Tradere OC has arrived!

[chris.hale]

Once again Paul at Connaught Shaving has provided sterling service and my shiny new Tradere arrived this morning.

First impressions were excellent, the razor came in a very nice box and was wrapped in tissue paper, also included were two Personna super blades. The fit and finish of the razor is fantastic, it really is beautifully made. All three pieces fit together snugly and I was particularly impressed by how little wobble there is when screwing up the handle. This razor is obviously made to tight tolerances.

The blade loaded into the razor exactly with the tabs holding it nicely centered, and I do like that the ends of the head cover the blade tabs. I found the blade angle quite intuitive while shaving my face, but less so with my head although I have no doubt that I'll quickly get used to it. The shave itself was excellent, very close and smooth even on my neck which is a sensitive area with some odd directions of growth. I did three WTG passes, needed no touch-ups, and was rewarded with an extremely smooth shave.

This could turn out to be the razor that dethrones my Weber, it's just so damn efficient.

 

[Agravic]

Congratulations on the new acquisition!
I have the OC and SB razors - wonderful razors, form and function.

 

[Loganpass]

The Weber is a super razor but the Tradere... It does it with Style!

 

[alex2363]

Dont forget to register your arm http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/301928-Tradere-Razor-Registry ......

 

[chris.hale]

Dont forget to register your arm

Have done!

 

[kcinroc]

my tradere oc was delivered yesterday sent it back becouse it looked hand made had flaw on edge of top cap. ikon oss with feather blade my best shave and feather razor best build . and i so wanted the tradere to be the best but design was good.

 

[chris.hale]

So, I've had the Tradere OC for a week now and, other than Saturday when I skipped a day, I've used it daily.

There was a bit of a learning curve, but I think I've got it nailed now and it has become my favourite razor. I have three main problem areas, the jawline immediately next to my goatee, around my ears, and either side of the base of my skull where there seems to be a bit of a bump. These would require touch-ups or buffing to get smooth but the Tradere just works, and I can just about get as smooth a shave in two passes as I get in three with my Weber.

The Weber isn't going anywhere, I may yet try the handle on my Tradere to shave with as opposed to just seeing how it looks, and it'll come in handy when I just want a quick and easy shave as I can almost use the Weber on autopilot, but the closer shave of the Tradere is alluring and it just looks so damn good it makes me want to use it.

I don't know if I'm quite ready to call it a RAD killer yet, but the idea has certainly crossed my mind.

 

[Yuritau]

The Tradere handle will change how your Weber performs; for me, it improved it, but not enough to beat the Tradere OC head on the Tradere handle, heh. I'm still hanging on to my Weber, but it is definitely in danger of being moved off my counter and into the drawer. Especially with the Tradere SB en route!

 

[jmsodpc]

i have read that these razors get stained or rust spots on them.

thats the big reason keeping me away from it..but it sure is purty

 

[chris.hale]

i have read that these razors get stained or rust spots on them.

thats the big reason keeping me away from it..but it sure is purty

Really? Please could you post a link so that I know what to look out for?

 

[Agravic]

i have read that these razors get stained or rust spots on them.

thats the big reason keeping me away from it..but it sure is purty

I have not heard this at all with regards to the Tradere products. Some have issues with blades or water and the consequent effects, but as far as I am aware, the Tradere products themselves are of the highest quality.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

Is this the only DE razor producer in the U.S.A.?
It looks beautiful, but just too expensive for me.

 

[chris.hale]

Is this the only DE razor producer in the U.S.A.?
It looks beautiful, but just too expensive for me.

There's Weber, they're also stainless steel and cheaper than a Tradere. http://www.weberrazor.com/

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

There's Weber, they're also stainless steel and cheaper than a Tradere. http://www.weberrazor.com/

Thank you. For some odd reason I thought Weber was German.

 

[natchez]

i have read that these razors get stained or rust spots on them.

thats the big reason keeping me away from it..but it sure is purty

We have not received any reports of staining on our razors to date, but it surely is possible. Some staining can occur, even with stainless steel, if the razors are not rinsed out well after use. If it happens it is usually from iron particles naturally occurring in your water. There were some posts about the Pils all stainless having some staining/rusting issues, so I researched it thoroughly. Stainless steel is more stain resistant, but is not really stain proof. Our heads are also demagnetized before they leave the factory as a precaution.

If you do happen to experience any staining, any decent stainless steel cleaner should easily remove it. To lessen the chance of any staining, we recommend simply loosening the razor a couple of turns of the handle, rinsing well, and letting the razor dry loosened. We do have an instruction sheet on our web site, here is the excerpt on care:

[FONT=&amp]Cleaning and caring for your razor:[/FONT][FONT=&amp] After each shave, a good rinse under strong running water should clear out most lather residue. If your lather is unusually thick, or is left to dry on your razor, you may notice some build up. Loosening the head slightly and rinsing again usually takes care of this. Your razor is made of stainless steel, however, if you have hard water or use creams or gels that contain certain chemicals there may be some staining that occurs at times. Your razor was demagnetized before leaving the factory to minimize the possibility of iron from tap water creating any stains. However, if any staining occurs, any regular stainless steel cleaner and a quick brushing with an old toothbrush should remove any stains.
[/FONT] [FONT=&amp] The development of a wear ring from where your handle screws onto the engraved side of the bottom plate is part of the normal break-in process. It is also normal for stainless to develop small scratches over time from use. Any good metal polish will remove minor scratches and, as your razor is not coated and solid stainless steel, you may use a polish to clean it every so often. Remember to clean your razor well with soap and water after using any cleaners or polishes, as these items may contain harsh chemicals that are not healthy for your skin. [/FONT]

 

[Attila]

^ Great advice for any razor. Richard's Tradere razors are amongst the very best for quality in the business. They would certainly be no more likely to stain than any other razor and much more likely not to, I would suspect.

 

[shyrlock]

Richard is exactly right. His razors are first rate pieces of work and should last you a lifetime.
It is however possible for any steel to get rust stains on it, even the stain-less ones
If water is left in them long enough, the blade will rust before the razor will. The rust from the blade can then get on the razor.

 

[jmsodpc]

Good info. I think I will buy the SB version

 

[Ski-Patroller]

I would like a comparison between the 1st and 2nd Generation Tradere OC. I have the first Gen, and while I don't think it is particularly aggressive, I often get weepers with it, that I do not get with the Futur or Progress. I actually think I get a slightly closer shave with a Progress (#3) or Futur (#3) but the Tradere shave is plenty close, much better than the Feather AS-D1, IMHO. My problem is that I am likely to get small weepers, usually on my chin, just below my lip, or on the center of my neck. These are areas where my skin is not as smooth or tight, and it seems like the OC is more likely to mow the top off of a bump or crease. I often get one or two weepers with the OC and almost never with the Progress or Future. I really want a SS razor that works for me, but I don't think I'm there yet. I would like to hear from someone who has used both the First and Second Gen OC. I was headed for Tradere SB, but after reading the reviews, it seems like it might be milder than I like.

FWIW, I usually use Feathers or S.Is., but have also recently tried Persona Med/Labs, Persona Reds and Gillette 7 Dark Blue. All are really good blades. The Gillettes may move way up on my list of great blades.

 

[crfcom]

I would like a comparison between the 1st and 2nd Generation Tradere OC. I have the first Gen, and while I don't think it is particularly aggressive, I often get weepers with it, that I do not get with the Futur or Progress. I actually think I get a slightly closer shave with a Progress (#3) or Futur (#3) but the Tradere shave is plenty close, much better than the Feather AS-D1, IMHO. My problem is that I am likely to get small weepers, usually on my chin, just below my lip, or on the center of my neck. These are areas where my skin is not as smooth or tight, and it seems like the OC is more likely to mow the top off of a bump or crease. I often get one or two weepers with the OC and almost never with the Progress or Future. I really want a SS razor that works for me, but I don't think I'm there yet. I would like to hear from someone who has used both the First and Second Gen OC. I was headed for Tradere SB, but after reading the reviews, it seems like it might be milder than I like.

FWIW, I usually use Feathers or S.Is., but have also recently tried Persona Med/Labs, Persona Reds and Gillette 7 Dark Blue. All are really good blades. The Gillettes may move way up on my list of great blades.

I have 1st and 2nd gen OC, and the 2nd gen OC is slightly less aggressive IMO than the 1st gen OC.