Reviews on the Shaveabuck Chinese Futur knock-off?

[BarbaGnosa]

Just noticed this new product offered by Shaveabuck.

http://shaveabuck.com/gold-adjustable-razor-p-907.html

Gold Adjustable Razor $35.00
Heavy weight gold tone adjustable razor. Has two piece snap cap top. Solid and heavy these are a few samples pieces we have..
Product of China.

I suspect it's manufactured by NanTong Vigour Brush Company, or the like:
http://cnvigour.cn/pro_big.asp?id=1677

Five months ago, in December 2012, I was perusing eBay for shaving deals, and discovered the Chinese premium wet-shaving discount and knock-off manufacturers and their eBay outlets:
http://stores.ebay.com/iantangsshavingworkshop who reps Frank Shaving
http://stores.ebay.com/classicshop2012 who reps Lijun Shaving

That got me to googling, where I found NanTong Vigour and their three Futur knock-offs, golden, black gloss, and black matte. In response to my question about design and materials, they responded: "Its shape and function is similar to Merkur Futur razor... The golden surface is made by electroplate on the brass handle. It's not the real gold, it is gold imitation." When I inquired with NanTong about the golden model TX18, they quoted me a sample price of $85 ($49 plus $36 UPS shipping), which price, despite my pointing out to them was about the same cost of buying a genuine gold Futur from Amazon, they refused to negotiate.

Has anyone yet bought one? Care to share some reviews?

 

[ironfist]

Wow, never knew these were kicking about, never tried this or a futur.

 

[Scott0079]

That black gloss looks sweet!

 

[celestino]

Never heard of these, but i would never pay that much when i could easily get a Futur as you have said.
Good luck.

 

[kcb5150]

Pretty disgusting on their part to make that....

 

[BarbaGnosa]

"Sorry, the product was not found." Is now the message to be found for that Shaveabuck link. It would appear they sold out fast... or something.

 

[Foyle]

I'll never knowingly buy a Chinese knock-off of anything.

 

[chilliman64]

"Sorry, the product was not found." Is now the message to be found for that Shaveabuck link. It would appear they sold out fast... or something.

I guess we shall have to wait and see. one of the members here is from Shaveabuck. I've found them pretty excellent to deal with.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Give it a miss. $35 is too much to pay for what might prove to be a basically disposable razor. You can't count on them to make a product up to Merkur's standards, or to provide decent after sales service. If time proves me wrong, then buy one. For now, if you want a Futur, get a Futur. If it was more like $20 it might be worth considering. I guess it depends on your level of tolerance for being jerked around. Remember, they want to make money, not make you happy.

I became very disappointed in Ian when the prices for FS brushes skyrocketed. You can now get a brush from a premium brand for not much more than what a FS costs. When you do that, you are showing your true colors, AFAIC.

 

[JDTTO]

You can't count on them to make a product up to Merkur's standards, or to provide decent after sales service.

These are quite often questioned around here.

Not a Merkur customer myself (yet) so can not speak from experience. Just saying...

 

[bhorsoft]

If you really want a Futur, keep your eye on BS&T for a real one for not that much more. I tend to avoid Chinese knock-offs (counterfeits) for ethical reasons more than anything else. The quality of the Chinese versions may be superb, but I doubt they are paying any kind of royalties or other fees to Dovo/Merkur for the Futur patent rights. On a positive note, they aren't selling it as a Futur although I can see some unscrupulous folks on Ebay and in flea markets trying to sell it as the real deal to the unsuspecting/uneducated.

 

[BarbaGnosa]

I've gotten some great stuff from Shaveabuck, most prominently my favorite razor, what I've dubbed my Cadet Mastiff.

I guess we shall have to wait and see. one of the members here is from Shaveabuck. I've found them pretty excellent to deal with.

 

[chilliman64]

I've gotten some great stuff from Shaveabuck, most prominently my favorite razor, what I've dubbed my Cadet Mastiff.

I've got a frankenrazor from a Sabi T1 handle and Gillette Tech head, it's very nice to shave with and looks dead sexy too! the T1 head is just too harsh for me.

 

[BarbaGnosa]

i've got a frankenrazor from a sabi t1 handle and gillette tech head, it's very nice to shave with and looks dead sexy too! The t1 head is just too harsh for me.

show us!

 

[guptown]

As a daily user of a Merkur Futur I've longed for a matte black version.

I'll wait until Merkur decides to release one before I spend my $ on a knockoff.

 

[chilliman64]

show us!

View attachment 329719View attachment 329720View attachment 329721View attachment 329722

 

[ArNav]

The handle reminds me of some of the BRW handles for some reason...

 

[BarbaGnosa]

View attachment 329721

That IS dead sexy. I just recently shaved with a Gillette Tech head for the first time last week. Wow, that was very nice. I prefer it to the Merkur head. I like its low profile, streamline -- it's much easier to see what you're doing and get a more detailed shave (for those of us with carefully shaped beards and mustaches -- and very smooth, soft, yet quite close shave. It's caused me to put safety bars back on the regular rotation. And, I found this excellent condition gold Gillette Tech Ball among knick-knacks on display (yet rarely seen) in a shadowy corner of my folk's finished basement. Every time I try a new razor, I learn a lot.

 

[Artimid]

I found a bunch of these on Alibaba/Aliexpress at one point. They worked out pretty dang cheap if you were buying 500. Selling one is a waste of money for them, so they have no incentive to bother.
I asked the question then, in that is there any actual guarantee that these aren't necessarily real Futurs, but made by the same company and sold under a different brand? I don't really know much about Merkur, but how do we know their supply chain doesn't go to China, considering the QA issues so many people have? These above might be the same blanks, just a different finish so they can put it under their own name. I have a Futur now, so I wouldn't waste my money but I would be curious for a review of someone who has tried one.

Then again, some may have one from ebay and didn't even know. ^_^

 

[Taproot]

Shaving 101 had an article a while back saying the Futur was first made in 1983. I don't know anything about design patent but if that's true maybe they're no longer under patent?
Article is an interesting read either way.