I have now had the opportunity to test drive my new Assured DE razor.
Before starting I had a good look at it but made no measurements. The handle is shorter than modern razors from Clipper and Rockwell and it has a smaller diameter. It is also noticeably lighter. That said, the handle is about a centimetre longer than a Gillette Ball End Tech and has a bigger radius.
I opened and closed the doors maybe a dozen times and they always operated smoothly. There wasn’t the precision you would expect from a Rockwell T but the movement was certainly adequate. My favourite blade is the Astra so I loaded up and had another good look at the razor. There is nothing wrong with the knurling on the handle; it is more functional than attractive. As I have a touch of arthritis in my fingers, my preference is for deeper knurling but for almost everyone, I think the grip will be just fine.
I laid it across my finger and found the balance point to be just about a centimetre under the head. The chrome plating while not perfect is pretty good. A visual examination revealed no obvious discrepancy in the blade alignment on each side. There is a fair bit of blade exposure but not so much to make the razor in any way dangerous except perhaps to a 14-year-old beginner. Nevertheless, I would advocate the usual caution. The shave was on the aggressive side of medium, but I found the angle without difficulty and I am sure with familiarity I could throw it around my face with no difficulty.
It’s hard to criticise a functioning razor at this price point but the Assured looks and feels cheap. Well, it is at $1.25 so no surprise there. There is no chance this is going to be a family heirloom. My view is that the razor will be treated as a longer-term disposable. It is possibly best suited to occasional use say as something kept in a desk drawer for a clean up at work or in a gym locker for after a workout. I won’t be using it for the leisurely weekend shave when I look for something that feels a little more like a luxury item.
Just to follow up, I have now had the opportunity to try the blades that came with this razor. The pack was marked '5 blades' but mine only had 4 in it. I used a Thomas Clipper razor for an evening cleanup after I shaved about 10 hours earlier. I got through one cheek and my neck with no problem, but then it started to tug so I threw out the blade. I would say the blade is sharp enough, it has just not been treated to give it any durability. Again, when related to price, it is what I expected.