As far as I know this is Pearl razor's first single edge offering. As the name says single edge razors only utilize one edge during the shave, either with a specially designed single edge blade, or with the standard double edged blade snapped in half, this model uses the latter and what is great about this is the fact that the user retains the advantage of having a wide range of razor blade brands to choose from. I tried a Feather blade and was not to happy with the shave, second time round I went for the cheaper Laser Platinum and had a better shave, once again proving that you need to 'set up' each razor with blade of your choice, and it is not neccesarily the blade you like in your other razor!
The head is a bit small to my liking, I struggle to hold the cap in position while tightening the knob, it is not the easiest razor to use, more so if you got fairly big hands. The magnet holds the blade well, but take some time to 'figure out' how to best load it, eventually I went for two fingers under the baseplate and thumb on top, but was still not as quick as I would like. I used a snapped blade, and the two parts clamped the blade nicely, that being said I do feel this razor needs a bit more tourqe to tighten than any safety razor I own where the flex/spring of the blade helps to tension the assembly.
Version 2 (V2) have now been added to our inventory, Pearl have added some blade stops, so the problem of a moving blade (that I did not have troubles with on V1) have been resolved. The half sandwitch of a double edge blade now sits very snug and secure on the razor bed. The upgrade can be seen in the last three photos of this listing.
The head angle felt a bit deep for me, but I am not a big fan of modern single edge razors, I prefer straights and double edged razors, so this may not be for everyone. Shaving this razor had me realize I shave like a bird taking off, 'wings' spread out, where most folks have their arms close to their bodies, this may be the reason the head/handle angle seemed a bit weird for me.
The razor is a bit more technical than most, and offers a wider range of shaving angles than double edged razors, take some time to play around with blades and angles. The shaving angle starts with the handle parallel to your face, and it still grips hair for the next 40 degrees, a straight edge on the cap and guard seems to indicate a best shaving angle of about 10 degrees (Handle to face).
The razor is not a close shaver in 'normal mode' and it is not all that efficient, some buffing or follow-up passes against or across the grain will be a requirement if you are after a BBS shave.
Please review the razor and share what worked best for you, your reviews will help others and give some insights for next time we try it.
Specs from their website below;
Razor Handle Brass metal
Razor Head Special Zinc alloy
Razor Color: Silver Matt
Razor Height: 10cm
Razor Weight: 85gm*
Razor Stand Height 1.5 cm
Razor Stand Weight: 55gm*
Razor With Stand Weight: 140gm*
Razor With Stand Height 11.5 cm
Razor Head Type: Close Comb (Special Zinc alloy)
Package Includes 1Piece Safety Razor & 20 Piece Premium Single Edge Blades