Edwin Jagger DE89 Barley - Crappy alloys? Don't make em like they used to... [PICS]

[AceByTerror]

So I've had this DE89 Barley for a month - love the razor - great shaves. Finish beautiful (except mine seemed to have some brassing out of the box under the heard that I thought was not right), great weight, balance and all round shaves.

Yesterday my razor stand got bumped over - this is a 4 to 6 inch fall at the most?

The head snapped right off! Not impressed at all! The alloy looks quite brittle in the broken parts - very grainy steel for sure.

I'm told Edwin Jagger is good at replacing defective razors and i have an email into them right now, but this was disappointing to me. Such a nicely finished razor but it seems it's a little bit of window dressing. I guess I find it unlikely many people will have minty DE89s 100 years from now like they do Gillettes today... too bad. I'll update this post after Edwin Jagger gets back to me.

I was thinking of buying a gold plated DE89 before this but I'm concerned about the quality. I obviously don't go throwing my razors around the room, but one expects a little bit of bump and jostle to be ok.

Anyone else have quality issues like this?

/Ace

 

[ERVARGASNY]

There pretty Famous for Braking in that same point yours broke.

Seems this is an issue for EJ, Such a nice Razor to Break in only on Drop, Thats Really Cheesy if you ask me... Sorry for your loss Buddy

 

[Krona Kruiser]

It's the pot metal. Though Merkurs, EJ's, and Muhles are amazing razors they would be 10x better if they were constructed with brass or copper like the Gillettes were.

 

[oakeshott]

Pot metal is the generic term for a cheap blend of metal (in which zinc is a chief component) that can be cast at low temperatures and manufactured cheaply. If EJ made these out of carbon steel, never mind stainless, their costs would at least double if not triple. Unfortunately, pot metal is extremely brittle, far more than most steels, as well as lacking in tensile strength.

It is hard to tell from your picture, but it looks as if there might have been a small imperfection there on one of the threads. I can't really tell. If so, however, very slight fractures or trapped gas bubbles in brittle metals can cause what you experienced if they are subjected to even a small amount of force at just the right angle. Sort of like those little indentations on plastic packages to make easier their tearing open.

Please let us know what EJ does about this. I love my 89 and am hoping they happily provide a replacement.

 

[Unkas]

The EJ/Mühle DE's are made of Zamak if I remember correctly which is fairly brittle.

 

[Krona Kruiser]

Zamac is a "quality" form of pot-metal but it's still brittle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamak

 

[wimbouman]

That's not nice.

Does someone know if MUHLE and EJ use the same material?

 

[MacDaddy]

Welcome to the club, Ace. Initiation's a beast and the benefits aren't great, but you're in good company.

 

[chongo gordo]

Jagger, Merkur and Muhle are all made of the stuff. I'm sure everyone's tired of hearing me rant about that by now.

The Fatip however, is brass construction, I asked. I am so proud of my countrymen for putting out a good product that I had to throw down for one. (ottone = Italian for brass).

 

[inspiringK]

The zamac/pot metal construction really puts me off new razors. Does anybody have a somewhat informed guess at how much more expensive the razors would be if modern manufacturers used something that resembles the original Gillette brass?

 

[Saltchuck]

E. Jagger is pretty proud of their products. I would bet that if you contact them, they woulld replace it at no charge.

 

[Daiku]

I hope, as has been said, that EJ provides you with the customer service you deserve; they have a good reputation. They really should replace that razor no questions asked. I've always enjoyed my DE89, but those pictures are pretty disheartening.

 

[BallisticBurrito]

E. Jagger is pretty proud of their products. I would bet that if you contact them, they woulld replace it at no charge.

Or at the very least send a new top.

I like my DE83 a lot (mainly because it's blue)..but I also don't plan on playing basketball with it anytime soon.

 

[Gamad]

Maybe they will send you a little tube of glue no charge.

 

[bScanner]

I have a DE89 Barley and love it. It just works so well for me and the finishing and plating is beautiful. I'm so disappointed that it's not made of a higher quality metal. I can't believe that a better material would raise the cost that much. Anyway, if mine were to break or if I'd lose it some other way, I'd still have to replace it with another. I just like it that much.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

Tough break dude (bad taste pun intended), don't have one myself but did consider getting one. Think I'll forget hat idea, I'm clumsy enough with dry hands and the floor in my bathroom is tiled so it would probably last as long as an snowball in hell!
Hope you get the replacement!

 

[AceByTerror]

Yeah it is a shame - it is a great razor and the finish is just stellar. I think I would have to get another one regardless of what they do, but I'm hoping they do right by me.

/Ace

 

[celestino]

Sorry for the loss, but it is not surprising.

 

[bluesbishop]

Jagger, Merkur and Muhle are all made of the stuff. I'm sure everyone's tired of hearing me rant about that by now.

The Fatip however, is brass construction, I asked. I am so proud of my countrymen for putting out a good product that I had to throw down for one. (ottone = Italian for brass).

+1!! The Fatip IMO is a GREAT razor...and being made of brass and either Nickel or Chrome plating is a HUGE plus...Fatip proves you can make a product that doesn't use cheap pot metal (Zamac) and still come in at a affordable price point....I paid $40 shipped from the UK for my Fatip.....less money than my Muhle R41 by 20 bucks!

 

[mhdena]

I'm sure the vendor will take care of it, replacing the head or the whole thing. Have you asked them?