Geez, and I thought this was a sock thread Looking forward to another review. I don't get mine till after Thanksgiving
Apparently I didn't get in under the wire for the deep discount, but I was sent a code for 20% off. After seeing how similar this razor is to the DE89, I've decided not to pull the trigger.
DeFitch DF91 Shave Report Had my maiden shave with the DF91 this morning. Lathered up a brand new soap (Jabonman's "Rosas" and man, totally unrelated to this review, this soap is amazing) and plopped a brand new Voskhod into the razor. As I read that @ShaneS had some blade alignment issues I did a thorough inspection and was happy to see that mine appeared to be evenly aligned on both sides. I don't shave on weekends so the razor had to deal with two days of growth. First pass (WTG): Razor felt mild. Never felt as if there would be any risk of cutting myself. The handle felt good - nice weight, good knurling and it all came across as being rather well balanced. Finished off the first pass and had a nice, pretty smooth shave. There were some stubble left right under my chin. Overall 75% clean-shaven. Re-lathered (man, love that soap...) and went back for more. Second pass (ATG) ATG is normally where I get a stronger sense of how 'aggressive' a razor is. Will it whimper, bark or bite? The razor didn't feel quite as mild this pass but once again I didn't feel as if it would bite. I'd say it 'barked mildly'. Finished the pass without any blood drawn. Next - how does the face feel post-shave... Rinsed off my face with some cold water and splashed on some Floid Blue. Whilst doing so I could feel that my face was indeed very clean shaven. I have to say I was very pleased with the results. In summary Pro's: Excellent plating (it's mirror-like), Good feeling handle Mild yet efficient shave Price Con's: Just as it's hard/unfair to compare Arko to MdC it's equally difficult to compare the DF91 to say a Wolfman or Blackland razor that are true machined pieces of wonder. This is a razor that plays in the sub-$20 range and I assume the target audience here are novice shavers who wants to try out the concept of wetshaving, people who want an inexpensive travel razor and/or people on a strict budget. When you mount the head of the DF91 you can immediately feel that this is not in the same 'league' - there's a bit of grinding and the pieces are simply not finished off in the same meticulous way. Then again- it sells for 1/10-1/15th of what some current higher end razors goes for. Razors are very, very subjective so it will be great fun to see what others think in this thread. At the end of the day - is it worth $5? Absolutely. Is it worth $15? It is if you're in one of the categories called out earlier. Just don't expect a Tradere and I think you'll be happy Gear Used: DF91 Voskhod Wolf Whiskers Jaboman' "Rosas" (first time using this soap and I think it might have become an instant favorite) Floid Blue
I also bought one. I read about the failure of their last launch but with this new head and the great price, I couldn't resist. At the very least, a nice brass handle will come of it.
As much as I'd like to try this razor l don't think I want to own one. If I could toss in my 2 cents worth if it were me I would stop selling the old version just to prevent any more bad feedback and move on with the improved model.
I received mine today. Nice fit and finish, good weight and size for handle. Will use it Dec 1, unless I decide to PIF it. Couldn't resist holding a $5 steal of a razor, it looks great.
I got mine as well and I got to tell you by the looks and feel, I'm impressed! I mean outright impressed. Once again, this is a pre-shave assessment so I'll be posting one of those perhaps later today, but some of you may recall my recent scathing review of a well known $40 razor after a similar unboxing. Let me tell you this: Had this been that razor -- in other words, had I just paid $40 for this razor and simply looked and played with it taking it out of it's box, nothing would have been said about the first impression of the razor itself. So I don't know if you consider the $15 to $40 jump (I'm disregarding that we only paid $5 since the general public will be paying more.) one of a single tier -- my thinking is it leaves room for a two tier price jump, this razor blows a razor two tiers above it out of the water in terms of fit and finish. But... and there always has to be a but, doesn't there? For a retail product, the packaging is woefully unacceptable. I had to remind myself that this actually was a retail product because it was easier to assume I'd gotten hold of a pre-production sample based on the package alone. You got to remember, perception is everything. I've mentioned elsewhere that I'd love for my youngest son to get into wet shaving. If this razor performs as well as it looks, I could definitely see buying the razor as a "stocking stuffer" type of gift for him. However, the packaging would cause me to hesitate. The plain black box is fine except put that snazzy logo from your avatar here on it. If direct printing elevates the cost too much, I'm sure a stick on label could be added inexpensively. Put the razor in some kind of insert inside the box. Even just a cardboard sleeve like the $40 razor I'm talking about would be a step up. Ideally, a foam insert would be excellent. But the way it came, wrapped in tissue paper, eBay packages I've received have made a better pre-impression. Again, perception is everything. So like I say, I'll post further thoughts after an initial shave -- something I'm now excited for and didn't think I would be. Great job on the appearance and feel of the actual razor. I hope it shaves as good as it looks. Now think about upgrading the packaging next production run...
Wow... quite a reversal. The v1 DeFitch razor was (and still is) packaged in a "hand-crafted" wooden box with a fitted inner liner and included a tuck of Treet blades. The v2 is apparently packaged in the most minimal box that could be mustered. It's almost as if someone sat there and had to decide between making a crappy razor in a great box or a great razor in a crappy box. (Disclaimer: I'm still waiting on my v2 which should arrive 30 November. I don't own a v1, but I believe my DW ordered one for me as a stocking stuffer prior to the v2 announcement.)
Well, it seems like the only thing that needs to be trashed is the v1 head. (I'll leave arguments about the Treet blades to someone else.) I guess that's one for the 25 (or 26) December SOTD- How does the DeFitch v2 head perform on the v1 handle? JR
It almost blinds you out of the box with that shine doesn't it? Lol Looking forward to your shave review
Just got and opened my 91, agree with all the other first impressions, looks great, not a blemish in the finish, nice sold weight, assembles smoothly and all around seems even. Probably won't use for a day or two but will post review after first shave. So far out of the box, as someone else said, looks like a good $40.00 razor. Thank you DeFitch
Just checked my tracking order, and it appears that it'll be waiting at my door when I get home from work. I'll be reviewing tonight or tomorrow.
Got mine and I agree the fit and finish are excellent for a razor at this price point. Even the the non-discount price. I loaded up a Gillette Blue, and checked for alignment. No problem. Even blade exposure on both edges. I too am on a No Variation November, so I'll try it out in December.
