Description
The Focus Slim Al Shavette (aka R28) is a unique Italian creation made from a single piece of aluminum. It has perfectly neutral balance in its native format of 100% anodized aluminum (in several colors). The Focus Slim Al It will not only rest upright upon its normal base, it’ll do it upon its ~8.5×14.5mm front tip! I’m very glad my wife discovered this item in Bologna, as it has become a TheSuperiorShave staple.
THIS LISTING IS FOR THE PLAIN ALUMINUM VERSION (R28-7).
Takes Regular Old DE Blades, One Half at a Time
Slim AL accepts regular double edge razor blades; snap in half in the paper and observe your blade closely after removed from the paper. Note the little bent shards always turn one way or another – make sure they point to the back of the holder and you’ll never have problems snookering in to this tight-tolerance tool.
All Aluminum. No Plastic. No Rust. Nothing Wears.
There’s nothing to crack, rust, or wear away on the Focus Slim Al shavette.
Ignoring some very fine but proprietary blade devices out there for their costly long term relationships, this is [subjectively!] the greatest design in barber razors, a wizard’s wand when paired with the ultra-sharps such as Feather, Astra, etc.
Light Weight, Neutrally Balanced, and Many Colors Offered
The Focus Slim Al razor’s 24 grams without a blade and, quite obviously, made in Italy. Currently the Focus Slim Al is produced in black, blue, fuscia, gold, green, red, or plain aluminum as here.
EXTREMELY Tight Machining Tolerances
Machining tolerances are incredibly tight – the Focus R28 will not accept a DE blade if when broken in half the bent shards extend >1mm beyond the plane of the DE blade pointing “up”. Make sure your shard faces down to the holder. The Slim’s engineer designed the razor to use double edge blades snapped in half, NOT the “saloon” half blades. You must put the blade in with its bent shard facing down. It wasn’t I who unearthed this great intel, by the way-credit’s due to a working professional in the MST. Thanks mightily, CB, and I post your unedited report below!
Meaningless Subheading for SEO, Please Ignore
“Hey ______ {your obnoxious author}), I’ve been using the Slim AL exclusively in the barbershop since I’ve gotten it {NOTE: 7.5 mos since e-mail}, and have definitely put it through its paces, and feel I can give an honest report.
I run 100+ blades per week through this bad boy and it doesn’t disappoint. Very impressed with the initial quality and fitment of this razor when it arrived, and I can say without hesitation that the tolerances of this tool have not changed one bit — thousands of blades later. Don’t baby this thing, it’s a utilitarian device for me; and both the pivot and the blade holder are as smooth and tight as the day it rolled off of that blessed Italian assembly line. There is absolutely no play in the blade, a feat that no other razor that I’ve used has been able to accomplish.
Another Meaningless Subheading for SEO, Please Ignore
As far as blade placement is concerned, I’ve tried everything from Sharks to Feathers– and haven’t found a blade that won’t work, yet. The one thing I have found is that if you place the blade in the holder with the bent tabs (from breaking the blade in half) facing down they will all slide in with ease.
As always, thanks for the great products and service– I’ve never regretted a purchase. And, just for fun, I’ll attach a picture of the razor in it’s current home…
It Is Not Perfect – But it is Damn Good
It isn’t a perfect razor. Nothing is perfect (beyond our own Sunday Shaver). But it is damn good with that little built-in guard bevel, and by taking common blades you’re not marrying any high-maintenance women with expensive running costs (always avoid long term costly relationships!).
Head’s Not as Narrow as Dovo = Demerit
Compared to the Dovo Shavette razor, the main advantage for Focus Slim Al is the absence of intermediary plastic to hold a blade. In fact, it is the only shavette taking one half of a regular blade which can say so. No plastic holder, no exterior ‘pincher’. The Dovo, however, does posses one advantage; its thinner head profile allows a more acute angle of blade to skin than possible with Focus Slim Al. Some barbers insist upon that, but it also is harder to use.
Built-In Angle Guide/Stretcher Thingy = Huge Advantage
Focus Slim Al Razor has a built in angle guide on the head itself. This is not unique to them, other offerings in the market also do so. When using, I feel for the ridge as I push the razor to skin plane, and when I feel the ridge, I then twist head until I feel blade, only moving blade perpendicular to its edge while feeling the ridge’s contact. The ridge guarantees a relatively low angle AND a good stretch of that skin. This makes it easy to use.
