REVIEW: The New Timor Safety Razor
Yet another new safety razor, in the last 4-weeks we've had new safety razors launched by The Executive Shaving Company with their amazing The Braveheart, the new Parker open comb razors and the new Muhle R89 Twist.
Is their room for yet another new safety razor I asked myself when my complimentary Timor arrived in the post?
Well the simple answer is yes!
Let me tell you about the Timor Safety Razor. Firstly it is very well presented in a smart plain brown cardboard box with RASIERHOBEL (German for safety razor) boldly displayed on the top, inside there is a black plastic compartment which houses the razor and a 10 pack of Timor Safety Razor Blades. So far so good, I am impressed.
The image to the right shows from left to right, the Merkur 34c, the Timor and the Muhle R89.
About the Timor Safety Razor
The first thing you notice about the Timor is the finish, the chrome plated head is faultless, not one single tiny flaw on this ultra-shiny head. The handle is not knurled, instead it has an engineered finish with vertical and horizontal grooves that provide a safe, secure grip. Weighing in at 90g this is a razor that feels right in the hand, not too heavy and not too light. The handle is 80mm long and is made from chrome plated solid brass. The head is made from a chrome plated die casted zinc alloy. The underside of the head and inside the head are stamped 'Made in Germany'. We know from experience that our buyers much prefer German made shaving gear.
The bottom of the handle has a nice touch with the words 'Timor Germany' acid etched in tiny print, a nice finishing touch showing the attention to detail German made razors are famous for. Pleasingly, the head is 43 mm long, this means that the razor blade does not protrude from the head.
Shaving with the Timor Safety Razor
I shaved with the Timor on 2nd, 3rd and 4th April 2014. I used Castle Forbes Lime Shaving Cream and finished off with The Executive Shaving Company Intensive Care Moisturising Balm for all three shaves. I used the same Timor Blade that came supplied with the razor for all three shaves. I always do a three-pass shave; two passes with the grain and one polishing-off shave against the grain.
The Timor is a mild shaver, very similar to our top sellers the Muhle R89 and the Merkur 34c, maybe if anything the Timor is more similar to the R89 which on a scale of 1-10 for aggressiveness I would rate as a 4.5 and the 34c as a 5, the Timor would be a 4 out of 10.
The razor is well balanced and easy to manoeuvre around the face. Shaving under the nostrils and shaving my sideburns squarely was easy. After the first pass I had achieved a socially acceptable shave, it was good but not nearly good enough for me. During the second pass I could hear audible feedback which was a reassuring sign that I was actually shaving hair as the shaving action was very smooth indeed. After the second pass I was pretty much good to go but as ever I found little slight beard-rough patches under my jawline and on my cheeks. A speedy third pass soon got rid of these.
Summing Up The Timor did what it is supposed to do which is deliver a fuss free, close and comfortable shave. I was pleasantly surprised at how closely the Timor shaved me. The razor looks very sleek and modern and we will gladly stock it. I can see the Timor selling well throughout the year but especially at Christmas due to the presentation box and the free blades.
At £36.00 the razor is slightly more expensive than the Muhle R89 and the Merkur 34c but remember the Timor comes with 10 Timor blades which alone retail at £4.00 so the Timor is very good value for money.
Marks out of 10 for the Timor Safety Razor: 10.
Check out our extensive range of safety razors here.