DollarShaveClub.com

[TheSlyBear]

OK, my month is up, and as promised here's the review.

To recap: I signed up for the 4-blade version as I'm used to a Mach 3 and figured that the 2-blade version wouldn't work out for me. (And schro has reported that he was most unhappy with those blades). At $6 per month (4 blades) these blades cost about half of what I'm paying for Mach 3 blades.

For the impatient, here's the bottom line:

Are the blades worth the money?

Yes. They are decent blades and for the money, I think that they are better than I expected.

Will I be giving up my Mach 3 for them?

No. Even though I found them decent blades for the money, I prefer the Mach 3 blades enough to pay more for them.

Here's the details.

They send you a free handle to use with the blades, and I knew that getting used to the new razor involved not only getting used to new blades but to the handle itself. That's why I used the blades for a complete month with an open mind before coming to any conclusions. I figured that'd give me plenty of time to get used to the new razor, and I'd know that any problems that I would be having would not be a result of my own ineptitude.

As with the Mach 3, I used each blade for a week -- treating myself to a new blade every Sunday.

The blade shaves well enough, but not as comfortably as the Mach 3. It has a slightly rougher feel on the head. (I should point out that in the entire month, I never cut myself with the new blades.)

After I make the first pass over my head, I always wet my hand to find any rough spots. With the Mach 3, I usually find one or two. With the DSC blade, I always found a lot more. And no matter how carefully I'd make that first pass, I'd always have a lot of spots that I'd have to go over again.

Another thing that didn't necessarily figure into the quality of the shave was that the head has a spring-loaded action that causes the blade to flap with a loud sound after each stroke. I didn't really affect anything adversely, but I found it somewhat annoying.

So the 3 negatives that led me to decide to stay with the Mach 3:

1. Not as comfortable a shave.
2. Left rough spots that needed re-shaving.
3. Flap, flap, flap.

If I was on a budget that made a new Mach 3 blade every week impossible, I could use this blade and be relatively happy with it. But I'm lucky in that I can afford the Mach 3 blades, and that's what I prefer.

Bottom line: A fine blade for the money, but out-performed by higher quality blades that cost more.

Oh, and to their credit: canceling my membership was a snap: one click on the web site. So there's no down-side to giving them a try if you're interested.

[warhawk]

Hey SB:

thanks so much 4 your review.  i'm glad that they didn't give U a difficult time when U cancelled them out.  i so agree that sometimes saving money doesn't out weigh the final result: a quality shave.

WARHAWK

[TheSlyBear]

Yup, canceling service was easy -- just a click. That just makes good business sense, but so many companies just don't get it.

[schro]

I appreciate the review, Bear.
You certainly were more patient than I was. I tried two different blades on two shaves and threw the whole lot away.

[TheSlyBear]

I wanted to give them a fair shot -- but I was pretty sure after the first week that they weren't a keeper for me.

[tomgallagher]

Thanks for the review Bear. Very helpful.

[xabydaddy]

Yes, thanks for the review.

[trauts]

I know that I'm way late to this party, but I used DSC blades off and on for several months last year.  What I found was that when I started with the 4X (mid-level, 4 blades), I found the shave to be very nice, smooth, with no irritation.   After several months though, I found that the blades were inconsistent in quality.  The breaking point was the morning I shaved with a brand new blade before a meeting with a customer.  I had bloody spots all over my face where the razor had pulled hairs out.  I tried another blade in that pack the next week, and it was slightly better, but I had the same thing happen on another package. 

I discontinued the service, and told them why, but I never heard anything back from them (kind of a pet peeve of mine).  I followed up with them again earlier this year asking about their quality control and if it had improved.  They actually apologized to me this time and sent me a free month's worth of blades.  They were okay, but I did not feel like I was getting a very close shave, so I'm looking around for my next razor... 

[xabydaddy]

I know that I'm way late to this party, but I used DSC blades off and on for several months last year.  What I found was that when I started with the 4X (mid-level, 4 blades), I found the shave to be very nice, smooth, with no irritation.   After several months though, I found that the blades were inconsistent in quality.  The breaking point was the morning I shaved with a brand new blade before a meeting with a customer.  I had bloody spots all over my face where the razor had pulled hairs out.  I tried another blade in that pack the next week, and it was slightly better, but I had the same thing happen on another package. 

I discontinued the service, and told them why, but I never heard anything back from them (kind of a pet peeve of mine).  I followed up with them again earlier this year asking about their quality control and if it had improved.  They actually apologized to me this time and sent me a free month's worth of blades.  They were okay, but I did not feel like I was getting a very close shave, so I'm looking around for my next razor... 

The blades are inconsistent. The first batch is usually pretty good (or I imagine them to be) but after that it's kind of hit or miss. My razor of choice is the Fusion ProGlide but they are too expensive and the lubricating strip peels too quickly for the money.

[wutwutman]

Out of the Gillette line I've found the Gillette Body to be the most comfortable shave on the dome.  Followed by the Fusion Pro.  They cost about the same.  Plus the handle on the Body is much more comfortable and easy to grip when wet..

[greatnessinc]

Ya know if you're looking for a better shave and to save a ton of money you should consider wet shaving with a Double edge safety razor. Depending on the brand I can get 100 blades for under $30.
I do realize that not all guys are willing to learn the art of DE shaving. Personally I think it's a skill every man should have. If more folks would adopt DE shaving and give up the over priced carts these companies have been scamming everyone with than the power would shift back to the people.

[Hingatao]

I used a DE when I first started shaving my face. That was about forty years ago, though, so I really don't remember what kind of results I got. Although I've been BBC for almost two years now, I'm not sure I'm ready to try a DE up top.

[wutwutman]

I used a DE when I first started shaving my face. That was about forty years ago, though, so I really don't remember what kind of results I got. Although I've been BBC for almost two years now, I'm not sure I'm ready to try a DE up top.

Shaving the dome with a DE is definitely intimidating.  I have recently started doing it and so far havent sliced anything off LOL 

[Mike E. P.]

I used a DE when I first started shaving my face. That was about forty years ago, though, so I really don't remember what kind of results I got. Although I've been BBC for almost two years now, I'm not sure I'm ready to try a DE up top.

Shaving the dome with a DE is definitely intimidating.  I have recently started doing it and so far havent sliced anything off LOL 

I was really nervous about shaving my head with a safety razor at first, but I found it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I've been wet shaving my head for about two months and so far, I still have both ears!

[greatnessinc]

My advice, perfect your DE craft on your face then go for the dome.