Baxter of California Black Five Blade Cartridge Razor for Men | Everyday Shave | 2 oz.

While most companies are trying to outwork each other to deliver the cheapest blade possible to the consumer, Baxter of California has gone the other way and delivered supposedly the peak of luxury in the Baxter of California Five Blade Cartridge Razor.Out of the package, you get the razor in a nice box, but you only get what you see - the razor handle and one blade. It would have been nice to get some kind of stand, but the bottom of the handle is flat enough to stand upright or you can hang it in your shower with a $1 suction cupped razor holder.The handle is metal and it has a nice heavy feel. Its a throw back to the round handles of the 30's/40's/50's safety razors that you unscrewed the head to put in a new razor blade. While some people have been saying it is too short, it is exactly the same length as my current razor that I purchased through an online discount razor store.The shave is very smooth and close and is provided by a Gillette-branded 5-blade head. The head appears to be a Gillette Fusion5 ProGlide which runs $27 for eight replacement cartridges.While the handle is nice and the blades deliver a nice, nickless, close shave, I just about spit out my coffee when I saw that it retails for ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!! I thought this was simply a typo (which sometimes happens when Amazon is testing new products), but when I went to Baxter of California's website sure enough the razor is actually $100.So what am I getting for $100? Just a metal handle and a single razor cartridge in a nice (though EXTREMELY oversized) box that I immediately threw away. The cartridges sell for about $3.36/ea and thus you are paying about $96 for a handle. Is it worth that much? No - it clearly isn't. From the pictures on the website, I guess Baxter of California is trying to position themselves as a company who caters to the young and hip. Apparently if you are young and hip you also have no fiscal sense and you are more than happy to throw away your money for products that are dramatically overpriced.So my advice to you if you are tired of getting a $3 razor and the shave that a $3 razor gives and you want a wonderful and VERY close shave and don't mind spending a little extra, go out and spend $13 for a Gillette Fusion5 ProGlide razor (which includes two extra replacement cartridges) or a 5-blade razor from any of a half dozen other companies. You'll get the same shave as this $100 unit and the handle will probably be ergonomically shaped rather than this round stem. What's not to like?Overall I keep thinking "Who in the world would want to pay $100 for this razor"? Someone who wants to show their girlfriend/wife how young and stupid they are? Geez Louise...

If you are going to sell a razor handle for a hefty sum then you know you have to sell the sizzle as much as the steak. If it is a gift then it must convey that your fiance loves you to irrational lengths, or that your employees are sycophants of the highest order. This must be more than a product; it must be an artifact. It must be sensuous in the hand and a delight to the eye. It must rest in a beautiful case and gleam. After all, it’s just stick… better be a very fine stick. Music from heavenly spheres should play in your head and an aura surround the product, even if it is simply the product of hypnotically compelling marketing.Alas.The handle is not heavy enough nor quite long enough. The handle is slick for insecure handling in a soapy hand. The cylindrical barrel does not automatically align parallel to the palm so that It does not “register” - that is, you have to look down to see which way the blade is facing; this is a quibble, and admittedly, the taper of the handle guides your fingers upward to the chrome head of the handle which certainly does give you a firm grip and parallels the razor direction, but I like holding my razor like a wand, not a tiddly wink.It comes in a box and not an especially beautiful box. Once out of the box there is no case or holder. You simply throw it in the drawer after you are done.The blade itself is a Gillette blade custom colored black to match the handle. Any comments about the quality of the shave will reflect on Gillette, not Baxter.You want to know you are holding an expensive object in your hand, even if the expense is irrational. Sadly, if you don’t already know that you or someone else paid a pretty penny for the Baxter of California shaver handle, the product itself will not announce itself as anything more than different.I applaud stylish excess as much as the next shallow materialist and yet cannot say this is the Patek Philippe of razors. Perhaps it is the Cadillac of Rolls Royces.

I regularly use a  Gillette ProGlide Power Razor . I also have the  Gillette Fusion ProShield  and regular  Gillette ProGlide .I dislike women's razors and always use a man's razor because they shave my hair better. Therefore, I was ecstatic to get the opportunity to try this elegant razor. The blade does not appear to be any different than my other 5-blades. I was able to use my own blades on this handle as well as they are interchangeable.I got a great shave all over my body. I do shave under my nose and chin as well and this worked as good as my other razors. However, the handle (which is really what this razor is about) is about 1/2 to 1 inch too short. I found this difficult to hold unlike my other cheaper razors. Since my hands are smaller than a man's, I would think men would find the handle even shorter than I do. Also, this handle is costly at the current price of $90.16. Yes it is a gorgeous handle but I need it to be a little longer. If the handle was longer, I would have rated this 4 stars with 1 star off for the steep price.In summary, this gave a great shave but the handle is too short and the price too expensive for such a short handle. The box it comes in is okay but nothing great as the inside packaging is cheap.UPDATE April 8, 2018 - My boyfriend tried this razor and said it was okay. He said the handle was not heavy enough or long enough for him. He got a good shave from the blade but overall there was nothing that would compel him to buy this as it is just okay. He likes his Gillette Fusion better.

I was excited about this item, even preordered it. Since I mostly use Baxter of California cosmetics, I tough this will be a great addition and replacement for original Gillette handle, even with such a high price. While there is no doubt that this is a very stylish product, the central part of the handle is made from slippery plastic which together with being very short makes a good shaving almost impossible, even borderline dangerous as the handle slips out of hand regularly and there is no way to get a good grip. The original Gillette handle is much better if not ideal, albeit not such good looking, but this is one item where safety and usability tops the looks every time. Baxter of California needs to get back to the drawing board and re-do this product entirely to make it useful.