Thread: Weber and Tradere DE's

I did a search on here and was surprised nothing really came up about either one of these DE's? Can anyone give there opinions on these two fine looking instrument's. I know there has to be something in here about them, you guy's don't miss a thing!

I have and use the standard Weber DLC and enjoy it. I think it is a good standard razor. I do not know anything about the
Tradere.

I have the Tradere but haven't used it yet. I can tell you cosmetically it is very well done with fit and finish on par with the Feather Stainless but not as much a fashion statement as the Pils. The blade holding mechanism is the same as the Pils. The ergonomics are on par with the feather too. Once I use it tomorrow I'll report back. it's an open comb but supposedly a mild one nothing like the R41.

Looking forward to hearing about your shave with Tradere!

Good to hear! why did you choose the DLC over the ARC? any paticular reason?

I have the Weber.

The Weber is not the most attractive razor - a bit "industrial" in styling, but it is very well made and a very good value for an all stainless razor. It shaves beautifully - as well as any modern or vintage DE I've used and better than just about any, and is easy and intuitive to use.

Just finished a two week trial with the Tradere OC. Used a Super Iridium, which is a consistently good blade for me in every razor I've ever tried.

First off, I own a Pils, had a Feather AC, own several iKons, a Joris. . ., and this is IMO the most meticulously crafted and finished razor I have used or seen. The build and finish is simply flawless - compulsively so. If you are in the market for shaving art, you can do no better than this.

Unfortunately, art does not cut whiskers, and, like the Pils, iKon H20, and R41 I have, which also have flat blade designs, neither did the Tradere, at least not as effectively and comfortably as I would like. I had difficulty finding an angle that would yield effective per pass reduction while avoiding a feeling of harshness and irritation. I also found the balance of the razor awkward - the combo of a heavy head, heavy tail and relatively long handle made for a couple of fumbles where I felt like I was on the verge of spinning a baton.

I suspect that if I committed to this razor and worked diligently on adjusting my style to get used to the balance and find the sweet angle(s) I may grow to love the performance as much as the aesthetics, but with the number of truly great shaving, intuitive to use razors I have, I just don't see the need. I'm glad I got to try one, but I will not be making a purchase on this particular model.

Gentlemen,

I spent a week with my Tradere, using a variety of blades, and finally concluded that it was not for me.

The razor is well made, and handsome, but a heavy shave head supported by a long and skinny handle is awkward. Out of balance. What's more, the hammer-head shave head, in which the blade lies flat, requires a much shallower shave angle, thereby making the razor more awkward in the hand. I found the same problem with the Pils — a flat blade in a heavy shave head supported by a smooth and skinny handle.

If you compare the design of these razors to that of the little and hefty Merkur 34C — overall different worlds, of course — you'll notice that the simplicity of the Merkur makes it tuck comfortably in the hand, thereby producing an exceptionally comfortable shave, whereas the Tradere and the Pils, despite their advanced engineering, feel awkward. Granted, mastering these razors might compensate for what I feel is an uncomfortable design, but that might not make up for the estranged relationship between the shaver and the instrument. For me, anyway.

As for the Weber, I only have the DLC, which is mounted on the Edwin Jagger Plaza faux marble handle. For me, this is a superb closed comb razor, although not anything fancy. The shave head hugs the skin and I like that. These days, though, I shave mostly with the Joris open comb — I have five in different handles — and the Fatip open comb. Both razors use the same Fatip shave head, although the Joris has a far superior finish. Occasionally I use the Muhle R41 open comb. The only other closed comb I use regularly is the Merkur Progress. The Edwin Jaggers and the Muhles as well as the Gillette all sit idle.

I used the Tradere today. Of course just one shave with the enclosed Persona Blade but it gave an excellent shave on par with all but the R-41 which is closer. My issue with it is it feels way too heavy and clumsy in the hand and on the face. The Pils is worse but the Tradere reminded me of years ago when I had the Mercur Vision. I thought it was too heavy in the head and clumsy and this felt just like it.

You would think designing a DE and getting it 100% correct would be easy but apparently it's not. It really makes me appreciate the feather DE that much more because they really got that one right. I still have my Pils and actually my son uses it. I really dislike it, the skinny slick handle and way too heavy head are a very bad combination. I have small hands and it still can be hard to hold on to. It gives a great shave but that doesn't make up for it's deficiencies

Hmmmm....you'd think a heavy head would help let the razor do all the work. So basicly what I'm hearing is it's an expensive piece of art? I've never owned a Pils, I do have an R41 that I like but hardly use. Maybe I'll wait and see if they tweak it or offer a different handle. Do you think another type of handle would fit? Something thicker, heavier to balance the head weight, might help? It would be an easier decison to make if they just sold the razor heads. I actually wish someone would do that.

On the other hand I'm hearing good thing's about the Weber's performance, maybe I'll go down that road first.

The Tradere can be bought head and handle separately and most DE's can interchange heads. The R41 comes with a selection of handles. I have the plastic but the amount of pressure used in shaving with that is so minimal personally I think a lightweight piece is best with that one. With the Tradere, even if they made the handle heavier to counterbalance the head you would then have a really really heavy razor and though it would feel better the head would still be too heavy by itself.

I wouldn't characterize the Tradere as an expensive piece of art. If it didn't shave well it would be however like the Pils it gives good results. I think both razors are an example of where the designers put factors other than usability at the top of the list.

It kind of akin to a watch I have. it's made of Tungsten Carbide and with a leather strap it is very unbalanced because the watch is so heavy. You can add a Tungsten bracelet which balances the watch better but then the whole package gets into serious weight territory making it uncomfortable to wear.