Wheewww…what a long title that was, as this doesn’t really have a short name. I would make an acronym out of it but NUC17IBHS is long too.
Nova USA Collection has taken a design that has been around for a long time (like the safety razor), then simply add a long handle to it.
As this is the tallest safety razor I have ever seen and I am eager and willing to put this to the test and see how well it can shave the back.
Will we have a great design for shaving one’s back? Let’s continue reading and see if this is a functional back shaver.
What Is The NUC17IBHS?
The Nova USA Collection Back Shaver is essentially an overgrown regular safety razor. Being that everything else is the same, except the long handle over a regular safety razor. Oh, and the weight of this behemoth is just heavy, more on that later.
The safety razor design is tried and tested for many decades. The standard safety razor works and works great! Offering a cheap and reliable way of shaving one’s face. So, I can see what the creator of this back shaver was thinking. Use an existing design but slightly alter it for back shaving.
Just add a long straight handle and watch the money pour in. Right?
Not really. It’s usually never that simple, is it?
What is Included?
1 – 17 inch Nova USA Collection Back Shaver (no safety razor blade included)
Specs of The Extra Long-Handled Safety Razor
16 15/16 inches long, from top to bottom. Straight as an arrow handle and knurled for assured grip. This is a three-piece handle that simply just screws on and off for easy blade changes.
1 1/2 razor blade width (standard safety razor width)
I don’t have a scale but it feels like one pound in weight.
How Does The Extra Long-Handled Safety Razor Perform?
Like crap!
Sorry, I just spilled the pintos, right away…
But why mince words? I was able to shave the top of my back with considerable effort mind you (struggling to find that sweet spot angle), but I just gave up when I used it on my flanks and middle. The angle of this Nova USA Collection razor is all wrong for shaving your back along with the safety bar on this shaver. As the safety bar is protruded enough for functioning as a safety feature in front of the business end of the razor, but when confronted with shaving a back, this design feature essentially is the limiting factor. Making it almost impossible to attain the correct angle to attack back hair. Don’t get me wrong, it’s the right angle for shaving your face and other body parts, just not the back. No amount of flexibility will help. I wished it worked better but it just doesn’t.
The safety bar design along with the angle of the razor blade placement makes it next to impossible to use on your back, as I stated above. Also, another limiting factor is the straight handle. This is the final nail in the coffin for this shaver. As I have shaved with slightly curved handles as well as straight handles and the curved handles provide a generally nicer shave over the straight handles. This might provide a better shave if the handle was bent.
I pride myself on giving honest reviews and this razor is just suited for other areas of the body, NOT THE BACK!
Avoid, Avoid, and Avoid using this on your back.
Did I say to avoid? Yep!!!
When I was able to attain the correct angle it shaved nicely. Didn’t clog with hair, hair seemed to just fall away.
Also, not a very big deal but I put the head assembly back together wrong, as I couldn’t get the razor to cut at all. Mind you there are no instructions. So, relining on my propensity of getting things wrong the first time, I flip the bottom half over and reassemble it back together again. With a quick short pass on my arm, I had strips of hairless arm skin to show for it. Yeah.
This would be better suited for shaving your legs or other body parts. Especially, with the long handle for people with mobility problems.
- Pregnant women
- Back issues and unable to bend.
- Lack of mobility due to surgery.
- Older people with restricted flexibility.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Cheap refillable razors replacement with the standard safety razor. You can purchase about 100 quality double-sided safety razors for around 12 bucks allowing you to shave hundreds of times for a very low price.
- A decent-length handle comes in at 17 inches.
- This is a multipurpose shaver, it could be used on other parts of your body.
- Great for people that shave their legs. A cheaper alternative for blade replacement and a longer reach to boot.
- The hair falls away for the most part and doesn’t clog when you get it to work.
- Easy to switch out razors. Just unscrew the top and replace it with a new safety razor. Love this design feature.
- Easy to clean.
- Solid and I mean solid construction. Nothing should break on this baby.
- Complete stainless steel material. Won’t rust on ya! From tip to tip.
- Knurled handle, basically from top to bottom to give consistent steady grip.
Cons
- Extremely hard to get the correct angle to properly shave your back. I actually gave up on doing it a couple of times, it was that hard and I was getting frustrated.
- Bad design for shaving the back.
- Horrible name. Not recognizable or marketable. Need a better name.
- Short razor width ( 1 1/2 inches) for shaving a large area such as the back. Prepare for an ordeal.
- For shaving a back, it is extremely hard to get the correct angle to stop popping hairs off your back.
- No instructions. This is unacceptable in my eyes. I put a razor in and immediately did it wrong as it wouldn’t cut. I flipped the bottom section over and now it would cut. Simple but why not give some directions on this?
- A meager two reviews on Amazon and they are both bad.
- The handle is straight and is not the most optimal for shaving the many contours of a back.
- A little on the heavy side but not totally un-wieldable.
- No safety razor included. So, if you are planning on purchasing this shaver make sure to order some quality safety razor blades. (See tips below for my recommendations)
Tips On Using The Extra Long-Handled Safety Razor
Go to my page, What Is The Best Back Shaver? I list my top 3 back shavers.
Join a yoga class, cause you’re going to have to be able to stretch to weird angles to effectively shave your back. I’m being facetious.
Skip using this on your back and use it on other areas: Legs, chest, arms, butt, groin, anywhere but the back. A BIG FAIL for shaving your back.
Shaving with short deliberate strokes worked the best for me when I could get the right angle.
Get a welding torch to heat up the upper half then smoothly bend it, I’m serious, it might work better on your back after this. But why bother? As this might circumvent, the safety feature, and might be more prone to cutting yourself after the modification.
Use a new razor for a better shave every time.
The Final Shave
To be blunt, this is the worst back shaver I have used to date. The safety razor design with an extended handle does not lend itself to properly shaving a back. You struggle to get the correct angle for the razor to do what it is supposed to do effortlessly. That is the problem, it takes work and it is just way too hard to get the correct angle. This is why you don’t see similar designs of back shavers.
I tried multiple times, but shortly give up after letting hours pass. It kind of pissed me off, it’s that frustrating. I can not get an effective shave with this. I was able to shave the top of my back and neck with it, granted it took work. I was happy with it when I could get the razor to the correct angle. It will shave hair if you can get to this mystical unattainable angle on your back. I suppose it would work with a partner shaving your back, but I want self-sufficiency in a back shaver and demand this.
It’s better suited for other areas of your body, like the legs. The reach on this is great for people with mobility issues due to pregnancy or injuries. My wife loves the long extension handle compared to the short razors that are dedicated to shaving lady’s legs. With the really cheap replacement blades, it makes it appealing for cost-effectiveness. Avoid buying this for shaving your back as you will become frustrated in minutes using this shaver.
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BUY NOVA USA COLLECTION BACK SHAVER
If you have any comments, I would love to hear them.
Hello,
My name is Dan and I am the owner and sole contributor to www.backshaverforen.com. I am the leading authority on back shaving.
I started this website in 2017 because I too deal with back hair and I want to help others. My website deals with everything with grooming. I only review products I actually own.