Friday 5 June 2009

Comfortable Chair - desk chair, swivel chair


I'm in heaven. This chair gets the award for the perfect chair for a very bad back. My back is so bad that I'm disabled. Normally I can't sit for any short period of time. I have been able to work on my crafts today without being so crippled up. I was sooo...HAPPY! The chair has amazing lumbar support built in it and hits me in the proper zone of my back. The LeatherPlus is very buttery soft but seems very durable. I raked it across my texured wall without a rip or scratch on it. I'm loving this chair just after using it in these last 2 days.

It arrived packed in large box intact. My husband was able to put it together in less than 6 minutes. It took him twice as long to remove the chair from it's box due to it is packed in the box tightly with a spongy pad to cushion it in shipping.

The chair is ample in size and very padded. It is like sitting on a cloud! The price was right, too. It was under $225.00 including tax with free shipping with Amazon Prime. I didn't have to pay for one of those over-priced chairs to find relief for my back. I would recommend this chair for anyone that suffers from chronic back pain or just wanting to sit on a cloud in comfort. Boss Black LeatherPlus Executive Chair

This chair arrived well-packaged and protected with a lot of foam insulation around the wheels and metal components. Assembly was quick and simple, as I didn't even need the instructions. All you have to do is put the air lift on the base and place the seat on the air lift, then it's ready to go. The chair has great lumbar support and reaches all the way up to my head, allowing me to rest entirely against it. It's also fairly comfortable, having a few inches of padding, while not being too compliant so as to lack support, making for a pretty good balance that I particularly like. The air lift lever (for raising/lowering the height of the chair) is designed so that when pushed in the chair cannot recline, but if you pull it out slightly, it releases a mechanical lock and allows the chair to recline back about 20-30 degrees.



I got it at a significantly reduced price on Amazon recently and think that it's definitely one of the best designed chairs for the price I got it at (~$150 with free shipping!). I'd recommend this chair personally (this coming from an engineer).

I received my chair today, assembled it and tested it out. My immediate comments are the following:



1. Cosmetics: Very nice looking chair. Does look like a chair costing more.



2. The leather Plus is just that, a cross between leather and vinyl, although it does look like Nappa leather, but the feel is not quite the same.



3. Function: This chair DOES Recline. Past reviews said it did not. Those people need to pull out the lever that operates the height (air cylinder). This will unlock and the chair can recline about 25 degrees or so. Adequate for most people and standard for most chairs.



4. Comfort: The chair is very comfortable with adequate padding in the seat and the back. Also has lumbar support which I like. I could sit in this chair for hours. As a professor I work from home quite a bit, so we will see how the back feels.



5. Chair Height: many reviewers mention the chair height as an issue for certain height people. This chair does sit high. I have it on the lowest setting to sit at my desk which is standard height. ON the highest setting I can not use it, it is too high for my legs to fit under the desk. I am 6 feet and the lowest setting is fine for me, but if you are under 5' 6" it may be a problem.



6. Quality- Remains to be seen. But since it does not look cheap, and all plastic parts are made from a hard structural plastic, I guess the durability of the chair will last as long as my last one, 12 years, maybe. I'll update this in a few months.



Bottom Line: Go for it! Good chair for the money. However, if you are shorter than 5' 6" this chair may not be for you.





UPDATE: 6/10/2011



I now have had this chair for about six months. It is as good as it was when I bought it. I use it everyday and it is a pleasure to sit in it. The only thing it does do, however, is squeak! Just a little WD40 solves the problem.

This chair is nicely built. It looks elegant and cool. It is easy to clean.

The problem for me is that this is too big.

I am male, 170 cm, 56 kg, that is about 5 foot 7 inches and 123 pounds. I don't feel very comfortable in this chair especially due to the armrest. The armrest is just a few centimeters too high, it pushes my elbow up, and that's annoying.

The part where you sit on is very large, and I seem to "sink" inside it, which worsens the armrest problem.

But I think if you are taller, this should be good. It will be even better if you are both taller and fatter. Maybe if I were 180cm(5 foot 11 inches) 85kg(188 pounds), this chair would be perfect.

The chair leans back which is nice. Doesn't seem to have too much lean which i don't really like but it's enough to put my feet up on my sub woofer. The leather is very nice quality and it has a built-in lumbar support which feels nice. My only issue with the chair was the first chair i sat in it and a bolt sheered off. But i told amazon and they had my new chair their the next day (same as what i paid for to ship it originally) and they had a ups man there the next day to pick up the broken chair. After that the chair has been flawless and very comfortable. The leather feels less cheap then the leather on my old chair.

Before I consider the chair itself please permit a few words about customer service and packing.

Packing: The chair arrived in a heavy duty box that had several gorillas handling it along the way. In spite of their rough handling as evidenced by the interior cardboard damages the chair was fully protected by its wrapping and therefore no issues. How nice it is to open a box and find a fully perfect product.

Customer Service: We often encounter a customer service rep who has had a bad day or just does not care or any of the negative phrases that make us some reps. This is absolutely NOT the case with the folks at BOSS. After opening the box and putting it together (a feat accomplished by anyone who can lift a sack of potatoes) I could not get the gas cylinder to raise the seat level. One of us is 5'6" and the other is 6'3" and the seat is either too high or too low unless the gas cylinder works. It did not. It was too late to call and it was Thanksgiving eve. Even if anyone had been home I would have waited until Frantic Friday to call. So I emailed my concern and expected no reply until today or maybe tomorrow. On Friday, the 26th, the height adjustment absence was just too much to endure. A call was placed to BOSS and a woman told me exactly what to do and I did. Closed case. Wow! I did suggest that the instructions would benefit from her advice in future iterations. Regardless, my problem was settled in seconds and when I finally got to reviewing my email I saw a response from BOSS saying the same thing. Let's all give a big shout to BOSS for fantastic service.

The Chair itself: I was not prepared for the comfort and wow appeal of this chair. After spending many hours in the old desk chair and literally wearing it out in one of the weak points of the mechanism I had to buy a new one and chose the perfect chair for our use. The soft arm rests make getting up and down easier than the old one with hard rests. The seat is firm enough to hold a chuncky old man and a much lighter youngun spouse. The lumbar support fits the small of the back perfectly and adds sufficient support to make long sits easier. The seat goes up and down with ease and makes designing the perfect height easy to do. The testing of duration will take place over what will, with hope, take years in the same manner as the old one. It would delight me to revisit this chair 10 years from now explaining that the seat finally gave way or the mechanism just gave out from all the weight or whatever. By then chairs will be an anachronism of the first order because it's been rumored that we will be sitting on air. Right! I am so glad we bought this chair and would do it again in a nanosecond. Thanks BOSS! - Comfortable Chair - Desk Chair - Swivel Chair - Lumbar Support'


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High Definition


This review is very similar to the review that I gave for the Flip Slid HD when it first came out. (Please see that review also...)



I have been a Flip camera user since they released the first gen. Flip Mino HD (not the new metallic model). I loved the camera. For what I needed it for it was everything I wanted. I soon became addicted to the Flip cameras and needed to purchase the newest one every time they came out.



I currently own the Flip Mino HD (1st gen) Flip Ultra HD (2nd Gen) Flip Slide HD, and now the Flip Ultra HD (3rd Gen with Flip Port). I also own a Canon GL2 and Vixia 30 video cameras and a Canon Xi digital SLR.





I got home from school on Tuesday and found my brand new Flip Ultra HD waiting for me. I had about 20 minutes to open the package, look and set up the features (time, date, etc.) before I had to leave for marching band rehearsal. During rehearsal I did some test shooting and I was very impressed with the quality of this camera, but I was worried about a few features.



I was reluctant at first to purchase this camera because of the 60fps feature. I did own a Kodak Zi8 and the 720p 60fps setting didn't not import into Final Cut Pro. I had to take it into compressor or some other software and change the file extension in order for Final Cut Pro to import it. Of course this causes a decrease in quality.



I was also reluctant because of the image stabilization feature. When image stabilization is added to a camera (of this size) video quality usually suffers. I know flips can be very shaky if you do not have a well trained hand. After a few hours a playing you will figure out the right movements that the camera can incorporate so your video will not come out shaky.



I don't use my Flip Slide HD because of the omni directional microphone. I can not record loud situations because the microphone distorts. This is my biggest fault with the Slide HD. I was a little concerned with the new Flip Ultra HD that it would have the same problem even though it uses a different microphone, but what really sold me on this new Flip was the accessories and the FLIP PORT.



Right off the bat I noticed all of the new accessories that they are pushing for the Flips, the aquapacks, the igo chargers, and my favorite is the magnetic Bower Wide Angel Lens. Flip and Cisco have finally started listening to its customers, but what put it over the top for me was Blue Microphones. Blue Microphones makes vintage and out of this world recording, studio, usb microphones. I own one of their USB Microphones called the Snow Ball and the quality of that microphone is amazing. When I found out that Blue Microphones was making a microphone (mikey) for the new Flip to be used with the new Flip Port, I purchased mine right away.



So the Review...



The Ultra HD has always been my favorite because of its size. I think the bigger it is the better control you will have and the less shaky video you will produce. The new Ultra HD is smaller, but not that much. It feels good in your hands. The controls and the screen are in the same place. It is a nice fit in your hand.



I was very shocked at how well the image stabilization worked. If you have used a flip before this one you know that the slightest movement will create shaky video. You can tell that this one has image stabilization. It still can produce shaky video but it might take a big jolt to do it.



The 60 fps was great. It was much clearer video and with the image stabilization it made everything much smoother and clearer in the view finder, even in low light situations. I did check when I got home and the 60fps does import right into Final Cut Pro for editing without any compression. (Probably cause the videos are in MP4 format)



Overall I think this is the best Flip Camera out on the market. I like this one better than the Mino because of the touch screen controls. Sometimes pressing the touch screen controls on the Mino will cause the camera to shake.



I hope this review was helpful. Please feel free to leave comments or questions.



See my comparison of my Flip Cameras below.





Flip Mino HD - Good Microphone (2nd out of all of them), doesn't have as wide as a shooting angle as the Ultra's. Very small in the hand, at times hard to control.



Flip Ultra HD (2nd Gen) - Good Microphone (3rd out of all of them) Wide Angle for shooting, Feels good in the hand, sturdy, wont break if dropped. Double A batteries only last a few hours, rechargeable battery pack has short life span. Unit can get hot when charging - may even shut down.



Flip Slide HD - Poor Microphone (in loud situations) - its omni directional so it picks up all around the Flip not just in the front like the others. (4th out of all of them) Touch controls are better than the Flip Mino, however this has no hard buttons. The Slide does have the largest storage capacity and is second in video quality only to the new Flip Ultra HD.



Flip Ultra HD (3rd Gen Flip Port) - Widest Angle for shooting, feels the best in the hand, has the Best Microphone and currently I believe has the best video quality. This also is the only unit that has the new Flip Port.





Thanks



Nick Flip UltraHD Video Camera - Black, 8 GB, 2 Hours (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

This is now my 3rd Flip camera (they are all still in operation, I just can't help upgrading when a higher quality product hits the market). I always fall in love with my new Flip video camera and this one is no exception - I prefer the design of the Ultra HD over the Mino because of the larger screen, and the new 3rd generation is noticeably thinner than last year's model which makes it lighter and easier to hold. HUGE HUGE HUGE improvement in video quality on the 3rd generation model - image stabilization and now 60 frames per seconds (FPS) compared to 30 FPS in the previous HD model. This 60 FPS results in noticeably higher quality video and the ability to zoom more effectively. This model comes with a rechargeable battery pack so you can charge via your usb port on your computer, or if you are traveling and don't have access to USB the Flip Ultra also allows you to put 3 AA batteries for videographers who are "on the go."



Another A++ product from the folks up in San Francisco who design this product. Go out and get one - it's time for an Upgrade to the 3rd generation of Flip!!!!'


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Flower Girl - wedding, flower girl


I ordered two of these necklace and bracelet sets for my flowergirls. The necklace and bracelet are what I expected, plastic and appropriate for 4 year olds.



The packaging is really cheap, the poem is printed on what looks to be cardboard, and I'm definitely going to remove the necklace and bracelet from the package and put them in a nice gift box before I give them to the girls. Plastic Flower Girl Necklace and Bracelet Gift Set

I received this with the box all twisted, which sort of defeats the purpose of the cute box/card combo on the front. I will be opening it and re-packaging the jewelery myself. Not a great buy even for as inexpensive as it is. I find better at Wal-mart...sorry.

I agree with previous reviews. It is pretty cheap packaging, and I will be putting them in a different box. As for the necklace, it certainly is plastic, but it looks nice and seems pretty durable for a little girl. Also, it was a very reasonable price so for how much it costs it certainly is worth it.

Purchased these for my flower girls (toddlers). The price was perfect and the product met/exceeded my expectations. The necklaces look like they are real and if they somehow get damaged or lost there will be no crying over spilled milk. - Wedding - Flower Girl'


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Magnetic Dry Erase


I bought a white board that came with one of these markers and I thought it was ingenious but when I purchased this pack from Amazon, the markers were very poor quality. Though I have no complaints about the handy eraser or magnet function, writing with the markers was a useless venture. The brand-new markers wrote like very well-worn dry-erase markers even when pressing down firmly. Quartet ReWritables Dry-Erase Mini Markers with Cap-Mounted Erasers, 6-Marker Pack, Assorted Standard Colors (51-659312Q)

Since we use dry erase markers frequently at our learning center, I bought a pack of these to try something different. My very young students were intrigued by the magnetic feature of these markers and by the eraser. Some became so intrigued that the markers became distractions as they played with the magnet and pulled out the eraser.



The markers themselves didn't last long and don't have that bold, dark look I like in markers, not even when first opened. My short lived experiment wasn't exactly a disaster, but was far from a success either. The built in eraser is a great concept and works well as long as it stays where it belongs.

I bought these markers as an incentive for my kids to practice writing their letters on dry erase workbooks. They found it quite entertaining to pop the erasers out. They aren't glued in, and even forceful erasing will pop them out. Once they've been popped out, they're more likely to continue falling out.

I liked the selection of colors and the fact that they are magnetic. But after a while the ink or liquid of the marker runs out and it doesn't work like it used to anymore. The only marker that is still working is the green one.

Pros:

-useful if you want to write something colorful

-eraser is given

-reasonable price for marker



Cons:

-it has small tip, so if you have a big whiteboard, this stuff is not recommended to you.

-yellow marker is useless for whiteboard since the color is less visible'


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Kids Wetsuits - swimwear, thermal


I bought this suit for my 2-year-old daughter. We live in Atlanta but our neighborhood pool is chilly and my daughter is pretty small (i.e. - no extra fat to keep her warm). This swimsuit works great to keep her comfortable in the pool - which means she enjoys swimming with us more - and to protect her from the sun. Plus, it comes in cute colors! Bare Sprint Shorty Wetsuit for Toddlers and Kids - 4 - SEA

Great wetsuit for little kids. Provides enough warmth for swimming lessons, beach etc. Good arm movement, easy on and off with big zipper. Wasn't crazy about color combo...sort of a cross between Ronald MacDonald and a generic Super Hero. But kids seemed happy enough with it and it makes it easy to keep an eye on the little ones. Had one of these for my daughter, I bought it big and it lasted 4 years of swimming lessons and ocean going vacations, would have passed it on to my son, but it is pink! Still in great shape. - Toddlers - Thermal - Swimming - Swimwear'


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Drum Sanders - drum sanders, performax


I do a lot of work with wild grained woods...such as walnut, burl maple, mesquite, etc. My planer often would tear these boards up pretty bad. Plus the planer is not the tool for fixing the cupping and small twists that are epidemic with this type of wood. The 10x20 does solve most of these problems. It's not a planer, so using it to dimension lumber is a long slow chore, but with a good resaw blade on the bandsaw, I can get close to the dimension I want then finish with the sander. I really like being able to take the cup and crown off boards before I resaw them. This ability alone makes the purchase price worthwhile. I made a 1/4" plywood template of the factory strip and buy rolls of sandpaper, clamp the template over a strip on my bench, then cut new strips with a sharp utility knife. Saves a lot of money over buying the factory made ones. Changing the strips at first is a little frustrating, but by the time you have changed them out 6 or 8 times it gets to be routine. The "TOUGH TOOL" that was included with my sander does really help, especially with the inboard side. I had some tracking problems with the feed belt also. A friend who is a machinest, was watching me run some coca bola strips thru the machine, noted that the machine was "racked" in relation to the base. It was such a small amount that I would have never noticed it. With the machine still mounted to the base, he had me loosen all the bolts holding the base together, and the bolts holding the machine to the base. He then "wiggled" the machine and had me retighten the bolts holding the machine to the base, then tighten the bolts on the base starting at the top and working down. Haven't had a tracking problem since.

The four inch dust chute is great, does a good job of catching most of the dust.

I haven't had the limiter kick the motor off yet, or experienced a piece flying across the room as some reviewers have noted. I do tend to use a slower feed rate then is probably neccesary, but this is a hobby so I'm not in any hurry anyway.

The finish, especially on exotic hardwoods is very good, even when I only go to 180 grit.

I can now do in 15 minutes the same amount of work that use to take me a couple of hours. I have only used the double pass method twice now, once on an 18" wide piece of black mesquite and once on a 20" wide piece of spanish cedar. Adjusting the bar was not the nightmare I had invisioned, both pieces came thru as flat as I could ever hope for. This little machine is a very welcome addition to my shop. It is ruggedly built and very solid. I expect to get a lot of years of use out of it and would reccommend it to anyone who is "space challenged", but still wants a good drum sander.

Update...I've found that if you are sanding boards much more than 9" wide, you need to treat them as if you were doing a much wider board...that is to say double pass them. If you try to run a 10" board thru, using the full width of the drum, you will develope a ridge on the inboard side. Not really a big deal,easy to cure.

Still love this little machine, recommend highly. JET 628900 Mini 10-Inch 1-Horsepower Benchtop Drum Sander, 115-Volt 1-Phase

I bought this sander for $500 from Woodcraft for my guitar shop. When I got it home, I unpacked it and was quite pleased by the apparent quality of the machine. It sanded quite well, and the sanding belt was very easy to change. Also, the overload protection worked flawlessly. However, no matter what I did, the belt would not track properly. I called Performax, and they sent me a new conveyor belt (twice), but still, it tracked hard left. This is a problem because eventually the belt eats itself from going off the side of the rollers and jams into a bracket under the table. I took the sander back to woodcraft for repair (they were very cool about this), and they could not get it to track properly either. This has apparently been a problem with the 16-32 as well. Well, to make a long story short, Performax told them it would be 1-2 months for a replacement part or unit. After a month at Woodcraft (who apparently replaced one of the rollers), they gave it back and the darn thing STILL will not track properly. No matter how I adjust the rollers, it always tracks to the left!!! I'm VERY disappointed here- after years of hearing how great Jet and Performax are (they're all owned by WMH tool group), I thought I'd have no problems. Oh well- maybe it doesn't pay to go with the name....I realize that this unit is made in the far east, but I'd hope that Performax wouldn't put it's good name and valuable reputation on such a piece of junk!

After reading many of the reviews I was a little hesitant to purchase this sander but with 30 years of mechanical experience behind me I decided I could fix it no matter what. Was I ever dissapointed - there was nothing wrong with this sander! The tracking was perfect, belt tension dead on, and the sanding drum was set within .003". I build small items. I wanted something to take out planer marks and resaw imperfections on small pieces. It does this perfectly. I don't know how large a hunk of wood would be realistic to try and sand but for small boxes, toys, splines and the like it is perfect.

I've been using this tool for several months now doing both exterior trim (Western Red Cedar) and interior trim (Douglas Fir) for a house I'm building. I've also had a chance to run some Teak and Mahogany through my machine. Overall the results have been outstanding, but the machine is somewhat frustrating to use at times.



My biggest beef is the drum motor thermal cutoff. As previous reviewers have stated, it's extremely sensitive to even the slightest overload. Here's an example: I was running a cedar 2x6 through, using an 80 grit belt. I advanced the depth adjustment ~1/4 turn (~ 1/128th of an inch) after a previously successful pass. It gets about halfway through the board when the protection circuit shuts down the motor. At this point you get to stand around twiddling your thumbs for 1-2 minutes waiting for the breaker to reset itself. Are they joking? 1/128th of an inch in a very soft wood like cedar is an overload? This is typical. I don't know if I got an overly sensitive machine, but I can't recall a session where it didn't shut down at least once on me. I have a planer, so I don't use this for heavy stock removal. If you have ideas about using this machine as a substitute for a planer, you have a mountain of grief lying in wait.



Another frustration is belt tracking. It took a while for me to get the drive belt running true. It seemed like just when you had it, something would stretch or shift and it would go out of wack again. The adjustment mechanism is sort of a Mickey Mouse affair, making the frequent adjustments that much more of a pain. I will say though that the belt now seems to have stabilized and it's been running true for some time now. Luckily I haven't seen any of the severe wear other reviewers have experienced, becuase replacing the drive belt is an expensive proposition.



A final annoyance is snipe, but this has a lot to do with technique. I typically use my machine with roller stands on each side. If a board reaches the end of the stand and drops or bounces a bit, it can produce a nasty mid-length snipe. These cause one to groan especially hard because the whimpy motor means you might be looking at 5-6 additional passes to get rid of the damage. I've now learned to be very careful to support the workpiece as it feeds in and out. Currently I don't have the optional table extensions installed. I have a feeling they would help the situation.



On the upside, the results have been well worth all the effort. This machine leaves an unbelievably uniform surface. It's just the ticket for removing mill glaze and planer marks leaving a surface ready for final finish. The dust collection is also a plus. These machines make a huge amount of very fine dust. Even when only hooked to a shop vac, the dust chute picks up almost all the dust. I would think hooking it to a 4in shop line would be even more effective. Another plus is the belt installation. It goes about as smoothly as you could expect and the Tuff-Tool they include does come in quite handy. Once you get the hang of it, you can change belts in probably around a minute or two. - Drum Sanders - Drum Sander - Performax'


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Gillette Mach3 - razor blade, gilette


I saw the other reviewer's note that these were fake, but I thought he might have gotten a bad batch.

Well, so did I. The are visible defects and the blades aren't sharp.

I'm not buying these online anymore. Gillette Mach3 Cartridge 12-Count

In the past I have purchased these blades as long as the seller was "Amazon.com". I've been burned by getting fakes blades when I used sellers that were not Amazon.com.



This time, I bought two 12 packs from the seller "Amazon.com" and just opened them up this morning to use and discovered they were clearly fake! It is past the date range return the blades so I am stuck with them. I thought buying from the seller "Amazon.com" would have been safe but I was wrong. Buyer beware, I recommend going to a store to buy your blades.

I bought these for my husband and thought I was saving a lot of money only to find out that the first pack was fine and the rest were bad blades. He says they do not shave well and have a glue substance on them. We just bought a pack from Target and what a difference! this is the last time I buy something like this on the internet.

I read a few other reviews about these blades being fake and didn't believe it since i've never had such an experience ever. The blades looked fine but within 3-4 days of opening them, the blades started rusting. Stainless Steel blades cannot rust. The lubricating strip dissolves in no time, the blades get clogged. I have used Mach 3 blades for over 8 years and can clearly tell that these are not original blades.

STAY AWAY FROM THESE. Pay the extra dollar and buy them from a reputed store.

Paid $10 on a Gold Box sale. Definitely a good price for these lades. I usually pay $6-8 for a pack of 4 at the grocery store/pharmacy.



These are decent blades, and I like them much more than Schick blades. They clean easily, are sharp, and last a long while. In my option, the best all-around blades on the market.

I'm always amazed at how much these razors cost, but when I compare to other options, I always come back to the Mach 3. I've tried electric razors, but anything that's cheaper that buying Mach 3 blades can't do a thing about shaving the hairs on my neck. I'd guess that I use a blade every month and a half (long after the lubricating strip is gone), which makes this cost about $16 / year. A fine deal if you ask me.

I thought I found a good deal on these blades but they were NOT like the smoooth Mach3 blades I buy at the store. These blades said Mach3 but were very rough on the face and not smooth at all... all the blades were that way..Pointless spending even a dollar per blade for this quality. MAch3s are great blades though the ones you get online from here are either fake or just bad.

I purchased a pack of 12 blades from this seller and on my first shave realized that the blades are fake. To confirm this I bought a pack of 5 blades from Walmart. And I could notice the significant difference between the two. Then I compared the two blades and noticed that there was no Gillette mark behind the blade (the one purchased from this seller). I compared the mark with my old blade and that one had the Gillette mark too. And on top of that the shave from this blade is harsh. So this is confirms that the blades are fake.



I rarely review products but I just wanted to share my experience.



NEVER PURCHASE GILLETTE BLADES FROM THIS SELLER. THEY ARE FAKE.

These blades are not sharp and shaving is just painful.

I should have paid more attention to what the other reviewers were saying... I've been using Mach3 cartridges for many years and I strongly believe these are, indeed, NOT the real deal. Extremely disappointing, considering they're sold directly by Amazon.

Buy at your own risk; mines are going straight to the garbage bin.

It just slays me how expensive these shaving cartridges are, but I must admit they do shave better than old twin-blade systems. [...]. I've never used Turbo and I'm not sure what it would add to my shaving successes, so I figured I didn't want to pay more for this feature.



Amazon had the best price I could find on the regular Mach3, but when I received them I must say they look different than I remember. They seem to be made of cheap black plastic, I could swear the ones I bought in retail stores felt better made. I dropped my razor in the shower recently and the metal tabs that hold the whole thing together bent and tweaked the cartridge -- this had never happened in years of dropping store-bought Mach3s. And it might be my imagination but it seems like I am needing to change blades more frequently, as if the blade is a poorer grade metal that dulls or corrodes faster.



I can't prove it but I suspect Gillette is trying to phase out this product to steer consumers to a more expensive update, and is manufacturing a cheaper version for guys like me who cling to this product in hopes of avoiding the more expensive update, but the spotty quality will probably push me there eventually anyway. - Gilette - Razor Blade - Shaving - Gillette Mach3'


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Inflatable - elements, advanced elements


Great product, but........ The manufacturer actually sells this product in three different sizes and Amazon treats it as if there is only one. When you order it, you really don't know which one they will send you. It turned out OK for me because I was able to cut the one they sent down to the length I needed. If you aren't "handy" and they send the wrong one it looks pretty grim. Sending stuff back, trying to sort out the order to get the right one........blah, blah, blah. My recomendation is to order this particular item directly from the manufacturer or from Airkayaks.com Advanced Elements BackBone - For AdvancedFrame Convertible

I bought the backbone after taking my AdvancedFrame Expidition kayak out 3 times without it. It definitely helps with efficiency of your boat. Without it, I noticed a lot of flexing over waves and with it I was able to cut through them more easily. Definitely a good purchase. Kind of annoying that it isn't just included with the kayak though...

This is just something you MUST have with your AE inflatable kayak. I can keep up with the hard shells that are the same length with no problem and tracking is very much superior with it installed. Just snap it together install it under the floor air mattress, partially inflate the boat, and flip the boat to make sure you have it lined up straight then flip it back and fully inflate the boat. You will need a little extra padding to sit on because it is a bit hard on your tailbone after a bit.

When we purchased our Advanced Element tandem kayak (inflatable), it was recommended that we purchase a backbone accessory. However, it was not available at the store where we made our initial purchase. We tried our kayak one time without the back-bone, and it was un-satisfactory in the way it handled. We were somewhat disappointed in our purchase. We ordered the back-bone and watched the video on youTube as to how to install it during the set-up process. The kayak now handles very well. The back-one goes under the inflatable sub-floor of the kayak, and one would think this would promote a discomfort factor. However, while you can sense the added stability, one is not aware of its presence by the feel of the thing.

The backbone makes sense. When it is installed it is obvious that the kayak has better hull lines and therefore should track better. Since I have never used the AE Convertible without the backbone I can't speak from personal experience. The but, however, is that I believe getting the backbone properly installed just about doubles your time for setting up the kayak.

This barebone is really usefull with Advanced Frame Kaykak. Just I was disapointed that this item is optional - not included in standart package. It's some kind of making more money from customer.

But, lefting all my feelings about the marketing solutions, the barebone make AF kayak very stable. If you using it keep in mind you will have to put something in between seat and barebone. I put a folded kayak bag and it was OK then.

After purchasing the AF Convertible and trying to track on relatively still water I broke down and purchased the backbone.



Setup was a little hit and miss at first. I wasn't getting the backbone directly down the center. Deflating the main tubes a little, readjusting, then reinflating helped get the proper profile on the underside. I imagine setup time will get better as I use it more.



The backbone is covered in 1/4" neoprene, and I was unable to notice the backbone when sitting on the inflated floor.



Tracking was notably improved by both passengers. A must have if you're having tracking/stability issues.

I use this with my Advanced Elements AE1007-R convertible. Because this boat is 15 feet long I found it does add rigidity and creates a deeper V on the bottom. You don't feel it underneath due to the floor and that the bar itself is padded. In shallower creeks I opted not to use it due to hitting rocks because it creates more rigid spot to damage. It's easier getting over an obstacle without it. However, when that is not the case I use it and would recommend it. - Inflatable - Advanced Elements - Advanced - Elements'


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