I posted yesterday about receiving my PILS, straight from Germany. This morning I had my first shave, and here are my initial thoughts:
This razor is expensive, period. I actually "saved" a little money over US retail ordering directly from PILS. Total price with Euro to Dollar conversion was $246 and change. But if you decide to go the same route as I did, don't expect any sort of communication. I even e-mailed in German, but received no reply. In all fairness though, I used an online translation program and really have no idea what I actually said. Is it worth the price......to me, yes. I'm 59, and have been retired for three years. I have some discretionary money, and I enjoy nice things. But I also acknowledge the superb razors out there for <$50. I own a few, and enjoy them too.
Now, as to quality. Everything I had read was true. This is a fine, fine piece of kit. I have other machined stainless razors, and I like the little tool marks which say "machined, not cast, not MIM.......machined". The underside of the cap and top of the plate are no different here, but they seem almost uniform and intentional. Not like the winder on an automatic watch, but tasteful. The remainder of my razor is the brushed finish, and it's flawless as far as I can tell. I must say the handle will take a bit to fully appreciate. When wet it is surprisingly easy to grip. But get some lather on your hands, and it resembles a polished rod coated in Mobil 1.
First shave experience was quite good. My normal go-to blade is a Feather. I have one razor however, that benefits from something less aggressive. In that one I use either a BIC or a Kai. So to play it safe, I opted for a BIC this morning. Wrong choice. I should have gone with my gut and loaded a Feather. Still though, a very close shave. I performed my regular three pass and a touch up, with Proraso pre-shave and Piccadilly Shaving Company cream. I understood this razor required a steeper angle, but it wasn't nearly so much as I expected. This razor is heavy, and top heavy at that. By the end of the first pass though, it felt very familiar. I also produced a very small weeper on my neck.......something rather rare. It was gone by the end of my rinse, so no big deal. On the XTG pass I also saw a long crimson line running across my face. After a moment of totally freaking out, I discovered it was a thread from my robe. So much for shaving without my reading glasses. And sitting here writing this I just did a little post shave inspection. What I suspected was a DFS, I suspect is more toward a BBS. Pretty darned good for the first shave out of the box.
Is is this a razor for everyone? IMHO, no. Despite my short time on this forum, I've been wet shaving for a very long time. My technique is pretty good IMO, and I did a fair bit of research and review reading before buying this razor. The PILS likes to be respected, and will reward you with a very fine shave in return. My feather ASD2 provides great shaves as well, and is more forgiving of sloppy habits than anything I've pressed against my face. Not so with the PILS. Is it the "last razor I'll ever buy"? Let's not be silly....... But will it be one of my absolute favorites? It already is.
This razor is expensive, period. I actually "saved" a little money over US retail ordering directly from PILS. Total price with Euro to Dollar conversion was $246 and change. But if you decide to go the same route as I did, don't expect any sort of communication. I even e-mailed in German, but received no reply. In all fairness though, I used an online translation program and really have no idea what I actually said. Is it worth the price......to me, yes. I'm 59, and have been retired for three years. I have some discretionary money, and I enjoy nice things. But I also acknowledge the superb razors out there for <$50. I own a few, and enjoy them too.
Now, as to quality. Everything I had read was true. This is a fine, fine piece of kit. I have other machined stainless razors, and I like the little tool marks which say "machined, not cast, not MIM.......machined". The underside of the cap and top of the plate are no different here, but they seem almost uniform and intentional. Not like the winder on an automatic watch, but tasteful. The remainder of my razor is the brushed finish, and it's flawless as far as I can tell. I must say the handle will take a bit to fully appreciate. When wet it is surprisingly easy to grip. But get some lather on your hands, and it resembles a polished rod coated in Mobil 1.
First shave experience was quite good. My normal go-to blade is a Feather. I have one razor however, that benefits from something less aggressive. In that one I use either a BIC or a Kai. So to play it safe, I opted for a BIC this morning. Wrong choice. I should have gone with my gut and loaded a Feather. Still though, a very close shave. I performed my regular three pass and a touch up, with Proraso pre-shave and Piccadilly Shaving Company cream. I understood this razor required a steeper angle, but it wasn't nearly so much as I expected. This razor is heavy, and top heavy at that. By the end of the first pass though, it felt very familiar. I also produced a very small weeper on my neck.......something rather rare. It was gone by the end of my rinse, so no big deal. On the XTG pass I also saw a long crimson line running across my face. After a moment of totally freaking out, I discovered it was a thread from my robe. So much for shaving without my reading glasses. And sitting here writing this I just did a little post shave inspection. What I suspected was a DFS, I suspect is more toward a BBS. Pretty darned good for the first shave out of the box.
Is is this a razor for everyone? IMHO, no. Despite my short time on this forum, I've been wet shaving for a very long time. My technique is pretty good IMO, and I did a fair bit of research and review reading before buying this razor. The PILS likes to be respected, and will reward you with a very fine shave in return. My feather ASD2 provides great shaves as well, and is more forgiving of sloppy habits than anything I've pressed against my face. Not so with the PILS. Is it the "last razor I'll ever buy"? Let's not be silly....... But will it be one of my absolute favorites? It already is.
