To me the DE29 is one of those razors that simply speaks to my sense of 'I want this'; You know how a new model of a car manufacturer comes out and you immediately like it based only on your very first impression, this razor is the same! I think this reminds me of a chunky Land Rover Defender or a Splitty, straight lines, chunky and boxy.
This razor has settings 1 to 6 and the gap between the bar and the blade is about average from the lowest to the highest settings. Measurement indicates a blade gap of 0.5 mm on setting 1 and 1,3 mm on setting number 6.
Adjustable razors are the one type razor that will cater for all your needs from being a teen with silky soft whishers to 'hardebaard' and right back to old toppie with a few hairs here and there.
This razor has a cap that is hinged on the one side, while the cap snaps onto the base by means of two studs with a wider top section that is pushed down in between two pieces of spring steel that is clamped in the center portion of the baseplate. The cap that snaps onto the base is nothing new and pretty much a proven method of securing the cap, but the hinge is 'an extra' My initial thoughts were that the hinge had no function other than to secure the cap to the base, but I was wrong, playing around with it I realized this razor is very easy to open and close with one hand. Slip your thumb under the unhinged side and flip it up, the first stud will release and shortly after the second, now flip it over using the same tumb, and viola, ready to load a blade! Reverse this action after you replaced the blade with your spare hand. Easy-frikken-peasy!
The hinge is probably the most likely aspect of the razor to give problems as it is secured via a thin pin sliding up and down a 'frame' that is cast as part of the base, be careful not to put any strain on these parts when opening and closing the razor. I would actually advise using only one hand when removing and replacing the cap, as we all know us men can be a bit forceful using both hands on small things. That being said, should the hinge fail or break the razor will still be perfectly functional, only that the cap will now be a seperate part like most other razors. This flip function not only adds to the coolness factor, but also adds functionality and we quite like this quirky feature.
Something else that is cool about this razor is that it has rollers rather than a fixed comb or guard, I suspected the intended function was to reduce drag resistance and allow more lubricant to remain on the skin as it should theoritically 'roll over' the lather rather than scraping it away, and indeed it did exactly that when we tested it. It left a ton of soap on the face on the mild setting, and still quite a bit on 'maximum volume' The roller worked very well, and even a very thick, creamy lather clogged with 3-day stubble did not stop it from wheeling. It certainly has a different feel then most other razors, and the blade/razor gave excellent audible feedback as it cut through the 'copper wire' (We have not tested this specific model yet, but as the head is similar to the DE27 we assume the shave will be similar)
The head is quite bulky, and the roller adds some volume to this, so if you have a lot of little dents and gullies in your face you will need to do some strokes in alternative directions to get all the stubble. Finishing up I went across the grain in top gear and got to BBS with ease, it was actually one of the most user friendly experiences I have had with a razor going across the grain at maximum setting.
This razor has a smooth, bulky handle with no knurling, but the shine cigar shaped handle would simply not have the same aestetic appeal if it had. The razor handle does have a smaller diameter on the handle where you would hold it between your thumb and pointer finger, and that helps help to improve grip on this clunker.
As this is an entry level adjustable one cannot expect exact tolerances and top class finishing, but I must admit they are pretty good, the blade sits securely and the blade gap was even and uniform on all the razors I checked. The razor has large oval cut-outs at the bottom of the base to allow for proper flow-through of stubble and lather, like most safety razors one can complete every shave from A to Z without the need for a single rinse under a tap or in the basin.
This should be a very nice adjustable for someone with very sensitive skin for reasons mentioned above, but as I have pretty standard skin I would need your feedback on your experience of it, please review the razor if your sensitive skin was the specific reason why you purchased this razor, it will help others to make the right choice.
The razor stands 108 mm high and weighs 121 grams, the handle has a diameter of 12 to16 mm and they are available in Gumetal and White Chrome finish. This model comes with a stand and 5 blades in a flat, brown box.
a Smoking piece of kit!