Head post on EJ DE89L wore out after just two years of careful use. Typical or not?

Ugh! I merely loosen and rinse the head of my EJ DE89L after each shave, and every 5-7 days unscrew it to change blades (giving the razor a quick, light cleaning with a soft toothbrush and toothpaste), but the head's post has worn out after just approximately two years of use. Has anyone else had this problem? The razor--my only one--had been such a pleasure to use. I've emailed EJ. Let's see . . . For now, I'll drive a few blocks away to Navarro's Pharmacy (a Miami-area chain which caters to Hispanics and carries a surprisingly decent array of wet-shaving products, such as Wilkinson Sword or Personna DE blades for $2 a pack) to pick up a Lord 6 razor for just $4.39.

I am not a Zamak user, but this can happen. There are two kinds of Zamac razors. Those that have corroded/broken and those that will.

Go vintage.

Pics?

I'll try to get around to taking a pic, but it's a very subtle erosion of the thread on the end of the post--nothing dramatic. The EJ post/head, interestingly, still attaches securely to the hefty, solid handle of the $10 Utopia razor (worth it for the handle, not the head) I bought on Amazon a year ago as a backup. I had an excellent shave this morning using the EJ head with the Apollo handle.

Zamak razors tend to last about 2 to 5 years or one good drop whatever comes first. The only way to be sure to avoid it is to go with a vintage brass or a new all stainless steel razor.

If you do a search here on Zamak you'll find you're certainly not alone. The EJ razors tend to break just as you described.

Edwin Jagger will likely replace the cap for you depending on how old the razor is. They are pretty good about this but know that it's not a forever item.

I have had my DE89 for years without any issues but any Zamak DE can certainly fail under the wrong conditions.

dfoulk said:

If you do a search here on Zamak you'll find you're certainly not alone.

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Yup. Don't overlook prior discussions as a resource.

takeshi said:

I have my DE89 for years without any issues but any Zamak DE can certainly fail under the right conditions.

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Yeah, I'm sure some have a little better coating than others. I take my razor apart and dry it after every use. I wonder if you're better off taking it apart and wiping it down after every shave or if that would that do more harm than good to the threads. Some give their razors a quick soak in alcohol which displaces the water and dries quickly. Maybe leaving it together unless you're changing the blade and giving the head a daily alcohol bath is the best solution.

I've had several EJ razors in the past and some went together pretty smoothly while others felt like their was sand in the threads. So I think there's a bit of luck whether you get a good one or not involved as well.

I'm onto stainless steel razors now and the build quality between an EJ and the ATT razor is substantially different, as is the price.

Mandina said:

I'll try to get around to taking a pic, but it's a very subtle erosion of the thread on the end of the post--nothing dramatic. The EJ post/head, interestingly, still attaches securely to the hefty, solid handle of the $10 Utopia razor (worth it for the handle, not the head) I bought on Amazon a year ago as a backup. I had an excellent shave this morning using the EJ head with the Apollo handle.

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What handle did you use on the EJ for the majority of the time before you discovered the damage to the threaded post? I've been curious if using a stainless handle puts more wear on the zamak threads, since stainless is a much harder material. I've had a similar thing happen to my EJ razor after a few years. I used a stainless handle for much of that time, and after about 2 years, I started to notice the chrome plating on the threads starting to wear and chip. That's the biggest reason why I simply can't recommend zamak razors to anyone, especially at EJ/Muhle prices. If they cost $15-20... that's fine.. but some of these zamak razors cost $35-$50+.

Also, it's unlikely that you'll get much help from EJ if you've used your razor for 2 years--that's well beyond their warranty period. It's just part of life with a zamak razor.

used my EJ DE89 for 3 years still looks and works like new, I always take it apart and clean after each use making sure not to cross thread it when I reassemble it.

Interesting differences. If they're going to wear out every couple of years, I may just stick to the $10 variety.

Sorry to hear that. I have only one modern razor I use for travel. So far no issues.

Otherwise this is a perfect reason to go vintage.

My de89 with the Apollo handle is my favorite daily driver right now out of almost 3 dozen razors. If your worn head is still working with the Apollo, it consider it a non-issue until that combo stops tightening properly.

Sorry to hear about your razor.

So, if I understood your post right, the threading on the cap has worn down to the point that it won't attach to the stock handle securely anymore? I assume you haven't been overtightening or cross-threading it. To answer your question, I don't think that's typical, if the experiences of B&B members are any indication. If it were a very common issue, there would be more attention drawn to it. The likely upshot is that folks like me would stop recommending it as a starter razor -- or recommend it only with caveats.

Hopefully EJ steps up and replaces it. Let us know what the company says. Regardless of the warranty limitations, it isn't reasonable for a new razor to degrade like that with normal use.

Sad to hear, I have about 30 or so vintage razors and an EJ-89. The EJ is certainly top 3 in the smooth every day shave category. I would hate to have it fail. Mine is 2 years old with no issues that I know of.

I used only the EJ handle. And I never overtightened the head. Based on what most of you say, I'll start looking for a vintage Gillette.

I will let everyone know when, or if, I hear from EJ. I never over-tightened the head, and I did treat the razor very well. You do raise an important issue: If it tends to have a relatively brief lifespan, then it's hard to recommend it to newbies. On the other hand, I wouldn't think the Merkur or other comparably priced razors would be more durable.

The post on my DE89 cap lost a fleck of plating pretty early on, and it's gotten slightly larger. Jagger, as noted, kindly sent me a backup cap.

I've taken the opposite tack with cleaning. I used to do it every day but quickly couldn't be bothered. Now I just clean it whenever I change blades, which for me is pretty infrequent. It's been a little over a year and I'm happy with my purchase.

Failure of Zamack parts on a razor is to be expected since zinc will never be as durable as steel or brass. IMO, the best choice to make is to pay the heavy up front of a steel razor and save money over the decades of use that zamac can't touch.

Sure, I have a few zamack razors but my main razor is stainless steel ATT american made razor. It's flawless and lifetime.

YMMV....

Yes, good advice: I just purchased a 1959 Gillette Superspeed E1.

OUTSTANDING Edwin Jagger customer service!! A day or two after I emailed them, I received the following response. I will give EJ a well-deserved shout-out elsewhere in B&B. (Note: Clearly, all of us understand the present-day economic trade-offs between raw material inputs and price. It's not EJ's fault that they can't sell stainless steel or brass razors for $30-40. I really do appreciate their attention to quality and customer service within today's business constraints.)
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Thank you for your email. We are sorry to hear that you experienced this issue with your razor head and thank you for bringing it to our attention. There have been a few similar instances but of the thousands we have sold but it is still very unusual.
We would like to reassure you that your product fault will be rectified so you can continue enjoying your Edwin Jagger razor.

Edwin Jagger is always looking for a ways to eliminate any such production or product weaknesses but, as with any other product, there will always be a very small percentage that fail. Quality control inspection in the production unit is very specific but sometimes this kind of issue cannot be identified as the product leaves here in perfect condition.

In order for us to deal with the issue there is some essential information we need so please will you:
• Resend this email to [email protected] and, if you haven’t already done so
• Attach some images of the razor damage showing the DE head and complete razor to the email
• Extract or tell us if you have been able to extract the broken screw thread
• Tell us where and when the item was purchased.
• Include your postal delivery address in your email

The Repairs team will contact you with a response in 2-5 working days.


Kind regards
Sally Wood
Edwin Jagger Limited