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my take on the NWC injector razor

INTRODUCTION

i had been looking for a schick injector razor ever since the mach 3 was introduced. i believe this was around the time the schick brand injector razor was discontinued. (an aside--i think that the sensor excel was the last serviceable product gilette produced and anything beyond that has been useless excess.)

i purchased a fixed-head NWC injector razor along with a pack of schick blades. i also picked up a pack of personna OEM blades locally but have not tried them yet.

the following are my initial observations and comments.



THE GOOD

razor:

the safety bar was straight. blade insertion was smooth. the long metal handle with rubber/plastic insert allowed for a good grip. blade angle is relatively flat compared to a DE razor but is easy to figure out during the first shave.

blade:

i got a close, comfortable, smooth shave without any nicks, cuts or irritation from the schick blade.

shave:

my shave consisted of one pass WTG plus T&C (against the grain does not work for me with any razor).

i used truefitt and hill shaving soap lathered with a savile row brush.



THE OK

build quality:

average, definitely not in the same league as a merkur HD DE or feather artist club but equivalent to a gilette sensor handle.

the razor was lighter than i anticipated.

fit and finish:

there were two superficial scratches in the chrome finish on the top of the handle.



THE BAD

brand:

it simply isn’t a schick injector razor.



COST ANALYSIS

if one was to purchase a fixed-head NWC injector and one pack each of the schick and personna blades, the shipped cost would be roughly 30 dollars. assuming the blades lasted one week each (my beard is average density but course as copper wire) then the cost per blade is roughly $2.15, well below the cost of a fusion cartridge.



CONCLUSION

i would recommend this to someone who wanted to switch from a current gillette system and did not want the expense of a full DE/STR8 and brush/cream/soap setup. even if the razor only lasted through two packs of blades, you still come out ahead compared to the cost of gilette’s latest offerings.

long-term durability remains to be seen.

that being said, i am still interested in locating a NOS schick brand injector razor, at a reasonable cost, for comparison.

finally i hope this post isn’t too long and you have found it somewhat useful. i may update this post in the future with additional comments/observations, specifically regarding long-term durability as well as shave quality with the personna blades.

thanks,
mike





ADDENDUM 08-08-06

the blades that i received from NWC were the new schick injector blades that come in a plastic blister pack with a carboard backing that states copyright 2005 energizer holdings made in germany.

(the NOS schick injector blades that are still floating around come in a hanging carboard box that states copyright 1997 warner lambert.)



ADDENDUM 08-09-06

i tried the personna OEM blades (from rite-aid) today and was not impressed with them. they are on par with the personna DE blades thus they are pretty rough and don't give a very good shave. also, the plastic injector cartridge is poorly made. besides coming apart, it inserts the blade at an odd angle that requires some wiggling and jiggling to get the blade seated properly. someone (ron, was that you) mentioned in the past that the odd angle of insertion allows the entire edge of the blade to come in contact with the bump on the edge of the safety bar thus ruining the edge. finally, it appears the personna blades are a little thinner than the schick blades.
 
Mike,

Thanks for the great review.

Just a thought - while the recent model Schick injectors seem almost impossible to come by for anything like a reasonable price, the old ones are $5 on ebay. In my opinion they look much much better (personal taste - I much prefer the retro brass and bakelike to the modern rubberized chrome). My brief experience with one was very good, and a lot of other people also like them. As far a value, this is an even better value than the new NWC razor, and looks cooler besides, with no issues about build quality, since they've been shaving well for 60 years.
 
Very nice review!

My first shave was not as close as a "real" Schick and nowhere near as smooth as my Feather-loaded Slant bar. I used Provence Sante shave soap with usually works phenominally well for me.

I did my normal 4 pass routine - stubble in patches. 5th pass - still stubble... 25 minutes after I began I gave up and cleaned things up with the Slant.

Not a terrible shave. In fact, most (non-geek) fellas would probably be very happy with it. I had no issues with the build quality, etc. I just don't think I can see this razor being part of my normal rotation at this point (not that I'm totally giving up on it yet).

This entire journey of ours is about the quality (time, shave, results, etc). This shave just didn't do it for me.

Oh - and yes, it was a brand new Schick blade.

I was having some issues with the angle as well (not as idiot proof as other injectors??). Either nowhere near enough angle or a little too aggressive. No nicks or anything, but after so many passes I was starting to get some razor burn. :eek:
 
moses,

i have thought of that before. the vintage model i have had my eye on is the type-F.

http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schick_razors6.jpg

i haven't found many for sale, although i haven't looked very hard. maybe if an opportunity presents itself. i probably should just post a WTB in the shaving mall.

thanks,
mike



moses said:
Mike,

Just a thought - while the recent model Schick injectors seem almost impossible to come by for anything like a reasonable price, the old ones are $5 on ebay. In my opinion they look much much better (personal taste - I much prefer the retro brass and bakelike to the modern rubberized chrome). My brief experience with one was very good, and a lot of other people also like them. As far a value, this is an even better value than the new NWC razor, and looks cooler besides, with no issues about build quality, since they've been shaving well for 60 years.
 
i updated my original post with an addendum regarding the schick injector blades.

thanks,
mike
 
Mike,

Yeah, that is an interesting model. The metal handle would give it a little more weight, I suppose. One feature I do like about the E type (just like my favorite Jag, hmm.....) is that ability to flip it open completely to clean. But then, I still think germs are overrated, so.....
 
moses said:
Mike,

Yeah, that is an interesting model. The metal handle would give it a little more weight, I suppose. One feature I do like about the E type (just like my favorite Jag, hmm.....) is that ability to flip it open completely to clean. But then, I still think germs are overrated, so.....
Moses,
I have an "E3" and it does not flip open. The spring fixture is blocked in on both sides. If I recall from the "Great Page" the "E2" and (maybe) the "E1" were made to open for cleaning.
 
Ron,

Thanks for the input. I have not actually looked up which E I have. Perhaps I should. It is actually a little difficult, because you have to compress the spring first to rotate it. (there is a little tab sticking out of the head into a notch on the spring that you have to clear).
 
mikey said:
moses,

i have thought of that before. the vintage model i have had my eye on is the type-F.

http://www.safetyrazors.net/schick/schick_razors6.jpg

i haven't found many for sale, although i haven't looked very hard. maybe if an opportunity presents itself. i probably should just post a WTB in the shaving mall.

thanks,
mike
Mike,
If it is the all metal-stainless look that appeals to you, I beleive Personna had an adjustable (of all things) in stainless. They are relatively inexpensive because of the brand issue. They pop up on eBay from time to time.
 
ron,

i will keep that in mind for future reference. i am really looking for a schick brand injector for comparison. actually, i just located a NOS type J with case, box and papers for a very reasonable price considering NOS injector prices on ebay. though the type F injector still looks mighty nice.

thanks,
mike





guenron said:
Mike,
If it is the all metal-stainless look that appeals to you, I beleive Personna had an adjustable (of all things) in stainless. They are relatively inexpensive because of the brand issue. They pop up on eBay from time to time.
 
i updated my original post again with an addendum regarding the personna injector blades.

thanks,
mike
 
Regarding the blades:

I ordered 5 packs of injectors with my NWC razor. They are all the NOS from Warner Lambert. CRAP!!!
 
I ordered a few packages of stainless PTFE-coated injector blades from Ted Pella ($4.50 for 20) and will let you know how I like them - as they have been favourably reviewed by others and are of the same materials as the "dogs bollocks" GEM blades sold on the same site (200 for $33.00).

If these are any good, they are a much better deal than anything else on the market.

Any one have any experience with these blades?
 
Suzuki said:
I ordered a few packages of stainless PTFE-coated injector blades from Ted Pella ($4.50 for 20) and will let you know how I like them - as they have been favourably reviewed by others and are of the same materials as the "dogs bollocks" GEM blades sold on the same site (200 for $33.00).

If these are any good, they are a much better deal than anything else on the market.

Any one have any experience with these blades?

Link please? :)
 
Tinzien said:
Link please? :)

http://www.tedpella.com/dissect_html/dissect.htm

I have now shaved twice with the Pella injector blades and here are my comments with the following caveats:

1) I am using a 1940's injector
2) these are my first two injector shaves - so I have no frame of reference for injector blades.

The comments:

The key fit perfectly and the injector injected the blade without any problem, the size is the same as the old blade that came with the razor.

The first shave - these blades are SHARP, there is no doubt about it - they compare favourably with Derby blades (I have not used the Feathers, Euro Gillettes or Israeli Personnas - I found the Derby's, like them and don't need another 100 DE blades, so have not tried the other brands).

They simply mowed through my fairly heavy, coarse beard without problems - the blade was so smooth and sharp that I did a WTG and then went right to an ATG pass with no problems and then did clean up/blade buffing.

The shave was BBS and lasted as long or longer than any DE shave I've had - pretty impressive for a new razor/new blade shave.

The only negative is that the blade is so sharp it can open little weepers without you realizing it - but nothing that the alum block didn't stop immediately.

The second shave - again, a terrific shave - went through two day's worth of growth without a hitch, still sharp enough to open a few weepers and still smooth.

Both shaves were the two easisest BBS shaves I think I have ever had - fewer passes, quick and smooth.

I'll post another report regarding blade life over the next couple of weeks, but my initial reaction is that the Pella injectors are great blades at a price that can't be beat - and the Pella CR rep who handled my order was terriffic. Also, no worries about the problems that seem to be plaguing the Nationwide Campus NOS blades.
 
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