A few months ago one hundred people took advantage of an offer to buy a razor that was previously priced around $30 - for $1 shipped. I missed out on the first batch of that but was recently able to get one of the promo codes and decided to pick one up.... There have been a number of reviews posted online in various forums and even some Youtube reviews. See two video samples here: Review: Review and use (and yes, there are some blood): The comments I've read were all rather conclusive: poorly made and shave at your own risk. The seller DeFitch has actually come out and admitted that they themselves are disappointed in the head that their contractors made for them and are looking for alternative sourcing options. They are also asking for people to, if they review the product, to focus on the handle, box and blades at this point. I do respect that they are admitting to the quality issues and here is a quote from DeFitch: "After much consideration, we have decided to re-release the DeFitch razor at a drastically reduced price. We have received much negative feedback about the head of the razor, which is why we are re-releasing with a main focus on the 3.8" long brass handle! For anyone looking for a long handled shaving experience that already owns a double-edge safety razor head, the DeFitch handle was made for you! It has a nice, heavy feel combined with a solid grip that makes for a great shaving experience for all hand sizes." So, the message is pretty clear - buy this, right now, for the handle and accessories - not for the head. It's available on Amazon for about $9-10. Anyway.....one dollar and one week later I receive the razor in the mail.... First impressions: Surprisingly positive. The box: Not bad at all. Actually better as a presentation box than some of the $100 razors I've bought in the past. It does feel a bit 'cheaply made' - but for sitting on a shelf displaying a razor it will do just fine. The blades: You get a 10 pack of Treet blades. Never tried this brand before so looking forward to seeing how they might perform. Seems like a legit offering and can they seriously be worse than the Derby blades a lot of manufacturers insist on including... The head: Ok, ok...I know the head is not really to be taken into consideration now but I had to mention it anyway... It sure is scary My baseplate was so warped that it actually appears to smile to me...a rather sinister grin maybe I've shaved, or have the full intention to, with every razor I've bought but...this one I might just give a pass. Ok, that's it - I promise I won't mention the head again. The handle: Now this was actually a rather positive surprise. My handle doesn't have any of the QA issues that some people mentioned. The knurling is solid and even. It feels good in the hand and has a very nice weight to it. I am actually planning on making this handle the permanent handle for my Stahly head. I guess the big question is "Is it worth buying?". At the $1 offer that I got mine at - absolutely. The blades, handle and box are, to me, worth that and more. At the current $9 offering I think it "might" be worth if if you're willing to treat this as per above - a rather nice, heavy handle, ten Treet blades and a box that, albeit a bit cheaply made, will display nice on a shelf -but with no razor head. Here's the handle with the Stahly head on it. Not a bad match at all.
Yeah, I'm liking the handle as a heavier option to use with the Tech I got recently. Re: the display box, the one I got is so lid-heavy that every time you take the razor out of it, it flips over and closes itself. Pretty comical, actually. Does yours do that?
Now I'm gonna have to try that in the morning.... Update: Oh wait, there's a photo above showing the razor outside of the box - and the box open
Never did get a Utopia but I can absolutely see the parallels there I was going to use the handle this morning but ended up pulling another razor off the shelf (my morning shaving decision process is very...uh...random to say the least).
I immediately switched the head on receiving mine to a Maggards Mr2 head and have been using it a lot. On a whim this morning I decided to try the original head. Mine isn't anywhere near as warped as the one previously posted. Put an Astra SP blade in it and it aligned perfectly with no adjustment. There is however quite a bit of blade gap but I proceeded to do a 3 pass shave with it and came away cut free. I'm guessing that there are huge variances in quality control. Mine seems to be just fine. It is aggressive but with the same care and technique that I've always used I actually enjoyed the shave. First post as I'm new here but just thought I share my experience with this Razor.
