Disclaimer: Being relatively new to DE shaving and only owning one other DE razor (Gillette Slim Adjustable) with which to reference this to, my review may be of limited value; nonetheless, this is my experience with this razor.
Initially I was planning on making my first foray into the world of DE shaving with a Merkur HD as it seems to be the most commonly recommended beginner razor. Failing to actually do anything about it for a couple of weeks I ended up purchasing this instead. Lazing around in a hotel room one Sunday afternoon with nothing of value to do, I decided to visit the Shaver Shop I had noticed just up the road from where I was staying. My reasons for purchasing this razor were simple: it was the most expensive one they had, and it felt the best in my hand. After making my purchase I headed back with my new kit in hand, ready to slice my face.
My initial impression of this razor were of the nice finish and its well built feel. It made that plastic thing with three blades, a reverse side single blade, battery compartment, buttons and a small super computer sitting next to it look and feel like a toy (which has since been thrown out). Having had more time to get over the initial excitement, I still believe it's a well made, good looking razor, albeit with a few short comings: 1) The blade requires some fiddling around with in order to get it to sit evenly; 2) Once seated evenly, the blade does not lay evenly across the comb, and; 3) The plating has a few blemishes, although only noticeable up close. Apart from these minor quibbles, it is a well made three piece razor of simple construction with good balance and some weight to it. Sure, blade replacement is a little fiddly, although, I'm talking maybe another 5-10 seconds time required as opposed to a TTO door style razor.
As for the shave itself, well, the first time didn't go so well. I think this may have been out of fear rather than a pure lack of technique; I didn't want to cut myself so I only made a single pass with the lightest of touches and I may have even been holding back some of the weight of the razor. Needless to say, my face was far from BBS after this first shave, but at least I survived without spilling any blood.
Subsequent shaves with this razor have proven my initial trepidation to be of face saving value. This razor will take large chunks of skin with it if you're not careful. I haven't been game enough to try it, but you could probably remove the top three layers of skin in a single pass if you really wanted. Quite simply, I can get a close shave with less effort using this than with my Gillette Slim Adjustable set to 9. There's plenty of blade exposed which sits up a little from the comb and it's an open comb which, from what I've read, is a more aggressive style of razor.
All things considered I like this razor. It's efficient at removing hair and easily reduces a three day growth to a mere stubble in a single pass. Being this brutally efficient at hair removal, it follows logically that it will perform equally well at skin removal, so this probably isn't the most obvious choice for a beginner. In saying that, I must note, that this was my first DE razor and I did manage to get a fairly decent shave after about a week with it. The caution required using this taught me good technique quite quickly and has made using what is now my regular shaver - the Slim Adjustable - an absolute effortless breeze after about a month in the DE camp.
If you live in Australia, give it a go. It is at the more affordable end of our market and may just make a nice addition to your collection.
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