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EJ DE89BA11 Barley Chrome

I had a very nice first shave with the Barley today. Loaded up a fresh Gillette Platinum and lathered up from a Valobra stick.

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The balance of the Barley is perfect for me, and I easily maintained the proper angle throughout the entire shave.
What really surprised was the knurling of the new handle. It is very fine but it felt very secure in my hand, it felt more
comfortable than my lined EJ handle. My grip remained secure even when gripping the handle with soapy fingers.
The head itself shaves just like any EJDE89/Mühle R89 head; which has always been a great shaver for me.
I achieved a BBS shave in three passes with no problems. So far I am very happy with the new Barley handle.
 
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I picked one of these up as my first 'proper' DE razor (used a wilkinson sword cheapo for a few weeks to dip my toe in the water). I'm used to seeing precision die cast and chromed objects from working in the furniture industry, and I must say that this razor is finished superbly. I live about 15 miles from where EJ are based, so its nice to buy a from a local company (even if the razor is probably manufactured mainly overseas...)

Its gradually coming together for me, and I had my best shave yet last night. I think I was trying too hard to get my first pass perfect - this was causing irritation. I think more passes, and more gentle have been the key to a better shave.

Currently using gillette yellows with this razor, I found the derbys supplied were terrible.
 
Thanks for pointing that out!

Looks like I might need to get another one too.. just to see if it shaves better (with a more balanced handle) as compared to the Muhle R89.. very beautiful pics, thank you!
 
FWIW, I find my DE89L gives me a very good shave, but I've come to prefer a handful other razors. YMMV at work.

I would describe the DE89L a solid razor. It gives me a very good shave and has solid, comfortable handling. To me if feels like a good sedan, like a Camry or the like; a bit heavy, with solid, stable handling, not too fast, quirky, or exciting. A bit conservative feeling. Which is fine. It's capable of giving a fine BBS, but I wish it were just a tad more aggressive and faster feeling.

Finish and workmanship are fantastic. The plating and finish are better than anything else I have. Beautiful.

If the feel of the DE89 shave were a bit "sexier," I'd spring for the Barley right away. As it is, I'm putting it on my "must have" list, but a bit further down.

It's true the handle on the Barley is absolutely gorgeous and I'll have one in my collection one of these days.
 
wow I feel my rad kicking in and I have a ej89l what about the DE89811 with the hex handle that on look sharp as well from the bad pics Ive seen
 
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Has anyone tried emailing TESC directly about buying just the handle? Seeing as they sell disembodied razor heads, it'd only stand to reason. Besides, in my dealings with them, their customer service has been pretty first-rate.
 
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