Dollar Shave Club “Executive”: A Comprehensive Review and Evaluation

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Introducing the Dollar Shave Club – The Executive

Dollar Shave Club made a grand entrance into the market a few years ago with its catchy name and a groundbreaking idea that shaving doesn’t have to break the bank. The company gained popularity not only for its unique branding and marketing, but also for its innovative approach – selling razor subscriptions rather than just razors. This eliminated the risk of shaving with a dull blade or running out of blades altogether. Since then, other major razor brands have followed suit and now offer subscriptions as well.

However, a company’s popularity cannot solely rely on branding and marketing. The quality of the razors themselves is crucial. Dollar Shave Club offers several razor options, but its flagship product is the Executive, a six-bladed razor that rivals big-name brands like Gillette and Schick. (It’s worth mentioning that Dollar Shave Club is now owned by Unilever.) To determine whether the Executive lives up to its claims and is worth the investment, the team at Razorist recently signed up and put it to the test.

Unboxing the Executive: What’s Included?

Forget about fancy packaging. When the Executive arrived after ordering it from the Dollar Shave Club website, it came in a simple cardboard pouch. While it may not be the most visually appealing packaging, it serves its purpose, is environmentally friendly, and reduces waste.

Inside the pouch, you’ll find the handle, four cartridges, and an introduction card that provides information about the subscription and how to seek assistance with your account if needed.

Razor Design: A Closer Look

Let’s delve into the design of the Dollar Shave Club Executive razor. Despite its affordable price, this razor offers several features that are sure to impress.

Handle: The handle immediately catches your attention with its solid feel. It’s crafted from a combination of metal, rubber, and plastic, giving it a satisfying weight. The handle is also noticeably thicker than some other razors, providing a comfortable grip. Numerous rubber grips adorn the handle, ensuring a secure hold. The only areas without rubber are around the neck of the razor and beneath the cartridge, where there is a convenient thumb rest.

At the bottom of the handle, there’s a bulb-like extension that prevents your hand from slipping and serves as a natural point of contact for a secure grip. The head of the handle features a two-pronged, pivoting attachment point for the cartridge. This connection is sturdy and unlikely to break. A small button on the handle releases the blade, although this button feels slightly less robust than the rest of the handle.

The handle’s origin is not explicitly stated, but it is likely manufactured in Korea, as the Executive razor appears to be a rebranded version of the Dorco razor (more details below).

Cartridge: The Dollar Shave Club Executive razor boasts six blades, making it a top-of-the-line option. Below the blades, a large rubber patch is designed to tighten the skin before shaving, while above the blades, a lubrication strip provides added smoothness.

Additionally, this razor features a precision trimming blade on the back. Simply flip the razor over to reach difficult areas or achieve better visibility without the rest of the cartridge obstructing your view.

When it comes to pivot, the Executive’s head offers slightly less flexibility compared to most razors. While other razors typically pivot back around 60 degrees, the Executive’s head moves back about 30 degrees. However, once pressure is applied, the pivot snaps back firmly into place.

The connection between the handle and cartridge has minimal play, ensuring a secure fit. Despite its affordable price, the Dollar Shave Club razor is far from low quality.

Shaving with the Dollar Shave Club Executive

Clever commercials can only get you so far; the ultimate test lies in the quality of the shave itself. In the case of the Executive razor from Dollar Shave Club, it delivers a satisfactory shaving experience. While it may not be the absolute best razor we’ve tested, it definitely holds its own and offers plenty of desirable features.

Our typical shaving routine involves showering to let the warm air and water soften our facial hair. We then lather up with glycerin soap. Using this routine, we found that the Executive razor performed admirably. It effortlessly tackled several days’ worth of growth without causing any nicks or cuts. Even after a couple of weeks, the blades remained sharp and reliable.

That being said, the razor’s glide could be smoother across the face. It doesn’t provide the same silky-smooth experience as some other razors, and there’s a noticeable sense of pressure and blade contact. However, for most people, this won’t pose a significant issue. If you’re accustomed to ultra-smooth shaving with ample lubrication, it might take some getting used to.

Overall, the Dollar Shave Club razor handles hair growth without difficulty. Despite offering less pivot than some competitors, it doesn’t encounter any problems around the jawline.

In summary, while it may not be the smoothest shave we’ve ever experienced, the Dollar Shave Club Executive razor is of commendable quality and performs its job effectively. It holds its own against pricier razors from more established brands.

Cleaning: A Few Considerations

When a razor head consists of multiple blades, there’s always a trade-off. More blades mean they must be closer together, which can lead to clogging and more challenging cleaning.

While we didn’t experience clogging issues during shaving, the proximity of the blades did make it slightly more difficult to remove debris from between them, particularly along the razor’s edges. Cleaning may require a bit more effort compared to razors with fewer blades.

Costs & Subscriptions: What to Expect

Despite its name, the Dollar Shave Club razor comes with a slightly higher price tag. The kit we purchased from DollarShaveClub.com for $10 included a handle and four razor cartridges.

It’s important to note that when you sign up, you’re actually subscribing to regular deliveries of new blades. You can choose the frequency at which you want the blades delivered – whether it’s monthly or every three months. Each four-pack of blades costs $10, equating to $2.50 per blade.

If you decide that the subscription isn’t for you, cancelling is a hassle-free process. There are no start-up or cancellation fees, making it simple to adjust your subscription. After cancellation, you can still purchase individual items from your account, free from subscription requirements.

One thing to be aware of is that purchasing only the razor cartridges can be a bit tricky. The website prompts you to take a quiz about your shaving and grooming habits, which then leads to a bundle of various products. You’ll need to manually deselect these additional items to access the option for the handle and blades alone. The page to buy just the handle and blades may be slightly challenging to find, but we’ve provided a direct link below.

Another noteworthy aspect is that the Dollar Shave Club Executive razor appears to be a rebranded version of the Dorco Pace 6 Plus, a razor that was previously available on Amazon and gained popularity. The Dorco Pace 6 Plus, manufactured by Dorco, a major razor manufacturer from South Korea, bears a striking resemblance to the Executive razor.

Currently, the version available on Amazon is the Dorco Pace 6 Pro, which differs from the Dollar Shave Club razor but is slightly cheaper. During our tests, we found that we preferred the Pace 6 Plus (or the Executive from DSC) over the Pro version sold on Amazon.

Pros & Cons

For a comprehensive list of the pros and cons of the Dollar Shave Club Executive razor, and to explore Razorist’s top 10 razor recommendations, visit our website.

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