Hi everyone,
this one arrived last Monday:
I found it while looking to buy a larger batch of Barbus Shave Soap. For its price (less than 2.50 €), I had thought there'd be little to lose, especially since I found the head design quite intriguing, resembling a Neilite, while being much more accessible and affordable.
I ordered a bunch of other shaving supplies while there, and while I'm actually happy with all of those I tried, this is one of the two favourites of the batch so far.
As expected, the razor is really lightweight, made of some sort of plastic. The package isn't terribly specific about this, only mentions PP (polypropylene) and PAP (paper) on the recycling labels, but it's possible that the PP is just the thin sheet that holds the razor and the paper card wrapped together.
The finish isn't the best, but pretty good, especially considering the price, with no major issues, just slight imperfections here and there.
Despite its weight, it feels good in the hand because, while the handle feels smooth, its shape helps prevent the razor from slipping and allows for a pretty good grip.
Blade alignment is a non-issue, absolutely spot on and secure.
I have only shaved with it twice so far, but both shaves have been pretty consistent, so I thought I'd post this now and update later as needed.
During both shaves, I used Dr. Bronner's Shaving Soap (which, BTW., I found only usable when minimising the amount of water used as much as possible, but it makes me use too much of it).
During both, I had been in a bit of a rush, but despite that, I managed two passes and ended up with very satisfactory shaves with an Astra SP blade.
The first one was WTG and ATG, ending very near a BBS result.
The second one was WTG and XTG, ending with a CCS, despite the irritation a different cheap razor gave me after the first shave with this one (didn't hold the blade securely enough, it it was jittery).
The razor is about medium aggressive (I can feel a the blade), but it's also very efficient. I would say the blade feel is just enough to let me know how and where I'm dragging the razor. I would say the razor is efficient enough that a single pass, even WTG, looks quite socially acceptable, one XTG is definitely so.
The blade gap doesn't seem like much, but the teeth more than make up for it. I had no issues with clogging at all, despite the soap being super-thick.
Applying no pressure is crucial, although, due to the weight of the razor, it's not always easy. Despite that, I have experienced no discomfort while using it, except when applying an alcohol based aftershave where I had previously irritated my skin with the other cheap razor. Looks like I'll have to take a bit of a shaving break for a few days until that heals properly.
Compared to most other cheap razors I have tried so far, it beats most of them and is about on par with the Acevivi dual comb razor in terms of efficiency, perhaps even a little better.
I'm still hoping to grab a Neilite for comparison's sake and maybe the Merkur 45 later this year.
However, I'm very happy with this one and might even grab a few spares. If I wouldn't manage to get my hands on a Neilite or the Merkur, I wouldn't feel too bad about it now that I have this one.
Having said that, should anyone like to send me theirs for a week to compare these, I wouldn't mind at all. ;-)
The website I bought it from says it's a Czech product, but the bar code suggests it's actually made in Slovakia (beings with 858). That might be just where it's wrapped, though, even if it doesn't make much sense considering the price.
I got mine here:
Alfa Klasický holící oboustranný strojek s žiletkami Astra 5 kusů
this one arrived last Monday:
I found it while looking to buy a larger batch of Barbus Shave Soap. For its price (less than 2.50 €), I had thought there'd be little to lose, especially since I found the head design quite intriguing, resembling a Neilite, while being much more accessible and affordable.
I ordered a bunch of other shaving supplies while there, and while I'm actually happy with all of those I tried, this is one of the two favourites of the batch so far.
As expected, the razor is really lightweight, made of some sort of plastic. The package isn't terribly specific about this, only mentions PP (polypropylene) and PAP (paper) on the recycling labels, but it's possible that the PP is just the thin sheet that holds the razor and the paper card wrapped together.
The finish isn't the best, but pretty good, especially considering the price, with no major issues, just slight imperfections here and there.
Despite its weight, it feels good in the hand because, while the handle feels smooth, its shape helps prevent the razor from slipping and allows for a pretty good grip.
Blade alignment is a non-issue, absolutely spot on and secure.
I have only shaved with it twice so far, but both shaves have been pretty consistent, so I thought I'd post this now and update later as needed.
During both shaves, I used Dr. Bronner's Shaving Soap (which, BTW., I found only usable when minimising the amount of water used as much as possible, but it makes me use too much of it).
During both, I had been in a bit of a rush, but despite that, I managed two passes and ended up with very satisfactory shaves with an Astra SP blade.
The first one was WTG and ATG, ending very near a BBS result.
The second one was WTG and XTG, ending with a CCS, despite the irritation a different cheap razor gave me after the first shave with this one (didn't hold the blade securely enough, it it was jittery).
The razor is about medium aggressive (I can feel a the blade), but it's also very efficient. I would say the blade feel is just enough to let me know how and where I'm dragging the razor. I would say the razor is efficient enough that a single pass, even WTG, looks quite socially acceptable, one XTG is definitely so.
The blade gap doesn't seem like much, but the teeth more than make up for it. I had no issues with clogging at all, despite the soap being super-thick.
Applying no pressure is crucial, although, due to the weight of the razor, it's not always easy. Despite that, I have experienced no discomfort while using it, except when applying an alcohol based aftershave where I had previously irritated my skin with the other cheap razor. Looks like I'll have to take a bit of a shaving break for a few days until that heals properly.
Compared to most other cheap razors I have tried so far, it beats most of them and is about on par with the Acevivi dual comb razor in terms of efficiency, perhaps even a little better.
I'm still hoping to grab a Neilite for comparison's sake and maybe the Merkur 45 later this year.
However, I'm very happy with this one and might even grab a few spares. If I wouldn't manage to get my hands on a Neilite or the Merkur, I wouldn't feel too bad about it now that I have this one.
Having said that, should anyone like to send me theirs for a week to compare these, I wouldn't mind at all. ;-)
The website I bought it from says it's a Czech product, but the bar code suggests it's actually made in Slovakia (beings with 858). That might be just where it's wrapped, though, even if it doesn't make much sense considering the price.
I got mine here:
Alfa Klasický holící oboustranný strojek s žiletkami Astra 5 kusů
