Thread: Hart Steel Razors?

Wayne,

I don't own one but I have honed quite a few of them, here are my opinions

The negatives:

1. The smiles are iffy at best, they are often off center and it takes some doing to move them around.
2. The steel can be pretty chippy
3. Using 2 layers of tape eliminates many problems
4. I would honestly not want to hone one without tape
5. Without some care with honing they shave very harsh
6. I hate the screws that hold them together HATE them, damn things always come here loose as hell

The positives:

1. 1/4 hollow grind
2. Heavy stiff blade
3. Holds a great edge if honed right
4. Well balanced
5. Made in the USA

JMHO:
I actually like their scales, I know surprising but I do, except those damn screws

I wonder if some low strength lok-tite would solve the screw problem??

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Wayne,

I don't own one but I have honed quite a few of them, here are my opinions

The negatives:

1. The smiles are iffy at best, they are often off center and it takes some doing to move them around.
2. The steel can be pretty chippy
3. Using 2 layers of tape eliminates many problems
4. I would honestly not want to hone one without tape
5. Without some care with honing they shave very harsh
6. I hate the screws that hold them together HATE them, damn things always come here loose as hell

The positives:

1. 1/4 hollow grind
2. Heavy stiff blade
3. Holds a great edge if honed right
4. Well balanced
5. Made in the USA

JMHO:
I actually like their scales, I know surprising but I do, except those damn screws

Wow. I have two, a 6/8 round point and 7/8 square point. I have honed them both. The two I have hone like any other razor, and I finish and touch-up my razors on a Naniwa 12k. They shave excellent, smooth-no harshness, and hold an edge very well when properly stropped. One was honed with tape, the other without, and I can't tell any difference between the two as far as feel and effectiveness of shaving. I recommend them, they are great razors that seem like they should last my lifetime. Oh, I tightened the screws when I first got them, and they stay tight, no problemo.

Wow, I too have nothing but praise for the Hart. It hones to a great edge and is the smothest shaver I have; far better than even my Wade. It holds the edge longer than my others too. I hone it about once every 3 monts with daily use.

I have the 6/8" round nose and I like the heavy 1/4 hollow. I call it my "safety" straight because I never cut myself with it whereas my full hollows bite me all the time. Actually, I cut myself more with a DE than I do the Hart. Maybe it's because I have big hands and the Hart is a big razor.

Would I buy another Hart? In a quick minute! And, it is made in the USA. Their customer service is great too.

P.S.- My only complaint with the Hart is like sixgun says, that screw keeps loosening. But hey, that's minor.

Originally Posted by jbtusa

My only complaint with the Hart is like sixgun says, that screw keeps loosening. But hey, that's minor.

If you contact them, they will likely help you out/fix the problem. They told me that binding in the scale hole is the problem. When I made my scales, I kept this in mind.

This thread needs photos.

Nice scales Unit,kept looking at that brush,than it dawned on me where you got it

The half round design is just ugly. Any decent razor will shave you well so why have an ugly one? There are better and cheaper options available.

Originally Posted by UKRob

The half round design is just ugly. Any decent razor will shave you well so why have an ugly one? There are better and cheaper options available.

That seems a bit harsh. Have you shaved with one?

Originally Posted by unit

That seems a bit harsh. Have you shaved with one?

Why is my comment harsh - the OP asked for opinions? Yes, I've shaved with one and it was no better or worse than many other razors I've tried. Much as I like your scales the round point looks better when the scales are closed - in my opinion.

The reasoning behind my comment is that razors are a tool - what we want is a tool that does the job well. So, given that a blade is capable of being honed and shaves well enough, our motivation for acquiring another one is based on aesthetics as much as anything else - I assume that you chose to make some different scales because you preferred them to the originals. For the same reason, I prefer other blades for their looks over the Hart round edge. I think this proves we are thinking along the same lines.

I don't own one but have honed many as well. I find their look very cool in a minimist kind of way. As GS said, the steel can be temperamental but when honed correctly they are awesome.