Sabi T-4 Disappointment

[indy0423]

About three weeks ago I decided to thin the vintage herd, keeping only the DE's that were important to me in some way. First DE, best examples, etc. Auctioned a lot of five and used the proceeds to buy a Cadet TP-26 and a Sabi T-4. I really wanted the Sabi for the handle, but after assembling it and seeing a rather impressive blade gap, i had to try it.

On the flatter surfaces of my face, i got an EXCELLENT shave. Very smooth. Nice audible feedback from the razor. Close cut and no burn.

Now for the disappointment. None of the corners on the baseplate are rounded. This "sharpness" is further exaggerated by the plating. Is this common with the Sabi's ? Did I just get a bum unit? I'm pretty disappointed because without this flaw, the razor is just about perfect for me. Great balance and easy to maneuver. I don't evenknow what to think of the Cadet - it's just massive.

I fired off an email to the vendor asking if that is just how they are, but we'll see if they come through. Drat.

 

[alex2363]

About three weeks ago I decided to thin the vintage herd, keeping only the DE's that were important to me in some way. First DE, best examples, etc. Auctioned a lot of five and used the proceeds to buy a Cadet TP-26 and a Sabi T-4. I really wanted the Sabi for the handle, but after assembling it and seeing a rather impressive blade gap, i had to try it.

On the flatter surfaces of my face, i got an EXCELLENT shave. Very smooth. Nice audible feedback from the razor. Close cut and no burn.

Now for the disappointment. None of the corners on the baseplate are rounded. This "sharpness" is further exaggerated by the plating. Is this common with the Sabi's ? Did I just get a bum unit? I'm pretty disappointed because without this flaw, the razor is just about perfect for me. Great balance and easy to maneuver. I don't evenknow what to think of the Cadet - it's just massive.

I fired off an email to the vendor asking if that is just how they are, but we'll see if they come through. Drat.

Keep us posted....

 

[indy0423]

So far, no response from vendor.

 

[Azarius]

Whenever I purchase a Sabi, it is not for the razor, but the handle. The QC on these last bunch of heads seemed to be subpar. In my opinion Joe would be better off pairing the excellent Taiwan made handles to his new line of Cadet heads.

 

[indy0423]

I've sent my original email off to the vendor's paypal registered email address. Hopefully I get a response soon.

 

[Azarius]

I've sent my original email off to the vendor's paypal registered email address. Hopefully I get a response soon.

Good luck. Joe is a hard person to get replies from.

 

[indy0423]

...well , I was trying not to name him or the company by name. That worked out well

 

[Azarius]

...well , I was trying not to name him or the company by name. That worked out well

He is the only vendor that sells SABI (shave a buck inc) so we all knew who you where talking about.

I know that he was in the path of Sandy, but he had also posted in the vendor section that he has power in his neighborhood, he had wrote on 10/31 "We have made it through the storm!! Our home is 5 down from a fire station which is an evacuation center so our circuit had priority in being restored."

 

[indy0423]

I really didn't know that's what sabi stood for until now. That's a facepalm right there! Considering I placed my order on 10/31 and recieved it within a week, I'm reasonably certain that Sandy has nothing to do with this. Heck, I didn't even know they were in New Jersey until the box arrived.

 

[DEGuy]

I don't like speaking negatively about a small retailer, however; I have had several good dealings with Shave a Buck, and two recent disastrous dealings. I had ordered two razors in two orders from Joe, hadn't received them, e-mailed Joe but never received a response, and finally had to go through PayPal to receive refunds on both never-received razors--PayPal was terrific at helping me, Kudos to PayPal.

Shave a Buck's Communication and service was unacceptable--it was nonexistent and unprofessional. Speaking for myself, my business with Shave a Buck has come to a close.

 

[Galhatz]

I have a T3. The finish on the head is not great but acceptable. Do you find that the sharpness affected the shave or is it a cosmetic concern?

I had dealt twice with Joe and was pleased. A refund on a Yuma that broke to pieces was issued very quickly (over the weekend).
I give east coast retailers longer time to respond these days.

 

[indy0423]

The sharpness on the base plate actually causes it to be painful to use on any area that isn't perfectly flat (or convex enough to actually prevent contact). Heck, it's painful to drag it across your finger.

 

[indy0423]

Vendor just replied. Since it's been used, I'm out of luck. Apparently it's a known issue with items from this factory.

Oh well, there goes $20.

 

[Galhatz]

Could you post photos?

 

[The Provost]

I have to agree with Azarius, QC on the Sabi heads could use some improvement. I've tried two of them, and both of them had bad caps.

T3 handle is outstanding, though. Baseplates were both fine, too. I still use the T3 with a DE89 cap, and I get terrific shaves with it.

As far as Joe's customer service goes, I had a positive experience. Replied to my email and helped me out.

 

[alex2363]

It seems like SABI handle alone may be worth the 20 bucks. It does look nice and yet function