Because of handling the blade maybe? Actually I experience less trouble getting the Feather blades out of the container than I do unwrapping my double edge blades. And some of the those double edge containers that have multiple blades in them drive me crazy. I do have an old injector that I use on occasion but it is the only one I have that does not require me to handle the blade. And the injector is not exactly trouble free in other ways. Loading doesn't seem any more difficult to me than loading any of my other razors. Unloading is a snap or, more correctly, an unsnap.
Primitive is a relative term.
An injector blade dispenser 50 years old offers safe insertion/extraction of a very sharp blade. A brand new EXPENSIVE one has a useless dispenser that requires the blade be handled twice. I'd call that primitive since many decades have gone by since our engineers provided a safe means to insert and extract a scalpel sharp blade.
If you take that as an insult, who is the insulted party? Classic Shaving or you?
Maybe you're personalizing this too much?
An injector blade dispenser 50 years old offers safe insertion/extraction of a very sharp blade. A brand new EXPENSIVE one has a useless dispenser that requires the blade be handled twice. I'd call that primitive since many decades have gone by since our engineers provided a safe means to insert and extract a scalpel sharp blade.
If you take that as an insult, who is the insulted party? Classic Shaving or you?
Maybe you're personalizing this too much?
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I'm getting to try one soon (The Cobra Tour) so I'll get to feel it out, including blade handling. I hear you about messing with DE blades. I solved that by no longer shaving with DE razors.
The shave must be good for men to put up with all the other issues with the Cobra. If I find it shaves me better than anything else I've used by 20% or greater, I'll buy it. I know that you can't truly quantify this shaving deal, but the bottom line is it will need to be MUCH better than my Schick Hydro-Magic for me to shell out $170 plus the pricey blades. It also needs to not be a manufacturing *** as well.
So, I'm on record. If all the Cobra-mania is for real, I'm buying one. If not, I'll be sharing my honest impressions of it on here.
Blades aren't pricey per use. That's been readily established and corroborated.
I think I begin to better understand your perspective about the Cobra. It seems to me that you conceive of it as an evolution of an injector handle which you like and admire and so you compare the Cobra to that class. I can understand that.
I, too, have an injector, an E5. I like it and use it some. I use it quite a bit around my mouth and mustache. I do appreciate the fact that I can clean it although that has not been as significant as I thought before owning and using it. And it was a good price.
The Cobra to me really does not shave like my injector. I would not compare it either to my Ever-Ready 1912 or any of my Gillette's. The closest to it for me is my Futur with Feather blades and truly it is not really the same.
When I decided to acquire a Cobra I was comparing it to a Feather Artist Club DX handle. I felt like it would be a lot easier for me to learn to use the Cobra and it was in a similar price range. Plus since I hadn't been able to find a used one I figured it wouldn't be that hard to sell if I hated it.
My experience is really good with it. I enjoy shaving with it and my learning curve has been acceptable. I use it more I think than any of my other razors now. It just contributes to a nice, slow, excellent shave for me.
I really am having a problem seeing how the blade change on the Cobra is unsafe? It is intuitive and easy and seems to be a made up problem. I am only going on my second blade but I have taken the blades out to clean them and have even turned them over on several occasions with no problem. I am actually putting the blade in the razor to place against the skin on my face. Perhaps you should move on from that primitive 50 year old injector technology and move to something newer like this:
EXPENSIVE is a relative term and after reading many, many Cobra threads where you interject seems to be your real issue. I understand that to some people this may be an expensive razor and that because of this they may not wish to get one. I have no problem with that. I have no problem with people spending the money to get one. The fact that there are still many razors that require manual blade changes and even straight razors that could be really dangerous shows that there are a lot of people who do not see this as a problem. Excepting your multiple posts on this I would have never noticed this.
I guess I should have used the word negative. It seems like you enter a lot of the Cobra threads that are not buy and sell and make negative posts, despite never having used or handled the razor. As I was researching the razor I ran across many and by far they seemed the most negative. When I found out you never used one I thought it was all a huge waste of research time and added nothing I found of value to the conversation. There was even a gentleman who lives close to you who offered to meet you so you could use his!
Maybe I am. By the number of negative Cobra Classic Razor posts you have made I am pretty sure you have personalized it too much, despite never having seen one in person or used one.
I never challenged how the Cobra shaved. I will comment on that when I get a test drive n the Cobra Tour. I asked or commented on the quality of its manufacturing and quality control or lack thereof. I also have commented on the need to handle a large blade with no "safe side" like traditional SE blades...or dispenser like the old injectors.
I comment many times because there are so damn many Cobra threads. I add a "non choir" voice. Counterbalance. The anger you show says this razor is way too important to you...or you have other stuff going on.
I have the right to comment. Something wrong with that?
I comment many times because there are so damn many Cobra threads. I add a "non choir" voice. Counterbalance. The anger you show says this razor is way too important to you...or you have other stuff going on.
I have the right to comment. Something wrong with that?
Not to force my opinion in any way but I wish this thread would continue in a different spirit.
I agree. Great weather we're having... I love these threads, they get so interesting. 
People who like the razor, and I am one of those people, really like it. Dogging it constantly (or appearing to) can be like being poked with a stick, even though that isn't necessarily the intention. So here goes...
Return, if you like PM me and I will let you borrow mine for a week. All you have to do is pay to ship it back. If you like it, great! If you don't, that's ok too. But that way you will be offering an opinion after USING it. Right now you are critiquing a car before driving it after looking at some pics and reading some comments. I'm not trying to call you out, but instead facilitate a way for you to give it a try. You're a skeptic and I think by now we all get it. All I can say is I'll let you use my favorite razor for a week if you want to give it a try.
People who like the razor, and I am one of those people, really like it. Dogging it constantly (or appearing to) can be like being poked with a stick, even though that isn't necessarily the intention. So here goes...
Return, if you like PM me and I will let you borrow mine for a week. All you have to do is pay to ship it back. If you like it, great! If you don't, that's ok too. But that way you will be offering an opinion after USING it. Right now you are critiquing a car before driving it after looking at some pics and reading some comments. I'm not trying to call you out, but instead facilitate a way for you to give it a try. You're a skeptic and I think by now we all get it. All I can say is I'll let you use my favorite razor for a week if you want to give it a try.
I
Cobra 
Amen! The guy ought to take advantage of this generous offer - at least he would be able to post intelligently for a change regarding the Cobra and Feather Artist Club blades.
I appreciate that offer but I'm already on the list to try the Cobra on the long running "Cobra Tour." So I'll stick with that avenue of test driving it.I agree. Great weather we're having... I love these threads, they get so interesting.
People who like the razor, and I am one of those people, really like it. Dogging it constantly (or appearing to) can be like being poked with a stick, even though that isn't necessarily the intention. So here goes...
Return, if you like PM me and I will let you borrow mine for a week. All you have to do is pay to ship it back. If you like it, great! If you don't, that's ok too. But that way you will be offering an opinion after USING it. Right now you are critiquing a car before driving it after looking at some pics and reading some comments. I'm not trying to call you out, but instead facilitate a way for you to give it a try. You're a skeptic and I think by now we all get it. All I can say is I'll let you use my favorite razor for a week if you want to give it a try.
I think it's a lack of discipline within the Cobra lovers group that they can't contain comments to one or two threads...but every few days somebody starts yet another "Ain't that Cobra just so great!" thread. I don't see this going on with any other popular razors.
If anyone does their homework on the Cobra they will find many unhappy Cobra owners...most complaining about poor manufacturing and quality control issues like the head not tightening down correctly, unevenness in the blade alignment or the casting is poor. Some just don't like the shave. If a prospective Cobra buyer doesn't hear both sides of the Cobra story, they won't be fully educated consumers.
So, I post about these Cobra issues so the threads are not just Cobra love fests or men trying to convince themselves they spent $170 for good reasons. Looking for a buyers remorse cure?
Anyway, I will soon get my shot at trying the mighty Cobra and I will comment directly about its shaving prowess.
R2B - It escapes me how you intend to educate someone on a product you have never used. At best, your comments are based upon 2nd hand information. Furthermore, you call yourself a "counter-balance" to all of those who seem to like (or love) their Cobra razor. Once again, you don't add balance; as a point of fact, you add nothing but "hot air" since you are totally clueless as to how the razor actually feels in the hand or shaves on the face.
I own (or have owned) most all of the better SS, DE and SE razors...so I'm not necessarily a "fanboy" of any of them. I buy them, use them, compare them and comment as I feel compelled to do so. I do not however, go on and on and on about something I am totally ignorant about.
When I competed nationally and internationally in Strongman - it was very simple - put up or shut up. I suggest you exercise the latter until such time that you can actually comment from experience.
I own (or have owned) most all of the better SS, DE and SE razors...so I'm not necessarily a "fanboy" of any of them. I buy them, use them, compare them and comment as I feel compelled to do so. I do not however, go on and on and on about something I am totally ignorant about.
When I competed nationally and internationally in Strongman - it was very simple - put up or shut up. I suggest you exercise the latter until such time that you can actually comment from experience.
R2B, you won't like the Cobra. If your only/favorite razor is a Schick Hydro-Magic, the Cobra will bite you.
R2B, it's fine either way. When I looked it seemed you were 6 or 7 weeks out on the tour and I was going to save you some time. That being said either way, it'll be a great read as I have said before.
I don't see a million threads about it, although there are quite a few. I usually end up having to search for them. It may also be cyclical based on when CS has them in stock and new people get a chance to try it and review it. Should the keep reviews to one thread? Not really my issue. If that were the case there would be one thread per razor I guess which could make finding useful information actually harder because who wants to wade through 50 pages of posts looking for one comment.
Is any razor worth $170??? Who knows. My first experience with my Feather ASD1 left me feeling let down. I didn't think I would ever get a good shave out of it. I've used it exclusively for almost a month and actually get a good shave now. Is it worth what I spent on it? Even buying it on sale, who knows. I dropped more than that on a used ikon just so I could try it. Have to say I really like it. Certain razors have NOTHING to do with value. I get a great shave from a $19 feather popular. Why didn't I stop there? I wanted to try new stuff. Low production items tend to cost more than mass produced ones. It's also nice to know that I will have stuff to pass on to my son and that some of it is rare.
I don't see a million threads about it, although there are quite a few. I usually end up having to search for them. It may also be cyclical based on when CS has them in stock and new people get a chance to try it and review it. Should the keep reviews to one thread? Not really my issue. If that were the case there would be one thread per razor I guess which could make finding useful information actually harder because who wants to wade through 50 pages of posts looking for one comment.
Is any razor worth $170??? Who knows. My first experience with my Feather ASD1 left me feeling let down. I didn't think I would ever get a good shave out of it. I've used it exclusively for almost a month and actually get a good shave now. Is it worth what I spent on it? Even buying it on sale, who knows. I dropped more than that on a used ikon just so I could try it. Have to say I really like it. Certain razors have NOTHING to do with value. I get a great shave from a $19 feather popular. Why didn't I stop there? I wanted to try new stuff. Low production items tend to cost more than mass produced ones. It's also nice to know that I will have stuff to pass on to my son and that some of it is rare.
I agree. Great weather we're having... I love these threads, they get so interesting.
People who like the razor, and I am one of those people, really like it. Dogging it constantly (or appearing to) can be like being poked with a stick, even though that isn't necessarily the intention. So here goes...
Return, if you like PM me and I will let you borrow mine for a week. All you have to do is pay to ship it back. If you like it, great! If you don't, that's ok too. But that way you will be offering an opinion after USING it. Right now you are critiquing a car before driving it after looking at some pics and reading some comments. I'm not trying to call you out, but instead facilitate a way for you to give it a try. You're a skeptic and I think by now we all get it. All I can say is I'll let you use my favorite razor for a week if you want to give it a try.
Having been around for a while I have tried almost every Razor/Blade combination out there and that includes modern and vintage. I was always looking for the best shave with the least irritation and in the Cobra I found it. I found it by buying the razor and using it, not just making an assumption. I spent a lot of money on straights only to find it just wasn't for me. I don't go to the straight forum and post over there, it is their preference to use straights and I don't try to convince them to use something else based on my experience.
This argument reminds me of the, I hate Chevy or I hate Ford discussions that I would hear when I worked nights. Passionate but, usually without merit as the owners of Fords would never drive a Chevy product and vice-versa.
I think this offer to use this Cobra is one of the most generous I have seen. It will allow you to make any comment with actual first hand experience. Take the razor for a test drive now and add something to the conversation that will be logical not emotional.
I am not angry at all. You have the right to comment and I have the right to comment on your comments. Something wrong with that? As far as the bolded I think it applies more to you, but if others are interested they can review your posts on this matter and my posts and make up their own mind.
I appreciate your comments on straights because that was the direction I was looking. I understand that $170 is a lot for a razor, but even with buying two I think I got off pretty cheap if I just stick with the Cobra than if I would have gone a different route. Some people have spent more in brushes or soaps and creams than I have on everything so far.
Does anyone know what size Allen wrench fits the Cobra?
Shave with one, Then get back to us, Also it's the only Modern SE, And Shaves are Smooth like butter, I have no Regrets with mine, Some have had quality issues with there's but it's usually resloved.
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