Weber "wavy" blades?

I purchased a Weber polished head on 7/22/14. No issue with blade gap or alignment.

My only issue was that the threads on the head are slightly undersized. I thought it was a defect. Response from Weber was that the threads on the head are designed that way to prevent metal on metal grinding (wear). The head tightens up ok and stay tight - I just thought it was odd.

After having read about those "wavy blades" I had a look at my Weber with which I always have been happy. Well, the blade sits perfectly straight in my Weber. Having also read that the problem, if it exists, is due to less than straight "rails" I checked those with a straight edge, and indeed, I could see some light at some spots, which of course makes me unhappy... As if this was not enough, I also checked the straightness of some other razors (including vintage Gillettes, fwiw), and of course also there I could find some less than perfectly straight blade supporting parts. Now I am a broken man, almost none of my razors is really perfect even not those which give me the finest shaves you can imagine, and I am seriously considering to stop shaving and find a job where it does not matter if you wear a loooong beard that has not even seen a pair of scissors since years. Maybe I'll become a fakir.

Or maybe I'll just relax, enjoy all those razors and put back my straight edge and magnifying glasses into the toolbox.

Point well taken. However, if the razor is not performing as it should due to excessive "waviness" of the blade then it does become an issue to the purchaser and it should be addressed by the manufacturer. I planned to purchase a non-Zamak razor either from Weber or Standard but now I think I'll wait a while to see how this issue shakes out.

When I first started shaving I went to the local pharmacy and bought a Schick Injector, blades and some goop in a tube; the shave was what it was, just a shave. I doubt any of us ever examined the razor under a microscope or tested a gazzilion blades and soaps; the shave was what it was, just a shave.

sub vet said:

Point well taken. However, if the razor is not performing as it should due to excessive "waviness" of the blade then it does become an issue to the purchaser and it should be addressed by the manufacturer.

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I couldn't agree more.

hmansion said:

I received my new Weber PH with Classic handle two days ago (purchased from Weber's Amazon storefront) and was immediately impressed with its quality. The knurling on the handle is without flaw. The finish on the head/cap is smooth and bright...

However, my new Weber does exhibit the "wavy blade" condition. It is very subtle, but it's there.

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sub vet said:

I planned to purchase a non-Zamak razor either from Weber or Standard but now I think I'll wait a while to see how this issue shakes out.

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For what it's worth, I received my new Weber PH one week ago and, unfortunately, it exhibits the wavy blade condition. Granted, to see the 'wave' requires an extremely scrupulous inspection, but it is definitely there. In order to confirm the blade itself was not the issue, I removed the blade from my Weber and placed it in my Muhle R89 and the blade showed absolutely no waviness whatsoever in the Muhle (I even subjected the Muhle to a more meticulous inspection that the Weber, just to be sure).

So it appears the wavy blade issue has yet to be entirely resolved by Weber. I suspect the imperfection that some like me and others are seeing in the base-plate rails might be the result of manufacturing tolerances that are not as tight as other razor manufacturers like Above the Tie and iKon (but that is merely a guess on my part). If so, perhaps it is how Weber is able to produce and market a stainless steel razor for only $70 (versus $185 for ATT and $135 for iKon).

I suppose I could return my Weber and ask for a replacement, but who's to say the replacement won't be the same (or worse) than the current razor I have. Besides, Weber's warranty explicitly states that it does not cover "defects that have a negligible effect on the operation of the razor". As such, I plan to keep and continue using my Weber, but admit that the intrinsic enjoyment (for any that might be Nutnfancy followers) I might derive from the razor itself is slightly diminished knowing it has this defect.

NCBirdhunter said:

For what it's worth, I received my new Weber PH one week ago and, unfortunately, it exhibits the wavy blade condition. Granted, to see the 'wave' requires an extremely scrupulous inspection, but it is definitely there. In order to confirm the blade itself was not the issue, I removed the blade from my Weber and placed it in my Muhle R89 and the blade showed absolutely no waviness whatsoever in the Muhle (I even subjected the Muhle to a more meticulous inspection that the Weber, just to be sure).

So it appears the wavy blade issue has yet to be entirely resolved by Weber. I suspect the imperfection that some like me and others are seeing in the base-plate rails might be the result of manufacturing tolerances that are not as tight as other razor manufacturers like Above the Tie and iKon (but that is merely a guess on my part). If so, perhaps it is how Weber is able to produce and market a stainless steel razor for only $70 (versus $185 for ATT and $135 for iKon).

I suppose I could return my Weber and ask for a replacement, but who's to say the replacement won't be the same (or worse) than the current razor I have. Besides, Weber's warranty explicitly states that it does not cover "defects that have a negligible effect on the operation of the razor". As such, I plan to keep and continue using my Weber, but admit that the intrinsic enjoyment (for any that might be Nutnfancy followers) I might derive from the razor itself is slightly diminished knowing it has this defect.

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Sorry to hear you received a wavy Weber. I actually decided to exchange mine with Weber and the replacement was much flatter. Both shaved perfectly well, but the (wavy!) aesthetics of the first were souring my enjoyment of using the tool. I did, however, receive a terse email from Weber indicating that the exchange had been made even though they did not see any problem with the razor I returned...

That is a shame, I think they make some of the best handles in the business. My head had the wavy blade, I mainly fixed it in the ways recommended in this and other posts, but have moved on to better heads, albeit more expensive, such as ATT. Still use their handles every day.

hmansion said:

Sorry to hear you received a wavy Weber. I actually decided to exchange mine with Weber and the replacement was much flatter. Both shaved perfectly well, but the (wavy!) aesthetics of the first were souring my enjoyment of using the tool. I did, however, receive a terse email from Weber indicating that the exchange had been made even though they did not see any problem with the razor I returned...

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It sounds to me as if Weber is aware that the very thing that allows them to sell their all-stainless steel razor at a price point much lower than their competitors (which is a huge draw) is all too frequently sub-par. The quality is unreliable and now more people are becoming aware of it and Weber is getting irritated with that. Their standard should be precision, not "it works and it's good enough". It's to their credit that they are willing to do exchanges but it's a hassle and added expense no one should have to deal with.

My Weber, purchased about a year and a half ago, had the wavy blade and all four corners stuck up farther than the middle of the blade. That made for a rough shave, which for a while I put off to technique since I was still new at DE shaving. When I realized what was going on, I flattened the rails on the base plate and now my Weber shaves like a dream. I'd say go ahead and get one. If yours happens to have the wavy blade problem, it's pretty easy to fix on your own. If it doesn't have the problem, bonus. Either way, you get a great razor at a great price.

the Weber has always appealed to me but i'm as picky as anyone and don't like the idea of playing the wavy blade lottery.

however, i am curious -- how many who have an affected razor actually notice that something is wrong while using it?

when i got my Progress, Merkur was apparently having a bad Q/C run and mine has blade gaps that are not exactly equal. but, to this day after hundreds of shaves with both it and other razors i still can't tell a difference in feel or performance between the two sides.

Mine has no wavy blade and delivers a fantastic shave!

tm3 said:

the Weber has always appealed to me but i'm as picky as anyone and don't like the idea of playing the wavy blade lottery.

however, i am curious -- how many who have an affected razor actually notice that something is wrong while using it?

when i got my Progress, Merkur was apparently having a bad Q/C run and mine has blade gaps that are not exactly equal. but, to this day after hundreds of shaves with both it and other razors i still can't tell a difference in feel or performance between the two sides.

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I have had some that I could tell and some I couldn't. I fixed the ones I could tell. At the end of the day it still bothers me.

Mine arrived 2 days ago. It is shaving great. I haven't inspected it very closely...I guess a good shave might sometimes be like good sausage, and not bear too close of a look.

tm3 said:

however, i am curious -- how many who have an affected razor actually notice that something is wrong while using it?

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My Weber had the wavy blade too, it always felt a bit rough until I flattened the rails, now it's very smooth. It's pretty easy and doesn't take long, but IMO it's something that Weber should be doing before it leaves the factory.

chris.hale said:

My Weber had the wavy blade too, it always felt a bit rough until I flattened the rails, now it's very smooth. It's pretty easy and doesn't take long, but IMO it's something that Weber should be doing before it leaves the factory.

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Which rails did you flatten? The inner ones on the base plate?

Yes it was, see the thread here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...r-Weber-wavy-blade-for-under-4-and-10-minutes

chris.hale said:

My Weber had the wavy blade too, it always felt a bit rough until I flattened the rails, now it's very smooth. It's pretty easy and doesn't take long, but IMO it's something that Weber should be doing before it leaves the factory.

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I concur. They should not go out like that.