Thread: Sheffields

Originally Posted by rhensley

With the growing trend to use straight razors I wonder why the Sheffield brands haven't come back. I know that there are some custom blade makers out there and dovo and boker are still going why dosn't some one in England take up the torch sort of speak. I for one would probably try one. Just a thought.

Thought provoking post,,thanks,,,,I love the few Sheffields that I have & value them above the other vintage razors I own.

I for one, would not want to see a company revive a legendary razor. I would not feel the same about a modern Wade & Butcher for example.

Some things found & experienced in life, like shaving with a 150 year old Sheffield, should remain unaltered. JMO

Originally Posted by BobH

,,,,,,,,,,,,People on shaving forums tend to forget how truly miniscule the numbers of people using straights are compared to those using other methods of shaving.

Bob

So true,,,,,,,,

Looking at the way old Sheffields were made, no way the dangerous, dirty, health risking techniques would fly today. Total modern, CNC production would have to be used to make any quantities. It would not be the same as the old ones which are all different.
Every one would be a 'Dovo'. Our custom-makers are the closest thing we have and some seem to be embracing the old 'Sheffield' mold more and more these days. JMO

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Looking at the way old Sheffields were made, no way the dangerous, dirty, health risking techniques would fly today. Total modern, CNC production would have to be used to make any quantities. It would not be the same as the old ones which are all different.
Every one would be a 'Dovo'. Our custom-makers are the closest thing we have and some seem to be embracing the old 'Sheffield' mold more and more these days. JMO

Yup! There's that too.

Remember, every time you use an old Sheffield razor, the polishing pass was done by the youngest employees. 8-12 years old. Joseph Rodgers was hirin'em that young into the early 1900's.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Thought provoking post,,thanks,,,,I love the few Sheffields that I have & value them above the other vintage razors I own.

I for one, would not want to see a company revive a legendary razor. I would not feel the same about a modern Wade & Butcher for example.

Some things found & experienced in life, like shaving with a 150 year old Sheffield, should remain unaltered. JMO

Kind of like the new Indian Motorcycle!

But you know... I think if you get a dedicated CEO with a love for tradition in the case of a razor, it might work. It's not like you got to, or want to "improve on the technology."

I am torn. Maybe I just want access to one lol .



**Edit - speaking of motorcycles and bringing a brand back from dead - Harley did a darn fine job. Even producing a verity of new and old tech bikes.... hmmmm

Not only are our numbers small, but who knows if this is just a quick flash in the pan. Perhaps we will in part be enjoying an all new shaving method in five years. Without concrete trends and historical data it would be hard to lay out that kind of cash. I like making hones. Not a snowballs chance in hell I'm going to build a small manufacturing plant.

Unfortunately, I would say that the economics of setting up a plant with tooling and employees and getting all the bugs out and producing proper, quality blades would be too prohibitive. As Bob mentioned, we're all quite keen on straights but comparing the number of members on this site to the amount of people that shave; we're quite small.

Could it be done? Anything is possible but I wouldn't hold my breath, sadly.

Yes, all the above is very true.

The fact of the matter comes down to one factor, businesses are in business to make profits and generate value for shareholders - period. Is it fulfilling to do that whilst doing something you have a passion for, of course.

Anyone that plans a business on purely sentimental values is usually doomed to failure. No one cares how much you or I value something, if there isn't a market for it, if it's to complicated to manufacture, or if at best it will target a niche market, it's already got 9 out of 10 strikes against it, no venture capitalist or bank would likely fund such a proposal unless there was significant plans and market research to back it up. And if there was, you'd probably lose your shirt on shares and control of the company.

Mind you, when I was made aware of a business plan some years ago regarding a bunch of crazy dudes that thought of selling coffee for $8.00 a cup, purchasing the most expensive real estate in any location, preferably corner locations, and filling them with expensive furniture and such, most thought they were nuts - well, they made a boatload of money by violating each and every rule of business, shake my head every time I get a Starbucks coffee....

I would highly doubt you could resurrect an old model like W&B or the like, the instant you did, comparisons would set in, and you simply couldn't beat the purists and their force in the market, and if you did manage to get the nod and enthusiasm from that community, it would then be very likely you might fail based on too much success...overwhelming demand for a product that can't be mass manufactured. Exactly what we're seeing right now with Thiers Issard and Dovo both in supply issues and quality control and assurance.

And as mentioned, the time factor, by the time you had a suitable production and distribution network, and a reputation established, would the market still be there or would a new innovation come along and sweep it all away? Risk is very high, potential rewards, at best, debatable...let alone the tertiary markets needed to support it, strops, hones, honing services etc...

This very topic was somewhat at the heart of the thread I started regarding vintage vs new production. Even the discussions around hollow vs extra-hollow grinds, extra-hollow is rare in new production razors due to demand and the skill and extra production costs necessary to manufacture them, and again, add on additional QA costs. This is probably why you may only see this level of quality via custom razor makers, and you simply couldn't place an order for 10,000 razors of various grinds, widths etc with one custom maker. Could you potentially corral several of them to work together...maybe...but the risks and the problems are the same.

Just my opinion, but the closest I think any will ever come to those treasured works of art is via E-Bay, flea markets, and the antique store.

Anyhow, as usual, I blather on....

Well, ask yourself what does England manufacture these days? I don't think the razors are any special, they used to lead the world in textile production as well...

Originally Posted by gugi

Well, ask yourself what does England manufacture these days? I don't think the razors are any special, they used to lead the world in textile production as well...

Yea, but to be fair you could ask the same question of most western industrialized countries today. I would bet the answer would be less than they used to also.

Bob