Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent product despite some pre-purchase doubts
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2016
I was a little reluctant to buy the Skull Shaver despite good reviews, since the promotional material is a bit reminiscent of "As seen on TV" products like the Veg-a-matic or Ronco knives. And if I had written this review last week, I may have given it just 3 stars. Anyway, I shave my head and most of my face and my hair grows pretty fast. I've gone through a few Brain, Norelco, and Panasonic electrics in the past 40+ years I've been shaving but usually go back to 2 or 3 blade disposable head razors. The electrics seem to dull quickly and just take longer than the blade to get a close shave. Anyway, when I started shaving my head a few years ago I started looking for a larger electric to cover more area and found the Skull Shaver. Despite my trepidations ... how could this product be better than something developed over decades by a major corporation? ... I ordered it. First shave just blew me away - quick, clean, painless. I had intended it just for my skull, but it worked great on my face. Wet or dry, it just worked. The only problem in the first few months was that the battery meter is not very linear. Fully charged battery seemed to last for weeks, then the meter reads 80%, then it's dead in a few minutes. But given how long the battery lasts on a full charge, this wasn't much of a problem and it actually seems to have become more accurate over time. Fast forward a year, and shaving performance got worse, so I ordered two new heads and it was like new again. A few months later I took a long vacation and didn't shave for several weeks. I used the SkullShaver when I returned but it really struggled with the longer hair and then just stopped working. Motor seemed to spin but the blades didn't, despite regular cleaning per instructions. I tried the last new blade assembly but after a few weeks or so, with deferred shaving again (hint) it died again. Bad batch of blades? I was frustrated and disassembled the blades as best as I good figure out, from above removing the small screws which gives access to the center of the blade assembly. I used water, a toothpick and compressed air to blow out the hair as much as possible but no real improvement. Then I found a description online of how to unsnap the plastic trim around the the three outer blades. Sure enough these blades were jammed with hair. Cleaned it out, on both blade assemblies, and they're like new again. This was quick and easy, but is NOT mentioned at all by Skull Shaver. If you're lazy about shaving and wait till your hair is more than 2 or 3 mm (1/8") long, it will clog up despite following the recommended cleaning procedure. But it works so well, and this cleaning is no harder than with my old Braun, which never worked as well and went through expensive blades more quickly, it's not a problem. Highly recommended. Note I paid full Amazon price and have no relationship with the vendor. Just a satisfied customer who is happy to support an American entrepreneur.
