Over the years I have had the great fortune to try and own numerous safety razors, but once I was introduced to the Classic Shaving Cobra Classic it was effectively game over: I had found the one razor to rule them all. For my beard and my skin I had never used a razor that shaved me as comfortably nor as close. I was so enamored with the Cobra that I decided to follow in the footsteps of others before me, send my razor out into the wild, and allow community members the opportunity to try it without having to buy one. Two and a half years later that tour still continues, and I have continued to shave with my Cobra Classic
until a couple weeks ago.
Having purchased numerous Cobra Classics for myself, members and friends, the good folks at Classic Shaving had my name and earlier this month they reached out and generously offered something I was unaware existed: the King Cobra Classic. While I had heard rumors they were working on a newly designed Cobra I had no idea it was nearing release, and suddenly I had an opportunity to try it.
Disclaimer: I did not purchase this razor. Classic Shaving sent me the King Cobra Classic and asked for my feedback on the new design. I have no financial association with the company, aside from them charging my credit card each time I purchase items on their website. As such, the opinions expressed herein are my own.
I will spare you a lengthy post and let the pictures do most of the talking, However, I did want to share my initial impressions. First and foremost, it appears Classic Shaving has taken the feedback of the wet shaving community to heart as the King Cobra Classic is a two-piece razor: a head and a round, knurled handle. Aside from some minor modifications to the latch mechanism that secures the blade, the head remains essentially unchanged and is nickel plated brass. The handle, on the other hand, is a combination of nickel plated brass and what I believe to be black, powder coated metal. (I am uncertain what the metal is.) The knurling on the handle is such that it almost sticks to ones fingers so, whether wet or dry, I cannot imagine it ever slipping from ones hands.
From end-to-end the razor measures 5 ¼ inches so it is the largest safety razor I have ever used and, while I do not own a scale, I can tell you it is heavier than its predecessor. I was uncertain how much I would enjoy using a razor of the Kings size as I was never a fan of the Merkur Vision, but it quickly proved worthy of its name. A month ago I could not have told you how the Cobra Classic could have been improved upon in terms of shave, but Classic Shaving has done it or the combination of the original head and newly designed handle has improved my technique. In doing a cheek-to-cheek comparisons between the Classic and the King, hands down, the latter is now the razor that provides me with the closest and most comfortable shave. I never thought I would say that of another safety razor.
All of the above said, there is one piece of feedback I will provide to the company: the head is incompatible with other handles (e.g., iKon, Weber, UFO, Muhle). As I do not own a DE safety razor this is not a concern of mine, but I did borrow a friends iKon Bulldog handle and confirmed it would not fit. My guess is that some wet shavers might prefer to use other handles with the razor, and I imagine a relatively minor design change could allow this to happen. (Of course, stated as someone who has never designed a razor.)
In closing, my sincere thanks to Classic Shaving for the opportunity to preview the King Cobra Classic. I am genuinely impressed with the razor and will be buying one as soon as they are available, which I was told may be as early as today (June 1st)! I believe the price will be $239.99 for the King Cobra Classic, and they will be manufactured in small batches like the Cobra Classic.
P.S. If you participated in the Cobra Classic Tour, or are a Cobra Classic owner, and would like to try this razor feel free to drop me a note. No promises, but I have another hair-brained idea to start a tour. UPDATE: The tour is on. Stay tuned for details.
Having purchased numerous Cobra Classics for myself, members and friends, the good folks at Classic Shaving had my name and earlier this month they reached out and generously offered something I was unaware existed: the King Cobra Classic. While I had heard rumors they were working on a newly designed Cobra I had no idea it was nearing release, and suddenly I had an opportunity to try it.
Disclaimer: I did not purchase this razor. Classic Shaving sent me the King Cobra Classic and asked for my feedback on the new design. I have no financial association with the company, aside from them charging my credit card each time I purchase items on their website. As such, the opinions expressed herein are my own.
I will spare you a lengthy post and let the pictures do most of the talking, However, I did want to share my initial impressions. First and foremost, it appears Classic Shaving has taken the feedback of the wet shaving community to heart as the King Cobra Classic is a two-piece razor: a head and a round, knurled handle. Aside from some minor modifications to the latch mechanism that secures the blade, the head remains essentially unchanged and is nickel plated brass. The handle, on the other hand, is a combination of nickel plated brass and what I believe to be black, powder coated metal. (I am uncertain what the metal is.) The knurling on the handle is such that it almost sticks to ones fingers so, whether wet or dry, I cannot imagine it ever slipping from ones hands.
From end-to-end the razor measures 5 ¼ inches so it is the largest safety razor I have ever used and, while I do not own a scale, I can tell you it is heavier than its predecessor. I was uncertain how much I would enjoy using a razor of the Kings size as I was never a fan of the Merkur Vision, but it quickly proved worthy of its name. A month ago I could not have told you how the Cobra Classic could have been improved upon in terms of shave, but Classic Shaving has done it or the combination of the original head and newly designed handle has improved my technique. In doing a cheek-to-cheek comparisons between the Classic and the King, hands down, the latter is now the razor that provides me with the closest and most comfortable shave. I never thought I would say that of another safety razor.
All of the above said, there is one piece of feedback I will provide to the company: the head is incompatible with other handles (e.g., iKon, Weber, UFO, Muhle). As I do not own a DE safety razor this is not a concern of mine, but I did borrow a friends iKon Bulldog handle and confirmed it would not fit. My guess is that some wet shavers might prefer to use other handles with the razor, and I imagine a relatively minor design change could allow this to happen. (Of course, stated as someone who has never designed a razor.)
In closing, my sincere thanks to Classic Shaving for the opportunity to preview the King Cobra Classic. I am genuinely impressed with the razor and will be buying one as soon as they are available, which I was told may be as early as today (June 1st)! I believe the price will be $239.99 for the King Cobra Classic, and they will be manufactured in small batches like the Cobra Classic.
P.S. If you participated in the Cobra Classic Tour, or are a Cobra Classic owner, and would like to try this razor feel free to drop me a note. No promises, but I have another hair-brained idea to start a tour. UPDATE: The tour is on. Stay tuned for details.
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