Hello,
Does anyone have any experience with this razor? It looks interesting.
Safety Razors, Safety Razors & Blades, Merkur Safety Razors - ClassicShaving.com
Thanks.
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Hello,
Does anyone have any experience with this razor? It looks interesting.
Safety Razors, Safety Razors & Blades, Merkur Safety Razors - ClassicShaving.com
Thanks.
Holy cow, I've not seen that for less than around $300 here in Japan...I wonder how he swung that price?
That is kind of funny. Usually you see the opposite in prices of items from other countries. I wonder if this is a nice safety razor. The stainless steel has me intrigued.
By the way, I just recently purchased a Kanayama 50000 from you. It is a very nice strop. :)
Gentlemen:
I must admit, that is an impressive-looking double edge razor, although I have never shaved with it to comment on its capabilities as a shaver. And, yes, the price is impressive, too, since as JimR notes, it is much more in Japan.
Regards,
Obie
My first thought was, why would anyone want to pay that much for a safety razor ? Not even a twist to open or an adjustable ...... then the "stainless steel" dawned on me. I've always wondered if someone would come along and mfg a stainless razor. The machining is so much more difficult than with brass. I haven't shaved with a DE in over 2 years but I must say that is an impressive looking contraption. The milled portions in the handle, the knurling, and it is no doubt made with great precision in blade seating and tightening. I might even spring for one of those darn things if I didn't know I could get a heck of a vintage straight razor for the same $$. :)
Someone was talking about these not so long ago. I guess these are supposed to compete with the pils from Germany. At least the price is closer to the mercur futur and some EJ models.
Its very similar to iKon Razors new razors coming out after June. All stainless steel and I understand for only $58.
New iKon
Wow, that's cool. So which stainless steel razor to get:
German ($245):
Safety Razors
Japanese ($160):
Safety Razors, Safety Razors & Blades, Merkur Safety Razors - ClassicShaving.com
Thai (?) ($58)
iKon Razors Shaving
I wonder what the actual differences are.
impressive.. but i think i dig the looks of the goodfellas razor more.
I wonder what price this will be worth 70 or 80 years down the line.
I am not sure if these would be worth anything over time. In fact, they may be worth nothing once you purchase them as most people would not want to spend as much on a safety razor. I must say that the stainless feather razor and the Pils razor mentioned elsewhere look awesome. I would love to try either of them.
There seems to be quite a bit of excitement about this razor, but at that price, include me out. You could get a bucketful of Techs for that money, and most of them would be good shavers; that's before you start thinking about straights.
I dunno - stainless is pretty darn attractive qualities - I would be willing to buck up a few extra ponies for one of them - Ikons. the other 2 are flat out way too high for me - I would rather another straight for the same price.
In all fairness, now that a few people have treated themselves, I haven't heard a single negative comment about this razor. It's reckoned to be beautifully presented and a very well balanced razor which is neither too mild or too aggressive. Clearly it's going to last for a very long time, but then again some of us use 60 year old (and older) DEs regularly and antique straights so that really shouldn't be an issue. If one was to use it every day for the rest of one's life, the price would fade from the memory long before the shine went off it.
I have seen this on other shave sites BUT not for that price..than than $20 for it..hmmm
pcdad
It could be a marvelous razor...
I think I would also ask about or audition a less expensive Feather DE first.
Safety Razors, Safety Razors & Blades, Merkur Safety Razors - ClassicShaving.com
I am a FAN of well fabricated products and would be tempted
based on the machine work alone, however it is about shaving :)
All DEs are not equal. If you have one that flexes the blade to
an optimum angle and then exposes it just right for your face a DE shave
can be about as good as a shave can get. I think Feather
understands this based on their blade selection for the Artist club
blade selection.
Safety Razors, Safety Razors & Blades, Merkur Safety Razors - ClassicShaving.com
It could be a marvelous razor... I want one... and bought a lotter ticket
so who knows.
It seems that there is no limit of disposable income here at SRP when it comes to shaving related products. That is why it is mildly amusing when members have no problem laying down $500-$1000 for a custom SR (that will likely shave you as well as a $60 vintage from the classifieds) or $60 for shaving cream, but $160 for a DE???!!!
NEVER, EVER!! THAT'S ABSURD! IT'S ONLY A RAZOR! WHO WOULD PAY THAT??!!
:rofl2:
Sorry, but it just had to be said.
It is interesting what a dollar will buy nowadays. Just for kicks (no pun) I went to a sneaker website. A pair of top of the line New Balance running shoes is $250.00. The very idea that people pay $40.000.00 and well over that for an automobile is mind boggling to me. I'm still stuck in 1965 when a house cost $10.000.00 and if you made that much money per year you were in high cotton. So all things considered that is probably a reasonable price for those DEs being stainless and all. I mean from my perspective a dollar is worth a dime in buying power.
Some of you gentlemen will be very interested in this in-depth review. I have to say that this is one of the most comprehensive and professional pieces of shaving writing I've seen.
I got a Feather DE after trying 4 other DEs and it's the last razor I'll ever buy :)
I'm not sure that likening thoroughbred cars to things like expensive running shoes or even an expensive razor is a good comparison.
There is a whole world of difference between say, a Porsche 911 Turbo and and a Ford Mondeo which is immediately obvious when you drive it.
However, I've had expensive NB running shoes and they didn't feel much better or last any longer than budget Nikes or Adidas. Likewise the £100 Feather probably won't perform much better than a £25 Merkur and you could use the same brand of blade in either one.
I understand what your saying but this was not the case this time.
I have 2 Merkur's a cheap starter than the new satin ADJ. Same blades "Feather" but the Feather razor with the Feather blades just work. I've tried all different ADJ's with the Merkur and can't get the damn thing not to cut the S*** out of me. Now, not a cut...YET :)
Maybe the 4 blade "stops" at the corners? I don't know why it just works from day one.
Hope that helps.
I still use a DE as much as a straight, while it looks fantastic I can't see how it could shave better than a Futur or Edwin Jagger. If you want to invest in the style then fair enough, but I can't see that it would give be better result.
Sorry, the Satin Futur is the one I used to compare this razor with the same "Feather" blades. I have used all the settings and can't get a similar shave and I get many weeping cuts.
My Girl has tried both on her legs with the same results...the Feather works better :)
Try the Feather than get back to me. If you don't like it you can sell it quick.
The only major difference is the 4 prongs that hold the edges of the blade maybe that's it. I have been talking to iKon and that's what they think. I'm currently on a waiting list for a satin standard with the short handle. I will try an iKon out just for kicks.
If you use a variety of DE's you know they all feel different and often times shave different. Maybe it's the hold or the angle I don't know but it is true. I have the feather and the Chatsworth and they do shave the same (in that case) though the difference being the ergonomics with the feather is better.
I can tell you with my fatboy and the mercur barber pole and the vision, those three give an inferior shave to the other two, in my case anyway no matter what combination of blades I use.
I had one of these for a while. They are superbly made, and a really nice piece of kit. They shave really well too, it was probably the best shaving DE I've tried.
I ended up passing it on, it was great but it wasn't all that much better in the shave than the basic metal/plastic Feather DE razor (which sells for about $20), which is also a pretty nice shaver. Also, I don't care if the $20 Feather gets dropped, or stolen from my luggage. :)
I'm not saying the Feather isn't a great razor just questioning whether the price tag is justified by improved functionality or style and design.
The thing is that coupled with the right blade I don't get weepers or any irritation just a great smooth shave, and one that I can't see could be improved upon. I must just be lucky!
As was said earlier in this thread you could, and i did, buy 5 very nice DE shavers for less than a tenner and they all shave very nicely, i gave two away for my boys to use, so how on earth could that razor be any better. Of course anyone buying one is bound to say its the best thing since sliced bread !
The very same applies to custom and high end straights too. A case of one up man ship i'm afraid :)
ian
Your right Ian, I can't lead these people astray...I don't have any of these nice razors.
I'm just a wanna be :(
Truth is it's the cheapest shave that's always been the best. I found some old box cutter blades in the dumpster behind the KFC. Now I know they might have been used for years cutting open boxes of raw chicken so the salmonella may be some secret seasoning of these blades but they just give me the best shave EVER.
Now I had to hit a few garage sales but I found a set of rusty needle nose pliers "for 50 cents" to hold the blades but damn...this setup works so fine. I love it.
Also the hole face prep CR*P is just that. I found out the best shave is dry...I know DRY. Who knew. All those people selling and recommendations for that slick Sh** for your face :soapbox:
It's the man I tell you. People are just taking your money and I know your smarter than that.
So don't read recommendations off this site. It's just about the money.
PS: I just read about how you can shave just as close by rubbing your face with the bark of a tree...So now I got ripped off and good. 50 cents lost DAMN :confused:
...Why two?
The briefest of histories first. Until this May, I had only used an Atra cartridge razor since I started shaving in 1979 or so. In 1994, I bought a Dovo Special tortoise shell straight, and was probably just learning to use it well when my cartoonish stropping technique finally destroyed the edge. We'll get back to that straight in another thread.
In May of this year, I bought my first double edge razor, a chrome handled Merkur Futur. It's a wonderful razor. Then, after reading a very well written review of the Pils model 101NE stainless razor, I bought one. It worked very well from the first shave. So, I sold the Futur to a colleague.
Then, after a few deathmatch type posts comparing the Pils with the Feather All Stainless, I bought a Feather AS to compare them myself. I only used the Feather for a week, and couldn't get as good a shave from it as I could from my only other razor, the Pils. I concluded, after that week, that the Feather was not aggressive enough for me (as if it were something different about my beard, and not merely my skill using it), and sold it.
A few weeks later, after finding another copy of the chrome Futur for the same price I sold my original for, I replaced it. I found I could do much better with it than I could at first. That couple months of practice gave me the skill to get a shave from the Futur that I couldn't get before. So, I wondered, would the same effect apply to another Feather AS?
I got another Feather AS. And sure enough, I can now get perfect shaves with it easily. Every time. My angle was wrong the first week I used it, and I didn't own it long enough to figure that out.
As for the build quality of the Feather AS, it is simply perfect. In every way. There are no machining flaws whatsoever. This thing truly is a precision instrument. The performance is also perfect. Just perfect. No, it's not as aggressive as the Pils. But, it works perfectly. I find I can use it as cavalierly as I used my old Atra, and it delivers a better shave. I've never got a nick from it. I'm told a Tech is its closest comparison, but I've never had a tech.
The thing I like best about a stainless steel tool is its invincibility. I can clean this thing with scouring powder and an old toothbrush forever and never worry about damaging it. Of course, the same goes for the Pils. It works perfectly, it's invincible, what more could you want from a razor?
Is it worth $155? That's pretty subjective. I think it is, to me. But others here are perfectly correct when they point out that you can buy a handful of vintage razors for the cost of one of these things. You can buy two handfuls of vintage razors for the price of a Pils. It's a tough call on the value. If you can afford it, I don't think you'd be sorry to have one.
Very funny post Jeff :rofl2:
ian
http://www.skepdick.eu/wp-content/up...03-300x245.jpg
http://www.skepdick.eu/wp-content/up...99-300x219.jpg
It's a little aggressive, and the balance favors the handle. Changing the blade is a trick.
I've had the iKon for a few weeks and would tell you it's the (don't know the word) easiest? softest? I just think you would have to work hard to cut yourself and that's with the Feather blades...but after telling my Girl about the razor...it's gone to the shower and she loves it :(
I think you are looking for "aggressive." I am beginning to wonder if less aggressive DE razors are actually better. I use a Merkur HD at the moment, and it is supposedly in the middle of the aggressiveness range, maybe a shy bit more on the aggressive side than average. However, razors like the Feather AS and EJ Chatsworth get a lot of good praise.
Edit: If your girl likes DE shaving, look into getting her a Lady Gillette. They were designed for women back in the '60's. They have a long handle and are supposedly really non-aggressive.