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Timeless Scratch & Dent Aluminum (pics)

*** THIS IS NOT A COMPLAINT POST ***

That said, I honestly did expect it to be in a little better condition, based solely on other posters here saying how spotless their S&D Timeless razors were. That has nothing to do with Timeless as a company, though. They stay very far away from promising a pristine razor in the language on their site, and I have no complaints about how my order was process or how quickly it arrived. No shade on Timeless.

For others who might be thinking about S&D, these are the best pictures I could snag with my iPhone XR. I'm also including some observations on each piece:

Stand: This probably got the worst of it. Uneven finish and mars all over.
Handle: Same as the stand, really, but harder to see thanks to all the engraving. The finish is uneven all the way around. Zero issues threading it onto the cap post, though.
Base Plate: Small scratch on the bottom near the center hole (nothing to cry about), more finish problems, and a general lack of smoothing around some of the edges (lather channels, etc.).
Top Cap: The top of it has the best overall finish of everything, but there's a pit in the middle scallop close to the edge (eye magnet). Also, both long edges are rough/nicked along their lengths, but I don't think I'll be able to feel it while shaving.
Other: Packaging and presentation were perfect. You can tell you're dealing with a quality company, even though you're buying a lower quality item.

All in all, the parts look like they're either factory seconds, have been used hard by a customer for a few weeks then returned, or they all just live in one big box together. If I had it to do over I'd spend the extra $20 to get a perfect sample, but that's what I get for being cheap. I do see value in saving even more money on razors made of the more expensive materials. To be fair, if you were shaving on the back of a galloping horse you'd never notice the defects.

Anyway, here are the pics. The flaws are much more apparent in person, but hopefully this gives you an idea of what you might expect if you order one for yourself. I'll post performance feedback after my first shave with it tomorrow morning (using one my new Med Preps!).

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May be because of the softer metal?
I've bought polished stainless S&D from Timeless and you really could not see the slightest mark or blemish.
A stand, handle, 2 baseplates...all were 'as new'.
For an aluminium razor well that sort of sucks really. The material is softer but you would hope that a wee bit of care would be taken.
Can you buff any of the marks out or 'soften' their appearance?
May be that Timeless want all the $$ they can get now, and are releasing items that would have been binned a couple of years ago?
 
Shave Report #1

Timeless Aluminum
Personna Med Prep (new)
Proraso Green preshave
Proraso Green shaving cream
Haircut & Shave 24mm synthetic brush
Timeless blue lather bowl
Brut aftershave

Rating: 7.5/10

It was a nice smooth shave, just not as close as I like. I'd put it on par with a Merkur 34c in terms of aggressiveness and a DE89 for efficiency. It's very lightweight...less than half the weight of my Rocca R96...and very easy to maneuver. I used zero pressure.

I'll use it again tomorrow and through the weekend on the same blade and see if I can get any better with it.
 
I have purchased two razors a Ti and Bronze from their S&D section and they were flawless. May have been returns that had little to no use. My Aluminum was purchased new. I agree with Iron Paw that with it being a softer metal that could be the reason for the flaws.

I enjoy my Aluminum and it gives great shaves and hope you find the same. Just think of your purchase like buying a vintage razor, if it performs great, looks don’t count.
 
I have purchased two razors a Ti and Bronze from their S&D section and they were flawless. May have been returns that had little to no use. My Aluminum was purchased new. I agree with Iron Paw that with it being a softer metal that could be the reason for the flaws.

I enjoy my Aluminum and it gives great shaves and hope you find the same. Just think of your purchase like buying a vintage razor, if it performs great, looks don’t count.

Yeah, I’ve got other nice things that are showing wear and it doesn’t bother me. This shouldn’t be any different.

I was liking the idea of the titanium, but now I’m leaning back toward the stainless. I love that H7 handle!
 
Timeless explicitly states the products are inferior to full price. If you buy from Scratch&Dent expecting same quality as full price, I'm sorry but then you'd be an idiot and a leech.

@Earl_Grey, I don’t disagree. I admit I was hoping for some of the same luck others had enjoyed when ordering from S&D, but I admit I have zero room to complain. I mainly created the post so others could see what to expect. More info is better than less.

As others have said, the aluminum model probably mars more easily, and there’s no way to argue with $55 for a working Timeless in any condition.
 
The guys at Timeless are very good guys and in my opinion they have a great product too. If you are not happy with the item I’m sure they will accept a return or exchange. Have you tried getting in touch with them? I’m sure that Matt will look after you.
 
R

romsitsa

I’d say your razor is more like a factory second while others were replaced ones. Judging by the photos yours lacks at least a polish.

Adam
 
If you decide to keep it, one option is to send to a refinisher. You could also have it done with Gun Kote at a company like North Shore Razors.
 
The guys at Timeless are very good guys and in my opinion they have a great product too. If you are not happy with the item I’m sure they will accept a return or exchange. Have you tried getting in touch with them? I’m sure that Matt will look after you.
There are no returns or exchanges on S&D items on the Timeless site. Its well documented in that section... That being said, Matt is one of the best in the industry and stands behind his product better than most, but this is what it is....a gamble. I'm thinking if it was me I'd have spent the extra $20 for the pristine razor. I do understand the OP though and his thoughts on rolling the dice as I've to date not seen a S&D sale that has actually had any damage at all.
 
I agree with @muzichead. While there have been several posts about how the S&D inventory is almost always blemish free, it is a scratch and dent item. The way I look at it is, the difference in price between new and S&D is the cost of insurance - insurance against the the unlikely event you do not like the razor. Should that be the case, you can return the razor for a full refund (less $10.00). In this case, the insurance cost was $20.00, not enough to encourage me to go S&D. My next purchase, depending on the Timeless Pass-around, may be the Timeless titanium or polished stainless steel. The cost of insurance will then be between $50-S90.00. Even though this is a lot, it may be worth it in the highly unlikely event I do not like the razor. On the other hand, $50-90.00 buys a lot of beer soap and blades. I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it.
 
The biggest question is how do you like the Shave ?
Have you used it more than once?

I used it again this morning with the same Med Prep and it did just fine. Fairly mild and easy to maneuver. I think it has a slight edge over my SLOC in closeness, but I wish it were a bit more aggressive. I was fully aware it would be mild when I bought it, so it’s not fair to knock it for that. I just don’t find it to be exceptional on my face, if that makes sense.

I think the real thing I learned is that aluminum is just too light for my liking, and it’s got me thinking titanium might also be too light. I’m stoked to be on the SS Timeless pass-around list, plus I’m on the waiting list for a SS Wolfman.

I can say it’s worth the cost at either $75 or $55, if it fits the bill for you. Just be sure to take the S&D claim at face value.
 
I have had both Ti and SS Timeless razors a year ago to test which I actually preferred and settled on the Ti because the face feel was just better to me than the SS, but as far as weight in hand, it was very negligible to me. At the same time I had tested the polished SS against the matte Ti as some had voiced that they felt there was some drag in the matte Ti, which I also found no sign of. Maybe that was due to the slickness of my soap but there was no difference to me.

@NicksDad You might try using a SS handle on the Aluminum head to see if that might make a difference in the shave also...
 
I also recently purchased an aluminum razor from the dent and scratch section. Before I placed the order, I read the reviews on the site and most os the reviews mentioned that it was kind of hard to find the blemishes. At that point, to me, it was a no brainer that the discounted one was the better option. Well, I felt the same as @NicksDad. I was disappointed too. I was expecting fewer blemishes. This one on the attached picture is just one of them. It has more on the sides. You don't only see them, you can feel them. I didn't mind some decoloration on the handle and on the stand. I can leave with that, but these deep scratches or 'cuts' is probably a better word, was little too much for me to ignore.

The razor is beautiful and shaves great. Now I am thinking about getting a bronze one including the stand. I don't think I want to pay the full price, but I am afraid to make the same mistake. I could save $40, but I'd like to hear more people's experiences when getting the bronze from the dent and scratch section. Your comments will be really helpful when making my decision.
 

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Basically, at $130, I could get the bronze razor brand new with no stand or with the same $130 the razor with the stand from the dent and scratch section.

I'd like to hear your experience :)
 
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