Though I'm sure the review on this razor has been done before. here's one more time. Previously I bought a VDH razor that was poorly made, doors were misaligned and one fell off. I wrote to VDH, now part of Universal Beauty Products Inc., and they sent me a new one along with new brushes that I complained about. I sent my complaint E-Mail on Monday there was a fast reply and received a package on Friday via UPS with not only Razor, Blades, Boar and Badger Brush but also a shave soap and shave butter (review on brushes coming soon) Opening box, it was well packaged, finish on Razor was good, without blemishes, doors opened and closed smoothly and aligned very well. This Saturday morning I loaded it with a VDH blade (5 blade pack comes with it) and using their Boar hair VDH brush loaded with VDH soap. After my usual prep Lathered up and began my shave. To my surprise the first pass was equal to my Fatboy set @4 or 5 (usually shave with it set @7) Did my usual second pass and got a very close shave but not a BBS. I'll admit I was expecting a poor razor and blade but it is a very good razor for those who have not so heavy beards or for beginners. I had a Wieshi razor that I gave away, I'd say it is about equal to the Wieshi if not made by them. The Wieshi comes with a mild Derby blade but the VDH comes with a much sharper German made blade, making it a better performer. The blade I will say is a bit sharper than the Astra SP's that I use. I will try these blades in one of my Adjustable's and Weber PH and see if I like them. ( I wonder what 100 of them cost, I hear a 5 pack is expensive) Happiness is a great morning shave, Denis
I have a VDH razor that I bought over two years ago. I do not know if there's been any changes to the razor since the time of my purchase, but my experience with the VDH has been positive. Mild? For sure, but it gets the job done in fine style! It's my travel razor and it has never let me down! I found the VDH blades to be okay and only bought one tuck after I used up the ones that came with the razor. I have the VDH boar brush and it's been in the rotation since day one. I actually used it every day for about 6 months until I bought my second brush. I like the brush because of it's backbone and it is great on hard soaps. I am glad to hear about their customer service and that they responded to your issues.
I think the VDH razor is a great razor for a newbie. It is well made and readily available at Walmart. It is a good starting point. I still have and use VDH Delux and Luxury soaps. They are good soaps as well. There is no need to spend mega-bucks to get a great shave.
VDH was my gateway razor. It's now buried in the back of my vanity(I think). Never even tried the blades after seeing so many negative things said about them pretty much everywhere. Went with Wilkinson Sword(black tuck) from Bed Bath & Beyond. Also had a VDH badger that was my gateway brush. It started to shed really bad and bought the farm just before I received my Parker Silvertip. Overall I'd have to say they make good entry level gear.
I bought the Van der Hagen shave kit with the badger brush razor stand and apothecary mug as my first set. Still have and use them often. I just bought my second Van der Hagen razor (gave the first one to a guy just starting wet shaving) and I always get a good shave with them. I tend to have sensitive skin or just poor technique, so I like a mild razor. The blades were not that great when I used them a few years ago, but the new blades that came with the new razor are giving me outstanding shaves. I'm really surprised at how well they are working for me now. Maybe just more experience or the fact that I am using them in my Gillette blue starburst razor. Glad they came through for you. Always nice to hear of a company taking care of it's customers.
