handle nice and smooth. I didn't try the included blade because I like shark blades. If you're a beginner and just getting into shaving with a double edge safety razor, this is a very good place to start. Just remember that there are very many factors that determine the quality and feel of your shave. Everything impacts your experience and most of them are unique to the individual. Density of hair, thickness of folicles, sensitivity of skin, the angle the razor puts in the blade, the angle the blade was sharpened to, literally everything. Blades are important. And don't worry about cheap blades vs expensive, I don't get very good shaves with most of the expensive blades, it's more about the angle they're sharpened at and how that angle interacts with your specific skin type than anything else. My two favorites are Shark and Vokshod, but yours may be something entirely different. I'd recommend a large variety pack and use as many different blades as you can. Happy shaving! Read more
I started using an old school safety razor about 6 years ago after I got fed up with the big razor manufacturers doing nothing but increasing the amount of blades and adding fancy gimmicks while astronomically increasing the price. I started with the Feather Double Edge Shaving Razor. It was a cheap buy at $20 and had good reviews since I didn't want something too expensive or aggressive. Gave me the smoothest shaves I had in years. I still had to be careful since it was quite easy to nick yourself but it was still a pretty good quality safety razor even if it was mostly plastic. It finally started giving me a lot of problems and decided it was time to upgrade. The first one I tries was the WEISHI Safety Razor Double Edge Nostalgic Long Handle Butterfly Open Razor. It had great reviews in the 10s of thousands and people mentioned what a great shave it gave. When I got it and did my first pass, it was PAINFUL. It felt like rubbing 120 grit sandpaper across my face. I thought the problem was the cheaper blades so I put a Feather blade that had always given me a really smooth shave but it was the same deal. A very aggressive shave that was uncomfortable. I tried the blades it came with in my old Feather razor and they shaved quite well so definitely not the blades. Next I tried the Double Edge Safety Razor by VIKINGS BLADE, Fat & Short Handle. It was a great improvement over the Weishi but it was still not as smooth was the Feather razor. I used it for about a year figuring that I just had to learn how to use the razor and even though it did a fairly good job it just wasn't as smooth a shave even with all the face prep I do before I shave. I saw this one and for $10 I decided to take a chance....and it has paid off!. This razor shaves just as smooth as the Feather razor. Even though it is metal the nickel alloy does not transmit heat into the whole body like some all metal/steel safety razors do. One thing about this that is quite different is that instead of twisting the handle to open the head clamshell style the top of the head unscrews off so you put the blade in and then screw it back on again. So far this design looks quite reliable since I don't have to worry about the head mechanism not opening or closing properly the older it gets. It's a fairly heavy razor, but not too much. Just enough for you to not so much press it but press the weight against your skin at at 45 degree angle. For anyone looking for their first safety razor I can say I highly recommend this one if you are on a budget or don't want to spend a ton of money on one and decide it's not for you but, I am quite certain after a few uses you will never go back to one of those overpriced knucklehead razors again ( even thought I admit I still keep a few around for those times I do need a quick shave :-) ) Read more
Not in any way new to double edge or wet shaving here. Great razor for the price. The blade gap is similar to a shick krona, a gillette adjustable around 3 or 2 or just a hair less than the average gillette tech razor. However it is very efficient for a low gap and seems to pick up all it should without leaving any stragglers like many mild razors do for me. The shave however, I find smoother and less irritating than those I compare it to. The lather channel also seems to work quite well, as I often have issues trying to rinse the blade with many mild razors. Especially since I use soaps and not canned petroleum wastes, and when I face lather sometimes its a bit on the thick side. The head and handle have standard threading so it does make a cheap candidate for those wanting a handle, but be aware the handle threads are recessed a bit and some (my gold gillette tech) heads may just barely engage a few threads if put on the bali handle. the bali has a slightly longer post on the head side to match, so some shallower threaded (other) handles may not receive it fully unless some washers or spacers are used. It has a decent weight. The travel case is nice, but most of these cases (many use this style) wont latch well if at all and I use a broccoli band if I throw it in a bag. Get it for travel but dont be surprised if this cheapie winds up a daily driver. It is probably zmac underneath and will likely disintegrate once water permeates the plating, but thats why the price and easily worth the couple years of use that process usually takes. Read more
