Edwin Jagger razors what's the verdict?

Carlanga said:

Umm, mine has 2 dot size under the top plate and that was after 3 weeks use and I always dry my razor. How did you request warranty? Did you have to pay anything? prepaid shipping the damaged head? TIA!

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EJ will respond to your concerns. They will request pictures, and will probably send you a replacement if you ask. They told me that some flaws in the plating were unavoidable though. I just sent mine back to the vendor for refund and moved on after two bad ones in a row.

On the other hand, most of the razors made today at that price point are no different, and don't look as nice as the EJ's.

I'd recommend the EJ ED89 Barley as a good mild razor, and I love it, but there really should be an admonishment here: If you want a razor built for longevity, brass is better and nickel plate is better than chrome. The way I see it, if you're going buy a razor with some pot metal in it, you should expect it to eventually have some issues. Also, my advice is to stay away from using any just any oil around the threads--I use Inox Mx3 because it's food grade, reduces friction and is an anti-corrosion lubricant (I am not in any way affiliated with this company). When in doubt, hold out.

dundak said:

Enjoy the razor in your lifetime, don't worry about what will happen to it when you die. Even if you bought one every 5 years... think of it as supporting a company that is actively involved in designing and manufacturing items for a hobby you enjoy. Rather that using a product made by a company that walked away from your hobby a long time ago.

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+1. Bravo!

The Provost said:

Email them and describe the problem (you can get their CS email at the Contacts section of http://www.edwinjagger.com). Provide them with some good quality pictures that show the damage (I would recommend a flickr or photobucket album because emails with large pictures can get bounced). I had a head with bad plating, and they replaced it, no charge.

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Great, Thanks! Will send them an email later tonight!

I got one and love it.

tfinch said:

Edwin Jaggers are what is called pot metal, same as Merkurs. Pot metal, zinc alloy, Zamak, all normally refer to the same material. FWIW, I think the Edwin Jagger DE series are just fine for the price.

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The terms are used on B&B as if it is all the same but that is most certainly not true. Pot metal can be anything and any mixture with a low melting point and doesn't have to contain zinc at all though it usually does. The term is used for low grade and cheap alloys.

There are different Zamaks (most commonly used is Zamak 3) and they are part of the zinc-alloys but not all alloys containing zinc are Zamak. Zamak is an industrial-grade alloy of much higher quality than pot metal with a long history of over 80 years. It has its issues, just like any other material, but when the melting, casting and plating are done correctly you can expect decades and decades of use without any problems. When the plating is done incorrectly or you get plate loss after deformations corrosion can set in but it still won't fall apart right away.

Also, there are a lot of different grades of Zamak (pot metal). Some have a fairly high copper content and are quite strong.
EJ razors are well made and well plated. Unless you really crater it you can count on a long life.

BC1 said:

The handles are brass and the heads are pot metal. Iv'e had two that I sent back due to the poor quality of the plating on the head (under the top plate and in the slots of the base plate). Iv'e seen a few of reports from owners complaining of the threaded post snapping off, sometimes due to a drop, sometimes not. They do look nice, appear to shave well, and are popular with many.

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I too believe the handle of my DE89LBL is made of brass. You can see it in the thread. The handle is just too heavy for pot metal. Cannot say much about the head. Could be brass too. I dropped a bit machine oil in the threaded area of the handle. Makes me feel better. LOL The razor seems to be too heavy to me. Maybe that's just because of many years of BIC disposables?

ZAMAK densities are within 6.6-6.7 g/cm^3 while 60/40 brass is 8,52 g/cm^3

Well that seems to be it! From what I hear, the Edwin Jaggers apparently have some of the best plating / finishing in the business. I think the integrity of the plating is key. I have seen some old Hoffritz / Merkur razors which are in pretty good shape given their age. The concern came from seeing pictures of a Merkur futur which looked as if it were dunked in some kind of acid bath. My Merkur 1904 is still looking nice and I have heard so much about the Jaggers wonderful finish, I think I will have to get myself a Jagger. It sounds like there are to be no worries if the finish is done right to begin with. Now all I have to do is decide which one I like the most.
I think If I decide to collect them all, I will be broke for quite some time. I can only have one. (for the moment)

In my experience, the chrome peels off after a year or so (and it's safe to say that I didn't abuse the razor). I'm not too impressed with EJ's quality.

I've had my EJ for about 8 months and have noticed the plating has come away in a couple of places on the sides of the head. A bit worrying but it sounds like they will be good for replacing the affected pieces.

I just bought a EJ and also have some reservations regarding the performance, quality, design. I do believe that the razors just like say fountain pens are overrated. Sometimes a few buck pen or razor will fit your requirements much better than a more expensive one.

I've had my DE89 for well over two years with no problems. Plating is still as good as when it was new. Sounds like it really just depends on the specific DE/batch you end up with.

Doubledgeislife said:

If constructed of brass I will get one.

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If brass is a must have then your list of options will definitely be much shorter. Unless you go vintage you can expect to pay a premium for all brass construction (and in some situations vintage isn't excluded from premiums).

Doubledgeislife said:

I know the Gillettes are still hanging around for many of us to enjoy for just this reason.

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True but they don't work for everyone. My Fatboy is certainly well made and will last but I won't be shaving with it. I'll be shaving with my DE89.

I believe the handle of my DE89LBL is made of brass. You can see it in the threaded unplated area. The handle is just too heavy for pot metal. Cannot say much about the head. Could be brass too.

ZAMAK ("pot metal") density is 6.6 g/cm^3 while 60/40 brass is 8,52 g/cm^3

I prefer Merkur but im also crazy!!

The EJ89 is a fine razor. Even though I've dropped money on a Weber and some old Gillettes, since I got it, I come back to it for the quality of shaves. It's my travel razor, since when you are away, you don't have the luxury of having multiple razors at hand in case one roughs up your skin and you need a milder one the next day.

HUF said:

I too believe the handle of my DE89LBL is made of brass. You can see it in the thread. The handle is just too heavy for pot metal. Cannot say much about the head. Could be brass too. I dropped a bit machine oil in the threaded area of the handle. Makes me feel better. LOL The razor seems to be too heavy to me. Maybe that's just because of many years of BIC disposables?

ZAMAK densities are within 6.6-6.7 g/cm^3 while 60/40 brass is 8,52 g/cm^3

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I have an ivory-handled DE89 and DE89BA11 (barley chrome handle). Of the two, I would recommend the barley chrome. It makes the ivory handle feel cheep by comparison. I have a pretty dense beard, so I threw an R41 head on the barley chrome for good measure and it's the perfect combo.

Barley Chrome said:

I have an ivory-handled DE89 and DE89BA11 (barley chrome handle). Of the two, I would recommend the barley chrome. It makes the ivory handle feel cheep by comparison. I have a pretty dense beard, so I threw an R41 head on the barley chrome for good measure and it's the perfect combo.

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Thanks. I'll start experimenting with interchangeable parts as soon as I have more razors. Looks like they all have M5 (metric) threads.

Nothing wrong with alloys. They have been used for decades, even centuries. Zinc has been used in alloys for its weight, easy casting and one of the cheaper metals. There are many parts in cars made of zinc alloys. Pot metal is a colloquial term for these alloys.
I find the EJ 89 a reasonably good razor with a very nice finish. It shaves reasonably well for me but that is subjective. It is a good middle of the road razor in terms of aggressiveness. The finish is one of the best but the Merkur 34c handle is a lot better because of the knurled finish. However, the EJ 89 is a good razor and hence it popularity. Don't worry about the alloy it is made of. It will last you a lifetime.

+1