Homer generally had a way with words, but as razor makers, we have to object to the emphasis he - and everyone after him - put on the blade. Don’t get us wrong, though. You don’t have a razor if you don’t have a properly sharp cutting edge. There’s a reason people search Google more often for “razor” than scissors, steak knife, or scalpel - it’s one blade you likely use, every day.

But a razor is far more than its blade - especially our SL5. In fact, a modern razor is the single most complex, non-electronic hand-held device most people will ever use, and that’s because a lot of extraordinary engineering, at extremely high tolerances, is taking place in a very compact space.

We’ve invested $40 million in proving that out, from scratch.

The value that’s in the SL5 comes from far more than the blade - it comes from the system we’ve invented, built and patented that works with the blades, so that the sharp part of the razor actually does what it’s supposed to do. That is, cut any whisker with precision. The blade is important, but it’s just one part of the tool. In this post, we explain the others, and how the sum total of them sets the SL5 apart.

1. OUR HANDLE ISN’T AN AFTERTHOUGHT - IT’S FORETHOUGHT

When you pick up our razor, you’ll immediately notice that it has serious weight to it, and at the same time, feels balanced. That’s no accident. The handle is absolutely critical to whether or not any razor can perform to its potential. We worked closely, for years, with industrial designers and engineers and experts to ensure that we got the right weight, shape, and balance for the SL5. The exact same blade in a handle that is unbalanced, too light, or poorly-shaped will produce an inferior shave, as anyone using it unconsciously struggles to compensate: by shaving with too many strokes, by using too much pressure, by pulling the blade across the skin too hard. 

There’s a reason our handle is made entirely from metal, falls into your hand like a precision instrument, and is guaranteed for life. We don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that when you shave with the SL5, it feels like the handle is pulling you.

2. OUR CARTRIDGE PACKS A PUNCH

Our razor isn’t just about one blade, it’s about five blades. The farther apart the blades are from one another, the more likely skin will reflex and get snagged between them. Get the blades too close, and whiskers and shave cream won’t properly leave the space between them.

We spent a lot of time, and even acted as test subjects for earlier prototypes because we were so determined, and ultimately fit five of our blades in the same space other companies can only fit three. Not for nothing, but that’s an incredibly complex operation to repeat, precisely, millions of times on strips of metal as sharp as a… razor.

Everything in the cartridge - the blades, the fins, the central pivot, the location and shape of the magnet - has to be in exactly the right place because everything needs to work together to deliver the best shave possible.

In fact, in our cartridges alone, there’s enough math, metallurgy, and craftsmanship that support many of our 100+ company patents and make us so confident the SL5 is better than anything you’ve ever tried, we offer our customers - you - a money back guarantee. 

3. OUR MAGNET ISN’T JUST COOL - IT BINDS THE ENTIRE SYSTEM TOGETHER

Razors are not only incredibly complex and precise, machines. They also operate in a challenging environment - they go from wet to dry, from cold to warm, they’re assaulted every day with soap, cream, and whiskers, and even - if only inadvertently - dropped on tile floors from six feet in the air.

That means the mechanism that holds the cartridge to the handle has to be designed so that a razor can endure this treatment, daily, and continue to operate flawlessly. The only way our engineers could solve this problem to their satisfaction was to use a rare earth magnet to bind the cartridge to the handle. The magnet is unaffected by soap or stray whiskers that might otherwise interfere with the proper angle of attachment or cartridge pivot, and it can easily release when needed. 

All of this is to say, there’s no question that a good razor is about a lot more than the blade. If you want to see for yourself, go ahead and try the SL5. If you don’t agree that it’s the best shave you’ve ever had, send it back. 

The only thing we ask in return? Don’t ask us why it took ten years to make a razor...