Focus Dynamic R50 (Italy)
Italy is blessed in having some of the best engineers in the world; leaders in the design and manufacturing of anything made of metal including some very desirable automobiles and the most complicated machinery to be seen on the planet; let’s see if they can design and build a razor? When I first read the description for this razor, I had no idea what was being described; hooks, pins, special keys and calibration, what are they talking about? To be perfectly honest I did not know what I was about to purchase. Opening the package, I’m confronted with what is definitely a different looking shaving device. For a start the handle has probably started life as a round piece of stainless steel but has had sections milled off/ out of, but it does feel like it will work OK. When I undone the plastic band around the head, the cap which is a simply plate promptly fell on the floor. Two pins on the cap mate into slotted holes in the bottom plate and with no blade fitted there is no pressure against the cap so as soon as the razor is rotated the cap falls off. Now I’ll be upfront and admit that I’m very predigest when it comes to floppy headed razors, ahhhhhhh! floating head (for the purists) and to make things even more interesting the R50 takes a ½ DE blade. Basically, this is a two piece razor although there are many pieces used in the design so they can get their floppy head working. A very pleasing satin finish has been applied to the R50; looks nice but it’s not enough to get me over the line just yet; the quality of the shave has to do that.
It’s suggested that the DE blade should be broken in two and not cut; the curved portion at the break assists in retaining the cap in position. Sounds like a plan, I’m not a plumber and don’t want to be searching through the gunk in the U bend of the basin looking for a wayward cap. In practice, loading the blade is a fiddly operation that would take time learn and I must admit that I didn’t learn. My first pass is mainly upstrokes and for the most part the razor done an admirable job although the spring action never seemed to be working so this made the cutting angle noticeably acute. Re-lather, downward strokes and all hell broke out. It was not the weepers on my neck that were the problem, it was the two long cuts (12/ 15mm) on the left side of the face and I’d only attempted shaving one side of my handsome mug. Bugger this, I don’t have to put up with this crap so I finished the shave off with another razor and packed the Focus away.
Blades Used – Leaf Super + Platinum
Material – Stainless Steel
Blade Tab - Covered
Weight – 93g
Head Width – 44.08mm
Handle Length – approx 102mm
Handle Diameter – 11.9mm
Availability – Focus
Final Word – Not for this little black duck