The Weber Left to right: Pils 101NE, Weber PH w/ Bulldog handle, Tradere OC and Weber PH w/ Wave handle A much shorter write-up due to most people probably being well aware of this razor I feel like the kid that's too late to the party. In this case the party has ended, the doors are and shut and everyone has gone home. History The Weber razors were US-made, all stainless steel razors that were around for quite a while until they stopped making the heads and and are now only selling their handles (wave/bamboo, bulldog and classic). The first razor, on open comb version, saw the light of day back in 2010 but was a rather short-lived offering and was followed by a closed comb head in 2011 that the company decided to stick with. The razors gained quite a following not only because of the quality and material - but also because their price point was very competitive (somewhere around where Bob's razors and Ikon were selling). In 2011 a full razor - head and handle - was about $55 and in 2014 it had gone up to about $70. It wasn't all smooth sailing though as many reports came in during 2014 that the heads suffered from quality control issues and caused the blade to form a slight wave. The later batch at the end of 2014 seemed to have resolved that issue though. But then, around January-February of 2015 the heads were pulled from the site and customers were limited to purchasing handles only. An example of what the 'wave'-issue looks like: Q: How do I know if my Weber head has the wave-issue? A: To test it, you can take the base plate, put it upside down (so that the two rails are down) onto a flat counter top and put light pressure on the top opposite corners and see if it wobbles. If there no wobble, you got a good razor. Weber was, in normal internet-style, rather harshly criticized for how they went about this change - erasing every mentioning of ever having sold heads and issuing no statement about the change. The last comment was in mid-February, 2015, when a customer called and inquired about the status on their head manufacturing and was told "We have a few things in the works, but we are currently only producing handles" Now, three months later I am not quite sure that one can call Weber a collector's item as there is of course a chance we'll see the return of the Weber heads - but the online auction sites are surely seeing it that was as lately a near-new full Weber razor often sells for USD 200+ Trivia * Heads were made in three 'coating' versions - DLC, ARC and Uncoated/Polished. * Ed's, the founder, favorite razor was the polished head w/ a bulldog handle. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I will be shaving with my two Weber razors for the first time ever this week. Mon-Wed: PH w/ Wave/Bamboo handle, and Thurs-Sat: PH w/ Bulldog handle. It will, for me, be interesting to see how they compare to other recent stainless steel razors I have - the Pils 101NE and the Tradere OC 2nd gen. Tradere, Pils and my two Webers: Mon-Wed, this guy: Thurs-Sat, this guy:
Great post. I like my Weber and won't likely sell it. But if anyone's dying to have one now that they can't, before you plunk down over $200 for one, take a look at the ATT R1. They shave very similarly for me and the ATT is cheaper. Never thought I'd say that in comparison to the Weber
Had my first shave with the Weber PH and Bamboo handle...and wow....loved it. I normally don't like shorter handles but the shape and feel of this handle may have converted me. The razor itself had that feel that I like "aggressive as if it could bite at any time...but well restrained". Two passes later and I had a perfectly smooth and clean result with no need for any touch-up passes. Fantastic first impression and can't wait to use these two this week!
That is a lovely collection of razors you have there Darkbulb. Are they all stainless steel? So there is a possibility that the heads may come back. This creates a weird situation. You could spend $200 on the bay for a substandard Weber with a wave. Or wait and see if Weber does start reproducing the heads. Anyway nice photos Darkbulb.
Yeah those four are all stainless steel. Well, I personally believe that the wave-issue was a bit blown out of proportions and for some reason it seemed to be more frequent on the batch that got the ARC coating. The two I bought are perfectly flat - then again maybe I just got lucky. It is however an interesting dilemma for anyone wanted to get their hands on one....suck it up and pay what they are going for now...or wait and hope for a return...and how long does one wait..?
Very lucky. Plus the best part was that it was a buy it now "auction". I got very excited, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it raised my pulse a little bit and didn't sets until I had pushed the Buy button =P
Thanks for the great write up, and congrats on landing two fine examples! I love how my Weber PH shaves on the Bulldog handle. I have a back up that I've never taken out of the box. I'll either use it if my current one is lost or damaged, or it will make a really nice NOS gift razor sometime down the road.
Or, if you don't have one, at the prices they are selling for now you can sell your NOS Weber for more than an ATT w/ a head would cost and pick up one of those. You'd probably have enough over for some soap
Also, there is a chance they'll start making heads again. If you think about it it's just been about three months now since they stopped it and if they are re-tooling/machining there's a chance they're still gearing up.
Great article!! Very well written. I have 2 of the 3 Weber heads PH and DLC and all 3 handles(BullDog,Classic and Wave). The DLC head with a BullDog handle are my daily shavers. This combo gives me a fantastic shave, I've never checked either head for tru and I never will as both work so well!. I think if I didn't have my Weber or lost / broke it and I was wanting another SS 3 piece, as of now, I would give the ATT a try. To be honest IMO my Weber shaves much like my EJ89. I prefer the Weber because it's: (1) American made, (2)well made and (3)the shave head is IMO made of better, longer lasting(SS vs pot metal) materials. So unless I either break it or lose it I should get this fantastic shave for the rest of my life! I've also used my Weber shave head with various other handles: Gillette Fat Handle tech Sabi Parker Cadet Durham Duplex griestshaving and received a great shave with everyone.
