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Underrated razors

There are many razors that are highly praised and often for a good reason. There is a huge chance your favorite razor(s) are belonging to this category.

Then there are razors hardly ever mentioned. They are like well kept secrets only few know about. Many of these razors are amazing shavers.

Which razors do you think are underrated? Notice, I am not asking for your favorite razor, just which razors you think would deserve more mentioning.
 
One of the most underrated razors, in my opinion, also just happens to be my favorite. Not a DE, but it is my favorite above all razors. The Weck Med Prep single edge open comb razor. Widest razor ever and so efficient!
 
My own answers:
  • Merkur 45 Bakelite. It is actually an amazing shaver.
  • Saiver travellers razor. It is made for two DE blades, but is amazingly smooth with only one blade
Neither one is my "desert island razor", but razors I appreciate to shave with sometimes.
 
One of the most underrated razors, in my opinion, also just happens to be my favorite. Not a DE, but it is my favorite above all razors. The Weck Med Prep single edge open comb razor. Widest razor ever and so efficient!
Any picture?
 
Flare tips and Tech are quite often mentioned, are they not?

Maybe mentioned, but often looked upon like a bike with training wheels. I feel they're under rated due to that people want to run to stainless or what not. The price and availability is great making them as common and cheap as dirt, but due to that; the Flares and Techs are often not referred to new shavers. Many times when somebody is looking for a mild razor people point them to a Feather, Fat Boy, Slim and Aristocrat, but not a Tech or regular Flare. Only my opinion.
 
Maybe mentioned, but often looked upon like a bike with training wheels. I feel they're under rated due to that people want to run to stainless or what not. The price and availability is great making them as common and cheap as dirt, but due to that; the Flares and Techs are often not referred to new shavers. Many times when somebody is looking for a mild razor people point them to a Feather, Fat Boy, Slim and Aristocrat, but not a Tech or regular Flare. Only my opinion.
I agree on this. The trouble is many soon to be wet shavers want a new razor and not a used one, so often these razors are not mentioned. I find Tech to be a good razor and I have successfully converted a few with Tech clones. I have been giving away RiMei, which is a well working dirt cheap Tech clone. These razors are still going strong after many years of usage and considering what they costed, they are underrated too.
 
The Rimei RM2003, short handle. It gets a lot of flack because 1. it's cheap and 2. there's more than one version, while only one works and they're counterfeited quite often. Their razor blades are pretty good too, by far the best to come out of china. The razor itself produces a very close shave, so much so that three days later I don't need another shave. It works best with a mild blade because it's up there on the aggressive side. Once used to it, it performs well above its price point.

This is the real one, it comes with a clamshell and an outer box:
$3.49 RIMEI 2003 Stainless Steel Men's Manual Shaver Razor - silver at FastTech - Worldwide Free Shipping
If you get one with a blister pack on cardboard and it doesn't look like that, it's the bad one.

DX used to sell it but I dont know what's wrong with that site, nothing is ever in stock anymore and I've already written them off as a lost cause. Don't try to buy one on ebay, you won't get what's pictured.
 
Star DE
Pearl OC
+1 on the Star. Definitely under the radar and under appreciated in vintage DE circles. With its stamped base plate and solid brass handle it is often equated to the Tech of the same era, but the Star shaves better and is at least as well built. Much less common than the Tech and lacking brand cachet, it can often be had for a song. Solidly in in my top 10 non-Gillette vintage DEs.
 
In my view the Star DE razor is better engineered, better built, and is a better shaver than the Gillette Tech. Also the handle on the Star DE razor is outstanding, cosmetically and functionally.

Why the Star did not outsell the Tech, and why it did not have as long a production run as the Tech is an eternal mystery to me. But then, life in corporate America is not always fair.
 
Micro Touch One DE

I know a lot of people regard it as a Walmart DE
I know a lot of people are put off by seeing Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars on the box
I know the razor is a bit clunky and jerrybuilt with the doors open, but...................

The doors are secure enough when closed, and it is a very efficient razor, if anything more aggressive than the Weishi it is based on

Forget paying $19.95 at Walmart - if you shop around on eBay you can get the boxed set for around $5 direct from China
 

Raven Koenes

My precious!
Fatip Testina Gentile. It is an efficient, smooth, kind on sensitive skin, stamped brass, good for beginner and experienced wet shavers alike, and will last forever. They hold the blade to maximize rigidity as the base plate is based on the Gillette old type, like all Fatips, only with a solid bar. It is a great alternative for beginners over zamak at a good competitive price point of 32 dollars. I have nothing against zamak. I just get sad hearing from newbies who drop them and the screw breaks thinking they had a well built razor for life (even though may given care).
 
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Micro Touch One DE

I know a lot of people regard it as a Walmart DE
I know a lot of people are put off by seeing Rick Harrison from Pawn Stars on the box
I know the razor is a bit clunky and jerrybuilt with the doors open, but...................

The doors are secure enough when closed, and it is a very efficient razor, if anything more aggressive than the Weishi it is based on

Forget paying $19.95 at Walmart - if you shop around on eBay you can get the boxed set for around $5 direct from China

I've never tried the Micro Touch One, but those commercials with Rick are what piqued my interest in DE shaving. He didn't sell me on the Micro Touch One, but he sold me on DE shaving.
 
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