Razors from Pakistan

So i was approached by a gent that said he makes custom razors out of Pakistan... He seems like a nice guy and it was on the classic shave fb page... Below is his message and some pics... Has anybody purchase or knows anything about his products... I am curious!? Would they make good gifts!? Anything...Attachment 152970Attachment 152971Attachment 152973Attachment 152974
Hi,
This is Muhammad Adnan From Maclura Surgical Sialkot Pakistan.
Sir here are attached pictures of my straight razors
please check it out. and inform me which one you need .
the only difference is of handle material which you like to be used please send its pictures and material name like Horn, Plastic or Wooden handles. If you want any other design or style then please send your pictures We can make any design any style according to customers demands.
Our razors are made of fine quality material and has excellent result.
My razors has flawless quality
durable an low costing.
Please send us your inquiry for more details and prices.
Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Regards:
Muhammad Adnan
CEO: Maclura Surgical Sialkot Pakistan.
Email:maclurasurgical@gmail.com
Mobile: +92-300-6129770

No ,,never seen one before, not familiar with Muhammad, but I've only been here 3 years.
I have limited time & resources like most people, so when I indulge in the hobbies that I like, I stick to reputable vendors that I know. I learn of reputable vendors by listening to the advice & reviews of members on SRP. Since I've never heard of Muhammad & his razor skills here before & based on the pictures provided,,,I'll have to pass on these razors.

As far as purchasing them as a gift to someone, well,,I would not give one of them to a new straight razor member because the razors might not be any good & the new guy gets a bad experience right from the start.

If they interest you & you have the money to spare, then I suggest you get one & give us a good review on it's performance.

or,,

Get one & give it to one of the veteran members here for them to review & return to you when the review is over.

I personally would not buy one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hirlau

No ,,never seen one before, not familiar with Muhammad, but I've only been here 3 years.
I have limited time & resources like most people, so when I indulge in the hobbies that I like, I stick to reputable vendors that I know. I learn of reputable vendors by listening to the advice & reviews of members on SRP. Since I've never heard of Muhammad & his razor skills here before & based on the pictures provided,,,I'll have to pass on these razors.

As far as purchasing them as a gift to someone, well,,I would not give one of them to a new straight razor member because the razors might not be any good & the new guy gets a bad experience right from the start.

If they interest you & you have the money to spare, then I suggest you get one & give us a good review on it's performance.

or,,

Get one & give it to one of the veteran members here for them to review & return to you when the review is over.

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I completely understand your point... I have over a dozer vintage razors in my rotation ... I was just wondering if this is legit ... And somebody knows him... Who knows... He might be the next levi... Well not so much ... I am just curious. ..

I have been struggling as to how to reply... I figure since Hirlau did such a fine job of being pleasant, I'll just be out with it. Pakistani razors have never done right by me. And that's putting it mildly!

BUT! I am but one data point. They are cheep, so its not like you couldn't just give it a go.

IMHO, Pakistan razor wouldn't make a good letter opener.................

I'll bite…I'm curious as to why/how he approached you and what exactly makes these razors custom?
I HIGHLY doubt he's the next Livi..lol

I've never been able to get a decent edge on a razor from Pakistan. I guess there's always a first time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

I'll bite…I'm curious as to why/how he approached you and what exactly makes these razors custom?
I HIGHLY doubt he's the next Livi..lol

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I appreciate all you guys input... Muhammed approach me in facebook in the classic shave page... Alot of the of the guys here follow that page... We jumped in a conversation we were having about biskmarks and other nice razors... He said he made custom razors and ask if i was interested... So i told him to pm me... I am up for the next challenge and thats why curiosity is getting the best of me... I am new compared to everyone here of course and i like to take you all input in stuff... So far ive learned alot here... And i keep learning... I went from shaving with shavettes to now having a dozen razors in my rotation... All minus 2 restored by hand by me... I am now on the custom building scales craze... Lol... I guess i am looking for an excuse to buy my next project... Even thou i have 10 razors waiting for rescale! Lol! I will let you all know if i decide to experiment with these Pakistanian unknown razors

I only have 1 experience with a pakistani razor. It sits in my 'razor junk' drawer and I use it to cut tape for honing. I run it across a barbers hone from time to time to keep it sharp enough to cut said tape. The edge feels like aluminum foil :(

Chris

Quote:

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Originally Posted by robert2286

Lol... I guess i am looking for an excuse to buy my next project... Even thou i have 10 razors waiting for rescale! Lol! I will let you all know if i decide to experiment with these Pakistanian unknown razors

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Miracles do happen!

First off I have never had a Pakistani razor so can't comment first hand on what they are like. To me somebody approaching me on FB that I don't know wanting to sell me something is akin to being approached on the street by a stranger asking if I want to buy a watch. If these razors from Pakistan were of reasonable quality I would guess most reputable retailers would carry them especially considering the price point. Couple that with posts on different forums that are generally not to rosy about these razors make me very leery of getting one.

OTH if you get one realizing all that just to see for yourself what is what that should not be a problem. I am sure most here have spent more on booze in one night out and flushed it down the toilet. Either way it is an affordable loss worse case scenario and best case you just might get lucky.

Bob

Pakistan has an amazing metalworking culture considering the fabricating handicaps they have to overcome to get any work done at all. That this fellow offers himself as a surgical instrument maker is interesting. I could suggest that physicians would have some serious input into the quality of the tools he made for them since their business is more in the life and death arena if the tool does not perform.

I will say "perhaps", mostly because there are so many things I don't know about the manufacturing that lend a better opinion. Today, I am with the rest of the opinions on this one. Generally, for sharp things, Pakistani blades have not been up to standards for what could normally be expected. They replicate very well, but do not perform very well. This includes their pattern welded steels too.

Now, some of the Pakistani makers are on the various forums looking for feedback. They do have the capability of changing their methods, changing their steels and will produce an acceptable product for the rest of the world market if they are motivated to do so. So there can be exceptions and the only way to find these exceptions is to test the product.

The relative value of even a very good (I know it's an oxymoron) Pakistani razor would still be so far below what is normally available in the modern razor market from reputable suppliers that it would undercut business. It's no different really than any other cheap razor manufacturer. They want to make pennies on a blade and sell a lot of them rather than put effort into making a generational razor that they will sell a few and wait to grow the market based on reputation rather than quantity.

Caveat emptor

I love when Mike talks steel :)


Over the years I have reached out to many Newbs that have posted about "Pakistani / Chinese Razors" and "Unknown brand razors" that they bought or had bought for them, I have offered to hone them or more accurately to try and hone them...

They fall into 4 categories so far


1. The edge literally falls apart as you try and get the bevel to set on the 1k, switching to the 4k allows for a edge to form that would be about kitchen knife sharp but no more..

2. The bevel will form and a sharp edge will take, this edge will fall apart about halfway through the shave, you can literally see the edge damage easily with a loupe and sometimes with the naked eye.

3. The edge will take and you can get through a shave, or two, but there is a noticeable difference in smoothness from a true SR

4. The razor performs and shaves, I have not ever heard back about how long these edges lasted, I assume for two reasons, they either gave up and moved on or they bought known SR's.. Many of these razors also fall into the price range of an entry level known brand so it makes really no sense to buy one :shrug:


This has been my actual experience through testing

I agree with the others. I feel prey to the lure of a cheap, working razor and have regretted it since. A big, big waste of money that could have gone toward something more lasting. Lousy edge, didn't stay sharp enough. I keep it around as a visual reminder that, although I like to pay as little as possible, there are times when that bites you on the butt. Save your money. Assuage you curiosity with a good lunch out. (And do as I do on eBay these days. I put all the razors, etc. that I am interested in on my Watch list and watch them increase to ridiculous final prices, congrats myself for not buying and celebrate with a piece of chocolate cake ((another addiction to deal with))).

I hate to broadly generalize about this but sometimes it can't be helped. Pakistani and most Chinese blades are not a good purchase from any perspective for a newb. That said, once you get some restoration and honing experience a Gold Dollar can be worth a gamble but I've yet to see a Pakistani blade that was worth the money or effort to hone.

GDs can be acceptable if you happen to get one that was made properly - it's a gamble though - and if you can't hone them yourself (meaning you need to be able to tell when a blade is a lost cause) then GDs are a waste as well for you until you gain that knowledge.

To get philosophical - I agree totally with Mike and Glen, there's not much more to add to that except to say that should a Pakistani or Chinese maker decides to get knowledgeable about straight razors AND changes their processes to produce consistently good quality steel and proven geometry on the blades, AND does some effective marketing to change their image to the point that prospective buyers are confident that what they'll receive is going to take and hold a good edge for a long time, THEN I'd recommend a specific Pakistani maker's work. Until then, it's all just a gamble, and not a very good one - a bit like folding at the blackjack table when you have a pair of 10s and the dealer is showing a 4 - you MIGHT win if the dealer falls over unconscious, but why risk it when there's so many good blades out there for the same price and less effort.

I paid under $4 for a razor like that once, just to see what bad was. I now use it to open packages that come in the mail.

It all makes sense and i am glad i asked the question... I knew i would get good answers! Thanks all! If any of you is rich and has time to mess with these ... The info is above

The blades might not be up to par, There might however be a silver lining, The scales.

If that guy is hand making nice scales in natural materials then you could be on a winner. Say an order for 10 polished bone scales, for your own use with restorations. And a free evaluation blade for yourself. If the blade come through as a winner then you know you might be able to gamble on something fancy. If the blade is useless then you have a supply of hand made scales to add value to ebay razors.

I have only had one blade from Pakistani and the only reason I bought it was the price and it was for my then 4 year old son I dulled the cutting edge so he would not cut himself. He still uses it when he want to shave with me. As far as if the edge was good or would even keep an edge I have no clue but my son really likes the way it shaves and been using it for three years and never had to hone it once

DON'T TOUCH THEM!!! Everything I've read is that the blades are...err pardon the expression CRAP:-(