I'm giving it 3 stars.
First,
It was a struggle for Classic Shaving to ship the product. Considering what's happening in the world at the moment, I understand completely. Customer service was close to non existing. The customer support was switched from telephone to strictly email. I sent two email to CS/Grooming Network and no response from them. I received an email from CS; it was not a response to my questions. It was customer survey about their product, then after giving them a bad review of not receiving the product. They sent out generic email informed me why it was taking so long to ship the kit. No problem, like I said, I understand the current situation. When I replied, I informed them to cancel my order and keep the razor. All I wanted was my money back. The following week my razor kit was in the mail. I placed my ordered on April 2nd and it finally arrived April 23rd.
Second,
The starter kit was pretty nice.
I like the aftershave, smolder.
I haven't used the pre-shave oil.*
I haven't used the shaving soap or the brush*; I'm using GBS ( Gentleman Barber Shop ) soap and brush.
The strop is a good width; same width as the blade. So, I don't have to crisscross the strop with the blade.
*For the stuff which I haven't used, I will on my next shave.
Third,
The blade is nice and sharp. It does give a decent shave; I'm still having bit of a problem with the thicker hair from what I read it shouldn't be doing this. If the blade was properly sharpen before using. I need to learn how to do better job at stropping it as well. Still in the learning process.
Fourth,
The scale looks and feel cheap. One of the sides is either wider or is off-set than the other side. When opening the blade, the scales will tighten up on the tang. When closing the blade, you have to make sure it will down in the slit and not going to hit the edge.
Finally, if it was suppose to come with the 8-page booklet. I never received it. All I got was a single page brief description on some stuff and some websites CS recommends.
Overall, the struggle with customer support is my true complaint about customer service. Secondly, the scale. I cannot stress enough how cheap it feels and look. To the point, I'm considering to have the current scales replace. You pay what you get; the considering the cost and amount the items which you receive is decent deal.
::Most important question::
Would I recommend this product?
Yes, I would. The cost for the product and items a person receive is decent. Great value for someone who's learning how to use a straight razor. If you do order this kit or anything from CS, you should wait until there's no pandemic or epidemic in the world. It will take forever to get a response from the customer service or get your package from them.
* Photo of the scales *
- How long have you been Wet Shaving? Just started
- Do you prefer a Safety Razor or Straight Razor? Straight Razor
- Do you prefer a Shave Soap or Cream? Using shave soap at the moment.
- Have You Ever Tried a Pre-Shave Oil or Lotion? Will use the pre-shave oil on my next shave.
