Fantastic out of the box
This really appears very well made out of the box.  The chrome looks very good, it's heavy and feels like it is very sturdy.  The finish is smooth with no visible machining or manufacturing marks. The parts fit together well with no noticeable gaps or surfaces that are misaligned or poorly mated.  It just appears to be worth far more than the price.  Time will tell if it holds up.  The only curious and apparent defect has to do with the foam padding on the base.  The base is actually hollow and they filled in the cavity with thick closed cell foam which is typical of padding for whatever surface you place it on.  However, the foam is about 1/8" too thin so it actually is not what touches the your counter, the metal edges are.  This is an easy fix but it's just odd that this is so well executed and the only apparent defect is something so easily avoided by the manufacturer. Assuming it holds up, it's still well worth the price however.<br /><br />Update: after comparing the finishing of this stand to a Muhle razor I received, the quality difference is slightly apparent in the chrome. The Muhle has a mirror finish. The reflections in it are crisp. This stand does show some surface imperfections in the reflections revealing that the original metal surface was not perfectly polished prior to the addition of the chrome finish. However, we are talking a very slight difference. I really didn’t notice it until I had the Muhle razor to compare. I don’t think this is as much a knock on the stand as it is a testament to the insane quality of the Muhle. As such, I’m maintaining my original rating. For a stand, this is more than good enough.
Rating: 5 stars