Thread: Hart Hit Men

First shave this morn with my new Hart 7/8.....wow! what a chunk of steel... love it... I see more Harts in my future!!

This thread has been dormant for a while so I hope some knowledgeable Hart owners can chime in. I'm certainly not very knowledgeable about Hart Steel razors or about the company history. I don't own any Hart Steel razors but would like to change that. My understanding is that Tim Zowada was once involved with the company and no longer is. I know I can buy new Hart Steel razors from ClassicShaving but I'm interested in finding and buying older razors from when Tim Z was involved with the company. I own a few Tim Z custom razors. I'm wondering if there is a way/how to differentiate older Hart Steel razors from newer razors?
Thank you.

There is a reason why this thread is dormant.

If you are looking for older Hart razors my advice would be to place a request on WTB section of the classifieds.

I honed one of the older ones up for a fellow forum member, 6/8 and stamped ‘JA’ for ‘James Arman’. They used to stamp (actually etch) their initials on the obverse tang. If one was made by Tim Zowada, it would have ‘TZ’ on it.

James Arman’s wife is Maria Arman, who made Maggard Razors first soaps and runs TTFFC. So in the image is a razor made by James and the soap and AS made by his wife. The Limes and Bergamot soap is a classic.

Originally Posted by Badgister

There is a reason why this thread is dormant.

If you are looking for older Hart razors my advice would be to place a request on WTB section of the classifieds.

I’d be happy to sell one at a reasonable price. I just couldn’t do it with a clear conscience.

I guess I missed something when I was gone. What happened with hart?

They were sold to a larger outfit with several ‘brands’ and the quality and customer service declined. Many if not all of the original grinders left.

Those are my 2.
Just noticed not so clean on the tangs lol.
But they shave very well for me. I believe the round point to be one of the older ones I got it from ebay its one of my main shavers the square point is a new one and also shave great. Both can be tricky to hone as both are prone to micro chipping naniwa 1k then dalmore blue, tam o shanter, Then i finish on synthetics usually snow white 8k then sg10k and sg20k.
I should really try em on my coti next time round.

Newly arrived Hart 6/8, polished, round point, ebony scales, Terry van Norman (TV). Just honed it on my Nakayama Misu Asagi, first shave tomorrow!

The newer Hart’s and no where close to what the older ones were like in quality, I have owned several of the newer ones and in lots of cases the steel was not tempered correctly and took edges that just don’t hold up and other were unevenly ground but some and I mean some were ok