The Pragmatic Shave, Part 5: 800Razors

NOTE: This review covers products previously sold by 800Razors.com, which is no longer around. ShaveMob acquired the company, and sells Dorco products whose blades are manufactured in South Korea and whose handles are made in China. I have only republished this for sake of completeness of my original “Pragmatic Shave” series of reviews.

When I first thought about doing a review on razors and lower-cost shaving options, I really only thought that I’d be dealing with Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club. So I was surprised by finding Dorco. But after I found Dorco, I thought for certain that that was all I had to consider. Yet, one day, lo and behold: an advertisement appeared on the television for 800Razors.com. Really? Another shave company? When it rains, it pours, I suppose. I almost decided against considering them at all until I heard one little phrase: “made right here in America.” I didn’t think I’d find low cost razor cartridges made in this country, but apparently I have. So I ordered a set of cartridges from them.

The handle and 24 cartridges arrived in a very basic, corrugated white box without any extra retail packaging. Printed very prominently on the outside of the box (as seen above) was the following message: “Burn Free Guarantee – No Skin Burn, Wallet Burn, or American Job-Loss Burn.”

As it turns out, 800Razors, like Dollar Shave Club, don’t manufacture their own product. Rather, it seems they get their cartridges from Schick. So you get a product made by an established American company with a century or more of shaving history, without paying for their retail distribution, extra packaging, or even potential celebrity endorsements.

Judging a Book by Its Cover

When the razor arrived in its minimal packaging, I instantly felt a bit disappointed and was automatically a bit pessimistic about the razor’s potential. I very quickly got frustrated by having a slightly difficult time getting the handle to attach securely to the cartridge. They would seem to connect, but then I couldn’t pull the cartridge out of the holder without the handle coming off. That was annoying. (As it turned out, there was a particular method to changing the cartridges on the handle, which was easy enough and was no longer an issue. Rather surprisingly, 800Razor actually had a short instructional video to their website because so many customers had reported the same problem.) So I prejudged the product based on its packaging or lack thereof. Perhaps my evaluation was too hasty.

I like this razor. I like this razor quite a lot. When I tried Harry’s, I wasn’t terribly impressed with the shave. When I tried the Dollar Shave Club 4-blade razor, I liked that because it was a great shave for a lower cost than my Gillette razor. When I found Dorco, I liked that because it was still a great shave but I could switch handles until I figured out which one I preferred most. But I have to say that the handle from 800Razors is my favorite handle. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It may simply be the ergonomics of the handle, or it may be the angle at which the cartridge attaches to the handle. All I know is that the handle is more comfortable in my hand than any of the other razors I’ve tried.

I might prefer the shave of the Dorco 6-blade system. But given that 800Razors has the better handle, still gives as good shave and, most importantly, is made in America, I think I have to give my final vote to 800Razors. Now, your mileage may vary, but I don’t think you can go wrong with 800razors.com, Dorco, or Dollar Shave Club if you’re wanting to save money over the bigger brands.