Finally something better than the Lord L6 for under $10?

[nehpets4627]

It's in the mail so I can't report on shave quality yet, but I think I may have found something better than my good ol' Lord L6 for around $10. This morning I ordered a Maggard Limited Edition #6 Handle with Scratch & Dent head for a whopping $10.50 + SH... all PRIOR to application of their 10% of coupon given in exchange for a product review (I did a brief writeup of the Gillete 7 O'Clock Sharp Edge which I am quite familiar with). Final price was $9.45 + $2.95 shipping (not including the other blades I ordered).

https://www.maggardrazors.com/index.php/product/maggard-razors-limited-edition-de-razor-handles/

Given what I've read about the build quality of the other Maggard razors and comparisons to the EJ/Muhle razors that many of them copy, I have very high hopes of this one being a winner. It should also, theoretically, fit my Lord L6 head as well in case the included head happens to not be to my liking. I also have a used Merkur 20C in the mail from a B&B member, so I'll be sure to compare all three once they're all in-hand.

Any way, given the fairly known quantity of the Maggard razors in general and assuming the S&D head isn't an abomination, this really might be the best you can do for a razor in the $10 range. The biggest drawback is the selection of handle styles is limited at the moment, the S&D heads may not always be available, and the 10% off coupon offer is only good through the end of July. That said, if know someone as cheap as I am looking for a new production starter DE razor, you may want to send them to Maggard while there are still a few left!

 

[ofercohen]

thumbs up

 

[gmgaj]

Let us know how the handle looks. I'm looking for something to go on a New, and this looks like just what I'm after.

BTW, they are sold out, and that probably saved me from dropping out of the sabbatical.

 

[nehpets4627]

Glad I grabbed mine in the nick of time!

 

[nehpets4627]

I just received my Maggard #6. It is shorter than I expected, but seesms hefty and well built for the price. The handle works with my Lord L6 head as well as my Merkur 20C head. The included Scratch & Dent head has more casting marks than the Merkur but all the key surfaces are smooth. The blade alignment posts seem to have a little bit of play, so it may me necessary to pay close attention to blade alignment.

I will report back tomorrow after shaving with this little guy in the morning.

 

[Lothar101]

Be sure and let us know...I'm looking at the MR-1 for a handle to go on a New as well

 

[nehpets4627]

Pic for comparisson... Lord L6, Merkur 20C, and Maggard #6.

 

[nehpets4627]

Full Review

I shaved with the Maggard #6 this morning... this is an EXTREMELY mild razor. It's not the mildest I've used (which would be either The Shaving Factory TTO or the Lord L122 Tech-clone), but I will say it's probably the mildest I would consider using semi-regularly. I loaded up a Personna Red (same I've used for comparing the Lord L6 and Merkur 20C) and started out with a single-pass WTG using Barbasol Arctic Chill in the shower. Usually with the L6 or 20C this is enough to get SAS, which is often all I strive for when I'm a Zombie on a Friday morning. With the Maggard, I was maybe 75% of the way to SAS after that first pass. I followed up with a WTG/XTG second pass as I normally would with any other razor. This got me somewhere between SAS and DFS, but still left some straggler areas on my neck that the L6 and especially the 20C don't have any problems picking up on the second pass. I noticed these spots when applying some AS and ended up doing some touch-up with the 20C at the sink.

I have a feeling this shaving experience is EXACTLY what I would get from an EJ as well, it's just a bit too mild for me. That said, I will surely make use of the Maggard handle with the Merkur head and/or Lord L6 head. It will certainly replace the aluminum L122 handle for travel, and may become the full-time handle for the L6 head in the shower... at least until some of the other longer/heavier Maggard handles become available again (I've been told to keep an eye out in September). I'm going to give the Maggard head another try with a Feather or KAI just to see if the sharpest of blades could make this head enough for regular rotation... if not, I may have another good use for the head (see below).

For the sub-$10, it was worth it for the handle alone as well as for knowing what an EJ head would shave like and knowing not to drop $35 on a razor that wouldn't be my cup of tea. All that said, I can really see where the EJ or Maggard would be a very beginner-friendly razor. It surely hasn't deposed the Lord L6 in my rotation as I had thought might be possible, and it may not unseat it as my default recommendation to starters... but anyone who likes the L6 but pines for an inexpensive-yet-heftier handle or just a bit of variety I will surely point toward Maggard.

Quick Summary

Agressiveness: Merkur 20c > Lord L6 > Maggard
Head Build Quality: Merkur 20c > Lord L6 = Maggard
Handle Build Quality: Merkur 20c = Maggard >>> Lord L6

Lord L6 Head + Maggard Handle = My New Travel Razor
Lord L6 or Merkur Head + Maggard Handle = In the regular rotation
Maggard Head + Lord L122 Handle + VDH Boar + Arko Stick + Handful of Blades = New loaner kit for friends that want to try wet shaving without any investment?

 

[nehpets4627]

After a handful more shaves with the Maggard, it's not QUITE as mild as I may have made it out to be, but it is on the milder side of the Lord and the Merkur. Again, I suspect it's the exact same shave I would see with a pricier EJ razor. Still quite happy with the build quality and the price. The handle will surely make it into my rotation, and the whole razor as-is likely will as well.