The build quality of the Element is excellent. While it’s not stainless steel, I don’t see that as a drawback. I previously owned an ss OB Genesis, and the Element is built to the same high standards. In fact, I prefer the Element’s lighter weight and easier grip compared to the Genesis, which can feel slippery and awkward at times. So given the Genesis’s premium price, I'd rate it much lower.
Shave quality, however, is a different story. I got rid of my earlier Genesis because of the poor quality of Feather’s SE blades, and unfortunately, the Element shares this issue. Put simply, if you’re using a Feather SE blade in this razor, almost any cartridge razor would likely give you a closer, more comfortable shave. My experiences with the Element and Feather SE blades have been consistently terrible - uncomfortable, rough, and tuggy, with patchy results even after four or five passes.
Thankfully, OneBlade’s own blades offer a significantly improvemed shave. Running these blades in the Element, I get a pretty good (DFS) “all day” shave. But it's nowhere close to the BBS I achieve with a DE or even my Vector SE. The Element is an extremely mild razor; consequently, you will need to shave daily to maintain a clean look - there’s no skipping a day or two. The trade-off is super-smooth comfort and virtually no risk of nicks; you’d have to try pretty hard to cut yourself with this razor. For me, this makes it perfect for business travel, where I need a no-risk, daily clean shave. While the Element probably won’t make my regular rotation at home, it will definitely be my go-to razor on the road.
