Reviewing safety razors is not an easy task and there are a few reasons why this is so.
First reason is that a safety razor is composed of a lot of different elements which all influence "the shave" in one way or another. We have things like the material, the weight, the balance and, perhaps most important of all, the razor head's geometry. Now if that wasn't enough variety, we have another crucial component we have to take into consideration when trying to transmit how a shaving tool performs. And that's the combination of the user's requirements and preferences. This last element is almost impossible to inventarise because it would mean entering into each user's bathroom and I'm not willing to do that. But the first part of the equasion is less complicated to capture.
Why go to all of this trouble?
When I started my classic shaving journey, back in 2013, as many of you might have done, I started reading reviews and searching for information on the Internet on razors. I quickly found out that the conclusion of reviews were often opinions like: "oh, that's smooth" or "that's a very good shave". These conclusions obviously didn't tell me anything useful about the razor I was investigating. It merely transmitted a personal opinion form that particular reviewer with all of his individual requirements, preferences and maybe economic allegiances. Even nowadays, I often read and/or view reviews where I can find out what the opinion of the reviewer is but make it impossible for me to translate that into something that has value for my situation.
So it was time for a different approach.
Before I started writing reviews, I had a good think. How would I be able to transmit as much practical information to an audience that has different requirements and different preferences than me? The obvious conclusion would be to have relevant technical information that can be taken objectively. Weight, gap, balance and material for example. But it had to be more than that because we all know that a gap number doesn't equate to a good or a bad shave. There had to be other elements added too. Fit and Finish, Tolerances, Aesthetics and Value for money are just as important. There should also be some information on the source of the tool, what's the story behind the designer/creator of the razor? And finally, I would also have to present my opinion on the razor.
How does it all come together?
In the end I created a framework of 20 different items divided in 5 sections. The sections are Build, Grip, Handling, Shave and Value. Within each section I have 4 items which I grade on a 1 to 5 scale. With 1 being the least amount of points and 5 the most. Let me give you an overview of all the elements with a short description.
Build
Material: What material is used to create the razor? This directly influences almost all other elements in some way.
Fit and Finish: Are there any sharp edges? How does it feel in hand? How is the outer surface finished?
Tolerances: How well does it all fit together? How do the moving parts work? How do they feel?
Head shape: What is the overall design style? What kind of shaving plane does it use? What kind of comb? How is the clamping?
Grip
Overall grip: How does the grip perform i wet/dry conditions. What shapes does the handle have? How much friction does the material generate? How are the ergonomics?
Comfort: How comfortable is the grip to hold? Any sharp edges? How does the knurling feel?
Control: How much surface is there to change grips? How long and wide is the handle and how does that enable you to change grips, apply pressure or keep clean fingers?
Glide: How does the razor head glide over the skin? What kind of friction does the material or the construction generate?
Handling
Balance: How is the weight distributed on the different axis? What techniques are used to modify weight distribution? How does the balance impact the movement of the razor?
Weight: How does the weight impact the shave?
Security: How easy is it to change a razor blade?
Cleaning: How easy is it to clean the razor? Does it smudge? Do you need a brush or is a rag enough?
Shave
Closeness: How close a shave can you get? What kind of shaving geometry is used to be able to obtain that closeness? What difference does riding the cap or riding the bar make?
Manoeuvrability: How easy is it to shave on different surfaces? How does it perform under the nose or on the jawline? How does it navigate a chin or a neck? Does the handle make a diiference here?
Blade dependance: Does it matter which blade you use for the shave? Does the razor make a "bad" blade perform "better"? I use the Derby Extra test here if possible.
Indulgence: How forgiving is the razor? Does it demand blood if taken lightly?
Value for Money
Aesthetics: How does it look? Is it special?
Reward: Is it rewarding to use? Does it make sense? Where does its value lie?
Value in 25 years: Does/will it maintain value over 25 years? How is the second hand market? How does it hold up in history?
One for all time: Could this be the only razor I would use for the rest of my life? How much would it satisfy my needs and preferences?
With every item being worth 5 points over a total of 20 items, the maximum score of a razor could be 100 points. Obviously, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a razor to perform well in every item. Many items have conflicting interests. For example, a heavier razor might have a better glide but a lighter razor would be more manoeuvrable. The scores might reflect those "contradictions".
How will we proceed?
I will post one weekly review every Saturday. The review will contain a lot of written text and a lot of pictures made with a macro lens to highlight elements which are explained in the text. A picture oftens speaks more than a 1000 words. At the end of each section, the scores of the different elements will be mentioned. The review will always start with a short introduction and a conclusion and the final score will be at the bottom. We're creating a more graphical way to represent all the information to support the more visual ones among us.
Let me know if you have any questions or remarks. I'm always open to suggestions to make this process better!
First reason is that a safety razor is composed of a lot of different elements which all influence "the shave" in one way or another. We have things like the material, the weight, the balance and, perhaps most important of all, the razor head's geometry. Now if that wasn't enough variety, we have another crucial component we have to take into consideration when trying to transmit how a shaving tool performs. And that's the combination of the user's requirements and preferences. This last element is almost impossible to inventarise because it would mean entering into each user's bathroom and I'm not willing to do that. But the first part of the equasion is less complicated to capture.
Why go to all of this trouble?
When I started my classic shaving journey, back in 2013, as many of you might have done, I started reading reviews and searching for information on the Internet on razors. I quickly found out that the conclusion of reviews were often opinions like: "oh, that's smooth" or "that's a very good shave". These conclusions obviously didn't tell me anything useful about the razor I was investigating. It merely transmitted a personal opinion form that particular reviewer with all of his individual requirements, preferences and maybe economic allegiances. Even nowadays, I often read and/or view reviews where I can find out what the opinion of the reviewer is but make it impossible for me to translate that into something that has value for my situation.
So it was time for a different approach.
Before I started writing reviews, I had a good think. How would I be able to transmit as much practical information to an audience that has different requirements and different preferences than me? The obvious conclusion would be to have relevant technical information that can be taken objectively. Weight, gap, balance and material for example. But it had to be more than that because we all know that a gap number doesn't equate to a good or a bad shave. There had to be other elements added too. Fit and Finish, Tolerances, Aesthetics and Value for money are just as important. There should also be some information on the source of the tool, what's the story behind the designer/creator of the razor? And finally, I would also have to present my opinion on the razor.
How does it all come together?
In the end I created a framework of 20 different items divided in 5 sections. The sections are Build, Grip, Handling, Shave and Value. Within each section I have 4 items which I grade on a 1 to 5 scale. With 1 being the least amount of points and 5 the most. Let me give you an overview of all the elements with a short description.
Build
Material: What material is used to create the razor? This directly influences almost all other elements in some way.
Fit and Finish: Are there any sharp edges? How does it feel in hand? How is the outer surface finished?
Tolerances: How well does it all fit together? How do the moving parts work? How do they feel?
Head shape: What is the overall design style? What kind of shaving plane does it use? What kind of comb? How is the clamping?
Grip
Overall grip: How does the grip perform i wet/dry conditions. What shapes does the handle have? How much friction does the material generate? How are the ergonomics?
Comfort: How comfortable is the grip to hold? Any sharp edges? How does the knurling feel?
Control: How much surface is there to change grips? How long and wide is the handle and how does that enable you to change grips, apply pressure or keep clean fingers?
Glide: How does the razor head glide over the skin? What kind of friction does the material or the construction generate?
Handling
Balance: How is the weight distributed on the different axis? What techniques are used to modify weight distribution? How does the balance impact the movement of the razor?
Weight: How does the weight impact the shave?
Security: How easy is it to change a razor blade?
Cleaning: How easy is it to clean the razor? Does it smudge? Do you need a brush or is a rag enough?
Shave
Closeness: How close a shave can you get? What kind of shaving geometry is used to be able to obtain that closeness? What difference does riding the cap or riding the bar make?
Manoeuvrability: How easy is it to shave on different surfaces? How does it perform under the nose or on the jawline? How does it navigate a chin or a neck? Does the handle make a diiference here?
Blade dependance: Does it matter which blade you use for the shave? Does the razor make a "bad" blade perform "better"? I use the Derby Extra test here if possible.
Indulgence: How forgiving is the razor? Does it demand blood if taken lightly?
Value for Money
Aesthetics: How does it look? Is it special?
Reward: Is it rewarding to use? Does it make sense? Where does its value lie?
Value in 25 years: Does/will it maintain value over 25 years? How is the second hand market? How does it hold up in history?
One for all time: Could this be the only razor I would use for the rest of my life? How much would it satisfy my needs and preferences?
With every item being worth 5 points over a total of 20 items, the maximum score of a razor could be 100 points. Obviously, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a razor to perform well in every item. Many items have conflicting interests. For example, a heavier razor might have a better glide but a lighter razor would be more manoeuvrable. The scores might reflect those "contradictions".
How will we proceed?
I will post one weekly review every Saturday. The review will contain a lot of written text and a lot of pictures made with a macro lens to highlight elements which are explained in the text. A picture oftens speaks more than a 1000 words. At the end of each section, the scores of the different elements will be mentioned. The review will always start with a short introduction and a conclusion and the final score will be at the bottom. We're creating a more graphical way to represent all the information to support the more visual ones among us.
Let me know if you have any questions or remarks. I'm always open to suggestions to make this process better!
