M**D
I also like the domed head of the screw on the R30
This review is a continuation of my "three star" review of the Edwin Jagger DE89bl, whose screw snapped off the first time I tried to put the handle back on. B.T.W. Amazon replaced the entire razor and I received it the same day. WOW! Now that's service!!! Because of the weakness in the head of the EJ-DE89b, I wanted to have a "just in case" back-up razor. Rather than purchasing another EJ-DE89bl, I decided to buy the Schmidt R30 Grande with a 1.5cm longer teardrop style handle, now on sale at Amazon for $19.99. The razor is shipped out of Switzerland and it took 11 days to get to the US West Coast. Upon opening the package I was pleasantly surprised to find that the razor's chroming was as nice as the photos showed on Amazon. I would say that it comes close to the the Edwin Jagger flawless chroming. I disassembled the R30 and DE89bl razors and compared each part of the head. They look virtually identical. Here are the similarities and the differences in the two parts of the head. 1) The screw on the R30 is 13.5mm long compared to the DE89bl's 11.5mm. I also like the domed head of the screw on the R30. It seems to make it much easier to correctly screw the handle back on. End to end the curvature of the heads appear identical, with the R30 head being 1/2mm narrower, allowing about 1/4mm more blade exposure on each side than the DE89bl. The blade centering is 100% perfect on the DE89bl. On the R30 it initially seems a little sloppy, but the two end posts are self correcting. They get progressively bigger at the base of the had, creating a very tight fit as you tighten the head, the end result is a perfect tight fit. 2) The base of the heads are virtually identical, but when placed end to end the R30's is 1/2mm thicker and perhaps this may be the other contributing factor to more blade exposure. The scalloped grooves are slightly narrower on the R30, but just as deep as the DE89bl. The R30 is definitely a heavy razor at 145gr, and much of the weight is in the base of the handle. If you don't like a heavy razor, the R30 is not for you. Even though there is no knurling on the handle, for me, its weight and ergonomic design gives me much more control without fear of it slipping out of my hand.OK! now unto the shave test. I loaded up the Edwin Jagger DE89bl and the Schmidt R30 with new Astra Superior Stainless blades, first prepped my face with a hot wet towel, then lathered up with my Escali badger brush and Crabtree & Evelyn shaving soap, and proceeded to shave the right side of my face with the R30, and the left side of my face with the DE89bl. Both razors shaved well and very similar to each other. There was very little difference, with the R30 being a bit more aggressive. For the second pass, I switched the handles > The R30 handle on the DE89bl head and the DE89bl handle on the R30 head. I found I had much better control of the DE89bl with the R30 handle and less control of the R30 head with the DE89bl handle. For the third pass I switched the handles back and finished the shave. I washed my face, towel dried it and applied the "eb5" Toning Formula to tighten the pores. After running my hands up and down on my face and neck, I felt that the R30 gave the right side of my face a little closer shave than the De89bl gave to the left side of my face. Perhaps this was due to the slight more blade exposure of the R30. At the sale price of $19.99, and free shipping from the seller, the Schmidt R30 Grande is a bargain! I like it so much that for $14.99, I'm also willing to try the Schmidt R10 with the knurled handle, and do another test comparison against the EJ DE89bl. Every face is different, so what works for me may not work for you. I hope this review helped.
D**E
Good, not great
Kind of big, heavy, and clunky in my hands, but no cuts, nicks, or slices at all when used with a Feather double edged blade. Also, the handle is difficult to unscrew from the head, then screw back on. Still, I got a clean, smooth shave with it.
G**O
The mass is great. The smooth handle gets a little slippery but ...
This is a quality copy of the Edwin Jagger. It appears to be equal in quality at a much cheaper price. The mass is great. The smooth handle gets a little slippery but rubbing my fingers with an alum block solves that problem. the razor provides excellent shaves with my preferred Feather blades.
O**N
Great razor.
Nice heavy razor. Has a really good weight and feel to it. Great deal for the money.
B**S
Great balance.
Outstanding in every way .... Smooth shaving... Great balance .... and attractive looking razor.
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