Mehaz Razor, yes I do...

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by PLANofMAN, Sep 7, 2012.

  1. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    As some of you know, I recently won the Mehaz PIF from NoobShaver (Mike). This razor is one of the few modern TTO's that is made somewhere other than China or India. With Merkur's Futar and Vision razors the only other TTO model currently produced in Germany is Spilo Worldwide's "Mehaz Professional."

    The manufacturer has this to say for themselves:
    "At Mehaz, perfecting beauty is truly a science. Years of experience go into the precise manufacture of every manicure implement. Old World craftsmanship combined with modern technology results in the finest tools available to the salon profession.

    Every implement from Mehaz is manufactured from the highest quality materials in Solingen, Germany. Experienced craftsmen, who take pride in their work hand finish each implement to perfection. From there the precise design and rigorous inspection of every Mehaz product unfolds. The result? Products so well made, we guarantee them for life and offer free sharpening service to keep them in top condition. Mehaz nippers are maintained without service charge: while Mehaz shears are accomodated at a nominal fee."

    I can say that this appears to be true. The fit and finish on the razor are par excellence. The box claims that the razor is handcrafted in Solingen Germany. Handcrafted is a much abused word in marketing these days. I would venture to say that it was probably hand assembled and fitted with some machine work as well. Construction material is probably a combination of brass and zinc. There are grind or file marks on the inner edge of the silo doors, and stamping marks on the bottom plate. The horizontal lines were not pre-formed in the razor handle, so those at least were machined into the handle. There are also lathe marks on the handle. The razor is surprisingly heavy and solid. If I didn't know what these razors sold for ($25-$35) I could be convinced that they were made from bead blasted stainless steel. I don't have a Gillette rocket, but from the way those razors have been described as having a "heavier, solid handle," I'm inclined to believe that those were the razors the Mehaz was patterned off of.
    [​IMG]

    But how does it shave? As others have mentioned, it is a mild shaver. I found it to shave identically to a '60's or '70's era Gillette Super Speed. The added weight of the razor made it feel more akin to a Gillette Red Tip Super Speed, but without the more aggressive blade exposure and head shape. The handle is slightly longer than a flare tip SS, which may give it a slightly better balance point. Here are some comparison pictures:
    [​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG][​IMG]
    The final verdict: This is a quality razor, built to higher tolerances and with a more precise fit than Gillette's later razors. The finish and materials appear to be of slightly lower quality than Gillette's razors. If you like Gillette's standard Super Speed but wish the handle was slightly heavier, thicker and longer, this is the razor for you. The price for these razors seems low for what you get, and it would be tough for me to recommend a vintage Super Speed if you had to pay the same price for each. Thanks for reading and feel free to comment or ask questions.

    EDIT: A few more observations. The outer handle material appears to be slightly thinner than a standard Super Speed. The weight of the handle comes from the TTO mechanism inside the handle. The razor has been plated, because the copper base coat shows at a few points in the photographs.
     
  2. NoobShaver

    NoobShaver BGDAAA

    Glad you like the razor!

    I do have a Gillette rocket. Chris S included one in the package he sent me with the Mehaz PIF.

    The rocket is heavy like the Mehaz, but shaves totally differently. In my shaving quest I haven't tried many super speeds- I had a red tip for a while and that was it. The mehaz may be equivalent to your standard 60s and 70s superspeed, but it pales in comparison to a red tip or rocket. For me, anyway, the mehaz was super mild, as in borderline unusable.
     
    PLANofMAN likes this.
  3. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Most of my razors are two pass shavers, the Mehaz and the flare tips are both three pass shavers. This makes them ideal newbie razors, because the combination of a mild blade exposure and a narrow range of effectiveness allows some leeway for people who are used to using a heavy handed shaving technique (former cartridge shavers), while teaching proper angle at the same time.

    It gives people who would otherwise avoid aggressive German TTO's, the Vision and Futar, another option, while still letting them enjoy German engineering quality. For someone who cannot bear the thought of using a pre-owned razor, this is an excellent alternative to trying to find a NOS Super Speed.

    Glad to find that I was right about the weight of the rocket being comparable. I was operating in full-on guess mode there.:D
     
    NoobShaver likes this.
  4. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    Nice looking razor! I'll be sure to mention it to the guys I know who like SuperSpeeds and TTO's in general. For the price it seems a fair value. I'd get one myself, but just totally luv my 3-piece razors and theres only so much room in the den. :)
     
  5. 178-bplatoon

    178-bplatoon Well-Known Member

    Would you say it shaves like a heavy Gillette blue tip?
     
  6. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I've never used a blue tip. Sorry. I found it to shave like a cross between a 40's era super speed (which are really, really mild) and a regular flare tip Super speed (late 1950's - early 1980's mild shavers) based on what I've read about blue tips, I would say that it equal to or is probably just a hair more aggressive than a blue tip. I agree with NoobShaver. The Red tip is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to aggressiveness.

    Edit: having used a blue tip since, it is more aggressive than a blue tip, but not by much. And that is probably due to the Mehaz's heavier weight.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2019
  7. NoobShaver

    NoobShaver BGDAAA

    I have no idea. I can say that the mehaz head looked to me to be flatter and slightly wider that the Gillette TTO design. So the best I can say is maybe, maybe not.
     
  8. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    It's the same width or so close as makes no difference. the top of the head is flatter, true, but the curvature at the last third of the silo doors has the standard SS curvature. Looking at the pictures above you should be able to see a line of shadow on the doors, this marks where the bend begins.
     
  9. macaronus

    macaronus Sir Nice-a-Lot

    The Mehaz looks great! Glad you like it!
     
    PLANofMAN likes this.
  10. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Now that I have used a blue tip, years later, I can say that it is slightly more aggressive than a blue tip. It is equal to, or slightly less aggressive than a standard super speed.

    If a blue tip is at 1 on the aggressiveness scale, and a super speed is at 3, the Mehaz would be at a 2.5 to 3.
     
    BigCabDaddy likes this.
  11. Monkeylord

    Monkeylord The Lather Lord

    Looks like a Weishi, wouldn't be surprised if it was a rebrand
     
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  12. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    It is not a Weishi. I've compared them, and the Mehaz is better constructed, with thicker metal on the doors and baseplates than a Weishi. I also haven't seen a Weishi with the same knurling on the handle.

    The Mehaz has been around long enough that if it was a rebranded Weishi, someone would have called them on it. I think at this late date, it's safe to assume that they really are made in Solingen, Germany, just as the packaging materials claim.

    This razor has been marketed to the barber industry, not wet shavers. That has started to change in the last year or so, as I've seen them start to appear in some wet shave vendors' inventories.
     
    macaronus, BigCabDaddy and Monkeylord like this.
  13. Spyder

    Spyder Well-Known Member

    Three years later:
    Do you regularly use it?
    If so: has your initial thoughts changed?

    From the pictures, it looks like a better option than a Weishi for only a few $ more. Would that be a valid statement?
    Edit: Just saw it on Amazon for $21.
     
    BigCabDaddy likes this.
  14. JR Reyes

    JR Reyes I scream for....chicken wings??

    Im pretty sure that razor was added to the nationwide tourbox...
     
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  15. BigCabDaddy

    BigCabDaddy Well-Known Member

    But where did it drop off? Lol
     
  16. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I didn't regularly use it, but I did use it perhaps 40 times in the time I had it.
    My initial thoughts did not change, and yes, I do consider it a better value than the Weishi. It's a better value than most new razors out there.
    It was. I gave the Mehaz to my cousin for his starter razor. He prefers vintage razors now, so he swapped it out for a black handled super speed when I had the tour box.
    I believe @fishcrow might have snagged it, along with the Saponificio Varesino Felce Aromatica chunk I put in there.
     
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  17. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Ryan how does this one stack up against a Timor, which I'm not sure is yet another weishi rebrand...
     
  18. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    One Timor is a Weishi rebrand, the 9306. The other looks a lot like this razor, and there is one model of Weishi that also looks like this razor.

    Now I don't know what to think. Maybe the parts are made in China, then plated and assembled in Germany? Would that be enough to get the "made in Germany" moniker? It would also explain the better fit and finish.
     
  19. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    Thanks for the assessment..a puzzle to be sure. I also found that with the microtouch weishi, a sort of rough grinding-squeeking had developed after only 15 or twenty turns of the adjustment knob..not exactly the smoothness of the superspeed. Did this Mehas remain smooth...
     
  20. DDuckyMark

    DDuckyMark Ducky Duck and the Hiding Bunch

    It was still in the box when I had it. Nice razor smooth shaver. Good feel in the hand.
     
    BigCabDaddy likes this.

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