Disappointed with Blackland Batch 001 Razor: Quality Issues and Poor Customer Support

[helicopter]

This razor is brand new. I understand that brass can corrode and develop a patina, but that requires specific conditions and a considerable amount of time. Since the product was released only a month ago, there hasn’t been enough time for a patina to form. Additionally, if batch 001 is indeed made from C954 material as described, it should be the most corrosion-resistant bronze alloy available and shouldn’t exhibit these kinds of flaws.

Additionally, I want to clarify that the response times over the past two weeks have been very slow—not one and a half weeks as previously mentioned.

I agree, it is not normal patina for a new bronze razor at the price point. It is contamination of polishing compound or something else, and a defect.

I am also confident I could fix it with very little effort, but I have a shop full of tools and I was an aircraft sheet metal mechanic. I can't just take for granted that you can easily fix it too.

I might just accept it, but that is easy for me since I always know I could just walk down to the shop and fix it in 2 minutes if it ever bothered me.

I like fast responses from vendors of luxury products. Shane obviously understands this is an important lapse and wants to make atonement for it.

I am not being sarcastic about the stainless. Ti would be good too. Out of my three Blackbirds, the Ti is my favorite without question. Maybe see if they can work something out where you end up with one that is more corrosion resistant. Bronze is better than brass, but Ti is better than bronze and stainless is the best.

 

[damnfinecode]

After reading the title, I am glad to see that the quality escape is very minor, something that shouldn't have left the factory as it was, but also something that on my own razor, I would just accept or correct myself without worrying about it or contacting Blackbird, and definitely not something I would do an exchange over.

OP might be happier with a stainless razor, which is the most corrosion resistant.

The delay in service is frustrating, but also understandable. I hope you had a good trip Shane.

This isn't a matter of personal preference regarding the razor's corrosion resistance; it's fundamentally about receiving the product as advertised. Customers deserve to get exactly what was promised.

I also own a Charcoal Goods Gen1 Stinger with an antique finish—the vintage look was the reason I purchased it. However, with Batch 001, I simply expected it to be highly polished as described, and a high polish should mean there are no imperfections like black marks.

 

[Quaznoid]

For what Blackland charges the razor should be flawless and customer service impeccable. They failed on both accounts.

 

[Blackland Razors]

This razor is brand new. I understand that brass can corrode and develop a patina, but that requires specific conditions and a considerable amount of time. Since the product was released only a month ago, there hasn’t been enough time for a patina to form. Additionally, if batch 001 is indeed made from C954 material as described, it should be the most corrosion-resistant bronze alloy available and shouldn’t exhibit these kinds of flaws.

For clarity, patina can develop very quickly - within days sometimes. Polishing slows the process, but does not eliminate it. Patina/oxidation is not the same as corrosion and this razor is not corroding. C954 certainly develops patina and this is not a flaw. I’m sorry for any confusion about the prevalence of patina. Customer service email system is on my laptop and not mobile. We’ll happily replace this to ensure you get the perfect razor you deserve, but the replacement will also patina over time.

 

[Blackland Razors]

For what Blackland charges the razor should be flawless and customer service impeccable. They failed on both accounts.

Yes agreed and acknowledged above.

 

[damnfinecode]

I agree, it is not normal patina for a new bronze razor at the price point. It is contamination of polishing compound or something else, and a defect.

I am also confident I could fix it with very little effort, but I have a shop full of tools and I was an aircraft sheet metal mechanic. I can't just take for granted that you can easily fix it too.

I might just accept it, but that is easy for me since I always know I could just walk down to the shop and fix it in 2 minutes if it ever bothered me.

I like fast responses from vendors of luxury products. Shane obviously understands this is an important lapse and wants to make atonement for it.

I am not being sarcastic about the stainless. Ti would be good too. Out of my three Blackbirds, the Ti is my favorite without question. Maybe see if they can work something out where you end up with one that is more corrosion resistant. Bronze is better than brass, but Ti is better than bronze and stainless is the best.

Yes, I understand that everyone's situation is different, and I'm sorry that I don't have the ability to quickly fix this flaw myself. Contacting the seller is my only option. Unfortunately, their response—both in terms of helpfulness and speed—has not met my expectations. As other posts have mentioned, Blackland has a strong reputation on this forum. With such a high standing, they should take on greater responsibility and obligations, both in product quality checks and after-sales service.

 

[Blackland Razors]

Yes, I understand that everyone's situation is different, and I'm sorry that I don't have the ability to quickly fix this flaw myself. Contacting the seller is my only option. Unfortunately, their response—both in terms of helpfulness and speed—has not met my expectations. As other posts have mentioned, Blackland has a strong reputation on this forum. With such a high standing, they should take on greater responsibility and obligations, both in product quality checks and after-sales service.

Completely right. Shot you an email, btw. Your replacement ships tomorrow.

 

[damnfinecode]

For clarity, patina can develop very quickly - within days sometimes. Polishing slows the process, but does not eliminate it. Patina/oxidation is not the same as corrosion and this razor is not corroding. C954 certainly develops patina and this is not a flaw. I’m sorry for any confusion about the prevalence of patina. Customer service email system is on my laptop and not mobile. We’ll happily replace this to ensure you get the perfect razor you deserve, but the replacement will also patina over time.

I understand that patina can form easily, but there are two conditions that cause it:

1. Under special conditions, such as highly acidic environments, it can develop very quickly.
2. Under natural conditions, it takes a considerable amount of time.

I don't believe that patina can form rapidly during transportation. I think this issue originated at the factory level and was shipped to customers without proper quality checks. I can accept that this razor might slowly develop a patina after I've owned it for a long time, rather than having defects before it was sent to me. I consider it a defect because I cannot be 100% sure it's patina; it could be caused by other factors.

Anyway, I look forward to the reply tomorrow.

 

[damnfinecode]

Completely right. Shot you an email, btw. Your replacement ships tomorrow.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

 

[uptown]

Maybe we shouldn't use the word "flawless"

 

[DesertIguana]

For what Blackland charges the razor should be flawless and customer service impeccable. They failed on both accounts.

Ditto I am happy someone else expect product support, and great customer when you spend good money.

I had small business 30 years, I had many competitors, think I many many repeat clients because I did the several things well many competitor did not.

1. Understood clients ,an customers was persons paying all my bills.

2. Made clients, customer life simple, by great communications, doing as promised, and last standing 110% behind my work.

This was my life 30 years, did I ever make a goof, yes. But made it right,ate bill, and did a redo for free.

 

[WetShaveVet]

I’m located on the West Coast, and I believe my responses to posts are much quicker than Blackland’s replies to emails. Moreover, if Blackland has the time to debate here, why not respond to my emails first and resolve the issues? I will try my best to reply and update the the status.

I can't disagree.

 

[never-stop-learning]

This appears to have been resolved between the two parties who are directly involved with this transaction.

 

[gdawg55]

Seems like the OP just wants to be combative at this point. Shane already admitted to the poor response and service. Rehashing it seems unnecessary. Blackland is a top tier company, but no one is perfect. Sometimes things slip. Looks like he’s taking care of you.

 

[damnfinecode]

Seems like the OP just wants to be combative at this point. Shane already admitted to the poor response and service. Rehashing it seems unnecessary. Blackland is a top tier company, but no one is perfect. Sometimes things slip. Looks like he’s taking care of you.

Hey, I don’t understand why I come across as combative here. I’ve made it very clear that I haven’t received an effective response in the past few weeks. If you patiently read my post, you’ll see that I’ve been directly ghosted. I’m not rehashing the issue; aside from email communication, I have no other options. So I chose to share my experience on the forum to help customers make more informed decisions when choosing products.

If you think my factual statements are starting a fight, then you’ve won. It sounds like Blackland is seen as a sacred and untouchable brand, with some fans unwilling to accept any criticism even when I’m just stating the facts. It’s obvious that Shane acknowledged their mistake, and I appreciate that they were willing to give me a replacement. "Looks like he’s taking care of you." Lol. I spent money and was supposed to receive a product as described. Instead, I had to spend lots of time just to exchange a product that should have already passed quality checks.

Please remember that a successful brand grows and progresses through both criticism and praise. If Blackland continues to improve only through blind praise like yours, its downfall isn’t far away.

 

[No1Up]

Blackland is a small company, they can’t always have someone on hand 24/7. Although it may be prudent for them to say when they are short staffed to explain why communication might be lacking. Clearly the OP felt he was being ignored. If the OP wants a perfect finish, he needs to go SS or Ti. It doesn’t sound like he’s a “bronze” kind of guy. I’m like that, which is why when a Ti BB popped up in the market I jumped on it, even though the Bronze looks AMAZING

 

[damnfinecode]

Blackland is a small company, they can’t always have someone on hand 24/7. Although it may be prudent for them to say when they are short staffed to explain why communication might be lacking. Clearly the OP felt he was being ignored. If the OP wants a perfect finish, he needs to go SS or Ti. It doesn’t sound like he’s a “bronze” kind of guy. I’m like that, which is why when a Ti BB popped up in the market I jumped on it, even though the Bronze looks AMAZING

Yes, I understand. I didn't expect a 24/7 response. However, the issue I encountered went unresolved for a period, which is why I chose to share my experience on the forum. If my problem had already been resolved, bringing it up again would have been pointless. In fact, I didn't want to go this far; I simply had no other choice.

Additionally, I do consider myself a "bronze" kind of guy. I own a Charcoal Goods Gen1 Stinger with an antique finish, and I really love this razor. The issues I raised in this post pertain to factory quality checks, not to the patina that might develop over time after the product has been received by the buyer.

 

[DesertIguana]

Well I am hoping for a small detail to be posted by the person damnfinecode, who posted THREAD to begin with, in Post #1. End of story as Paul Harvey use to say, and if the PROBLEM is resolved.

People often forget to say a Problem was Resolved, but they sure had no problem start a Thread about the Problem.

JMHO

 

[brucered]

Well I am hoping for a small detail to be posted by the person damnfinecode, who posted THREAD to begin with, in Post #1. End of story as Paul Harvey use to say, and if the PROBLEM is resolved.

People often forget to say a Problem was Resolved, but they sure had no problem start a Thread about the Problem.

JMHO

It isn't resolved yet. He doesn't have his replacement.

Why are a few people offended by the OP replying to people's posts in the order they were posted?

From what I can tell, he has been respectful and answering the questions and accusations people have made against him.

He has a right to be ticked off. Holidays or not, he was expecting a reply from the maker and didn't get it. He came here to share his story, got some answers and is likely awaiting the new razor. Yes, the maker is a Vendor here but that doesn't mean he can't be unhappy with them or the reply they gave him.

I commend both the OP and @Blackland Razors for how they seem to be handling this situation. Both are hearing, listening and trying to get it resolved.

 

[damnfinecode]

Well I am hoping for a small detail to be posted by the person damnfinecode, who posted THREAD to begin with, in Post #1. End of story as Paul Harvey use to say, and if the PROBLEM is resolved.

People often forget to say a Problem was Resolved, but they sure had no problem start a Thread about the Problem.

JMHO

I previously requested a refund from Blackland, but they do not allow refunds for this product—only exchanges are available. This means I need to wait for them to send me a new razor and return my old one to them before the issue can be fully resolved. I will honor my promise to respond to this post and provide updates on the results.