The $1 Safety Razor

I had read on a few other forums in the past few months that recently some Dollar Tree stores here in the USA were selling a Chinese TTO safety razor with 5 blades for the princely sum of $1. Well, today I was in a Dollar Tree that had them and for that paltry amount I could not resist. I have used it once, but with a Gillette Platinum Plus blade, and the resultant shave was impressive. It is not a Weishi and another reviewer says as well that it is not the VDH razor sold at Walmart either. It gave me a DFS and I noticed no blade alignment problems nor any other issues. Color me impressed and all for one sawmill dollar.

My package said Assured on it.

Maybe I’m way off here but I can get a DFS with just about any razor, it’s the blade and the comfort of shave that comes into play. I can get a DFS with an IKON tech.... i’d Just better be careful or the septic pen will come out... I can get a DFS with a old Gillette Tech, it willl take 8 passes but the end result will be the same a DFS.

If I put a feather in my Timeless Bronze .78 its the most aggressive razor I own bar none.... more than the Ikon tech more than the dreade R41.... put a shark super chrome in it, smooth as silk and a great shaver 3 passes BBS every time.... .95 timeless stainless steel smooth as silk regardless of blade, 3 passes BBS every time....

Rarely does the end result with the plethora of hardware I own not end in a DFS or a BBS shave, its the pleasure and time of getting there.

...I can get a DFS with a old Gillette Tech, it willl take 8 passes...

I hope you were being facetious as if you really need that many passes then something is wrong with your technique IMO. I can get a DFS with a Tech (my main daily driver) in less than two whole passes and I have a tough Scots-Irish beard.

I get where steeleshaves is coming from. I used to have a Gillette Travel Tech, and it felt like it would’ve required right about eight passes (OK, maybe more like four) to get to a nice DFS shave.

That being said, so quickly did I get tired with its inefficiency that I sold it. Perhaps if I had kept it longer, I would’ve learned to use it more efficiently.

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One dollar for a fully functioning new DE razor is a deal that probably will not be beat. Sounds like the perfect razor for any situation where you don’t want to take an expensive razor along.

I agree with the OP. This razor has been a surprise along with the blades. I've given myself 3 solid shaves with Dollar Tree's branded razor and blade package. The TTO mechanism holds the blade snuggly with good alignment and it has more than enough blade exposure to give the whiskers a good slice. It's not VDH or Weishi type quality, but it gets it done with a fair amount of efficiency and some smoothness. Not bad for a $1....

...I can get a DFS with a old Gillette Tech, it willl take 8 passes...

I hope you were being facetious as if you really need that many passes then something is wrong with your technique IMO. I can get a DFS with a Tech (my main daily driver) in less than two whole passes and I have a tough Scots-Irish beard.

I think maybe a bit of an exaggeration but Gillette Techs for me are a very mild shaver. I recently acquired an ikon Tech and all I can say is What was I thinking!? Man that is one aggressive razor that no Gillette Tech can come close to in aggressiveness. I thought for some strange reason that as I'd gotten comfortable with the ikon short comb I should be ready for the Tech because its just a safety bar version of the short comb right? Wrong. Its several more clicks up on the aggressive scale. I don't think I've ever seen the water run red in the sink on rinsing between passes before. I have retreated in defeat (whimpering softly) to the comfort and safety of the Rockwell 6s on 4 with the Polsilver SI.

The $1 safety razor is an interesting development for those of us interested in economical shaves.

...I can get a DFS with a old Gillette Tech, it willl take 8 passes...

I hope you were being facetious as if you really need that many passes then something is wrong with your technique IMO. I can get a DFS with a Tech (my main daily driver) in less than two whole passes and I have a tough Scots-Irish beard.

I think maybe a bit of an exaggeration but Gillette Techs for me are a very mild shaver.  I recently acquired an ikon Tech and all I can say is What was I thinking!?  Man that is one aggressive razor that no Gillette Tech can come close to in aggressiveness.  I thought for some strange reason that as I'd gotten comfortable with the ikon short comb I should be ready for the Tech because its just a safety bar version of the short comb right? Wrong.  Its several more clicks up on the aggressive scale.  I don't think I've ever seen the water run red in the sink on rinsing between passes before.  I have retreated in defeat (whimpering softly) to the comfort and safety of the Rockwell 6s on 4 with the Polsilver SI.

The $1 safety razor is an interesting development for those of us interested in economical shaves.

Yes, the Ikon Tech is no easy task, but once mastered is a true delight. 2 passes and I'm done. No buffing, touch ups are rare. It delivers an aggressive but exquisite shaving experience.

The Dollar Tree set is a nice economical pick up especially if you travel extensively. There is a little bit of blade feel with it, but it's very manageable. No where near a Tech. More like a Merkur Future on 2 or a Gillette Slim on 4/5. Now that is with the Dollar Tree blade. I think with your preffered blade it would feel better and smoother.
Here is what they look like......

I think maybe a bit of an exaggeration but Gillette Techs for me are a very mild shaver.  I recently acquired an ikon Tech and all I can say is What was I thinking!?  Man that is one aggressive razor that no Gillette Tech can come close to in aggressiveness.  I thought for some strange reason that as I'd gotten comfortable with the ikon short comb I should be ready for the Tech because its just a safety bar version of the short comb right? Wrong.  Its several more clicks up on the aggressive scale.  I don't think I've ever seen the water run red in the sink on rinsing between passes before.  I have retreated in defeat (whimpering softly) to the comfort and safety of the Rockwell 6s on 4 with the Polsilver SI.

Sorry to hear things didn’t go that well with the iKon 104 Tech. I really enjoy that one a lot…

The one thing I don’t quite understand is why it was named Tech, when shave-wise, it has almost nothing to do with Gillette Techs.

I think this is awesome. No need to over think this. BPman gambled the princely sum of $1 and was handsomely rewarded when he shaved with it.

Guess I will stop at my local store and see if they have them in stock. Seems it would be perfect for taking on a vacation. No tears to shed if it is lost or damaged.