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Cadet and RazoRock

I have been looking into some of the more inexpensive razors like Cadet and RazoRock. I have heard good reviews on both of them and being under $30 it sounds like a great deal. My question is are they the same razors just under different names? I also keep seeing Pearl pop up when discussing them.
 
I have heard the same, but do not know myself. I have a Cadet that is aggressive, smooth, and generally very impressive for the price.
 
I have heard the same, but do not know myself. I have a Cadet that is aggressive, smooth, and generally very impressive for the price.
The price does look nice, I just curious if they are the same and if not which are better
 
I bought a Cadet safety bar razor and LOVED the handle. The razor overall was quite nice, too and great for the price I paid from a fellow member. This is the razor:

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I quickly decided to buy an open comb version. But a couple attempts, when they were on sale very inexpensively, were futile as they were sold out. I lose focus quickly and since I had enough razors, I just let it go.

Then last week, I decided to try the RR Jaws OC razor. Partly to support RR and have something else for RazoRocktober. And partly to compare the two razors. This is what I bought:

View attachment 374519


Now I realize these are different handles and it's hard to compare an safety bar head to an OC head (at least I assume it is, this is my first real OC)--but here we go anyway.

Here's my early report:

I really like both of these razors. Both of these razors have a very long threaded piece on the head. It takes quite a bit of turning to remove and connect the head to the handle. I wonder why they felt it needed to be so long?

The Cadet is more aggressive than my Techs and my Merkur, but not overly so. This handle makes my Merkur sing---I expect it would be great on the Tech, too. I'm still in the process of finding the proper angle for this head. Haven't had a bad shave with it---just don't think I really have it down yet. I expect this to be a regular in my razor rotation. I KNOW the handle will be with me for a long time.

The Jaws is bit more aggressive than the Cadet (and the feedback is really LOUD) but it is pretty forgiving, too. This seems to be one of those "efficient but comfortable" razors. And while the handle isn't quite as impressive as that on the Cadet, it is nice and long and has plenty of heft. It is also well gnarled and it is very easy to hold with wet hands. I think I got this razor a bit more quickly than I have the Cadet. Still I only have a couple shaves with each under my belt. So it's very early in the game. I'm pretty sure this is a keeper, though.

This morning I decided to put the Cadet head on the Jaws razor. No problem. Fit like a glove. While I like this handle more, I can't say it was a better shave than with its original handle. Too early to tell. Both handles worked quite well with the Jaws.

Now for the weird part. I decided to put the Jaws handle on the Cadet. Nope. Doesn't work. It screws on, but not tight enough to hold the head to the base. I was convinced I made a mistake. Took it apart, put it together again. Nope. The Jaws handle doesn't' seem to have enough thread for the Cadet head. Both of these handles work with every one of my 3-piece razors, except the RR handle doesn't work with the Cadet head.

So I couldn't make a direct comparison between the same style razors from these two brands, but I can say this Cadet and the RR Jaws aren't the same razor. (Well, duh, obviously--but you get the drift, no?)
 
I purchased the one below and the handle is magnificent. Extremely heavy, solid brass, well made and out of this world grip. This handle alone may force me to using nothing but 3 piece razors for the rest of my life. I love this handle from a performance standpoint. It makes whatever head you put it on that much better.

As for the razor head that came with it...I shaved with it this morning. I need to post a decent review of it when I have time. Quickly, it was more aggressive than my Gillette New, but less aggressive than my R41. Not an uncomfortable shave, but not my best first shave with a new razor. I could tell by the few strokes I got at just the right angle that it has a lot of possibility.

The fit and finish on mine is fantastic. I can't find any faults anywhere on it. For $19 it's a stupid deal. I got the $30 deal where you get to select from a handful of their razors (the one I wanted just happened to be one of them) AND 100 Voshkod or Rapira razor blades. Even better deal. Great service from Shave a Buck too.

View attachment 374528
 
Bought a Pearl OC (same as the Cadet) here in the UK for around £10 then ordered a RazoRock Slab handle from the Italian Barber site.
Great shave!
$PearlRazoRock1.jpg
 
These razors are also sold under the Pearl brand as well. Bullgoose had a few models on clearance for $15, but I think they're all gone now. I have an OC, a Safety Bar, and a TTO. I really like the heft of the handles on all three. The OC and Safety Bar have more play than I like in terms of blade alignment, but if you pay attention it's not too hard to get the blade loaded straight and even. The TTO doesn't have this problem at all. The OC is a little more agressive than I care for, but you can dial it down a notch by using the top-cap from a Lord L6 instead of the included top-cap. This combo makes it into my rotation once a week or so, especially if/when I have a 2-day growth.
 
These razors are also sold under the Pearl brand as well. Bullgoose had a few models on clearance for $15, but I think they're all gone now. I have an OC, a Safety Bar, and a TTO. I really like the heft of the handles on all three. The OC and Safety Bar have more play than I like in terms of blade alignment, but if you pay attention it's not too hard to get the blade loaded straight and even. The TTO doesn't have this problem at all. The OC is a little more agressive than I care for, but you can dial it down a notch by using the top-cap from a Lord L6 instead of the included top-cap. This combo makes it into my rotation once a week or so, especially if/when I have a 2-day growth.

I also find the RazoRock OC razor a bit aggressive, but I don't have a Lord L6. Any other top caps you could suggest to tone down this razor? I love OC razors, especially my LC and SC News, but am disappointed in the RazorRock so far.
 
jeff, I have an identical cadet razor from shaveabuck.com. I love it; this has fueled an RAD outbreak of open-comb razors. every shave I've gotten from it has been great. initially I was worried about the aggressiveness, but it behaves itself really well, rewarding good technique with fantastic closeness. just a crazy deal.
 
Out of curiosity, can anyone post a picture of a Cadet OC head with a blade loaded? I would like to see what the blade exposure and gap looks like on these these heads. TIA
 
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