- Joined
- Tuesday May 17, 2016
Several years ago, this razor was originally produced in the super rare and hard metal, iridium, and sold for $100,000. It won many renowned design awards, was featured in some of the world's largest publications, gaining international attention.
At that time, producing synthetic sapphire blades was super expensive, so they embraced the cost, making it out of one of the rarest and hardest metals on the planet, selling it to the super rich.
Manufacture of synthetic sapphire has since come down tremendously, thanks to its use in products such as the iPhone. Sapphire is the third hardest substance known to exist, only behind diamonds and moissanite. Due to its extreme hardness, blades can apparently last anywhere from 6 months to 4 years. The cutting edge is also much sharper and uniform than anything possibly made from steel, with the thinness of the cutting edge being at the molecular level.
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Late last year, Zafirro first attempted to bring this razor to the mass market via Kickstarter. They had some problems with outside private investment firms, and subsequently cancelled their campaign, not taking any monies pledged from their backers. They promised to return, and here they are:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zafirro/zafirro-sapphire-blade-razor/
If they come to market, this razor should retail in the $250 range, with replacement blades under $39. Kickstarter backers will pay approximately $100, depending on the reward level. Delivery of the razor should be by December this year.
A few comments:
Unlike other Kickstarter ventures and their ilk, I am not worried about Zafirro's ability to make this razor if the funding is completed. They have done it before successfully, with more difficult materials and with sapphire technology much less advanced than it is today.
While disappointed with their first Kickstarter venture, I was impressed with their foresight and integrity in cancelling the campaign when they realized they couldn't do it with the amount of pledged funds. In other words, they never took anyone's money, trying to wing it on a shoe string. This adds a level of trust, for me.
What might disappoint some here, is that this is a 2 bladed cartridge razor, and moreover has a pivoting head. I will remind doubters that pivots do work, adding a level of safety and forgiveness that easily rides around the contours of the face. Anyone who's tried a OneBlade is aware of the pivot's effectiveness. I can't say that I'm happy about the cartridge component, but with the blades made of sapphire, I suspect it will shave differently than any cart ever made.
I took a punt on pledging for this razor because I love innovative technology, and this is potentially the first truly radical shaving innovation in many decades. This razor has the possibility of changing shaving as we know it, with a sharper, harder blade in build quality that can last generations, and that having just handful of spare replacement blades will be enough to shave the rest of your life. At $100, this is too cheap to ignore, considering what they will eventually sell at. And, it is one of the most stunningly beautiful razors ever made!