Is this blade alignment out ?

[Hydguy]

No. The problem is with the the basic design of the parts. They will always be 'acceptable' tolerances, and if multiple parts are on the larger side of those tolerances, you can run into an issue where parts don't like up quite right due to tolerance stacking.
Everything can be 'in spec', but when all of them are put together, you can get a little misalignment.
I'm not saying that this is the case in your situation, but for me, I can get good blade alignment by taking a few extra moments to pay attention to the blade when tightening everything up.

I do think it's pretty crummy for them to offer you a replacement, then back out and tell you that you are on the hook for everything, and I will not entertain the idea of buying one of their products because of that.
And you should inform that you are telling people about their backtracking. In the old days, it didn't matter because there was no way to get the word about poor customer service to hundreds of thousands of people in mere minutes.
But this forum is probably the largest shave related board out there, and lots of people will read this even if they don't reply, and it could cost them potential sales.

 

[dmshaver]

It's disappointing how they have communicated with you. I would let them know you are sharing this on B & B.

 

[Scaramouche]

Off my list. Too many companies have good products and good customer service to bother with those that don't have either.

 

[eaglesgift]

No. The problem is with the the basic design of the parts. They will always be 'acceptable' tolerances, and if multiple parts are on the larger side of those tolerances, you can run into an issue where parts don't like up quite right due to tolerance stacking.
Everything can be 'in spec', but when all of them are put together, you can get a little misalignment.
I'm not saying that this is the case in your situation, but for me, I can get good blade alignment by taking a few extra moments to pay attention to the blade when tightening everything up.

I do think it's pretty crummy for them to offer you a replacement, then back out and tell you that you are on the hook for everything, and I will not entertain the idea of buying one of their products because of that.
And you should inform that you are telling people about their backtracking. In the old days, it didn't matter because there was no way to get the word about poor customer service to hundreds of thousands of people in mere minutes.
But this forum is probably the largest shave related board out there, and lots of people will read this even if they don't reply, and it could cost them potential sales.

Couldn’t agree with you more. I would never buy a razor from this company having now heard how they treat their customers. There is so much choice nowadays that there’s no reason we should put up with companies that behave like this. And a high-end razor is a discretionary purchase, not a necessity, so it’s really very short sighted of them.

 

[romsitsa]

Don’t get me wrong, the picture is pretty hard to decipher. I’d say the cap and blade are ok. Seemingly the cap is slightly twisted to the upper left, don’t know how play the head has. Maybe the upper right drain hole is not in line, but it could be an optical illusion.

 

[kingfisher]

I think everybody on this thread is making a mountain out of a molehill.
To my eye, it looks like the blade is aligned with the baseplate, which means that the only thing that has halpened is that the rezor was tightened down with the cal slightly crooked.
Loosen it up a little and very carefully align the top cap, then tighten it up gently. Problem solved.

I had an iKon modern that would constantly do this, and I learned how to align it as I was tightning it. It shaved great. My iKon S3S tends to do this, too, but I just use what I learned from the Modern and I align it. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries. Annoying? Somewhat. A huge design flaw? I don't think so.

Having said all that, I also have a Pils, that I purchased this year. I have not yet had this problem with it, but I expected to, given my experiences with the iKon razors that have a similar design.

Just to make sure..... when you load a blade in your Pils, do you put the blade on the bottom first? If you don't, you should. Then hold the razor absolutely vertical as you put the top cap on and then gently and slowly tighten it up, manipulating the whole thing as little as possible as you tighten. That has worked for my Pils since the first day I had it.

Oh, and by the way, as long as the blade aligns with the sarety bars, even if the top cap is slightly misaligned these tyles of razors tend to shave just fine.

 

[Haiku]

I think everybody on this thread is making a mountain out of a molehill.
To my eye, it looks like the blade is aligned with the baseplate, which means that the only thing that has halpened is that the rezor was tightened down with the cal slightly crooked.
Loosen it up a little and very carefully align the top cap, then tighten it up gently. Problem solved.

I had an iKon modern that would constantly do this, and I learned how to align it as I was tightning it. It shaved great. My iKon S3S tends to do this, too, but I just use what I learned from the Modern and I align it. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries. Annoying? Somewhat. A huge design flaw? I don't think so.

Having said all that, I also have a Pils, that I purchased this year. I have not yet had this problem with it, but I expected to, given my experiences with the iKon razors that have a similar design.

Just to make sure..... when you load a blade in your Pils, do you put the blade on the bottom first? If you don't, you should. Then hold the razor absolutely vertical as you put the top cap on and then gently and slowly tighten it up, manipulating the whole thing as little as possible as you tighten. That has worked for my Pils since the first day I had it.

Oh, and by the way, as long as the blade aligns with the sarety bars, even if the top cap is slightly misaligned these tyles of razors tend to shave just fine.

To the OP, here's something you might want to try: one of the instructions from Barbasol is to tighten the razor while holding the handle parallel to the ground. I keep the razor cap pretty loosely attached, and then I hold the razor as indicated, with the handle parallel to the ground and that technique seems to work well with my two or three piece razors.

 

[GuybrushThreepwood]

Off my list. Too many companies have good products and good customer service to bother with those that don't have either.

+1 I completely agree.

 

[kingfisher]

To the OP, here's something you might want to try: one of the instructions from Barbasol is to tighten the razor while holding the handle parallel to the ground. I keep the razor cap pretty loosely attached, and then I hold the razor as indicated, with the handle parallel to the ground and that technique seems to work well with my two or three piece razors.

The Pils is a two-piece, and he will be better off by holding it perfectly vertical.

 

[Blackland Razors]

OP, since the PILS has the locating pins on the base plate rather than the cap, I recommend placing the blade on the base plate and and determining whether it is aligned properly without the top cap relative to the safety bar. If it sits correctly, then it's possible that the top cap has been rotated too far. This is especially possible if the issue is the same when you flip the top cap. But first we can check to make sure the razor is sound. If the base plate and those locating pins are correct, the next thing you'll want to look at is the top cap. I recommend flipping the cap over and taking a couple measurements from the underside. Measure across the cap from edge to edge near the left end, right end, and center. Those measurements should be equal (keep in mind you won't get amazing accuracy from a ruler). Also examine the top cap sides (the ones which extend down). If the cap is actually defective you should expect to see the edges of the cap cut at an odd angle.

To be honest, I doubt that the pins are misplaced as that is mostly impossible to do while having the rest of the plate in-spec. It's also unlikely that the top cap edges are out-of-spec. In five years I've never had a top cap be mis-milled like that. And if it did, other areas like the top cap sides would likely be impacted. It's certainly possible that those things were poorly machined, but it's not likely. So check all those things out just to be sure and then look into how you're assembling the razor and if the top cap is rotating relative to the base plate. Good luck!

 

[Brompton]

I'm not sure what's happening, but at that price the thing should be 100% perfect.

 

[Haiku]

Even without special tools such a vernier caliper, you might be able to place the top plate on a piece of paper on a flat surface. Trace the outline with a sharp pencil and then measure with a ruler in millimetres.

 

[Haiku]

The Pils is a two-piece, and he will be better off by holding it perfectly vertical.

Not trying to argue, but it seems to me that there's no reason not to try the Barbarsol method. Barbasols are also two piece.

 

[Zwiehander]

Don’t get me wrong, the picture is pretty hard to decipher. I’d say the cap and blade are ok. Seemingly the cap is slightly twisted to the upper left, don’t know how play the head has. Maybe the upper right drain hole is not in line, but it could be an optical illusion.

It isnt an optical illusion. However the cap width and baseplate width seem to be the same throughout their lengths respectively. The misalignment can be fixed if one fiddles with the cap while screwiing it in. Contrary to pils' suggestion it isnt remedied by not screwing in the handle entirely but it can only be remedied by holding the cap with one hand while fiddling with or while acrewing it in.
However after reflecting a lot on it i have decided to get a refund on this razor. Apparently under german law a customer has 14 days to cancel the contract of sale and get a full refund and that is provided for in their website.
I really like the aesthetics of the razor and consider its looks to be iconic. It has shaved very adequately indeed once I got a handle on its dynamics and gave my face a good shave yesterday.
But I just cannot get over the idea for such a high priced razor that this kind of misalignment can occur when a cheap made in china razor can have perfect blade alignment. So it's on to the next razor then...

 

[Zwiehander]

I load the blade on the bottom plate and hold it flat so that the bladder doesnt fall off he bottom plate and the I lower the cap onto it and then tighten it with the blade face facing the ceiling. I am not sure what you mean by vertical- is this what you mean?

On whether this issue will cause problems in shaving or not, even if the blade is parallel with the baseplate if the cap is askew, doesnt that mean that from the top blade exposure is varying down the width of the razor? Which will result in irregular cutting potency that may cause a nick at the more exposed end and insufficient exposure at the other end? I thought that the mildness of the razor is dependent on the degree to which not o ly the safety bar but also the cap shields the blade edge from the skin...

I think everybody on this thread is making a mountain out of a molehill.
To my eye, it looks like the blade is aligned with the baseplate, which means that the only thing that has halpened is that the rezor was tightened down with the cal slightly crooked.
Loosen it up a little and very carefully align the top cap, then tighten it up gently. Problem solved.

I had an iKon modern that would constantly do this, and I learned how to align it as I was tightning it. It shaved great. My iKon S3S tends to do this, too, but I just use what I learned from the Modern and I align it. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries. Annoying? Somewhat. A huge design flaw? I don't think so.

Having said all that, I also have a Pils, that I purchased this year. I have not yet had this problem with it, but I expected to, given my experiences with the iKon razors that have a similar design.

Just to make sure..... when you load a blade in your Pils, do you put the blade on the bottom first? If you don't, you should. Then hold the razor absolutely vertical as you put the top cap on and then gently and slowly tighten it up, manipulating the whole thing as little as possible as you tighten. That has worked for my Pils since the first day I had it.

Oh, and by the way, as long as the blade aligns with the sarety bars, even if the top cap is slightly misaligned these tyles of razors tend to shave just fine.

bottom

 

[Zwiehander]

I'm not sure what's happening, but at that price the thing should be 100% perfect.

That is my own view as well and that's why I unfortunately cannot come to terms with this feature as an askew cap is just not what I expected especially with all the talk on their website about the "...PILS razors are perfectly matched to standard razor blades and blade systems. Traditional craftsmanship meets state-of-the-art technology: Manual processing of machine-made precision parts makes each product unique. Another masterpiece is the PILS razor stands. Thanks to a sophisticated system, brushes and razors hold very securely. All surfaces are processed until they meet our high standards.."

And I say this as a big fan of the pils design that I like a lot in terms of its beauty and minimalistic looks.

 

[Scaramouche]

That is my own view as well and that's why I unfortunately cannot come to terms with this feature as an askew cap is just not what I expected especially with all the talk on their website about the "...PILS razors are perfectly matched to standard razor blades and blade systems. Traditional craftsmanship meets state-of-the-art technology: Manual processing of machine-made precision parts makes each product unique. Another masterpiece is the PILS razor stands. Thanks to a sophisticated system, brushes and razors hold very securely. All surfaces are processed until they meet our high standards.."

And I say this as a big fan of the pils design that I like a lot in terms of its beauty and minimalistic looks.

You might give the Tatara Masamune a look for similar price, esthetics, great customer service, actually superb fit and finish, and I would guess similar or better performance.

 

[kingfisher]

I load the blade on the bottom plate and hold it flat so that the bladder doesnt fall off he bottom plate and the I lower the cap onto it and then tighten it with the blade face facing the ceiling. I am not sure what you mean by vertical- is this what you mean?

On whether this issue will cause problems in shaving or not, even if the blade is parallel with the baseplate if the cap is askew, doesnt that mean that from the top blade exposure is varying down the width of the razor? Which will result in irregular cutting potency that may cause a nick at the more exposed end and insufficient exposure at the other end? I thought that the mildness of the razor is dependent on the degree to which not o ly the safety bar but also the cap shields the blade edge from the skin...



bottom

Yes, that is exactly what I mean by vertical.

In my opinion, it is much more important that the blade be aligned with the safety bars on the baseplate than that the top cap be perfectly aligned.

I'm trying to tell you that the top cap alignment can be manually tweaked. You have to be careful not to cut yourself, but it can be done; I've done it multiple times with my iKon modern and S3S, both razors that have a similar design to the Pils.

You can also try this. Load the blade onto the baseplate as usual. Then, put the top cap straight down on top, holding the razor lower so you can look down from above as you begin to tighten the razor up. As the cap gets close to the baseplate, grasp both the cap and baseplate from both sides with your thumb and forefinger, holding the cap in the perfectly straight orientation while you finish tightening the razor.

This should result in a straight top cap, and, if the blade was loaded properly onto the baseplate it should be held by the pins, which assures proper alignment of the blade edge with the safety bar.


Like I said, I haven't had this particular problem with my Pils, even though I expected to have the problem, given that I have to carefully align the top cap on both the Modern and the S3S.


For me, the shave from this type of razor is worth the tiny bit of trouble for 30 seconds or so loading the blade. I leave the blade in the head for at least a week and never tweak it at all, opening the razor only to remove the blade when it is dull.

Good luck.

 

[eaterofdog]

I would like to point out that a higher-up reversing customer service's decision is a bad sign for Pils. Boutique companies know better than to trash their reputation, so they might be hurting right now. Considering the fact that they sent one out the door with issues like this...

 

[Zwiehander]

Yes, that is exactly what I mean by vertical.

In my opinion, it is much more important that the blade be aligned with the safety bars on the baseplate than that the top cap be perfectly aligned.

I'm trying to tell you that the top cap alignment can be manually tweaked. You have to be careful not to cut yourself, but it can be done; I've done it multiple times with my iKon modern and S3S, both razors that have a similar design to the Pils.

You can also try this. Load the blade onto the baseplate as usual. Then, put the top cap straight down on top, holding the razor lower so you can look down from above as you begin to tighten the razor up. As the cap gets close to the baseplate, grasp both the cap and baseplate from both sides with your thumb and forefinger, holding the cap in the perfectly straight orientation while you finish tightening the razor.

This should result in a straight top cap, and, if the blade was loaded properly onto the baseplate it should be held by the pins, which assures proper alignment of the blade edge with the safety bar.


Like I said, I haven't had this particular problem with my Pils, even though I expected to have the problem, given that I have to carefully align the top cap on both the Modern and the S3S.


For me, the shave from this type of razor is worth the tiny bit of trouble for 30 seconds or so loading the blade. I leave the blade in the head for at least a week and never tweak it at all, opening the razor only to remove the blade when it is dull.

Good luck.

What you described was basically what I ended up doing...i have to say I really like the look of the razor and the shave it gave me yesterday was really good...