02-24-2014, 10:48 PM
[IMPRESSIONS] Micro Touch One “Classic” Safety Razor. Long Post
If you’re a fan of the show Pawn Stars, then you’ve more than likely seen an infomercial for the Micro Touch One “Classic” Safety Razor. Yups. Old school shaving is finally being pushed on TV. It’s too bad that it took an infomercial to get it done. ‘course, having switched to an DE razor over a year ago, I was intrigued by the model being pushed by Rick Harrison. Why the star of Pawn Stars? In a way, it kind of makes sense. You might actually find an antique DE razor at a pawn shop. Or, more likely in an antique shop or EBay. In the case of the Micro Touch One, my wife and I found it at a local drug store. It was the kit with the razor, the stand and two packs of blades. And, I couldn’t resist and bought one.
The razor itself is reminiscent of the The Shaving Factory DE safety razor I bought when I began my grand experiment shaving with an old school safety razor. Like the shaving factory razor, it’s “twist to open” model, lightweight, chrome plated brass razor. It’s actually an improvement over the Shaving Factory razor in one respect. The handle of the Micro Touch One has nice nubs that make for easy gripping. The build quality ain’t too shabby and is comparable to the Shaving Factory razor. However, when it comes to build quality and feel, neither the Micro Touch One nor the Shaving Factory razor are in the same class as my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. After examining the Micro Touch One, I decided to take out the Shaving Factory razor and compare them. The handles were definitely different but when I placed them on the countertop head down, I noticed very similar markings. If my hunch is correct, they’re made in the same factory in China. The finishing on the Micro Touch One was actually pretty good considering it’s a cheap “As Seen on TV” razor intended for the masses.
After checking out the razor, I took out the stand and gave it a looksie. It’s nifty! The stand takes up minimal space on the countertop and the razor stays in it easily. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it worked just as well with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn as it did with the cheap Shaving Factory and Micro Touch razors. It actually held all three razors better than my more expensive stand. The only change I’d make would be to add something to the base of the stand to give it a bit more heft. The Micro Touch One includes 2 qty six-packs of blades. they come in little boxes with Micro Touch One on it. However, inside the boxes are plain ol’ Dorco DE razor blades. Although I’ve got nearly 1.5 years worth of Derby Extra blades on hand, I decided to give the Micro Touch One a try with the Dorco blades.
I should also point out I was very pleased to see the manufacturer included instructions. Shaving with a DE razor is noticeably different than shaving with a cartridge razor. It's less forgiving, takes more manual dexterity and skill. There is definitely a touch of a learning curve but adapting is very easy. Since I'm already accustomed to shaving with a De razor, I didn't give the instructions more than a glance. I can say they provide more than enough information for a beginner to make the transition.
I popped a blade into the Micro Touch One and immediately noticed it’s a very mild razor. Meaning, it doesn’t have a great deal of blade exposure. This is both good and bad. Good since beginners are less likely to nick themselves while shaving. Bad in that it may not result in the closest of shaves. After a quick lather using one of my regular creams, I zipped through my first pass. I always shave in two passes. The first removes 98% of the fuzz. The second gets rid of the balance, resulting in a baby bottom wife-approved uber smooth shave.
The razor felt light in my fingers in comparison to the Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. No surprise. The Edwin Jagger is a heavier razor. It took all but a second to account for the difference in weight. My hunch about the nubs proved correct. They made the Micro Touch One very easy to grip with my fingertips. Unfortunately, the first pass on the right side of my face was disappointing. The razor definitely left noticeably more fuzz than expected. I wasn’t sure if this was due to the mildness of the razor and/or the Dorco blade. A quick adjustment of the angle of the razor for the other side of my face resulted in a vast improvement. However, I felt the blades catching my fuzz just as often as they snipped it.
The catchiness is definitely not due to the mildness of the razor. It’s typically the result in a duller - not entirely dull - just duller blade. So, I suspect the Dorco blades aren’t as sharp as Derby Extra or Personna blades I’ve been using for the last year. I finished both passes and let my wife see if the shave was up to my normal standards. Success overall. She deemed the resulting shave acceptable. No scritches! She did comment that it wasn’t as close a shave as the ones I get with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. Nonetheless, the Micro Touch One did the job. It took a bit more work but got the job done. That was yesterday.
One of the benefits of an old fashioned DE safety razor is the blades are standardized, the selection is ginormous and they’re dirt cheap. Some types are considered “beginner” blades. Others like Feather blades are considered expert blades, are noticeably sharper and not for the faint of heart. I’m not sure where Derby Extra blades fall in the line up. Fortunately, the standardization means my Derby and Personna blades fit perfectly in the Micro Touch One.
This morning, I swapped the Dorco blade for a Derby Extra and gave the Micro Touch another run. My normal five minute two pass shave went without a catch or nick but it definitely took a bit more work to get a baby bottom smooth wife-approved shave. The Derby blade made a huge difference. Although the Micro Touch One is still too mild for my taste, using it with Derby Extra blades resulted in a nice close shave, much more in line with the shave I get with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. Not quite as good but sufficient to pass the wife test. No scritchies!
What can I say about the Micro Touch One? It’s very mild and adequate as a beginner DE safety razor as long as it’s used with a quality blade. People who buy it must realize they’re entering a different world since shaving with a DE razor is noticeably different than with a cartridge razor. Frustration will definitely be a factor since someone who treats the Micro Touch One like an ordinary cartridge razor or disposable will either get many nicks and/or an awful shave. Fortunately, the Micro Touch One is very mild, which will make the transition easier and reduce the learning curve. That and it really isn’t that awful of a deal if you buy it at a local shop.
A basic twist-to-open DE safety razor similar to the Micro Touch One can be found on amazon.com for between $5.00 and $15.00, depending on the model and seller. Same goes for a stand. A pack of 15 qty DE blades at the local drug store is about $7.99. I don’t know if the store brand blades are any good since I’ve never tried them. You can get _significantly_ more DE blades for about $10.00 or so on amazon.com. Despite that, when you factor the cost of the razor, stand and blades together, $19.99 plus tax for the Micro Touch One isn’t that bad a deal. But, the Micro Touch One is a very mild razor and anyone who switches to old school shaving entirely will quickly outgrow it and invest in a nice razor like my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. I’m saving the Dorco blade to see how they do in the Edwin Jagger. My expectations for them is pretty low. The Micro Touch One will be stored away, to be used while traveling. That way, I won’t feel bad if I lose it.
Robert
If you’re a fan of the show Pawn Stars, then you’ve more than likely seen an infomercial for the Micro Touch One “Classic” Safety Razor. Yups. Old school shaving is finally being pushed on TV. It’s too bad that it took an infomercial to get it done. ‘course, having switched to an DE razor over a year ago, I was intrigued by the model being pushed by Rick Harrison. Why the star of Pawn Stars? In a way, it kind of makes sense. You might actually find an antique DE razor at a pawn shop. Or, more likely in an antique shop or EBay. In the case of the Micro Touch One, my wife and I found it at a local drug store. It was the kit with the razor, the stand and two packs of blades. And, I couldn’t resist and bought one.
The razor itself is reminiscent of the The Shaving Factory DE safety razor I bought when I began my grand experiment shaving with an old school safety razor. Like the shaving factory razor, it’s “twist to open” model, lightweight, chrome plated brass razor. It’s actually an improvement over the Shaving Factory razor in one respect. The handle of the Micro Touch One has nice nubs that make for easy gripping. The build quality ain’t too shabby and is comparable to the Shaving Factory razor. However, when it comes to build quality and feel, neither the Micro Touch One nor the Shaving Factory razor are in the same class as my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. After examining the Micro Touch One, I decided to take out the Shaving Factory razor and compare them. The handles were definitely different but when I placed them on the countertop head down, I noticed very similar markings. If my hunch is correct, they’re made in the same factory in China. The finishing on the Micro Touch One was actually pretty good considering it’s a cheap “As Seen on TV” razor intended for the masses.
After checking out the razor, I took out the stand and gave it a looksie. It’s nifty! The stand takes up minimal space on the countertop and the razor stays in it easily. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it worked just as well with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn as it did with the cheap Shaving Factory and Micro Touch razors. It actually held all three razors better than my more expensive stand. The only change I’d make would be to add something to the base of the stand to give it a bit more heft. The Micro Touch One includes 2 qty six-packs of blades. they come in little boxes with Micro Touch One on it. However, inside the boxes are plain ol’ Dorco DE razor blades. Although I’ve got nearly 1.5 years worth of Derby Extra blades on hand, I decided to give the Micro Touch One a try with the Dorco blades.
I should also point out I was very pleased to see the manufacturer included instructions. Shaving with a DE razor is noticeably different than shaving with a cartridge razor. It's less forgiving, takes more manual dexterity and skill. There is definitely a touch of a learning curve but adapting is very easy. Since I'm already accustomed to shaving with a De razor, I didn't give the instructions more than a glance. I can say they provide more than enough information for a beginner to make the transition.
I popped a blade into the Micro Touch One and immediately noticed it’s a very mild razor. Meaning, it doesn’t have a great deal of blade exposure. This is both good and bad. Good since beginners are less likely to nick themselves while shaving. Bad in that it may not result in the closest of shaves. After a quick lather using one of my regular creams, I zipped through my first pass. I always shave in two passes. The first removes 98% of the fuzz. The second gets rid of the balance, resulting in a baby bottom wife-approved uber smooth shave.
The razor felt light in my fingers in comparison to the Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. No surprise. The Edwin Jagger is a heavier razor. It took all but a second to account for the difference in weight. My hunch about the nubs proved correct. They made the Micro Touch One very easy to grip with my fingertips. Unfortunately, the first pass on the right side of my face was disappointing. The razor definitely left noticeably more fuzz than expected. I wasn’t sure if this was due to the mildness of the razor and/or the Dorco blade. A quick adjustment of the angle of the razor for the other side of my face resulted in a vast improvement. However, I felt the blades catching my fuzz just as often as they snipped it.
The catchiness is definitely not due to the mildness of the razor. It’s typically the result in a duller - not entirely dull - just duller blade. So, I suspect the Dorco blades aren’t as sharp as Derby Extra or Personna blades I’ve been using for the last year. I finished both passes and let my wife see if the shave was up to my normal standards. Success overall. She deemed the resulting shave acceptable. No scritches! She did comment that it wasn’t as close a shave as the ones I get with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. Nonetheless, the Micro Touch One did the job. It took a bit more work but got the job done. That was yesterday.
One of the benefits of an old fashioned DE safety razor is the blades are standardized, the selection is ginormous and they’re dirt cheap. Some types are considered “beginner” blades. Others like Feather blades are considered expert blades, are noticeably sharper and not for the faint of heart. I’m not sure where Derby Extra blades fall in the line up. Fortunately, the standardization means my Derby and Personna blades fit perfectly in the Micro Touch One.
This morning, I swapped the Dorco blade for a Derby Extra and gave the Micro Touch another run. My normal five minute two pass shave went without a catch or nick but it definitely took a bit more work to get a baby bottom smooth wife-approved shave. The Derby blade made a huge difference. Although the Micro Touch One is still too mild for my taste, using it with Derby Extra blades resulted in a nice close shave, much more in line with the shave I get with my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. Not quite as good but sufficient to pass the wife test. No scritchies!
What can I say about the Micro Touch One? It’s very mild and adequate as a beginner DE safety razor as long as it’s used with a quality blade. People who buy it must realize they’re entering a different world since shaving with a DE razor is noticeably different than with a cartridge razor. Frustration will definitely be a factor since someone who treats the Micro Touch One like an ordinary cartridge razor or disposable will either get many nicks and/or an awful shave. Fortunately, the Micro Touch One is very mild, which will make the transition easier and reduce the learning curve. That and it really isn’t that awful of a deal if you buy it at a local shop.
A basic twist-to-open DE safety razor similar to the Micro Touch One can be found on amazon.com for between $5.00 and $15.00, depending on the model and seller. Same goes for a stand. A pack of 15 qty DE blades at the local drug store is about $7.99. I don’t know if the store brand blades are any good since I’ve never tried them. You can get _significantly_ more DE blades for about $10.00 or so on amazon.com. Despite that, when you factor the cost of the razor, stand and blades together, $19.99 plus tax for the Micro Touch One isn’t that bad a deal. But, the Micro Touch One is a very mild razor and anyone who switches to old school shaving entirely will quickly outgrow it and invest in a nice razor like my Edwin Jagger Barleycorn. I’m saving the Dorco blade to see how they do in the Edwin Jagger. My expectations for them is pretty low. The Micro Touch One will be stored away, to be used while traveling. That way, I won’t feel bad if I lose it.
Robert