Thread: Do you get what you pay for?

Originally Posted by Kalecommando

I am new to straight razor shaving. Previously I shaved with Mach 3... then I bought a Parker Shavette... after that the Edwin Jagger DE89. Last week I bought an unknown (new) Taiwanese straight razor, that was shave ready. (at least I could shave with it as well as my shavette with a new Derby blade) so I guess it was a good, affordable, buy. Out of my limited experience so far... lots of people look down upon products made in the Far East... and for good reasons. (in MOST cases) But to think most, if not all, Asian made razors are crap... is just shortsighted.

Same goes for pocket knives... ever heard of Elan or Sanrenmu? No? Excellent Chinese knives.. super affordable yet excellent. I always carry one, cost me only 10 bucks. I also have a expensive Buck knife, super knife... better than the Chinese knives... yes. But that much better to pay 10 times more... no way. I guess the same goes for razors. So, I would say you would be able to get much better stuff you pay for, if lucky. But that's the challenge and part of the fun to find one, no?

Your Taiwanese straight razor... did it shave? Do you think it shaved well?

The general consensus seems to be that All of the cheap $10 and under razors are crap, with the limited exception of the Gold Dollar, and even they are crap right out of the box. You got to do a lot of work on them before you can get them sharp. There is a thread and all posts dealing with those razors were moved to that thread and then it was closed. I asked whether or not it was against the rules to talk about them, but nobody answered so I still don't know. I do have one waiting at home for me, along with a Dovo and some other odds and ends and the contraversy has got me very curious to try it. I am using a "shavette" right now and just starting to get where I don't cut myself up like hamburger LOL!

But back to your made in Taiwan razor, I think guys here are gonna be like "No Way!" on it being a good razor. The Gold Dollar razor has a whole lot of supporters, but I don't see any other cheapo straight razors getting any respect here at all, and there;s gotta be a reason for that. So I am interested in hearing how you think yours compares to a Dovo or a Boker, the favorites here.

A Buck knife is expensive? Not really. I mean, maybe yeah in a knife shop where they tack on a big markup, but if you go to any budget sporting goods place like Academy or Cabelas or even to Walmart or Target, it will be pretty cheap. Under $40 for most of them. Okay, not as cheap as Chinese, but very reasonable. How is the workmanship and warranty on the Chinese knives? Are you farmiliar with Buck's warranty? It's worth a google.

The Buck knife I bought a few years ago was an Alpha Hunter with rosewood scales. http://www.kniveswebsite.com/wp-cont...r-Rosewood.jpg

Nice hefty one.

TulaneBoy

Just wondering how you formed the notion that Dovo and Boker were the preferred razors on this site? If you look here Razor Clubs there are very many clubs for different makes of razors. If you want a brand new current production razor the predominant readily available brands are basically TI, Boker and Dovo. So virtually by default they are preferred for that category. I do have a Chinese made Buck pocket folder that has not let me down for what I need it for so I am not of the opinion that all Chinese made products are automatically junk.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

TulaneBoy

Just wondering how you formed the notion that Dovo and Boker were the preferred razors on this site?

From what I was told on this site. If that's wrong, I will erase that from my memory banks.

If you look here Razor Clubs there are very many clubs for different makes of razors. If you want a brand new current production razor the predominant readily available brands are basically TI, Boker and Dovo. So virtually by default they are preferred for that category. I do have a Chinese made Buck pocket folder that has not let me down for what I need it for so I am not of the opinion that all Chinese made products are automatically junk.

Bob

Remember, I am still an extreme newbie. I can only go by what I read, with my limited experience, and even though I am sort of a show-me type guy, some misinformation slips into the gray convolutions. And of course there are opinions, which can be wrong and still be right, because they are just opinions.

In my limited time researching I have ran across a few people still making razors. Hart, Revisor, Geisens and Forsthoff, Whacker, Zowada, and a few others. I haven't really put together a list or anything. I haven't read much about the TI ones. That's not including of course the cheapos which I am not interested in except for the possible exception of Gold Dollars, which I am not about to put in the same class as the more expensive ones.

I wasn't picking on your opinions, Bob. I am just trying to learn. Sorry if I came across that way. Put it down to the impetuousness of youth. That's my usual excuse LOL!

When did Buck start making their knives in China? All mine say Made In USA on them. Do the Chinese ones still have the same guarantee? I know used to be you could send them one you broke and they would send you a new one. Same with Schrade and Case. My Dad loves his Case pocketknives and always brags on their service. I don't know why, though. He has never had to send one back as far as I know.

I have been raised on stories about how stuff used to be made to basically last forever, and now I see stuff that doesn't. There is no reason in my mind why a cell phone, for instance, can't be made to last 20 years and instead you are lucky if they last 20 months. Now I think nobody wants to sell you just one knife when instead they can sell you one that will only last a couple of years and then sell you another one and another one and another one. I really hate that. That's one reason I wanted to get into straight razors in the first place. They are my rebellion against disposable stuff that you have to keep buying over and over. (Besides the fact that they are just bada$$ sick kewl!) I really admire the knives that my Dad and Uncles have, and my Grandpa had, because they were not made to fall apart on a schedule. Sure they were expensive in terms of the dollar back then, but they didn't ever need to be bought again, just once. The old "go ahead and break it" guarantees were their assurance that if you didn't lose it you would always have it.

Well I guess I am getting off topic and I got to go so thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by Kalecommando

I am new to straight razor shaving. Previously I shaved with Mach 3... then I bought a Parker Shavette... after that the Edwin Jagger DE89. Last week I bought an unknown (new) Taiwanese straight razor, that was shave ready. (at least I could shave with it as well as my shavette with a new Derby blade) so I guess it was a good, affordable, buy. Out of my limited experience so far... lots of people look down upon products made in the Far East... and for good reasons. (in MOST cases) But to think most, if not all, Asian made razors are crap... is just shortsighted.

May be you should put your money where your mouth is before making such statements. How about you buy 100 Asian razors of 10 different brands, then hone them and shave with each for a week. Then you'd have something factual (though barely statistically meaningful) to base your statements on, rather than making up stuff.

The statement that 'most if not all Asian made razors are crap' (obviously excluding Japan) is backed up by the combined experience of hundreds of senior forum members with years of experience and thousands of these so called 'razors'.
You can't possibly expect that your 'I've got one razor and I like it so far, even though I have zero experience' can carry the same weight.

So, may be it's time to take a break from opining on matters you have virtually zero knowledge and experience, especially when your opinion goes against the vast amount of these accumulated on this site.
I think that'll be a very nice change because very few people come here with a burning desire to sift through BS.

Just trying to convey to you the idea of a best/preferred brand of razor is down to personal preferences in design/looks, size of the blade, material of the blade and scales all things being equal. Just like I tried to say on post #60.

I don't know when Buck started to have knives produced off shore. If you go the buck site you will see knives marked imported with the forever warranty. This is an example of the one I got BUCK . If you read the warranty BUCK there are exclusions for abuse and so on.

Bob

TulaneBoy,

I also started with a shavette from Sally's, and trust me when I tell you that there is a WORLD of difference between the two. I get smoother and closer shaves with a real straight over a shavette, and every time I've tried to go back to the shavette I get a nick.

One thing you have found through experimentation is that blade angle will not always be the same from blade to blade, and I would say in my experience and opinion (though I'm no expert) the angle is WAY different on a shavette. The best way to avoid any cuts or nicks, however, is when shaving with a new (to you) razor is start with the blade flat against your skin and gradually increase the angle until you find the optimal one. You may have to lather several times to do this, but what's wrong with that?

Update on 3/12/2013: Today, Buck makes 88% of their knives in Idaho, USA, and 12% overseas. They continue to work hard to bring more and more production to the United States


They are marked accordingly


USA Made:


◾Buck Ecolite 112
◾Buck Ranger Skinner 113
◾Buck Quickfire 288
◾Buck 55, 055
◾Buck Folding Hunter 110
◾Buck Squire 501
◾Buck Gent 525
◾Buck Knight 505
◾Buck Vantage 340
◾Buck Vantage 345
◾Buck Vantage 346
◾Buck Vantage 347
◾Buck SpitFire
◾Buck Omni Hunter 10pt 390
◾Buck Folding Omni Hunter 10pt 395
◾Buck Omni Hunter 12pt 392, 393
◾Buck Folding Omni Hunter 12pt 397, 398
◾Buck Alpha Hunter 194, 193, 694, 693
◾Buck Folding Alpha Hunter 279, 278
◾Buck Folding Alpha Hunter Rosewood 277, 276
◾Buck Mini Alpha Hunter, 195, 196
◾Buck Mini Alpha Hunter Camo
◾Buck Alpha Dorado, 271, 270
◾Buck Bantam Nano 283
◾Buck Bantam BBW 284 – black, camo or pink camo
◾Buck Bantam BLW 285 – black, camo or pink camo
◾Buck Bantam BHW 286 – black, camo or pink camo
◾Buck Metro 759
◾Buck Prince 503
◾Buck Ranger 112
◾Buck X-Tract 730
◾The Lux line 014, 015, 016
◾The Paklite Field Master and other Paklites 141
◾TOPS CSAR-T line
◾Vantage Force 845, 846, 847
◾Solitaire, 302
◾Duet, 306
◾Folding ErgoHunter, 598, 597, 595
◾ErgoHutner, 498, 497, 495
◾ErgoHunter WaterFowler, 492, 491, 490
◾ErgoHunter Caping Knife 571, 570
◾Ergo Hunter Boning Knife 581, 580
◾BuckLite MAX line
◾Buck Zipper 191, 691
◾Buck Vanguard 192, 692
◾Special, 119
◾Pathfinder, 105
◾Skinner, 103
◾Woodsman, 102
◾Smidgen, 160
◾Buck Hartsook Ultralite
◾Rush, 290
◾Impulse, 292
◾Paradigm Line
◾MiniBuck, 425
◾Stockman, 301
◾Lancer, 305
◾Companion, 309
◾Cadet 303
◾Buck Bantam Nano Orange Camo 283
◾Buck Bantam Nano Pink Camo 283
◾Bantam BBW Orange Camo 284
◾Buck Bantam BLW Orange Camo 285
◾Buck Bantam BHW Orange Camo 286
◾Buck Omni Hunter 12PT Blaze Orange Camo 394
◾Buck Folding Omni Hunter 10PT Blaze Orange Camo 396


Overseas:

◾Buck FlashPoint 770
◾Buck Redpoint 750
◾Buck X-Tract LED 731
◾Buck Nobleman, 327
◾Buck Colleague 325
◾Buck Scholar 326
◾Bones, 870, 869
◾Silver Creek Versa, 222 and the entire Silver Creek line
◾Parallex, 318, 316
◾Camp Axe, 757
◾Folding Saw, 755
◾Bones, 870, 869
◾Stockman 371
◾Trio 373
◾Deuce 375
◾Solo 379
◾Large Trapper 384
◾Canoe 389
◾Buck Flashpoint LE Titanium Blade 770
◾Buck Redpoint Rescue Knife
◾Buck Nobleman Carbon Fiber Handle, Titanium Blade

Originally Posted by BobH

Just trying to convey to you the idea of a best/preferred brand of razor is down to personal preferences in design/looks, size of the blade, material of the blade and scales all things being equal. Just like I tried to say on post #60.

I don't know when Buck started to have knives produced off shore. If you go the buck site you will see knives marked imported with the forever warranty. This is an example of the one I got BUCK . If you read the warranty BUCK there are exclusions for abuse and so on.

Bob

Okay, thanks, Bob. So basically, if the steel is not just absolute crap, and if you like the way it looks and feels, it's a good razor, and no brand has a particular monopoly on quality? That actually makes sense to me.

In a way, differing opinions and factoids can be confusing but I wouldn't have it any other way. I would rather see differing views and pick my own way with actual experiences and case histories and simple logic. Seeing rational debate between different viewpoints is good, too. If I take one side or another out of beginner's ignorance, that doesn't mean I won't change my mind in the face of a good logical argument to the contrary.

Glen, if nothing else, you're certainly thorough...