Hi Gents,
I have been using the Bombay Shaving Company's (BSC) 6 piece DE shaving set for a few weeks now and thought I'd post a review. This is easily available in India however I'm not sure of their international postage policies.
The fist thing I would say is that the quality of the DE razor (and the overall set) far exceeded my expectations. Overall, I have been disappointed with the QC of most Indian made products but BSC has really impressed me with their quality DE razor. Read on for the razor and accompanying products.
Packaging:
Nothing short of classy!!
The full kit comes in a very sturdy blue cardboard box with a magnetic latch on the front. The contents are kept perfectly in place by perfect cardboard folds.
Each item is packed and presented in a very elegant manner. I really enjoyed the experience of unboxing the products.
Upon opening the box, you get a whiff of the wonderful scent of the software (scrub, shave cream and post-shave gel)...wonderful!!!
There is a little booklet stuck to the inner top flap along with a more aggressive base-plate.
The top layer of the box contains the razor and also a BSC shave towel (very nice!).
Bottom layer contains the scrub, cream, balm, shave brush and 2 packs of Feather blades.
Razor Aesthetics:
The packaging gave a very strong first impression...now to the razor.
The BSC DE razor is very elegant in looks. The razor head actually is one of the sleekest, sexiest razor heads I've ever seen!!
The head covers the entire blade (like the Merkur Futur) so there is zero blade overhang.
The handle is sleek and very long (perfect for those who like long handles or are transitioning from cart razors). I prefer shorter, thicker and heftier handles (more on this later). BSC also offer free engraving on the handle upon purchase, which is a nice touch.
The top cap is very sleek and is very easy to move around the face and can get into tight spots without any problem.
Razor performance:
The BSC DE surprised me in terms of performance. I like smooth razors but not mild razors. I have ultra sensitive skin and fairly tough beard growth. My daily driver is the Rockwell 6S on plate 3 with a 110g handle (total razor weight is around 155g!). My previous daily driver was the Long Merkur Progress on setting 3 (I still have and use Progress razors for a change up).
Looking at the standard base plate, I knew it'd be too mild for me so I straight away popped on the more aggressive plate along with my gold standard blade, the Polsilver.
The blade alignment and exposure was perfect first go! No fiddling with the blade or topcap. The quality of the razor goes beyond just looks!
Upon taking the first few strokes, I was pleasantly surprised that I was actually getting a very nice shave. It was very smooth and gliding through the stubble. The sleek head with zero overhang gave confidence to move a little faster.
I did have to do more touch-ups compared to my other razors as the BSC razor is lighter and a little milder than what suits me. End result was still a DFS+, perhaps closure to a BBS-
I should mention that I did swap the handle and used my heavy handle, which I found provided the above results for me. With the original handle (which isn't THAT light BTW), it was more a DFS-
In its original state, I would put the BSC razor slightly above razors such as DE89/R89, as a guide. Perhaps close to slim/fatboy at #7 (results-wise, comfort of the BSC was far better for me).
Summary:
The BSC razor is a very good quality razor for an excellent price! It comes with 2 base plates (pseudo-Rockwell design). It will cater to most men's beards and I believe it would be a better starter razor than the usually recommended DE89/R89 type razors.
It will please most seasoned shavers also (I've been DE shaving for 9 years now and have used most Gillette and other vintage razors, most Schick injectors and several GEM SE's) . The aesthetics are great and the shave results are also very nice in terms of smoothness and closeness.
Brief notes on other BSC products contained in the kit:
- Face scrub:
It's a nice scrub. I prefer Jojoba beads in my scrubs as they melt away as you scrub so they are not harsh to the face nor the environment.
BSC scrub does its job well as I noticed some dry skin removed and slight tanning of the skin was somewhat lightened.
However, I used the scrub only for the purposes of the review as I don't like the ingredient list. This is a personal decision and doesn't take away from the performance and quality of the product. I PIF'd it to a friend who is using it regularly and really likes it.
On a side-note, I would have preferred to see a pre-shave face wash instead of a scrub as the blade is already doing the exfoliating so not much need for a pre-shave scrub. Or, even better would be a pre-shave soap like the bars offered by PAA or Musgo Real.
- Shaving cream:
This cream is to be used with a brush. It's quite concentrated so I didn't have to use very much. I put a dollop into a bowl and it lathered up perfectly and provided very good slickness. The scent is just wonderful! It's masculine but not overpowering.
- Post-shave gel:
This is my favourite BSC software product. Again, the scent is wonderful but the actual effect as a post shave product is fantastic! It's a kind of gel consistency and it goes on great and doesn't leave any greasiness, just soaks right in a soothes the skin very nicely. The ingredients are also quite good and I use this one fairly regularly, along with my 2 other post shave balms (Anherb and Ustraa).
- Shaving brush:
This is a synthetic shaving brush but unfortunately the knot fell out of the handle and I didn't get to use it. If I get another one, I will post a review in the brush section.
- Shave towel:
I really like this little shaving towel, with the BSC logo. I use it at night time after my face wash.
- Feather blades:
Not much to say about this except that it's a really nice touch to include the world's sharpest blades in the pack. I was impressed with this inclusion!!
I have been using the Bombay Shaving Company's (BSC) 6 piece DE shaving set for a few weeks now and thought I'd post a review. This is easily available in India however I'm not sure of their international postage policies.
The fist thing I would say is that the quality of the DE razor (and the overall set) far exceeded my expectations. Overall, I have been disappointed with the QC of most Indian made products but BSC has really impressed me with their quality DE razor. Read on for the razor and accompanying products.
Packaging:
Nothing short of classy!!
The full kit comes in a very sturdy blue cardboard box with a magnetic latch on the front. The contents are kept perfectly in place by perfect cardboard folds.
Each item is packed and presented in a very elegant manner. I really enjoyed the experience of unboxing the products.
Upon opening the box, you get a whiff of the wonderful scent of the software (scrub, shave cream and post-shave gel)...wonderful!!!
There is a little booklet stuck to the inner top flap along with a more aggressive base-plate.
The top layer of the box contains the razor and also a BSC shave towel (very nice!).
Bottom layer contains the scrub, cream, balm, shave brush and 2 packs of Feather blades.
Razor Aesthetics:
The packaging gave a very strong first impression...now to the razor.
The BSC DE razor is very elegant in looks. The razor head actually is one of the sleekest, sexiest razor heads I've ever seen!!
The head covers the entire blade (like the Merkur Futur) so there is zero blade overhang.
The handle is sleek and very long (perfect for those who like long handles or are transitioning from cart razors). I prefer shorter, thicker and heftier handles (more on this later). BSC also offer free engraving on the handle upon purchase, which is a nice touch.
The top cap is very sleek and is very easy to move around the face and can get into tight spots without any problem.
Razor performance:
The BSC DE surprised me in terms of performance. I like smooth razors but not mild razors. I have ultra sensitive skin and fairly tough beard growth. My daily driver is the Rockwell 6S on plate 3 with a 110g handle (total razor weight is around 155g!). My previous daily driver was the Long Merkur Progress on setting 3 (I still have and use Progress razors for a change up).
Looking at the standard base plate, I knew it'd be too mild for me so I straight away popped on the more aggressive plate along with my gold standard blade, the Polsilver.
The blade alignment and exposure was perfect first go! No fiddling with the blade or topcap. The quality of the razor goes beyond just looks!
Upon taking the first few strokes, I was pleasantly surprised that I was actually getting a very nice shave. It was very smooth and gliding through the stubble. The sleek head with zero overhang gave confidence to move a little faster.
I did have to do more touch-ups compared to my other razors as the BSC razor is lighter and a little milder than what suits me. End result was still a DFS+, perhaps closure to a BBS-
I should mention that I did swap the handle and used my heavy handle, which I found provided the above results for me. With the original handle (which isn't THAT light BTW), it was more a DFS-
In its original state, I would put the BSC razor slightly above razors such as DE89/R89, as a guide. Perhaps close to slim/fatboy at #7 (results-wise, comfort of the BSC was far better for me).
Summary:
The BSC razor is a very good quality razor for an excellent price! It comes with 2 base plates (pseudo-Rockwell design). It will cater to most men's beards and I believe it would be a better starter razor than the usually recommended DE89/R89 type razors.
It will please most seasoned shavers also (I've been DE shaving for 9 years now and have used most Gillette and other vintage razors, most Schick injectors and several GEM SE's) . The aesthetics are great and the shave results are also very nice in terms of smoothness and closeness.
Brief notes on other BSC products contained in the kit:
- Face scrub:
It's a nice scrub. I prefer Jojoba beads in my scrubs as they melt away as you scrub so they are not harsh to the face nor the environment.
BSC scrub does its job well as I noticed some dry skin removed and slight tanning of the skin was somewhat lightened.
However, I used the scrub only for the purposes of the review as I don't like the ingredient list. This is a personal decision and doesn't take away from the performance and quality of the product. I PIF'd it to a friend who is using it regularly and really likes it.
On a side-note, I would have preferred to see a pre-shave face wash instead of a scrub as the blade is already doing the exfoliating so not much need for a pre-shave scrub. Or, even better would be a pre-shave soap like the bars offered by PAA or Musgo Real.
- Shaving cream:
This cream is to be used with a brush. It's quite concentrated so I didn't have to use very much. I put a dollop into a bowl and it lathered up perfectly and provided very good slickness. The scent is just wonderful! It's masculine but not overpowering.
- Post-shave gel:
This is my favourite BSC software product. Again, the scent is wonderful but the actual effect as a post shave product is fantastic! It's a kind of gel consistency and it goes on great and doesn't leave any greasiness, just soaks right in a soothes the skin very nicely. The ingredients are also quite good and I use this one fairly regularly, along with my 2 other post shave balms (Anherb and Ustraa).
- Shaving brush:
This is a synthetic shaving brush but unfortunately the knot fell out of the handle and I didn't get to use it. If I get another one, I will post a review in the brush section.
- Shave towel:
I really like this little shaving towel, with the BSC logo. I use it at night time after my face wash.
- Feather blades:
Not much to say about this except that it's a really nice touch to include the world's sharpest blades in the pack. I was impressed with this inclusion!!
