Errol
Razor Review Guru
Alpha - Cape Cod Jaws (Hong Kong)
When it comes to purchasing aluminium razors, I seldom jump straight in for the buy but I didn’t hold back with the Cape Cod. Australian media is always trying to ram down our throats that we are part of USA; sorry, I’m a bloody Australian and fiercely proud of it, so it had nothing to do with supporting the US Coast Guard with its blue and red anodised finish complete with anchor, even if they do perform a vital role in keeping the US borders safe. It was time to look at what Steve and Alpha’s propaganda machine had dreamt up this time around. Both the OC and SB plates were ordered but for this review I’ve chosen the SB.
First impressions are that this razor is machined to a price, made as simple and as cheaply as possible to extract the highest return from the least amount of input. Anodising can hide many things but even it appears to be the cheap alternative, it’s just there to take your eye away from the flat bottomed plate with one long lather clearing groove on each side and a couple of flats machined on the upper side. Two of these angled flats correspond with flats on the cap to provide a large blade clamping area. Blind blades post holes in the top of the plate prevent the little blue blade posts of the cap popping through the red plate at the bottom. There is nothing standout about the cap itself but is very light weight. While the basic shape of the handle looks to have been borrowed from the Alpha Futura, it is presented with different grooves. Ensuring everyone knows the machining is poor quality, the thread engagement to the handle is very sloppy and just so you know, the mix of the red and blue anodising on the razor does not appeal to me one little bit. Come on Alpha, most of your razors have been very well designed and machined to perfection but this one is a blemish against your good name, stick with the quality product you are known for.
It was a refreshing that from the very first stroke to find the Cape Cod actually felt like an old pair of boots; comfortable, smooth and easy to live with. Efficiency sat around Karve CB Level #C and with a pleasant amount of blade feel I enjoyed hell out of using it. Of course being aluminium the weight of the Cape Cod was down compared to a stainless steel razor of similar proportions, but it felt solid enough in the hand. This razor may have been built to a price, but it does prove that an inexpensive razor can also deliver a pleasing shave. Not a bad shave at all.
Blades Used – Royal II and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – 6061 Aluminium - anodised
Weight – 44.9g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 43.54mm
Handle Length – 91.45mm
Handle Diameter – 14.51mm
Availability – Alpha Shaving
Final Word – Who’s a pretty boy
When it comes to purchasing aluminium razors, I seldom jump straight in for the buy but I didn’t hold back with the Cape Cod. Australian media is always trying to ram down our throats that we are part of USA; sorry, I’m a bloody Australian and fiercely proud of it, so it had nothing to do with supporting the US Coast Guard with its blue and red anodised finish complete with anchor, even if they do perform a vital role in keeping the US borders safe. It was time to look at what Steve and Alpha’s propaganda machine had dreamt up this time around. Both the OC and SB plates were ordered but for this review I’ve chosen the SB.
First impressions are that this razor is machined to a price, made as simple and as cheaply as possible to extract the highest return from the least amount of input. Anodising can hide many things but even it appears to be the cheap alternative, it’s just there to take your eye away from the flat bottomed plate with one long lather clearing groove on each side and a couple of flats machined on the upper side. Two of these angled flats correspond with flats on the cap to provide a large blade clamping area. Blind blades post holes in the top of the plate prevent the little blue blade posts of the cap popping through the red plate at the bottom. There is nothing standout about the cap itself but is very light weight. While the basic shape of the handle looks to have been borrowed from the Alpha Futura, it is presented with different grooves. Ensuring everyone knows the machining is poor quality, the thread engagement to the handle is very sloppy and just so you know, the mix of the red and blue anodising on the razor does not appeal to me one little bit. Come on Alpha, most of your razors have been very well designed and machined to perfection but this one is a blemish against your good name, stick with the quality product you are known for.
It was a refreshing that from the very first stroke to find the Cape Cod actually felt like an old pair of boots; comfortable, smooth and easy to live with. Efficiency sat around Karve CB Level #C and with a pleasant amount of blade feel I enjoyed hell out of using it. Of course being aluminium the weight of the Cape Cod was down compared to a stainless steel razor of similar proportions, but it felt solid enough in the hand. This razor may have been built to a price, but it does prove that an inexpensive razor can also deliver a pleasing shave. Not a bad shave at all.
Blades Used – Royal II and Wizamet Polsilver
Material – 6061 Aluminium - anodised
Weight – 44.9g
Blade Tab – Covered
Head Width – 43.54mm
Handle Length – 91.45mm
Handle Diameter – 14.51mm
Availability – Alpha Shaving
Final Word – Who’s a pretty boy
