Another $300 razor, with a surprising blade

[mantic]

It appears to be all positive. The article is informative, it does give insight into the way they found their target customer, and how they designed the razor and chose the blade to appeal to that customer. Thank you for the information.

Well...I don't know if it's all positive. There's the price and the blade availability concerns. But IMO it's a great razor.

[brothers]

At the price, if they haven't already done so, they should institute a 30 day guaranteed buy-back if the customer doesn't happen to like it. I keep thinking it might be similar to the Ever Ready Streamline, and I'd love the chance to use it before deciding to invest in the Oneblade. If it's twice as good a razor as the Mongoose, which is about half the price, then it might be worth looking into. They've already identified me as an "enthusiast", and I'm not their targeted user.

[Squire]

At the price they can keep it.

[Pauldog]

This is Mantic's article:

http://sharpologist.com/2015/11/oneblad ... razor.html


Here's a key passage from it:

For the razor design, OneBlade looked at modern cartridge razors, particularly those of Gillette, for inspiration. Tod says Gillette got the pivot concept right: “the pivot is forgiveness.” On the other hand, while multi-blade cartridges make nicks and cuts far less likely, they also greatly increase the chance for redness and irritation.



Single blade? Pivot?? http://sharpologist.com/2010/12/testing ... guard.html

[brothers]

. . . IMO it's a great razor.

Mark, I believe you. This is a metallic device that holds a razor blade in such a manner that the operator can remove hair periodically as it perpetually continues to grow. This description fits 'em all, making them all great. I think they should give me one of these at no cost. Or, offer to trade me for one of my other great razors. Or, is there a sucker with $300 down payment for the razor and another $365 per year for new blades born every minute? You mention that this is one great razor but it has an obvious flaw if it requires a blade that costs a dollar and has to be thrown away after every use. They exclude "enthusiasts" from their target market because we already know just about every other razor is a great razor, including the little plastic razors that can be purchased for a song at the local dollar store, pharmacy, supermarket, or big box store. Knowing this stuff immunizes us. I think this razor is great to you because it was free. I think this razor is great in the eyes of the owners because it adds copious sums of money to their bank accounts. I just wanted to share my two cent tirade and this feels like a good place and time to vent.

[mantic]

Mark, I believe you. This is a metallic device that holds a razor blade in such a manner that the operator can remove hair periodically as it perpetually continues to grow. This description fits 'em all, making them all great. I think they should give me one of these at no cost. Or, offer to trade me for one of my other great razors. Or, is there a sucker with $300 down payment for the razor and another $365 per year for new blades born every minute? You mention that this is one great razor but it has an obvious flaw if it requires a blade that costs a dollar and has to be thrown away after every use. They exclude "enthusiasts" from their target market because we already know just about every other razor is a great razor, including the little plastic razors that can be purchased for a song at the local dollar store, pharmacy, supermarket, or big box store. Knowing this stuff immunizes us. I think this razor is great to you because it was free. I think this razor is great in the eyes of the owners because it adds copious sums of money to their bank accounts. I just wanted to share my two cent tirade and this feels like a good place and time to vent.

Ah, yes. The truth has come out. I am available to the highest bidder. The concerns I bring up in the article make no difference. The actual merits of a razor and the shave it provides make no difference. The other high-priced niche' razors (Mongoose, King Cobra, Pils, etc...when they're available) make no difference. My reputation and time in the niche' make no difference. Just wave the value of $300 (never mind the actual cash) in my face and I get all googly-eyed.

[mantic]

Single blade? Pivot?? http://sharpologist.com/2010/12/testing ... guard.html

Absolutely. Different sides of the same coin. One is aimed at the very lowest end, the other at the luxury end.

(BTW, IMO the Guard could be made even better if they made the blade in the cartridge a "slant" style!)

[brothers]

Ah, yes. The truth has come out. I am available to the highest bidder. The concerns I bring up in the article make no difference. The actual merits of a razor and the shave it provides make no difference. . . . Just wave the value of $300 (never mind the actual cash) in my face and I get all googly-eyed.

I hope I didn't offend, Mark. That wasn't my intent. We at SMF know who you are and have no reason not to trust you. I certainly do trust you. In contrast, an uninformed stranger who buys a $300 razor based on a glowingly positive review and then finds it isn't his cup of tea might fall victim to the presumptions you have hypothetically stated above. This is probably not the best scenario to joke about. My point is that in most professions it is paramount to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. You can't undo the fact that you reviewed what you have deemed a "great razor" based on receiving a gift valued at $300, and anyone would tend to become defensive in that situation. Consumer Reports buys the products they review which makes them the paying consumer. Any reviewer should consider the risks to their professional reputation of independent objectivity when she or he receives a complementary highly priced product then writes a lengthy positive review filled to the brim with quotes and self-serving statements provided by the manufacturer who naturally stands to benefit financially from the publication of the review.

[drmoss_ca]

$300 seems a bit cheap compared to some of the custom made damascus straights I have. I don't think it graceful to criticise how others choose to spend the fruits of their labours. (Especially as I shall shortly be selling nearly all my razors!)

[brothers]

Would that all of our labors are fruitful.

[CMur12]

$300 seems a bit cheap compared to some of the custom made damascus straights I have. I don't think it graceful to criticise how others choose to spend the fruits of their labours. (Especially as I shall shortly be selling nearly all my razors!)

I don't like the sound of this. Is this part of your retirement referenced elsewhere?

- Murray

[BPman]

I tried the Gillette Guard back in the Spring of 2013, buying it from West Coast Shaving. It is easily the most expedient razor I have ever used. Gillette USA is mute on introducing it in the Western World and with good reason. That would be like the owner of a livery stable advising you to buy an automobile.

One factor that bothers me greatly re the $300 razor is that a person is stuck with one blade. Well, I like variety and DE shaving for me is not so much a means to an end, but the ability to make what was once a mundane chore a pleasurable experience. I'll pass.

[Squire]

Murray he said "nearly all" which sounds more like a man getting out of the cattle business by selling the herd but keeping a few to graze the land.

[drmoss_ca]

Thanks, Squire for parsing that: I need to sell the herd, but still don't want to shave with a cow. Such is the dilemma of life!

C.

[nicodemus38]

that 30 blade monthly shipment is not a years supply. its supposed to be 1 shave = 1 blade use

the ONLY novel thing they engineered was the way it covers the two corners of the blade. but then again GEM did that back in 1909?

[brothers]

Update: Brian (SharpSpine) has undertaken a remarkable long-term test of the OB and the blade issue on The Shave Nook. It turns out that the Feather HS blade is NOT the only blade that fits! A common PTFE Gem SE blade (with the spine instantly removed in a three second operation) outlasts and outperforms the FHS at a much lower cost per blade. Obviously, the manufacturer was hoping to maximize financial gain (nothing wrong with that!) from some sort of proprietary licensing arrangement with Feather. There seems to be a growing consensus that the OB razor is indeed an outstanding razor, considering there is a better and cheaper blade available.

[brothers]

Because I always like to put my money where my mouth is, and because there is a guarantee of a full money-back refund within 30 days, I bought one and paid full price. It shipped from Austin TX to OKC in 2 days. The razor arrives in an amazing (ostentatious, in my opinion) thick leather case with red stitching and a heavy stand packed in form fitted dense foam. I am not the only guy who never uses a stand or a case to keep his razor in, so these two items are of no value to me. This case is so big and heavy I can't imagine anybody actually keeping the razor in the case. This is expensive overkill. I'm not impressed.

I shaved with it this morning. I used a Gem stainless PTFE SE blade instead of the single use Feather HS blade that costs a dollar. My plan is to use the razor several times so I can compare it objectively to my Darwin and Mongoose razors, (both of which yield near-perfect shaves) before I attempt to post a review.

[CMur12]

I look forward to your impressions, Gary. I appreciate your buying the razor for the experiment.

- Murray

[pausted]

Me, too, Gary.

[brothers]

After a couple of shaves with the OB razor, I decided to compare the quality of the shaves with the likes of Gillette Guard and Gillette Trac II disposables. After all, the OB is a pivoting head razor, and it thrives on pressure applied by the user, and is almost impossible to cause nicks, cuts, razor burn, etc. As we all know too well, the application of pressure when using a DE or standard SE razor will certainly have less than happy results.

mantic59
5 years ago Permalink (November 11 2010)

I got a Guard from Pauldog on SMF recently and tried it this morning (using Cremo Cream brushless shave cream).

I’m impressed; I got a truly excellent shave out of it.

Its very light, but I think any DE shaver will quickly find the right grip and (mild) pressure to make this little guy go. The pivot action is very good and the handle grips well even with its light weight.

If P&G altered the handle slightly for the “western” markets and sold it very cheaply under a non-Gillette name they’d make a mint.

Because the OneBlade razor also capitalizes on the pressure and the pivot, and it is a fact the both the OB and the Gillette Guard use a single disposable blade, I am coming to the conclusion that Gillette and OneBlade have reached similar conclusions. As of now, the Gillette Guard is used by almost 2/3 of the wet shaving market in India, and is flourishing in current production. It would be a pure guess and conjecture on my part to say that the Gillette Guard was the theoretical template for the concept and development of the OneBlade. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose. My shave results from the Guard (2 days ago) and the OB+Feather HS this morning were quite similar, i.e.: excellent, close and smooth.