Questions About Cadet OC

[oldbluelight]

These are questions for anyone using the Cadet open comb razor. For Christmas I received a Cadet TP26 Open Comb razor. When I loaded it with a new Astra SP blade I noticed that the blade exposure was uneven on both sides of the cap. In other words the exposure on each side was uneven end to end. Resetting the cap made no difference. I tried two other brands of blades with the same results. A little bit of fiddling resulted in getting the exposure even from end to end on each side but a greater amount of blade would then be exposed on one side. This results in a greater gap between the blade's edge and the teeth on one side. In no attempt could I get the blade 'square' and equally exposed. I contacted the seller who requested that I return the razor for inspection. Before I slap a stamp on its butt and fling it into the big blue box on the corner I'd like some input from other Cadet owners:

Has anyone else experienced a problem like this with their Cadet OC?
If so, did you find a way to resolve it without returning the razor?
How much of a problem would using it as is create in terms of blood and burn?

The retailer, who has a very good reputation, responded promptly to a weekend email and I have every reason to believe he will resolve the issue to my satisfaction if it is a valid objection to the razor. If not, I see no reason to put him to the trouble so any input would be welcome.

 

[CB1]

I have the razor and had the same problem. I put almost your exact post on the forum and learned others have had this problem too. I managed to carefully get the blade close to even but not completely. I've used the razor many times and have enjoyed it. It seems to be right in between the Fatip and R41 as far as closeness of shaves. If you try and center the blade between the bottom and top cap before screwing the handle the last twist for tightness you can get it pretty close.
I'm not sure sending it back will get you a better razor but I use mine without any problem. It was my stepping stone to the R41 which is now my daily driver.

 

[MrLara]

Thanks for this thread.

i was looking at these at the shave a buck site and the bullgoose one.

Are these razors good/reputable? They look awesome (great designs) and the price is very low.

i just spent the last 30 minutes looking for reviews, but i found none.

 

[Attila]

For me, it was a bit too aggressive and I just could not get a comfortable shave from it. Some other folks love it. The initial outlay is not too high so may be worth a shot if you are looking for a more agressive razor. I ended up trading mine along with a Merkur 1904 (the other end of the spectrum) for a replated Gillette New Long comb. Best trade I have made yet.

 

[oldbluelight]

Thanks, CB1, George L. and Attila for your responses. I suppose I could volunteer to be a guinea-face and test the uneven blade exposure aspect of the razor. Blood is a small price to pay for knowledge considering the cost of a higher education these days. Wish me luck. "Once more into the breach dear friends! Once more!"

 

[CB1]

Thanks, CB1, George L. and Attila for your responses. I suppose I could volunteer to be a guinea-face and test the uneven blade exposure aspect of the razor. Blood is a small price to pay for knowledge considering the cost of a higher education these days. Wish me luck. "Once more into the breach dear friends! Once more!"

I think you should be able to get it pretty close to even. This thread inspired me to use mine this morning. I took a Gillette Black blade with two shaves on it out of my R41 this morning and put it in my Cadet head with a Weber Bulldog handle. Used an Omega Boar brush with DR Harris Almond soap. Very fine shave! Very close and no irritation. There are some cool new Cadet razors out now but it's the new handles on them I really like. I don't know if I'll pull the trigger though as I already have 2 Weber Bulldog handles I move around to different razors.

 

[mdmmd]

I also received one for Christmas and it's the same way. I fiddled with it and got it fairly close so I decided to give it a whirl. I didn't really notice a difference between sides. Seemed to work well with virtually no irritation.

 

[mistercitizen]

This seems strange. I was just reading a thread about Fatips and Cadets and one member posted about how much better quality the Cadets are over the Fatips. I just got a Fatip a little less than a week ago and the only thing I can say about it in a negative way is that the plating and finish is not the greatest..... but as far as fit up, I so no problems with the Fatip I received. After reading this thread it seems that I can almost expect a Cadet to have poor fit up. Hmmm.... I want to want one because they are inexpensive and know that there are guys out there who love them.... but I don't know.....

Ben

 

[keithmax]

I must have been lucky no problems with my TP26.

 

[oldbluelight]

An Update:

I've been taking it slow with my 'sneering' Cadet using it for only the initial WTG pass at first and adding XTG the past couple of days. Today was bloodless. It is a close shaver and you are very conscious of the blade both by feel and sound. I do make sure the blade is square but I am not able to get the exposure on both sides equal. In practice I can't really tell which side I'm shaving with. So far, so good. I swung it though a thick coating of MWF today and that seemed to give it a nice glide. It certainly sounded like it was happy and behaved with a decorous enthusiasm. I guess it's growing on me - which is better than my bleeding on it.

 

[mistercitizen]

I just received two Cadet OC razors today. One from a vendor and another from a fellow B&B member. I'm amazed at how long the screw is on the cap. I wonder why it's so long. Anyway, the quality is about what I expected for the price. Pretty good actually. I'd say a little better than the finish of the Fatip Grande Chrome I received last week. The one handle has a couple little flea bites but the handle for the other Cadet I got from the B&B member is flawless. I don't really care for the style of it, but I mostly bought the razor for the open comb head to use with my UFO handles. We'll see how it shaves later.

Ben

 

[Member357]

I have what I think is the same razor from Razorock, and I don't seem to have any issues with uneven blade exposure.

 

[CB1]

It's strange that when I first got my Cadet the uneven blade exposure was pretty evident and I even tried it with several blades. Now I check it a little bit when I use it but it's so minimal I don't even notice it. I do enjoy the Cadet which did lead to the R41 which I like also. Works well with lots of handles too.

 

[jhamlin38]

I get the edges even along the same side, and shave away with my cadet, that i've had about 2 weeks. It is an aggressive shaver, but gives good feedback and control. The key for me is to use ZERO pressure. It is an amazingly close shaver. So close and comfortable, i overlook the quirk. It's well worth the effort.