In a move that really didn’t surprise me too much, Dollar Shave Club is forcing all members to switch to their “new” Club series razors. I put the word new in quotes, because this is the razor system that has been offered for several years in brick and mortar stores like Walmart, Kroger, Target etc.
How I Found Out
An email at 12:03 a.m. Friday morning. Working overnights, I literally watched it come into my inbox.
“Well, that took long enough for them to kill off the original razors,” was my first thought. I bought my son the 4-blade system from Walmart for Christmas a few years ago. That’s when I saw the push DSC was making into brick and mortar stores. Being owned by mega-corporation Unilever, this seemed like a natural move. But I questioned how long it would take for them to move everyone onto one “platform” so to speak. About two years is the answer.
They are tempting us old-school DSC users to switch with a free handle, pack of blades and a travel cover. But…the third point…Executive and the 4X will no longer be sold after February 6th. That one is going to be hard for some users, I imagine, to swallow. Myself, I do not take to change very well.
Related Post: Dollar Shave Club Vs Harry’s – And The Winner Is…
So, I decided to get ahead of this and try it out before it is forced on me. I found this box set at Dillons, the Kroger brand store where I live. Sure enough, the blades, whether it be four or six, are both compatible with the new razor handle. This is part of their marketing. And upon opening, it is the same style of handle I bought my son two years ago.
It holds one of each of the carts and even has instructions.
It fits in pretty snugly with the middle piece clicking into the cart.
It is a solid connection and it didn’t come off even as I pulled gently on it.
The handle is balanced very nicely and has what it called “diamond grip” and does keep it from slipping when wet.
The Test Run
I decided to give the new 6-blade cart and handle a test run and see how it stacked up against the Executive handle and 6-blade cart I’ve been using from DSC for years.
I used a tallow-based soap, which is my norm.
I shaved my head with one pass and a four-pass on my face with one day of growth.
The new DSC cart felt lighter than the Executive. On passes, I noticed it does not glide as well as the older cart. Using them side by side, it was obvious that there was a more tugging with the new cart and it wasn’t as smooth as the Executive cart. I had to do more touchups on my head in the areas where I used the new DSC razor.
Post-shave, I can tell the areas where I used the new DSC equipment. There is more irritation on my scalp and face.
Conclusion
While I do not relish change, I do not usually shy away from it. That’s why I decided to plunk down cash and give the new carts from DSC a chance. I have shaved for years with 6-blade carts from a company that started out with a “going against the flow” attitude and a slogan that of “our blades are f*cking great”. The new products, I feel, aren’t and are a step backwards for the company. DSC worked hard to make its customers, early in the company’s existence, feel like they were part of a group that is getting a great deal and being a bit of a rebel against the big name companies that charge so much for cartridges.
With this sweeping change, I think that community feeling will be gone. If this is what the future of DSC shaving is going to be, I will not continue to be a customer.
Editor’s Note: DSC’s original cartridges were made for them by South Korean manufacturer Dorco. Read about Jay trying Dorco cartridges on his DSC handle by clicking/tapping HERE.
Does anyone know who makes the new handles and blades for DSC? I know the old handles and blades are just rebadged Dorco (and like many I switched to just buying Dorco blades via Amazon). I can’t figure out where the new stuff is coming from – I doubt they are making their own from scratch (the economics don’t work), so I’m assuming they are either reselling stuff from Edgewell or Feintechnik (or someone else). Does anyone know. My Google searches have brought up nothing about the new stuff, just the old Dorco range. Thanks
I haven’t seen any razors like this, but like you said, the economics wouldn’t work for them to make their own.
If you find out, please post, so I can make sure I never buy it again.
Go on Amazon and Order the Dorco Pace 6 Blades.
As you already know, Dorco made the Executive Blades for DSC
As an Executive Blade user with DSC for several years, I saw these on Amazon, thought I would give it a try.
They are the exact same blades. I compared the blades and the only change is that they are Black instead of White.
Pack of 16 costs about $23 and they are amazing. I even have the old Executive handle from DSC and it fits perfectly. You won’t be disappointed!!
Thanks, but we already know this. The question you have replied to was asking which company is making the new handles and blades (the stuff that has replaced the Dorco products in DSC’s range), not where to buy Dorco products from.
I didn’t know and was elated to find this thread. Have used the DSC Executive for 14 years. Hate the new system, happy to know the source of the old blades.
No, many did not know. Maybe you knew about the blades, but judging from the thread here, many were pleased and delighted to know that there is a great alternative to what they were previously using with DSC. DSC threw a curve ball here.
I really appreciated this comment. I was so depressed about the change. I hate the new blades. I still have a several months supply of my execs, but thank you for pointing this out. Chris can go pound rocks.
You’re welcome..
Facts. Thanks for seeing my comment for what it actually was. I’m with you. We really don’t care who is making the new DSC Blades. We know that their new blades are trash, inferior, and many have canceled their DSC subs because of it.
Thank you fir this information Chris . Much appreciated. I was gutted thinking my three handles will now be wasted as I just found out about this change. Have a great day ☺️🙏🏼🙌🏼
Absolutely..Enjoy your weekend!!
I appreciate it Chris M!
No problem!
Hey, I didn’t know this… so I wanted to say thank you. Thank you! 👍🏼
This forced change is extremely disappointing.
I recently went on a trip and somehow grabbed an empty blade pack when packing so I ended up having to go to a Target to get some blades. I was disappointed that the ones they sold in store were different and had to buy a full set with a handle. These were some of the worst blades I had used in quite some time. They kept pulling and tugging at the hair no matter how much shave butter I put on and it just didn’t give me the super close shave I would get with the normal blades. At the time I thought these were just terrible blades they would sell to the big box stores and keep the good stuff for their site subs, but now with my year stock of blades at its end I’m discovering that these terrible blades are not just for the stores but have completely replaced what they used to sell online.
I’ve been using DSC razors for around 10 years now and it was probably one of the best razors I ever used and was cheaper than all the others. As I use one blade for at least a few weeks I would stock up on blades every year or two and then cancel my sub. Now it looks like I’m going to have to hunt for a new blade company or find a company that still sells the old DSC Executive blades.
Go on Amazon and Order the Dorco Pace 6 Blades.
Dorco was the company that made the Executive Blades for DSC
As an Executive Blade user with DSC for several years, I saw these on Amazon, thought I would give it a try.
They are the exact same blades. I compared the blades and the only change is that they are Black instead of White.
Pack of 16 costs about $23 and they are amazing. I even have the old Executive handle from DSC and it fits perfectly. You won’t be disappointed!!
Ditto this recommendation!
Thx!!
I would echo this. I went on Amazon and got two of the exact same handsets I had at DSC plus the old Heritage blade refills.
thank you!!! you are the true MVP, sir!
You are so welcome!!
Here is an article on a “replacement” I found.
https://sharpologist.com/dollar-shave-club-vs-dorco/
The Dorco Pace 6 blades are the SAME blades that the old Executive Series that Dollar Shave Club had. I put them side by side tonight. Exactly the same. They are all Black with Dorco, White with DSC. And the old Executive handles are comparable with the Dorco Pace 6 blades. Just ordered 2 16 packs with Amazon. Will have these for a while.
I was such a big DSC fan and tried to convince everyone to use them. But the new razors are terrible.
I cancelled DSC and now order my Dorco Pace blades from Amazon.
Yes. The Dorco Pace 6 blades are amazing and are the same as the old DSC Executive Blades.
10 year member of DSC that also added shave butter, aftershave, deodorant, and hair gel to my recurring order.. cancelled all of them after this forced switch to an inferior product. hope this is a lesson to other companies trying to gaslight customers into thinking they’re getting a ‘new and improved’ product when actually the company just wants to help the bottom line with inferior quality product. Hope unilever is feeling the pain
I’ve been a DSC member for at least 12 years and I shave my head daily. I started off using the Gillette Mach 3 and the blades ware so expensive. I listened to a radio personality Clark Howard who got me to thinking about the DSC and so I joined. I’ve been very happy with the Old 4x razors for years and learning that they will no longer be available I will no longer be a member. I’ve tried the new blades just by chance and they are not of the DSC quality that I’m use to so I guess I’ll go back to paying the high price for Mach 3.
The new razors are awful, obviously more cheaply made and more cost-effective for the company and I’m going to cancel my membership…
Agreed. New razors are terrible. Also, my new handle spring is too tight and prevents the blade from easily moving across face contours. Very disappointed in unilever. Will probably try Harry’s.
I’ll echo other reviews. I became a DSC member shortly after seeing their YouTube advertisement. Never had a single issue with the old Heritage razors. Yeah, the handle would wear out after a year or two but that to me was no big deal. Just get a new handle for cheap. Got a good, close shave for cheap and got it all shipped right to my door. The ONE time I had a shipment of blades go missing years ago, I was able to get on and chat with them and get a replacement shipment sent to me right away. I loved it.
Then comes this year. All of a sudden, I’m getting a ‘new, better’ handle. No choice, they’re just stopping my old Heritage series and rolling this thing out. Okay, I’ll give it a shot. And it’s absolute garbage. I can’t get a close shave with these new blades and they don’t stay on the handle at all. They randomly pop off the handle multiple times during my shave and when I’m done, it doesn’t feel like I’ve shaved at all. Okay…get on the website to talk to them…oh no, the old days of getting decent customer service are long gone. Can’t get anybody on chat. I’ve e-mailed them multiple times and the only answer I’ve gotten, ‘Thanks for contacting us! We are currently experiencing high contact volume, and therefore, reply times may vary up to a few days. Requests will be answered in the order received, so please only submit one service request per issue so we can get back to all Members ASAP. ‘ When I finally got an answer (THREE WEEKS LATER), they offered to send me their more expensive handle. In that time, I’d found the same blades I used to get on Amazon, along with handles to fit them.
So after almost 10 years with these guys, I’m done with them and their more expensive, garbage product. I can get refills to fit my old Heritage handle (not to mention handles that will fit those refills) on Amazon for a LOT cheaper than I’m paying DSC. They lost a customer by involuntarily switching me to a new inferior product, charging me more and having worse customer service. Subscription canceled.
ThI’m an article is exceptionally written to a perfect point. I myself have had DSC executive blades since 2011. I have absolutely loved this product. I don’t even use shaving cream, I shave in the shower and use one blade for MANY weeks. I have never had this irritation or issue. The company was always great with customer service. If the handle broke they sent me a new one.
Now with this new razor, it’s quite obvious less material is used to make the carts and it shaved absolutely horribly. I even wrote a review on their website but of course it is not posted. I also will be shopping for a new razor company once I am done with the executive blades I have.
After a few. I ths if being forced to take the new blades, I have decided they do,a much worse job of shaving. They are low quality terrible blades. And their customer service is terrible, too. They used to be a good company. Now they don’t even answer their phone. I tired for three days to call them. I wanted to find out if they had any of the old blades left. Now I don’t care. I have emailed them for a few days requesting to cancel my membership. I will never deal with this terrible company again. I’m going back to Gillette, the best a man can get! And everyone else should, too! Terrible companies with terrible products and terrible customer service do not deserve to be in business!
Try Dorco Pace 6 Blades.
Just like the old White Executive blades, now in black!!
I loved how the old Executive blades feel.
I understand that Dorco used to make the blades for DSC.
I’m glad I read the article and comments. I thought I was losing my mind with how bad these blades are.
lol
I just emailed asking for a refund and to cancel my membership. I’ve been a member for 10 years and have always loved the product. Used the new blades this week and felt as if they snagged when shaving. I told my husband they didn’t have a close shave and reminded me of the cheap BIC disposables. I cut myself my first time shaving, but chalked it up to a different handle I wasn’t used to. After shaving 2 more times this week, I just ended up at urgent care for an infected hair follicle that the doctor said was the result of hair being snagged or pulled by the razor. I’ve never had these issues in the past, and my first experience with the new blades landed me in urgent care with an infection.
I gave their new razor a fair shake, although I was skeptical about their claim that they had created a new razor in response to customer feedback. I shaved my head and quickly realized that this new razor and/or cartridge was crap. The handle was lighter and obviously cheaply-made. The blades were so bad it took three times as long to shave my head, and even then the end result wasn’t as smooth as my old mid-grade razor.
It seems fairly obvious to me that DSC foisted this vastly inferior product on their loyal customers, at the same price, to help their bottom line. Is this this dumbest business decision since New Coke? I don’t know, but it’s pretty awful. I’m cancelling my subscription and giving my money to one of their many competitors.
Try Dorco Pace 6 Blades.
You can order them from Amazon.
Just like the old White Executive blades, now in black!!
I loved how the old Executive blades feel.
I understand that Dorco used to make the blades for DSC.
Just received my Dorco Pace 6 Pro blades and they are wonderful!!!!
Haven’t had shave as bad as the ones with the Club since I used the single Bic in the 80’s. I ordered 12 Executives to get me by and sent the cart and blades back. Need to find new razor now
This was the worst change DSC could have made. Canceling right now, as I am so unhappy with my blades. They cut me up every time I shave! I’m glad I’m not the only one who is as unsatisfied as I am.
Agreed! Suffered with new carts for a month. Canceled my 6 year old subscription today.
I just got my new carts in the mail about a week ago. At first I thought it was a fluke and they couldn’t be this bad. Next two shaves with new carts proved me wrong. What were they thinking? I have been with DSC for about 6 years or so. I have never had a complaint, but even just after a week, I dread shaving. I googled this problem just to see if anyone else was unhappy and well, I have seen a lot of complaints so that confirms it. Canceling my sub today to look for something else.
Rodney, nope you are definitely not alone! I have not had one comment on this site or reddit of someone liking the new carts.
I wrote a follow up article on a replacement for the DSC.
https://sharpologist.com/dollar-shave-club-vs-dorco/
Have a great day!
I agree I hate the new blades. They are floppy and thin. I just cancelled my membership after 8 years. I’m also kind of pissed off that they charged me for these when I didn’t ask for them and I won’t be using them. They should’ve notified us and let us make an informed decision before they charged our card for something we don’t want. To me, it seems like they are trying to cut costs because these are cheap and flimsy compared to the executive. Unfortunately for them they just screwed themselves because it looks like a lot of people are canceling
Agreed. New blades are garbage. Going to see if I can find the Dorco blades on Amazon that everyone seems to like.
Thank god ! I thought I was the only one who said these are cheap and not quality blades. The handle sucks and I just canceled my membership after 10 years being their customer. Wrong move dollar shave club! Mike come back and save your company.
Terry! Here’s an article I wrote on the Dorco carts on Amazon that are duplicates of the Executive series.
https://sharpologist.com/dollar-shave-club-vs-dorco/#comments
So glad I found this review! Have also been a long time DSC user and was incredibly disappointed with the new handles. I cancelled my membership and wrote a negative review on the new handle and of course it’s not on their website. Never again. I will try the Dorco. Wasn’t a fan of Harry’s and the Mach 3 is way too light for my taste.
Ordered my Dorco blades Monday! Should have them today via Amazon
I recently received my new club blades and found them to be garbage. Thanks to your more recent article, I found a replacement for now. I just cancelled my membership and threw the new club handle and blades into the trash. I still have some executive blades that will last me a few months to look at other options. Bye DSC, it was fun while it lasted.
Yeah, the new blades are not good at all. I cancelled my DSC account and got a refund for the new blades that they had already sent me. I also ordered the Dorco Pace 6 blades that are exactly the same as the Executive DSC blades, but at a lower price. It was a good run DSC. All good things come to an end.
How did you contact them for a refund? I’m pissed that they sent me this crap and charged me for it without my permission so I would like to get my money back as well
I could not agree more with the Negative comments on DSC so called new blades.
They are cheap and no where near as good as the old Heritage Blades. I wrote them back and will likely, as most here, cancel my membership after a good many Years.
So true, so true! Member since 2012 I think. Just canceled a few minutes ago. Knew something bad was coming because of dull blades I recieved before going to new ones wth so called “improved handle”! So bad the lubricant strip fell off. Never happened before ever! Totally not the same product. Took longer and shave and not even close compared to old razor. Luckily new order of Dorco came today. Tried them and got same shave I used to. Dropped DSC for good.
.
I’ve been a DSC customer since 2013. As soon as I got the notice I realized they were going this direction to reduce cost. In other words cheapen the product. According to DSC “It’s what their customers feed back told them to do”. Only things is they never ask me.
Just received my new handle and blades. Promptly cancelled subscription. Figured they would be shit, and they are…. Handle not to bad, but blades light and flimsy. Looks like Dorco is the way to go??
Thanks for confirming my thoughts… exactly! The new razor is lighter so it requires many more follow up strokes. It a also falls apart regularly. Dumbest move ever. This article helped confirm my thoughts. I’ll be checking back in regularly for other articles!
Kinda looks like everyone agrees this was a dumb move on DSC.. if we are talking negative about it, I wonder how many others are as well.
Disappointed with the new blades. The plunge in quality was immediately noticeable from the first pass. I’ll give Harry’s a try.
I’ve tried the “new and improved” blades and have to they suck so bad. Now takes me 2-3 times as long to shave and still not get as a close a shave. I canceled my subscription of about 10 years and will go with Dorco blades.
Lee, can you please email me the Dorco blades info?
Thanks!
Look on Amazon. That’s where I found them.
These things are hot garbage. The 6 blades one did so poorly with cutting that it took me almost twice as long to shave, and I couldn’t get the top razor to work AT ALL. I just ordered the old razors directly from Dorco, which are cheaper to boot.
In my opinion this was a terrible call on the part of DSC. Many are resistant to change let alone a forced change! Less than 10 minutes ago I cancelled my subscription. I actually had to go to a chat room to do so after stating if they couldn’t cancel I would contact my credit card company to stop all charges from DSC going forward. It is unfortunate DSC chose to go down this path, I was actually pretty satisfied with them until this happened. Oh well, I have always wondered what Harry’s would be like. I just ordered a $5.00 starter pack from them, time will tell. Worse case scenario I will buy knock off blades and use them with the DSC handles I currently have, there are definitely other options out there.
@mark m.
Personally I would recommend Harry’s. Been with them since 2015 (I think). And when I say they have gotten better, I mean that wholeheartedly. Customer service is gem to work with.
Quick story time: few months back I bought two refill pouches, two shave creams, a new handle deodorant, and 8 blades. I get it.. the box was destroyed, the refill pouches leaking EVERYWHERE. I took pictures and emailed them, waited ten minutes and called them. They found my order while on the phone saw what I saw. “That is unacceptable”. And “I am going to send you two new pouches, 8 new blades, a surprise*, and $20 dollars account credit for whatever you want next order, and free shipping.”
*the surprise was a big bottle of soap*
I know not everyone will have this great of experience. But I have nothing but great ones. Even when I bought a pack of blades from Walmart and they refunded me when I said they weren’t sharp.
Hope you have an amazing and enjoyable experience with them.
Paul, I appreciate the feedback and look forward to working with Harry’s. Your comment was refreshing to read and removed any hesitation I had with making the change. I get this isn’t a life or death issue and not trying to be a drama queen but the DSC really pissed me off with their arrogance. Again thanks for the response, this could turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Cheers!
If you have any questions about it, don’t hesitate to ask. Or even email me: [email protected]
Perfect, thank you for the generous offer. I will shoot you a note once I have the chance to use the Harry’s razor and blades or if I have a question before hand. Thanks again!
Yeah, I just cancelled as well. New product is way inferior to the Executive I have used for many years. Kind of sucks being forced into that as well. Just not the same cool company with great products it once was!
Thanks for the info. Just cancelled my DSC membership of 10 years. Between me and my kids there are 6 handles in our family that I’m not going to pay to replace. I’ll just buy the Dorco blades from now on.
This is why I use a 50 year old handle that uses an expired-patent blade design.
I use Harry’s for my balding head. And a DE razor for my face. Hate the ingrown I get from the carts.
I tried the new razors a while back by mistake. They are subjectively terrible, and an objectively cheaper looking product.
Caused a lot of irritation. I won’t be a DSC customer going forward either.
Tony,
Good to know it just wasn’t me. I was dismayed by the low quality of the carts.
Me too. Will be canceling my membership with DSC. Been a member since 2015. Never a fan of anything else but the Executive Series.
Will use up the rest of my Excecutive Blades and check out Dorco and Harry’s.
Does Harry’s have anything similar to the Exceutive Series?
Try Dorco on Amazon. Same blades but disposable. Actually, more bang for your buck. Won’t be disappointed.
Will do! Thanks
If the story is true. Gillette owns them now. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if it was one way Gillette is trying to control the market.
Or if I read wrongly, maybe DSC is trying to reduce their plastic intake?
The last I read, before writing the article, was Unilever still owned DSC. It bought the company for $1billion in 2016. Proctor and Gamble owns Gillette.
Oh! Maybe I misread? If so honest mistake, oops. Thank you for the correction @Jay Harrell
TY for that review
You’re welcome!
The new razor is worthless. It doesn’t actually shave anything, even after multiple times. The blades are too flat w very little angle, so I might as well use a tongue depressor as a razor. The old razor was AMAZING! I cancelled my acct already and I’m very disappointed I have to find another razor I like.