Having just shaken our heads over the person who paid way too much for a Gillette Blue Tip, what I paid for this Stahly live blade was probably a little on the high side too. $32 including shipping. I've seen them go for less, sometimes with nicer cases than this plastic display box. Still, I've stopped looking for a razor that actually shaves better than what I already have. Just filling in the gaps with a few things that are interesting to me, and this didn't seem too outrageous. The mechanism seems to be working, the plating wear is minor, and I'll see how it shaves in the next week, probably.
It looks nice. I heard the heads are good shavers. Im not so sure about the vibrating portion though. Please post your thoughts after spending some time with it.
That's a really nice razor. I think anyone that likes a little variety should have one. Please let us know how it shaves. Mine is nos. I don't want to use it. It's really well built and looks neat in my display. Len
My Stahly is the only razor I've never used, and it's the first DE razor I ever had. I think it's time to try it.
Cool That is one cool looking razor! I saw one on the bay and thought about bidding on it. I was afraid that it might not work and all so I let it go. Let us know how it shaves!
I don't think you paid too much. The high end of the accepatble range, but not too much. I have a few Stahlys, a couple with cases, but not that case. That is the one I'd like to have. Nice score.
Hiya, Try using just the head, coupled with something like a Tech handle. The shave is sorta like a Tech, but better. You might also try a heavier handle like an EJ Chatsworth. I'll shave with the Stahly combo on occasion and it performs well for me. Since the Stahly's a mild head, I normally will load it with a sharp blade like a Feather or Iridium. Give it a try and see what happens, Martin
Shaved with it for the first time today. Picture in the SOS thread. Too early for any detailed review, but I like it! Perhaps surprisingly, I like the vibrating function. I got a nice close shave, and the oscillations actually seemed to be doing something. I might try it on a regular handle at some point, but wanted to use it the way it was intended to be used first. Well, this company sold these razors for over thirty years, and although I don't know it for certain, it may only have been cartridge razors that finally drove them out of business in 1978. They must have had something going for them. Of course, always distrust a positive or negative review based on just one use.
I used mine for the first time today as well. I thought the vibrating was interesting but didn't add much to the shave-kind of like a face massage while shaving. I used it with an Iridium blade. It does look like a Tech but is a bit more aggressive, more like my EJ89. I'll definitely use this again. I also found out that my wife got it from her beloved uncle.
I don't think $32 was too much. With the case and in good shape I suppose it was a good price. Looks nice and with the case, sweet.
After three shaves with this, and probably taking a fourth tomorrow, I have a few more opinions. I don't think I overspent by too much, now. It's just that I had watched a few of these go by in the $10-$20 range, and paid more when I ended up deciding to get one. Since it shaves well, and the mechanism is (apparently) in good shape, I'm satisfied. It really does shave well. It's one of those deceptively mild razors that doesn't feel like it's doing too much, but three passes gave me a very close shave. About that vibrating mechanism. It's easy to convince oneself that a gimmick like this is really doing something, equally easy to convince oneself that it isn't, depending on the bias you approach it with. I don't want to make any definite pronouncements based on very limited experience. I tried passes without winding it up, and I can't say that the end results were different, but it did seem to go a little more smoothly with the vibrations going. It's also a slightly strange, but pleasant feeling to shave that way. I think I'll probably wind it up when using it in the future, although I might also give the head a go on a regular handle, as Martin suggests above. Maybe my iKon stainless steel handle would be good. Timing how long it lasts on one complete winding, it was 3 minutes 20 seconds, just holding it and waiting for the buzzing to die down completely. For actual shaving, the vibrations die down below a "useful" level before that, of course, and you're constantly rewinding it if you want to keep it going for the whole shave. This gets harder as your hands get wetter. There is one quirk which may be normal, but is a little disconcerting. About three times during one windup cycle, there's a sort of loud internal click, as if the spring has slipped to a new position. I don't know whether this is normal, or whether it has to do with the aging of the machinery. It doesn't seem to affect the way it works, but it could be startling during a shave, if you weren't expecting it. I may have mentioned once or twice around here that I prefer injector and SE razors, and use DE razors for a change of pace only occasionally. Somewhat to my surprise, this DE razor will probably be one of the ones I return to. I thought I was just getting another curiosity. I'll probably try it with a Feather blade next time, though.
