Blade Runner

I’ve always been a multi-blade shaver. Growing up, I saw many ads about the ‘talwar ki Dhaar’ safety razor. But I only used them to sharpen wooden pencils. Shaving wood was always safer with a ‘blade’ (barring the occasional nicks & cuts on my finger) than shaving the hair on my face.?

So my primary shaving instrument has been from the house of Gilette . I have progressed from the twin blade razor to successive Mach models, having stopped at the Turbo versions with tiny springs and precision moulding that match the contours of my face.?

And so it has been for the last 30 years or so.

Now past the half century mark, I decided to give the good old safety razor a try. There’s always a first time irrespective of your age.?

As with all such changes, there were a few triggers.?

Trigger 1: I’ve started to feel my skin burn after my shaving routine. I have tried alternative shaving creams and foams, applying a pre-shave scrub, a post shave soothing balm and regularly changing the razor on my Mach 3. While it has provided some relief, it hasn’t done away with the burning sensation entirely. Maybe my skin is more sensitive now. Or, the universe was nudging me towards sporting a beard just like someone who has walked 4,080 kms from north to south.?

Trigger 2: I was browsing for fathers day gifts (on my sons prompting ‘what can get you?’) on Amazon and I came across this listing for a rather nice looking stainless steel single razor from the Bombay Shaving company. I thought this too should be tried as a possible solution for the aforementioned burning feeling.?

After 6 months of dilly dallying (procrastination is my middle name) and overthinking, I finally purchased it last week. What tipped me over the line was not the razor itself, but that it came with a ‘leather carry case’. Nothing beats a good deal to topple over a vacillating browser-shopper.?

‘The Bombay Shaving Company Metal Precision Safety Razor System with Feather Blades | Men's Gift Set | Gift for men / him’ duly arrived the following day. It came in a robust cardboard box that looked weathered and faded. Checked the manufacturing date - June 2021. Knowing that there is no expiry date for stainless steel, I opened the box to find a nice solid stainless steel razor along with a set of ‘5 feather blades’, ‘locking system’ but no leather case.?

Having been the primary driver for me to buy this item, I tried escalating the matter through the 亚马逊 chatbot. It turned out that my purchase could not be returned. So I then called Amazon and a polite lady explained that this item could not be returned. I emphasised that I was not asking for a return, but only that they ship me the missing part mentioned in their listing, namely the leather case. After a few moments keeping me on hold, she came back saying that nothing could be done. I then argued more forcefully that this was not acceptable to me. If I were to have made this purchase at a physical store, there wouldn’t be an issue because the store would have either returned my money or exchanged my incomplete item for a new one. And subsequently ‘returned’ the deficient package to the company for a refund. Why couldn’t ‘aapki api dukaan’ extend the same level of service to me??

Hearing tyhis line of argument, the lady changed tack and said that I would be refunded my purchase option. I would like to believe that it was a combination of my persuasive logic & my status as an uncomplaining prime customer of over 10 years that would have tilted the scales for this.?

Anyway, back to the new razor.?

What was my experience having regressed backward to a single razor from 3 & 5 blade systems? Did I regret it? Has it solved my burning problem??

What I like

1. Build quality: Stainless steel looks good and feels weighty without being heavy. The razor system feels well made - unscrewing the rod from its ‘aggressive clamp’ on top reveals good quality manufacturing.?
2. The blades come in a separate plastic case, with a separate slot for storing used ones. Neat idea that removes the fear of them lying around and becoming a safety hazard.?

What’s meh

1. The single blade doesn’t cut stubble in one swipe as effectively as the Gilette. It has to be held at an angle of 30 degrees is what the pamphlet inside says, but its difficult to estimate this on your face! So I either end up cutting nothing or feared a repeat of childhood trauma of slicing my skin with rusted blades.
2. Even after a second go at the 30 degrees angle, there is a hint of stubble left over. This is in contrast to the smoothness I feel after 2 swishes with my Gilette.?
3. The burning sensation remains, along with a hint of stubble.?

Overall, I like the aesthetics but not the shave. And since it ended up being zero-cost to me, I guess I have nothing to complain and will continue to refine my shaving to get the smoothness I desire.

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