I've been mulling the purchase of a Hart Steel razor. Does anyone here own one? What's your opinion of it?
Thanks in advance. :cool:
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I've been mulling the purchase of a Hart Steel razor. Does anyone here own one? What's your opinion of it?
Thanks in advance. :cool:
I do not own one as of yet but I have honed a good number of them. Big, beefy and very nice IMO. Nice size, weight, balance and they take a nice edge, very masculine looks.
+1 on everything nun2sharp said. I bought one about 6 months ago and it is definitely one of my favorites, plus its made right here in the U. S. of A! Mine has held its edge better than my other Dovo's, W&B's and Wackers. I prefer a quarter grind which is what Hart is. I own the 7/8 square point. I suggest reading the info on their website about their process.
I've become a huge fan of the Hart Razor. Was on the fence for a while - got a chance to try a 7/8 Square of a friends and in rapid succession found a 6/8 Square Baxter-Hart and a 7/8 Satin Square.
If you like a heavier, 1/4 ground blade you would not be disappointed.
As to holding an edge - I don't have anything (German, English, French, USA, custom) that comes close.
My only negative would be the Round point versions - which seem to be a full half circle - but then I have a mustache - so that intersection of the bottom of my nose and the top of the 'stash can get crowded.
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 :D but I do, except those damn screws :rofl2:
I wonder if some low strength lok-tite would solve the screw problem??
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.
I bored the holes in my scales just enough that the bushing does not bind and the screws do not loosen on me any more.
I would not recommend thread locker unless you are ok with the possibility that you may not be able to take it back apart without modification. If the bushing/nut does not bind and spins freely as it should, you may not be able to loosen the screw once the compound sets.
Personally, I like these razors and have very little issue with the edges/maintenance/honing. That said, I really enjoy working with some of the modern steels and particularly enjoy higher hardness in a razor. Opinions vary, but I like them.
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.
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.
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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.
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 have a Hart 7/8 square tip. It's a nice razor but if I were in the market for something new and willing to spend that much, I'd look at Theirs Issard. My Hart was a bitch to hone. In the end I used three layers of tape before it finally held a good edge. The one observation gssixgun mentioned about them being potentially chippy and harsh is correct. I enjoy a heavier grind so I do like that about the razor. And although they appear blunt in their design they feel very natural in your hand. But if I were to spend the money, I'd still opt for a TI. I simply prefer the edges, the feel, and the shaves I get from the half hollow TI.
Thanks for your opinions. You've made it easy to decide. :D
I own 7 of them and can't say a bad thing about them I also have a Tim Zowada 2H2H which is a fine Razor you can't go wrong with a Hart Steel or a 2H2H Tim helped train the AT's at Hart so either way you will get a great razor.
I ordered a hart razor earlier this week and I'm awaiting it's arrival. It's a 7/8 square point witn white scales. I'll let you know how it shaves. :)
Aesthetics are very much in the eye of the beholder. I love round toe razors. Almost all of the many razors I have are square points, so a nice big round point razor is a fun change of pace. For me it's not a matter of safety. I've found I can do a nice job on my earlobe with a round point just as easily as I can with a spike. The shape, and its recent comparative rarity, just appeals to my eye.
I agree with a lot of these points.
While I don't have a Hart, nor have ever gotten the chance to use one, I find they look extremely boring...ESPECIALLY for the price. For that price, I could indeed get a TI that would shave just as well and have more aesthetic choice than just picking which scales you want.
The main point that keeps me from wanting a Hart is the fact that for $100 more, I can get a custom razor and have it be exactly what I want in every way.
I don't see what's so special about them...yeah it's American made...big deal, so is a Robert Williams or a Brian Brown.
Any of the positive points that Glen brought up can be replicated by any custom razor maker.
Again, this is all the opinion and logic of someone who's never even held a Hart razor...so take it with a grain of salt! :p
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.
Who knows, maybe I'm missing out :p
Now, if they forged their razors from meteorites...THAT would be something to add to the collection!
Reply to Unit’s Pics -
Really good-looking scales. What are they made from - some kind of spalted wood?
BTW, very handsome brush too. Did you make the handle?
Nice, attractive set, both of them are great looking.
The Hart came in Saturday's mail and I shaved with it Sunday.
Pros: Well executed work. The edge was truly "shave ready." I gave it a light stropping and never looked back.
Cons: The scales are thick and chunky. The square cross section takes some getting used to. I may take the outside corner down to make it more comfortable to hold.
Overall: I'm quite pleased with it. It's a BIG razor and it does take some getting used to. However, I found it easy to control.
Post some pics!
Sweet razors that arrive shave ready. When it is time to hone, one layer of tape and it is a breeze. I have a 6/8 and 7/8 square point. They add nice depth to my choice of users.
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You can really see the high degree of polish on the blade.
Nice photos...I have never been very happy with the photos I take. The polish is never captured to my satisfaction.
Nice pic of your iphone to :)
Just a quick question as follow up, and i know its an extremely hard to define thing. But in your opinion was the cost/benefit ratio worth it for this razor over a resto'd older razor to a new custom?
That's a tough one. The proof is in the shave, and it shaves very well. Unless you find an NOS razor that's never seen the light of day, you're getting a used razor. That doesn't bother me, but I can tell you how many razors I've passed by because they were damaged in some way. Hone wear to the point of tapering the blade, cracked scales, rust, and the list goes on and on. So, is it worth it to me? Yes, it is.
Typical of the Hart I own. I recently bought a Jnat and have had great success with all of the blades I have honed on it. Being that the Hart has always presented problems for me I thought I'd give it a go on the new stone. I started wit a good 8k edge. From here I went to the new stone. To make a long story short, I don't even think I have a bevel any longer. The edge chipped away so much that it did not hold an edge against this stone. Very disappointing. For now I will have to stick with what seems to work with this one - a softer stone (Naniwai 12k) and if need be a pasted strop. I've honed about ten razors on this new stone and this is the first fail. It's not an easy one to hone.
Wow, OCD, sorry to hear that. As it happens, I just honed a Hart on a jnat a little while ago and ended up with a terrific, smooth edge. There are just so many variables in play here - the particular razor's steel, heat treatment, stone, slurry, techinque, phase of the moon, etc. that it's hard to figure out what's happening.
As Glenn recently remarked, natural stones seem to have personalities and sometimes they just don't play nice with our temperments but figuring them out is part of the fun. Synthetics are more predictable and almost always faster but we often seem to get smoother edges from the nats. Instead of the SRP logo, the forum razors should be engraved with "YMMV".
rs,
Tack
OCD - Wondering how old your Hart is, does it have Jimps and have you ever contacted Hart about the chipping?
One of my "razor exchange buds" purchased a used Hart, had a problem similar to the one you describe. He contacted Hart, they replaced the razor with an exchange. After getting a chance to try the replacement I became a fan and now have three.