Cobra Classic INTERNATIONAL Tour

[poonjaji]

Through the generosity of others I have come into possession of a spare Cobra Classic, which is hands down my favorite shaver. Since I am already running a tour for U.S. members - one I hope to expand to Canada eventually - I have decided to start an international tour. First stop on the tour is the Great Southern Land, Australia. Second stop on the tour is tentatively Japan. Where else the Cobra goes remains to be seen.

General requirements for participation
Active B&B members in "good standing" are welcome to send me a PM regarding participating in the tour. I would suggest active and good standing infers you have been around for at least a couple months and are participating in the community. And if you do not qualify today but have interest, you may become eligible as the tour unfolds...so please feel free to send me a message and I can add you to the "reserve" list.

Following are the RULZ I have once again shamelessly borrowed from our good friend TexBilly. (As Bill's tour was for a Joris I have taken liberties in editing to reference the Cobra Classic.) I hope he will not mind as he did such a great job summarizing them.

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Gents, nothing but a bit of common courtesy here, meant to keep the tour fair, fun and safe.

1. Please limit your time with the gear no more than 7 days. This should be enough time for some quality shaves and impressions. Sure, there will be exceptions and if you know ahead of time your schedule will be limited (vacation, job constraints, travel...), let me know so we can adjust the order and keep the momentum going.

2. The package will contain a Cobra Classic, a 20-pack of Feather Professional and a 20 pack of Kai Mild blades. Each member is invited to use one of each blade, so the package I am sending should allow 20 members to try the razor before the blades have to be replenished.

3. I am shipping the razor clean and sterilized. Please do the same before handing it off to the next member. Soapy hot water, Barbicide and Scrubby Bubbles are good. Boiling water baths are bad.

4. Wrap carefully and ship the package as your means allow. The razor and blades are valued at approximately $190, so please consider insuring the package if your country offers such services.

5. Communicate. Please post in the official tour thread when you receive the razor and when it ships. Please PM me as needed or if you have questions. It is never fun to track you down if you are in possession of some expensive toys, and I really mean that since I live in the United States.

6. Post reviews! Please share your impressions, good or bad, with your fellow members.

7. Have fun!

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My hope is that we can line up a few members in each country, but we shall see what happens. Please contact me if you are not on the list and are interested in participating.

International Cobra Classic Tour
Ben74 (Australia)
<your name goes here>
.
.
.
Bluebriz (Japan)

[Bluebriz]

Michael,
I registered for the other website but didn't register any interest in this over there yet. Does this now mean I don't have to?

[poonjaji]

Michael,
I registered for the other website but didn't register any interest in this over there yet. Does this now mean I don't have to?

Just to clarify matters for those reading the question, I originally posted the International Tour over at the Shave Nook and invited Bluebriz to join over there. I have since decided to "cross pollinate," and want to offer this opportunity to international members of either community. Yes, my life would be easier limiting it to one site, but I have friends on both. It's a small world after all....

[Bluebriz]

This is looking like a short tour based entirely on B&B members.... although I could be completely wrong and a bunch of people have PMd Poonjaji....

[Triad]

Cant say enough about the quality of guy Poonjaji is thats what makes B&B a great place!!!!
You da man!!

[nosedog]

PM incoming. Thanks for the incredibly generous and fun-filled offer!

[poonjaji]

Another member added:

International Cobra Classic Tour
Ben74 (Australia)
nosedog (Australia)
<your name goes here>
.
.
.
Bluebriz (Japan)

[ben74]

The Cobra has landed in Perth, Western Australia!



Along with a wonderful offering of soaps and cream.



The razor is absolutely stunning!



I've chosen the Kai Mild blade for it's debut.



And the "Don Marco" Razo Rock shave cream.



Now for the shave...

[Bluebriz]

The Cobra has landed in Perth, Western Australia!

Wow! Enjoy!

Thanks again Michael for this chance! I wasn't sure when this would go ahead with such a short list showing so far on here!

[ben74]

My first shave with the Cobra...

Loading the razor was simple.


The wide blade was imposing and with some trepidation I applied the safety bar to my face and tilted until I found the right angle. The razor bit in to my stubble and I was away.


I rarely have any issue shaving my face and was made to feel even more confident with my choice of the Kai MILD blade. My faith was not misplaced and I was quickly rewarded with smooth, whisker free cheeks. The razor sliced efficiently and smoothly. The razor yelled triumphantly with each follicle it felled. The audible feedback is not unlike a Cobra hissing, you can't help but take notice.


I completed a WTG pass on my face and was pleasantly surprised with the closeness achieved. I navigated my chin and around my mouth easily. Under the nose, the Cobra performed admirably, perhaps the best razor I've used to tackle that more difficult to reach terrain.


I moved on to my neck, traditionally my problem area. For me an Open Comb has been my saviour in turning a directly proportional relationship between irritation and closeness of shave to one more inversely aligned. So I braced myself for disappointment. However, the Cobra performed more than satisfactorily and with only minor irritation.


My neck certainly required a second pass. I re-lathered and performed an ATG pass. The result was a DFS in 2 passes with a minor touch up to my neck and chin.


The Cobra was comfortable in the hand and the grip to the underneath was a necessary and contrasting reassurance to the slippery smooth top. I felt I lost some of the confident, security when I augmented my hold for the ATG pass.


The Cobra performs easily as good as it looks. After only one shave I know it's a razor destined to join my arsenal of hair removal tools.

[Bluebriz]

Nice review Ben!

[drocu]

How have more people not signed up for this?

Poonjaji, you have a heart of gold, my friend. Not only are you doing a CONUS tour but an international one as well?! We certainly need more generous individuals such as yourself in this fine community.

[nosedog]

Wow Ben, Literature major? ;)

I certainly look forward to trying it out myself.

[jepeck]

I would have requested a stop in Hong Kong, but I purchased as a result of the CONUS thread and just before the international tour was announced. I concur with the review above as this was an instant favorite. The cobra is ruthlessly efficient much like my r41 but so much smoother and less harsh. The handle bothered me for the fist few shaves until I figured out how to grip it from the side with my thumb and index finger and it is now not an issue. I really can't see this razor ever leaving my den.

[Bluebriz]

I would have requested a stop in Hong Kong, but I purchased as a result of the CONUS thread and just before the international tour was announced. I concur with the review above as this was an instant favorite. The cobra is ruthlessly efficient much like my r41 but so much smoother and less harsh. The handle bothered me for the fist few shaves until I figured out how to grip it from the side with my thumb and index finger and it is now not an issue. I really can't see this razor ever leaving my den.

Out of interest Jepeck, did you have it shipped to the US or overseas? I only ask because when I looked into ordering one, I read something about having to mail copies of IDs and the like if buying outside the USA. In these days of ID theft etc, I'm reluctant to do that....

[ben74]

The Cobra is a beautiful and effective tool.
And after only a single shave I've succumbed and ordered one!

[ben74]

My second shave with the Cobra Kai Combo...





I was pressed for time today,
as my wife and 3 children demanded my attention,
but I managed to fit in a shave prior to leaving the house.
My 6 year old daughter refused to let me shave alone and critiqued the experience for me.
Essentially from her opinion I took far too long to remove a growth that she decided was preferable to being clean shaven!


Despite the commentary to the contrary,
I completed 3 passes (WTG, XTG and ATG) faster than yesterday's 2 pass shave.
Given the time restriction and inability to concentrate on the task at hand,
I stuck with the Kai Mild blade.
It was like shaving with a tool that I'd grown accustomed to over many years of use.
This "Cobra Kai" combination (I'm sure there's a "Karate Kid" joke somewhere there) provided a very easy, effortless shave.
It's like the snake charmer removing the fangs from the snake to make the performance a safe and un-troublesome one.


The result was another DFS and with substantially less irritation than yesterday.
I played with the angle somewhat on my first adventure,
but there was no need today,
I knew the perfect angle immediately and stuck with it.


I felt I needed the 3 passes today to get as close as the 2 passes yesterday.
I feel that I'm unlikely to get the same amount of shaves per blade as reported by some other users.
I have a thick, heavy growth (and super sensitive skin) so I'm not unaccustomed to only a few shaves per blade.
In fact the only DE blades I can get close to shaving with for almost a week is the Super Iridiums, followed by the Polsilvers.


I shall endeavour to use the Feather tomorrow.
Regardless of which blade I end up using I'm truly looking forward to tomorrows shave!

[jepeck]

I had it shipped here to HK. I paid using paypal, and wasn't required to give any additional information. There were no problems, and it arrived very quickly (about 5 days). One tip in addition to making sure you take advantage of the current 10% off coupon is to ask for the Feather pro's instead of pro guards. If your a relatively experienced shaver with a steady hand you won't need the training wheels, and you'll get 20 blades instead of 15.

[Bluebriz]

I had it shipped here to HK. I paid using paypal, and wasn't required to give any additional information. There were no problems, and it arrived very quickly (about 5 days). One tip in addition to making sure you take advantage of the current 10% off coupon is to ask for the Feather pro's instead of pro guards. If your a relatively experienced shaver with a steady hand you won't need the training wheels, and you'll get 20 blades instead of 15.

From Classic shaving.com? How much was postage?

[jepeck]

From Classic shaving.com? How much was postage?

Yes classicshaving.com I believe it was $16 for shipping. $168 all in.