[FONT="]Hello gents, I have just finished my first two weeks using a oneblade razor and thought I would share my pros and cons. I purchased the oneblade after Mantic59, caught my eye with his video review of it on Sharpologist.com asking something along the lines of "Is this the perfect razor." I shouldn't say I purchased because of him, rather he grabbed my attention. I have always liked dabbling in the SE world as I find they have many good offerings.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Really quickly before I share the pros and cons, for those who don't know the oneblade is an SE razor with a pivoting head that sells for $300. It seems that SE razors are enjoying a bit of a comeback these days, as so many new ones are coming out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Pros:
-The pivoting head makes it very easy to use. As others have noted this seems to be a product that is aimed at those coming from cartridge razors.
-The pivoting head also makes it easier to get at pesky trouble spots. I find that it gives me a closer shave in trouble areas then a DE razor.
-Build quality. It is a $300 razor and when you hold it in your hand it feels like it. It comes in a beautiful leather case that befits the cost. The case reminds me vaguely of baseball with the coarse outside stitching on the leather. It is hefty but the weight is well balanced in the razor, making it easy to hold. The hollowed out center makes grip no problem even when wet. Also, unlike most razors, the handle seems to be just about the right length for me not too short and not too long. I find most razor handles either too short and therefore tiny in the hands or too long. The stand it comes with is also hefty and convenient to use.
-The feather blades which they use are sharp, yet they do not seem to be as unforgiving as the Feather DE blades. This may have to do with the pivot action of the head.
-Having a coarse beard that goes all the way up my cheeks and all the way down to my chest, and even past my ears on the sides I feel like the oneblade can mow down all the hair easily and when you learn the proper angle, it can do it quicker than any DE I own.
-Around worrisome areas like just around the lips, the pivoting head demands less skill to get rid of the hair, and even though it has a fairly large head, it can still be nimble when it needs to be.
-You get wonderful audible feedback from the razor. If one thing you like is the Zen like feeling of shaving with a single blade, you can get it with the oneblade.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Cons:
-Price. Obviously this is a luxury item aimed at a niche audience within a niche group. Every time I use it, I find myself thinking about how I got into wet shaving because I wanted to spend less on razors and I wanted less irritation. The one blade helps with the irritation, but certainly not with the cost odf shaving. The truth is that if I want to take the extra time and energy I can get just as good a shave with the plastic $18 Feather popular razor. Of course it doesn't feel as good in the hand and takes more skill.
- Along the same lines, the company encourages you to use a fresh blade every time you shave. I have been doing that, since I do find the first shave with the blade to be better then the second or third shave, where the blade becomes a little tuggy and rough. However, this gets expensive. These Feather blades when purchased from Ebay in bulk (which is much cheaper then purchasing them from the oneblade website) still run around .50 each as compared to Astra my favorite DE blade which run about a dime a piece and I can get 2 or 3 shaves out of them. Not much more because of how coarse and widespread my hair is. If you shave 6 days a week, then you are almost paying Gillette Mach 3 prices.
-The Feather blades come with a lot of glue on them. When I read in other reviews that this was annoying, I figured how bad can it be? It is really bad, to the point that your hands get sticky loading the blade and it can easily smear onto the cutting edge compromising the blade. This may be my biggest con. I never thought it would be that bad, but it is.
-Loading the blade. I have never cut myself loading a DE blade. However in the first week I cut my index finger fairly significantly loading the oneblade razor because you have to push the blade into the razor, unlike a DE where you place it on the head of the razor. This can be hard to do sometimes (getting it out can be even harder). If you are not paying attention and push down against the blade side, Ouch, you are in for a deep cut. You definitely don't wanna be groggy and just waking up when you do this.
-You must rinse more often. Maybe I have been spoiled by my DE razors, but I have become accustomed to shaving a quarter of my face, flipping the razor around and shaving another quarter of my face before I have to rinse the cream off my razor. The oneblade demands that you give it more attention and rinse often. I also find that because of the angle of the head, cream tends to run down the razor a bit, which is annoying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Overall, this is a razor that can give you very good results, even great results. It is also a razor that can be used when you need a quick and acceptable shave and don't have time for a DE because the pivoting head will cut down on your time and effort. However, I find using a DE more satisfying. The oneblade is a different experience. Is it worth the premium price tag? Only you can decide that for yourself. If I had it to do over again, I would not have purchased one as I cannot justify the benefits against the cost. YMMV.
[/FONT]
[FONT="]Really quickly before I share the pros and cons, for those who don't know the oneblade is an SE razor with a pivoting head that sells for $300. It seems that SE razors are enjoying a bit of a comeback these days, as so many new ones are coming out.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Pros:
-The pivoting head makes it very easy to use. As others have noted this seems to be a product that is aimed at those coming from cartridge razors.
-The pivoting head also makes it easier to get at pesky trouble spots. I find that it gives me a closer shave in trouble areas then a DE razor.
-Build quality. It is a $300 razor and when you hold it in your hand it feels like it. It comes in a beautiful leather case that befits the cost. The case reminds me vaguely of baseball with the coarse outside stitching on the leather. It is hefty but the weight is well balanced in the razor, making it easy to hold. The hollowed out center makes grip no problem even when wet. Also, unlike most razors, the handle seems to be just about the right length for me not too short and not too long. I find most razor handles either too short and therefore tiny in the hands or too long. The stand it comes with is also hefty and convenient to use.
-The feather blades which they use are sharp, yet they do not seem to be as unforgiving as the Feather DE blades. This may have to do with the pivot action of the head.
-Having a coarse beard that goes all the way up my cheeks and all the way down to my chest, and even past my ears on the sides I feel like the oneblade can mow down all the hair easily and when you learn the proper angle, it can do it quicker than any DE I own.
-Around worrisome areas like just around the lips, the pivoting head demands less skill to get rid of the hair, and even though it has a fairly large head, it can still be nimble when it needs to be.
-You get wonderful audible feedback from the razor. If one thing you like is the Zen like feeling of shaving with a single blade, you can get it with the oneblade.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Cons:
-Price. Obviously this is a luxury item aimed at a niche audience within a niche group. Every time I use it, I find myself thinking about how I got into wet shaving because I wanted to spend less on razors and I wanted less irritation. The one blade helps with the irritation, but certainly not with the cost odf shaving. The truth is that if I want to take the extra time and energy I can get just as good a shave with the plastic $18 Feather popular razor. Of course it doesn't feel as good in the hand and takes more skill.
- Along the same lines, the company encourages you to use a fresh blade every time you shave. I have been doing that, since I do find the first shave with the blade to be better then the second or third shave, where the blade becomes a little tuggy and rough. However, this gets expensive. These Feather blades when purchased from Ebay in bulk (which is much cheaper then purchasing them from the oneblade website) still run around .50 each as compared to Astra my favorite DE blade which run about a dime a piece and I can get 2 or 3 shaves out of them. Not much more because of how coarse and widespread my hair is. If you shave 6 days a week, then you are almost paying Gillette Mach 3 prices.
-The Feather blades come with a lot of glue on them. When I read in other reviews that this was annoying, I figured how bad can it be? It is really bad, to the point that your hands get sticky loading the blade and it can easily smear onto the cutting edge compromising the blade. This may be my biggest con. I never thought it would be that bad, but it is.
-Loading the blade. I have never cut myself loading a DE blade. However in the first week I cut my index finger fairly significantly loading the oneblade razor because you have to push the blade into the razor, unlike a DE where you place it on the head of the razor. This can be hard to do sometimes (getting it out can be even harder). If you are not paying attention and push down against the blade side, Ouch, you are in for a deep cut. You definitely don't wanna be groggy and just waking up when you do this.
-You must rinse more often. Maybe I have been spoiled by my DE razors, but I have become accustomed to shaving a quarter of my face, flipping the razor around and shaving another quarter of my face before I have to rinse the cream off my razor. The oneblade demands that you give it more attention and rinse often. I also find that because of the angle of the head, cream tends to run down the razor a bit, which is annoying.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Overall, this is a razor that can give you very good results, even great results. It is also a razor that can be used when you need a quick and acceptable shave and don't have time for a DE because the pivoting head will cut down on your time and effort. However, I find using a DE more satisfying. The oneblade is a different experience. Is it worth the premium price tag? Only you can decide that for yourself. If I had it to do over again, I would not have purchased one as I cannot justify the benefits against the cost. YMMV.
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