Not quite there yet
I initially ordered this razor just for the handle. When I got it I was surprised in some ways, and not so much in others. First, the handle was balanced, looked well-made, and attractive. However, it came unscrewed almost immediately as it was not tightened well at the factory. Easy fix with some thread locking compound. I was very surprised by the apparent quality of the materials. Fit and finish was very good and the chrome looked extremely nice. The head looked nice although the top cap showed flaws in the final polish by way of minor machining marked still visible in the reflection of the chrome. Really, that is the ONLY visible defect. However, upon using it to shave things became less surprising. The blade noise and feel is extreme. I could not get a close shave no matter how hard I tried, despite this being a fairly aggressive shaver. Upon closer inspection I notice the top cap is quite narrow and a very large portion of the cutting edge of the blade protrudes and is unsupported. This leads to blade deflection and as some refer to it- blade chatter. This is an issue really only if you have stiff beard growth as I do. Basically, when the blade is not well supported it can flex slightly changing blade Geometry as you shave. Not sure if that was happening here but even with fresh blades I got an uncomfortable amount of tugging using this razor. The blade felt dull even when new. As for the handle, it’s nice but huge! I have big hands and it was too big for me. This razor might be better suited for leg/body shaving given its characteristics, although it’s quite aggressive for such a purpose. For $10 it’s amazing. But for $25 you can get something far better. Your choice.
Rating: 2 stars