Two-piece razors? Any particular reason they aren't more popular?

[sidpost]

I was wondering why there are so few 2-piece DE razors in the market these days.

My initial query only turned up Merkur. Is it just a cost of manufacture issue? Or is it something to do with how they shave? I know a lot of people on forums like this one like to "LEGO" their 3-piece razors so, maybe that is part of the effect as well.

General thoughts? Any shave reports?

TIA,
Sid

 

[brucered]

I'm guessing it has to with design and manufacture costs, which cuts into profits. The same reason you don't see any quality butterfly TTO 1 piece razors.

 

[lasta]

One piece razors: easy to use.
Three piece razors: sleeker, can mix and match handles.

I guess two-piece razors are somewhere in between, with neither of the benefits.

 

[NorthernSoul]

The Dorco PL-602 is a plastic two-piece that is inexpensive, under $10 usually. The stainless PILS 101NE from Germany runs over $250.

Some modern adjustable razors are two-piece. Parker Variant, Pearl Flexi, Rex Ambassador, to name a few. The two-piece design makes it a good fit for adjustable razors because of the internal screw threads. Yet, it can be taken apart and cleaned easier than a one-piece.

 

[sidpost]

The Dorco PL-602 is a plastic two-piece that is inexpensive, under $10 usually. The stainless PILS 101NE from Germany runs over $250.

Some modern adjustable razors are two-piece. Parker Variant, Pearl Flexi, Rex Ambassador, to name a few. The two-piece design makes it a good fit for adjustable razors because of the internal screw threads. Yet, it can be taken apart and cleaned easier than a one-piece.

Super helpful and insightful! Thanks!

 

[Lockback]

I don't have an answer for you but here's a poll I ran several months ago.
And as you'll see, 2-piece razors finished last by a huge margin.


What's Your Favorite Type Of Safety Razor? - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/whats-your-favorite-type-of-safety-razor.639656/

 

[nemo]

Well actually a "two-piece" is three pieces, the knob is a long nut and can usually be taken out. Some Rotbarts don't, but Merkurs do, that piece being held in place with a spring. Old Gillettes like the Single Rings and New Improved, do you call that a two or three piece?

But there's the extra cost of swaging the handle to the baseplate.
Which you are stuck with, many users love to swap handles around.

 

[Calyshaver]

A two piece is more expensive to produce when you consider the handle/plate assembly process and the additional design considerations for the longer threaded post and twist knob. I do love my Merkur 34 because of this design.

It is normal product evolution lifecycle that history repeats. The engineer comes up with a great design that performs well on the market, but then the accountants request a more cost efficient product. Probably the same thought process for why Zamak is preferred to solid brass.

 

[DesertIguana]

Think it has do personal preference, or first Razor someone liked.

 

[rreynoso]

They still are... it´s just that they´re now adjustables

Cheers.

 

[Iridian]

What is a two piece razor but a three piece with the baseplate merged onto the handle. And as already got pointed out, they often have even 3-4 pieces with spring and knob. Aslo, as seen in the reply above me, the "two piece" designs rather tend to become adjustable razors with more parts.

The beauty of the three piece design is simplicity and ease of cleaning. One can swap handles and even caps or baseplates.

 

[Psychtec]

One piece razors: easy to use.
Three piece razors: sleeker, can mix and match handles.

I guess two-piece razors are somewhere in between, with neither of the benefits.

lasta

I only own two razors.

1924 Shovel head
1912 GEM “squat head”

Note

I cannot switch out handle with the 1912.

With my Shovel head I can switch out the handle. I have 5 handles I switch out frequently.

To me, each handle provides a little different feel when shaving. It is like shaving with 5 different razors.

Nice thread.

 

[tm3]

I was wondering why there are so few 2-piece DE razors in the market these days.

My initial query only turned up Merkur. Is it just a cost of manufacture issue? Or is it something to do with how they shave? I know a lot of people on forums like this one like to "LEGO" their 3-piece razors so, maybe that is part of the effect as well.

General thoughts? Any shave reports?

TIA,
Sid

Great question! The two piece design is one of my favorite things about the Merkur 34 (next to how it shaves). I assemble and disassemble my razors with every use and the 2 piece, to me, is less "fiddly."

 

[Quaznoid]

To me it’s a stupid design. A lot of complexity for no purpose. And you can’t trade out handles. The brilliance of the three-piece is obvious, the handle also serving to hold it all together. Both are smarter than the TTO, which introduced a lot of complexity to solve a problem that didn’t exist.

 

[BigJ]

A two piece is more expensive to produce when you consider the handle/plate assembly process and the additional design considerations for the longer threaded post and twist knob. I do love my Merkur 34 because of this design.

It is normal product evolution lifecycle that history repeats. The engineer comes up with a great design that performs well on the market, but then the accountants request a more cost efficient product. Probably the same thought process for why Zamak is preferred to solid brass.

+1! In the end, accountants rule in most industries.

I prefer the ‘elegance’ and ‘simplicity’ of a three-piece design! But that’s me.

 

[nemo]

To me it’s a stupid design. A lot of complexity for no purpose.

Too bad King C. Gillette still isn't around.
You could call him out on his stupid original "double ring" old-type design from 1903.

 

[sidpost]

Great question! The two piece design is one of my favorite things about the Merkur 34 (next to how it shaves). I assemble and disassemble my razors with every use and the 2 piece, to me, is less "fiddly."

Bingo! We have a winner.

To me, the TTO and Adjustable razors are NOT TWO-PIECE razors. The simplicity of a Two-Piece razor like the Merkur 34C is what I think of in this category, not a more complex TTO and absolutely not an Adjustable which I don't ever recall being called a "Two-Piece" razor by anyone I have ever met.

 

[sidpost]

The Two-Piece design seems to offer some simplicity for me while I travel in that I have less to keep up with at a roadside 'rest area/truckstop' when I run in for a quick shave or while camping. The top cap with its long stem won't go down a 'drain' and the handle/baseplate won't get lost.

In terms of being easier to mount the blade and being 'safer', I never really considered the "difficulty" or "risk" an issue with my 3-piece razors!

Swaging the base plate to the handle is not an expensive operation either in a production environment. But yes, to a micro-managing bean counter, it is another operation to consider for the bottom line.

So, the simplicity of the design for the user seems to be overlooked by many.

Regarding the TTO and Adjustable razors, fine options in their own right but, not a simple Two-Piece design though, an all-in-one solution for travel use in my case as well.

Regarding handle "LEGO", I rarely change handles because I won't buy a razor with a handle I don't like, or at least, rarely do with the Yaqi Zamak AC, "Excalibur" I think, being an exception with that skinny toothpick of a handle with absolutely no texture.

 

[NorthernSoul]

To me it’s a stupid design. A lot of complexity for no purpose. And you can’t trade out handles. The brilliance of the three-piece is obvious, the handle also serving to hold it all together. Both are smarter than the TTO, which introduced a lot of complexity to solve a problem that didn’t exist.

What a grump!


Well, at least when the base plate is joined to the handle, you don't have the razor unscrewing itself and coming open while you are shaving. That has happened to me more than once: "hmm, the razor seems to be feeling more aggressive...oops!". Yes, you could tighten the handle down with a torque wrench or use a rubber washer under the handle, but still...

 

[wetshaver233]

Like everyone said above, the design of the two piece razors adds another layer of unnecessary complication and has no real benefit rather than increasing the cost of the razor and the time it takes to produce it, hence why only a couple of brands ( I think only Merkur and Muhle) are making razors that way and all of them are made out of zamak.

I think Gillette was the one who invented/adopted that way of making razors and other brands have copied it, but eventually even they stopped using it after a few decades. Some folks might find it useful and that's ok, we all have different preferences when it comes to razors.