Get Stroppy Executive & Artisan Box by Clever Shave

Not everyone has the time, inclination or steady hand to be a shaving purist, and from time to time I really struggle using a safety razor to shave. I have a tremor in my hands, which when playing up can mean that using a safety razor is reckless, nay borderline suicidal. When these days come I opt for a normal run of the mill disposable razor from either Gillette or Wilkinson Sword. Have you seen the price of those disposable razor heads? Jesus wept (well he would of if he had shaved) they are expensive so anything that can prolong their life is bonus. I’ve written in the past about RazorBrite, a solution that removes the crystal build up on your blades but today I’m going to be looking at the Clever Shave Get Stroppy Executive & Artisan Box.

I was offered the chance to review this product by Clever Shave and it’s been with me now for a few months so I think I’m now in a position to give my thoughts on the product, whether it works and whether it offers value for money. Despite receiving this as a PR sample gratis I can assure you that I’m being incredibly objective, and if you think I can be swayed, well folks you really need to read more of my stuff - if something is crap, I’ll say it’s crap and via versa.

So, what do Clever Shave say about themselves over at their website here?

‘While creating the Clever Shave brand, the idea of ‘Giving the World a Better Shave’ was our driving vision. But then we thought, to live up to that vision, we need to go further, delve deeper and do things which REALLY make a difference to the World around us.

At the heart of Clever Shave is saving money. Our shaving strops cleverly clean and re-align your razor blades, giving you a better shave and extending the life of your blade, giving you a better shave, day after day.

In creating our headline products, we chose to do the product development and manufacturing in Thailand, because of the tradition of hand crafted woodwork and the availability of rubberwood – a sustainable source of hard wood.’

The Get Stroppy Executive & Artisan Box costs £30 and details on how to use the product are below, but before you read that, I have to say that I dived straight in and struggled - reading the instructions is a must otherwise you just end up shaving one side of the strop! 

So, the strop should remove build up from blades and also straighten them. After the usual two shaves with a disposable razor it had already started to blunt and wasn’t cutting through my beard without snagging and causing much colourful language! While the blades looked already straight there was a large amount of beard stuck between the blades and I could see a film on the blade. A couple of firm glides up the strop and not only had most of the blocked hair been removed but the film had also completely gone on the tips and for about half of the blade. It’s the tip and the sharp age that I was concerned about and was pleased to see that it appeared like brand new. Win! After I started to shave with the blade no more snagging and the shave was totally even. 

That was the first time I used it, now before every shave or trim using a disposable I run it up the strop and now, on my ninth shave with the same head and the shaving experience is only now at a point where I might as well just change the head. 

To give this a thorough road test I stuck a pair of tweezers between the blades on a Mach 3 head and moved them out of position. Had I tried shaving with the blades positioned as they were in the head then I’d have been in accident and emergency within minutes and possibly suffering from blood loss. Running the wonky head up the strop while applying a fair bit of pressure did indeed pull the blades back into place so that I could shave without fear.

All in all, in just a few months this has saved me buying more disposable razors, I’ve sent less to landfill as a result and there is also the positive environmental impact of not having to make so many blades. It’s doesn’t cost a lot and looks very stylish hanging in the bathroom by the sink and for that I’m truly thankful. If you use disposables you should look at picking up one of these, and if you are looking for a gift for your other half that will also save money over the long term then look no further. Top notch people, top notch.

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RazorBrite - For blades that go on and on....

RazorBrite will always be a bit special to me, after all it was the first PR sample sent to yours truly after setting up this little blog over twelve months ago. Yes, I know I like to test things over time but I genuinely thought I had written about this already and it wasn’t until the weekend that I realised the original post, written way back in March 2014 was indeed still sat there. Sorry guys! 

This blade has been going for months and is still really sharp

If like me you are tighter than a fishes bum yet have to shave on a regular basis then you will know that the cost of blades is simply a form of blatant daylight robbery. I honestly can’t remember a time when I bought blades and didn't feel as though I was being brutally violated. 

They are expensive here in the United Kingdom. Now I’m not sure if the cost is just a very British thing, but paying nearly £15 for four blades that used to last for two, maybe three shaves at a time seems excessive. 

So, RazorBrite, it’s a fluid solution system (i.e. a dipping pot and bottle of the liquid) that they say can extend the life of a razor blade by up to twenty times, yes, twenty times. That would save me, and any other shaver a fortune, particularly as a 150ml kit costs only £12.

So, what are the exact claims being made, after all, extending the life of a blade up to twenty times is quite bold. 

‘Whether you dispose of your razor blades daily, weekly or monthly, RazorBrite extends the life of all popular brands of razor blades including Gillette Fusion and Wilkinson Sword by up to 20 times.

RazorBrite offers fantastic savings on the cost of your shaving bill, and it works with both men’s and women’s shaving products. Why spend so much money on replacement razor blades when a single RazorBrite Kit will maintain a pack of blades for the whole year?

A single kit, containing a 150 ml bottle of RazorBrite solution and a small dipping container (with full instructions), is all you need to stop buying replacement razor blades for the next 12 months, offering considerable cost savings.

Does RazorBrite mean your shave will take considerably longer? No! The process is very simple, and adds no more than 30 seconds to your shaving time.

Once you’ve tried RazorBrite, it will quickly become an essential part of your grooming kit.’

I followed the steps below (ripped off directly from the RazorBrite website):

Step 1: Shave as normal.

Step 2: Rinse blade in cold water and shake off surplus.

Step 3: Move blade around in the RazorBrite solution (in dipping container) and shake off surplus.

Step 4: Store as normal to dry.

The entire process was incredibly quick. I have to say that I hardly notice my use of Razor Brite now, it has just become part of the routine when shaving. It has however saved me a fortune. A pack of four blades has now lasted for nearly twelve months and they are still gliding through the hair on my face as and when required.

The first time I used this I didn’t see much difference, but after swilling the blade around in the solution the second time is was obvious that the residue and product build up on the blade was being removed. It’s actually really cool when you see the scum coming off. 

The solution removes the crystal build up on the blade. It isn’t visible to the naked eye but I have found that the solution seems to unclog blades so quickly it is sometimes better than using warm water when shaving.

Despite using this on my blades (the strong chemical aroma suggests it may be a bit rough on skin), when using the right pre and post shave products there is no irritation to my skin. That for me is a massive plus and it was something that had originally played on my mind when deciding whether or not to use it.

I have been using RazorBrite for over a year and my original 150ml bottle of the solution has about a third left. It does represent excellent value for money and has saved me £155 over the time I have used it. You can’t argue with savings like that.

Suitable for male and female blades this is one of those products that looks a bit dull but are hugely functional. It deserves more love, and far more exposure as it really is something any shaver should have to hand. The claim of extending life by up to twenty times seems to be about on the money for me.

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