Leaf Twig Razor: First Impressions

[Sara-s]

It should arrive in today's mail. I will have time to try it on Friday. More after that.

 

[Sara-s]

Yes, the Leaf is here! I like the weight & textured handle. Installation of a blade is very easy. I did an underarm shave in front of the mirror, so I could see whaat was happening.
The shave is smooth and I like the angle of the head. No irritation. Friday morning, when I have lots of time, I will do my legs.

The only issue I have is the lack of a safety cover for the head (when there is a blade in it.). I ordered something from Amazon. Hopefully that will work.

 

[CBLindsay]

Yes, the Leaf is here! I like the weight & textured handle. Installation of a blade is very easy. I did an underarm shave in front of the mirror, so I could see whaat was happening.
The shave is smooth and I like the angle of the head. No irritation. Friday morning, when I have lots of time, I will do my legs.

The only issue I have is the lack of a safety cover for the head (when there is a blade in it.). I ordered something from Amazon. Hopefully that will work.

I look forward to your full shave test impressions. I am pretty unlikely to get one myself but occasionally I do find myself looking at those and giving them a small amount of consideration. Mostly, it’s the kind of technical contraption look that grabs my eye.

 

[Sara-s]

I did my first full leg shave in the shower today. Got pretty good results- very smooth, with just one nick (caused by my carelessness.). No cuts or irritation.

The Leaf-branded blade was better than I expected, given that I have no idea of its actual brand. The only thing I could find out is that they are made in Egypt. The angle of the head is excellent for me! That’s probably the thing I like the most.

Loading & unloading a blade is very easy and can be done very safely, as long as you hold the blade by the sides. Once you twist the head back down, it stays securely closed.

I found it easy to clean. Between strokes, it rinsed off very well- no clogging of shave soap & hair.

The only thing I didn’t like was the lack of a safety cover. When it’s on my bathroom counter, I don’t want a blade exposed, creating potential for accidents. Fortunately, safety covers for cartridge razors are readily available & fit over the head just fine. Here it is with & without the safety cover.

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[Sara-s]

I do need to mention one other thing that is bugging me a bit. If you look n the company's site, there are pics & videos of both men & women using their Leaf 2. But for the Leaf Twing they show only men. I reached out to them about this. Their (stupid) reasoning was they they felt the Leaf 2 was better for women. My reasoning is A)I am the customer and I can decide what is best for me. B)I doubt I am the only woman who has ever bought the Twig, because of the angle of the head (which I found to be ideal for a leg shave.)

 

[CBLindsay]

Great review. Good to hear it has worked well for you. Looks a little like an injector or maybe a little like the old Christy razor (angle ). I like the rigidity of the injector blades, feels better on my face than typical DE or half DE blades.
Does the razor head hold the blade firmly enough that it doesn’t flex ?

 

[Sara-s]

@CBLindsay yes, it holds the blade firmly. I didn't notice it flexing at all.

BTW, I did follow up with my correspondence to Leaf. To her credit, the rep did say she would pass on my request for some videos of women using it. A suggestion for a DIY cover was attached.
I couldn't help but notice that the previous email (that I found annoying) didn't have anyone's name attached to it. This one was signed and the signer was a woman.

 

[CBLindsay]

@CBLindsay yes, it holds the blade firmly. I didn't notice it flexing at all.

BTW, I did follow up with my correspondence to Leaf. To her credit, the rep did say she would pass on my request for some videos of women using it. A suggestion for a DIY cover was attached.
I couldn't help but notice that the previous email (that I found annoying) didn't have anyone's name attached to it. This one was signed and the signer was a woman.

Sort of them to listen to what you have to say and loop in a woman on their end. Women (American women anyway) shave regularly and are definitely willing to explore cheaper and better ways to accomplish the task. My daughters (not my wife) value the relative ease and affordability offered by the vintage lady Gillette razors and DE blades but they also enjoy the ease and comfort of the various disposable razors on the market. Something that bridges that gap between disposable ease and comfort and the long term affordability of de blades seems very welcome.
Judging only from the photos I can see why the leaf 2 would be‘recommended’ for ladies, it appears to function similarly to the disposable ones I see at the store. …the price is also higher than the twig, so being told by an anonymous (probably male) customer service rep that you should have gone with the more expensive leaf 2 without acknowledging the features you like about the twig would certainly leave me feeling a little put off. Hopefully they take your suggestions to heart

 

[Sara-s]

I've actually been using DE razors for about a decade. I also have a couple of Kamisori style SE's. So this is not, for me, a direct transition from cartridge razors.
I really like the angle of the head, which is why I bought it, & why I like it.

I did find one pretty good video of a woman comparing the Leaf2 and Twig and showing how to shave with both.