Thread: thinking of starting to make custom straight razors

Just a thought guys. Not sure if it's a great idea but I do have a lathe at hand. Also wife makes soaps wen she can and there great. Wat I'm trying to say is would there a market for shaving brushes? Also that could help with funds to get me a sweet grinder to do my straight razor making?

There seems to be a reasonably healthy market for handmade brushes, i dont think the outlay is that great so if it didn't work out it wouldn't be a huge loss.

That's so true. I've used the lathe before but it's been a while. To be honest it's my dad's and it's just sitting there. Y not try and make something. Any idea on were to get nots from . That would be my only issue

In most cases, when manufacturing product, the key to profits is cost control. One of the things that is vary hard to balance is the ability to offer a good selection while keeping inventory carrying costs low. You need to be able to buy raw material in high enough quantities to have good discounts on your materials. but not have to buy in enough quality that your inventory sits for long period. Your inventory needs to turn at high enough rate that you are not insuring dead inventory or paying interest on goods you are just storing. Productivity and marketing are also very important areas to look at. Getting good pictures and a quality website can be serious challenges, and the wet shaving community is a predominately online group.

Starting small and growing into a business gives you the ability to flex and change, learn and grow. I say do what you can to start and grow and flex to where the market tells you to go. Remember the journey is the important part, so if you don't focus on a destination, it makes the journey easier to enough.

Mate Gameco don't sell O1 in thick enough sections yet you need to go to Bohler or import from O.S. for O1 in 5mm thick plus sections
as noted most of there gear is knife related so the scale stock is usually 140mm not 150mm like we need
but take a look at their site do the research find your materials etc, steel is in knife making steel section
as previously mentioned time is required to research, source, fab, advertise & distribute your products
this is all part of the hours put in to make the first sellable product and why it is so expensive to make the first item.

rs-online Australia sell 01 steel (as "Tool Steel Rectangular Bar") in suitable sizes (e.g. 5x25x500mm) (Same day despatch on Steel Rods, Bars, Tubes & Hexagonals parts | RS Components)

Originally Posted by RezDog

Starting small and growing into a business gives you the ability to flex and change, learn and grow. I say do what you can to start and grow and flex to where the market tells you to go. Remember the journey is the important part, so if you don't focus on a destination, it makes the journey easier to enough.

It also gives you the opportunity to figure out what you are good at, and what you like doing. And in the end that is the only way you can sustain it.
Currently I am working full time again, which means I have to squeeze the last minute out of every day, which means I am often up well past midnight in my workshop. Hard to do that if you'd rather do anything else but be up and work.

Originally Posted by RezDog

In most cases, when manufacturing product, the key to profits is cost control. One of the things that is vary hard to balance is the ability to offer a good selection while keeping inventory carrying costs low. You need to be able to buy raw material in high enough quantities to have good discounts on your materials. but not have to buy in enough quality that your inventory sits for long period. Your inventory needs to turn at high enough rate that you are not insuring dead inventory or paying interest on goods you are just storing. Productivity and marketing are also very important areas to look at. Getting good pictures and a quality website can be serious challenges, and the wet shaving community is a predominately online group.

costs for inventory can only be recouped when the material is used from the inventory, not when you buy it. It is very easy to build inventory quicker than money is coming in. Especially if you start working with expensive materials. If you plan plan on making consumer items, margins become extremely important.

Heck yeah! Make some Australian steel!