Thread: Why so pricey?!

Since I've come into the world of straight razors and wet shaving I've been really surprised on how expensive a lot of things are. Can anyone explain why customs are so expensive and why brushes or stands are so high up there?
I don't mean to offend any of the custom builders on here (I respect ALL of your work), I'm just trying to get a grasp on why things are the way they are.
Thanks in advance,
D

Customs are so expensive simply due to the amount of time put into making a razor, not counting the consumables that are used during the process.

Lastly you are paying for their skill, make one and you will have a whole new respect for razor makers...knives are EASY compared to a razor.

If your talking one off custom items,you need to factor in how many hrs go into the item,plus your paying for one of a kind items.
I would venture a guess that a custom razor maker is making about $20/hr at most.
I make custom loom strops.I sell every one I make no prob. But they take about 25 hrs to make,so I make less than $10 per/hr after factoring in materials.
I can make more peeling spuds at in and out

The simple answer is supply and demand. This is a niche market, and some are willing to pay the price for things others would roll their eyes at. Of course, some products are made with fine materials and are labour intensive, so that will drive up the price as well. In the end it's like any other hobby.

Hand made craftsmanship has a value all it's own if you ask me. 1. Somebody put a lot of time into it. 2. They are works of art. 3. It is 1 of a kind even if more than 1 of that style was made. I think with all things around these razors there is the fact that there is quality in material, craftsmanship and guarantee. All these things ad to the value. I think most that use a straight are the kind that think well made things are worth hard earned money because they will do what they are supposed to for a loooong time.

Unlike many things now of days these customs are made to last many lifetimes . That type of work takes much time and skills to do. That equals high cost.

Hey I'm new too.

Things cost money. You can get a soap for like 5 bucks, a brush for 5 bucks and a razor for like $60 bucks. Also a strop for $45. $115 Thats many many many shavings there. Buy some mach 3's at the store, $115 wont even buy a years worth.

I would say there are many principles at play here. First, is relativism. What you find expensive, others will not. But, I do understand what you're saying. Foregoing the value of vintage items and focusing on new: there is a recent thread here that has the How It's Made video of the new razors by Dovo. They have 80 steps in their process and their general razors range from ~$80-200. If you watch the video you'll see that they seem to do razors in batches of 50 at a time. The custom razors are made one at a time and are often spec'd by the customer- which is a lot of time for the producing artist.

By the time you consider the raw materials and time, much less the fact that you will have a functional piece of art that should easily outlast you and your children, the price will seem much more reasonable. I would say the accessories are a similar tale but also there is supply and demand. Those items aren't in huge demand, relative to iPods, etc anyway and production costs generally get cheaper with higher volumes.

There are many more points, but my last one pertains to the alternative. If a 3, 4, or 5 blade gizmo from the grocery store seems reasonable, consider the cost/annum and then lifetime. The value of having a skill vs just wiping your face is not considered here.

Ok, one final point: like most things- it is only as expensive as you want it to be. You can get a shave ready razor, brush, strop and some soap for a song and those items could last you a very, very long time.

Edit: I should have been more pithy. There were no responses when I started writing...but those guys (^^^^^^^) pretty well covered it.

Let me suggest an analogy.

A gallon of oil seems pretty easy to get and seems like it ought to be cheap....AFTER you drill the 4000 foot well to get it (and perhaps several other non-producing wells in your search).

Now a razor is a piece of steel that costs somewhere between 2 and 20 bucks depending on type, and perhaps 1-20 dollars worth of material to make the scales...it's the labor to turn those materials into a razor, but ALSO the expertise required to do it (it is harder than many might think to do it right).

I think it interesting that some guys who got into making custom razors since they came to SRP, and got really good at it, didn't stick with it as a steady gig , or seem to have quit altogether. Others are still at it and with a few of them making razors is their sole income. I don't think any of them are getting rich. I believe anyone who starts out making customs is doing it out of a labor of love.

IME with something like that, turning a hobby into a semi profession, while the artisan is learning it is new and exciting. For some who get to a level of excellence that is really highly professional, it continues to be a passion. For others, once they really get good at it, the thrill is gone. It becomes hard work that requires absolute concentration at most of the steps to avoid ruining the blade or scales with a moments inattention. Anyway just some thoughts on contributing factors to cost and that.