Wednesday 26 November 2008

Where Art and Toiletry Meet - The King of Shaves Azor


The new razor from King of Shaves, the Azor has clean lines and sleek styling that young men who care about the look of the stuff on their bathroom shelves will love. The sort of young gun who might have a constant stream of nubile conquests casting a critical eye over the contents of their male grooming kits in a morning.

So, who better to review this upstart competitor to Gillette's Mach 3 razor range than Crofty: middle aged, bearded with one partner of 22 years.

It would be wrong however, to assume that I am a stranger to a razor; whilst I am bearded, I am not completely hirsute and therefore a good razor to apply accurately at carefully designated facial landmarks is essential. And the Azor more than fits the bill. The blade width is the same as a Mach 3 yet the actual blade case itself is slighty narrower making for an easier passage around my rugged countenance; and it's light enough to not feel like you are shaving with a 110v hand drill - unlike some of the newer Gillette offerings.

What I love most though about this razor, is the combination of its good looks with simple innovation. Why does something that is simply intended to remove hair from your face have to have technology that requires batteries and springs when Turkish barbers can achieve it with one simple sharp blade? And this is what makes the Azor an ace: it is simple.

It looks good because of its dedication to function - not in spite of it. Every element is designed to do something, from the innovative fork design to the non - clogging head (nattily titled 'open architecture' - but we know what non - clogging means!).

Here's another thing: faces are not flat. Obvious I know, but it took years for razor manufacturers to realise that a hinged blade would work better around facial contours. But, blade units with hinges and springs are very expensive, Gillette's Mach 3 in Boots today are £11.48 for 8, but if, like the clever King of Shave Azor, you put a simple hinge in the actual razor the price of blades is less: £9.49 for 8.




Just to be sure though, and in the intere
sts of impartial web journalism, I asked the two younger male members of the Crofty Clan to try it out. Usually you are lucky to get a morning grunt from them both; but after leaving the Azor on the bathroom shelf as if it were mine, I knew it would only be moments before they tried it out.

Sure enough only hours later the trap was sprung. Here are the unsolicited testimonials of our two young bucks:

"That new razor of yours is cool dad, it's really easy to shave with." and

"I'm having that razor of yours dad, you'll have to get another."

Finally, and by way of a post script, I think these Endurium coated blades might actually live up to their promise of lasting longer. I found the Azor on the side of the bath the other day - and you know what that means - the blade, so far seems to have lost non of its edge.

Well done Will King I say!


5 comments:

Kate said...

Your writing is so persuasive I feel I must have one immediately!

Crofty said...

Ah, another bathside razor in the making!

Crofty said...

And again, thanks to those who left comments...erm I deleted them by mistake. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Well, I think I wrote that MrG had bought one of these and that there had been a distinct lack of oooo's and Aaahhhh's eminating from the bathroom and that I wasn't sure if MrG had tried said product yet.

Well I can now confirm that MrG has tried said product and thought it was awful. He did say in it's defense that he did have quite a few days growth for it to cope with and that maybe he'd give it another chance when he wasn't quite so hirsute.

DON'T DELETE THIS ONE EITHER!!!

Crofty said...

It does rather sound like Mr G might be one of those chaps with facial hair that would be better removed with a scythe!