Zeepk?

Don't kill me for this, but is Zeepk a decent brand? I'm looking for an alternative to my Gillette Mach 3. I like to go 3 or 4 days without a shave and my scruff gets to long for the spaces between the blades so I get snagged. I was thinking a straight blade would solve the problem but SHEESH these blades are expensive! I can get a strop and blade combo from Zeepk on Ebay for under $30. Are these $100 - $300 blades really that much better? Why?

If it's just fancy handles and big names then I'm fine with mass fabricated products, but if there is a significant difference in the metals perhaps I should make the plunge. Still, $100 is a big investment for a shave; especially when I don't know how long a blade will last.

Can anyone offer clarification on this? I'd appreciate it.

Welcome to SRP.

Zeepk is among a number of manufacturers that have made it onto our Brands of Straight Razors to avoid, which also gives some reasons as to why these razors had best be avoided.

Our Beginner's guide to straight razor shaving has some answers to your other questions. Currently, there is a number of good razors for little money to be had in the Classifieds. Using the recommended basic equipment, you should be able to stay below USD 100 for an initial setup without much of a problem.

Good luck.

Welcome to SRP.

No, we don't really kill people with our razors, even if they scream sometimes when we use Zeepk on them....

There is a lot of the fancy handles, steels, handforging, limited runs etc. that can make a razor expensive, but that's not usually the case.

Zeepk is bad not because it's cheap, it's bad because it's not made of good steel with good tempering.

There are many options if you don't want to spend too much money to try this out. Reputable vendors, the restorers, the classifieds on this site....

Of course it's not as cheap as a $20 pack of cartridges, but it's not terribly expensive either.

Zeepk is No. #1 in their field!! They make the finest butter knives, letter openers and other such blunt edged tools!
For razors though try some proven brand. Hang around and read a little here and there and you will soon discover which razors are well thought of and which are plain junk!

You pay more for quality names of razors because they have been found to be better, thus more attractive, and so they command a higher price. The grind of the razor, the quality of the steel, and the quality, style, and material of the scales also have a dramatic impact on the price of a razor. I have seven ugly razors I have kept in my locker at a gym for 4 years. None of them are pretty, as they all have "blemishes" due to their age and former mistreatment. Fact is, they all shave great and that's the main thing I care about.

I happen to have two cheap ugly razors for sale in the Classifieds right now.:w

Point of fact, there are other quality cheap razors also for sale there. You CAN get a good shaver for less then fifty bucks. It just might not be as pretty or impressive as the more expensive ones but they can still work just fine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by razornewbie

Still, $100 is a big investment for a shave; especially when I don't know how long a blade will last.

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How long will a blade last? :roflmao
How about for the rest of your life?
A lot of the razors we are using are well over a hundred years old. Even if you use a single razor every day, with care I bet it could last the rest of your life

A few weeks ago, I was in the EXACT same position as you.

I was looking to switch from a mach3 to a straight, but on a budget.

I suspected that all the bad things people say on here about zeepk were just about snobbishness and fancy handles and shaving with something expensive.

I was wrong.

Completely and totally wrong.


My first straight razor purchase was a 4 piece set of zeepk razors, a zeepk strop and a zeepk barber hone.

There are no words which can adequately express how terrible that garbage is, and I'm still trying to get a refund.

You can NOT shave with a zeepk razor. The only way it would be possible, is if you owned a full set of hones ($150-$300) and honed the razor new for each shave.

Take a look at our classifieds. You can find shave ready used razors for $30-$60 on a good day, and used strops as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

You can NOT shave with a zeepk razor. The only way it would be possible, is if you owned a full set of hones ($150-$300) and honed the razor new for each shave.

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Actually, that's not quite accurate...
You'd also have to do some honing DURING the shave!
:roflmao
It's funny 'cuz it's true.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Actually, that's not quite accurate...
You'd also have to do some honing DURING the shave!
:roflmao
It's funny 'cuz it's true.

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Like after each stroke... you'd still be scraping the crap out of your face.

Actually, you might do better trying to shave by wearing down your beard with the hone than with a zeepk

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Del1r1um

Like after each stroke... you'd still be scraping the crap out of your face.

Actually, you might do better trying to shave by wearing down your beard with the hone than with a zeepk

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Yes, but he's got a Zeepk hone so he'd still be out of luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Utopian

Yes, but he's got a Zeepk hone so he'd still be out of luck!

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lol. So true. I actually spent a couple hours trying to get one of them basically sharp with the zeepk hone, just to see if it could be done, and I was able to get it to where it could rip about 1/4 of the hairs out of my arm for a few strokes.

I don't think I'd use a zeepk hone on a pocket knife.

[quote=JMS;372874]Zeepk is No. #1 in their field!! They make the finest butter knives, letter openers and other such blunt edged tools!

I don't know about that It tore my letter:roflmao:rofl2::roflmao
Back to reality; Look at Utopians goods in classifieds, I got A cheapo DA sharpened by him and it's great so whatever is in the classified will be worth the money.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JMS

Zeepk is No. #1 in their field!! They make the finest butter knives, letter openers and other such blunt edged tools!
For razors though try some proven brand. Hang around and read a little here and there and you will soon discover which razors are well thought of and which are plain junk!

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:rofl2::roflmao

I could not agree more. I'll even wager that the greatest honer in the world could not take a Zeepk hone and razor and make a shave ready tool. :gthI commented in another forum that my first use only took 2 units of blood and a good plastic surgeon, but in truth they can NOT be used to shave with any success or comfort. You would do better shaving with a cheap kitchen knife sharpened on concrete. Listen to the others. There are multiple good razors on the classifieds less than $50 that may not look as fancy, but will shave as good as the more expensive models. $30 for a Zeepk is wasted and in the end make a good $35 cost $65 because you wasted the $30 on worthless crap.
Good Luck.

They're poo poo.

I have never tried a zeepk so I have no personal knowledge of the quality. The conventional wisdom here is pretty reliable so I would follow it. This very moment there are two blades in the classifieds for $35 and $40. These look to be perfect for your need. With standard care the razor will outlive you.

By standard care I mean dry after every use and don't overhone.

I thought "Zeepk" was named after the sound you make trying to shave with one of them.

Thanks everybody. I've been looking on youtube and reading the wiki offered on this site. Very helpful stuff! You folks have a great site here. Wonderful resource!

The sticker shock has worn off and I'm coming to appreciate the rustic artistry of some of these straight razors. This looks like a very satisfying hobby too!

Thanks for all the advice. I almost bought the Zeepk and looked at half a dozen other off brands. I'll look up those razors, Utopian.

Thanks!