Thread: Really custom made razors

Originally Posted by Substance

You could get the steel blade work by Bruno how ever you want he will make it or someone else who does steel only,
Then over to Gssixgun or similar for the finish and scales work.
I have seen some very nice blades produced through this way and well worth a look.
Thruely custom and you can get those that specialise in each discipline to do their magic for you.
Food for thought.

Just a minor point of clarification: I do completely finished razors as well, not just the unfinished blades.

Matter of fact I have a custom being made right now. I know it is in progress, though I'm not sure how far along. Eventually I will post the details.

IME talking to a maker and mentioning what you want in an offhand way ....... not specifically asking 'will you make a custom', but something like, I'd like to get a blade with a slight smile matching in both spine and edge. The maker is liable to say 'Oh, I can do that.' Then you hammer out the details, scale material, size of the blade, spine work or not.

I don't make razors but putting myself in their place, I could imagine a guy asking me to make a custom piece, without saying exactly what it is he wants, and I would be reluctant to just say 'sure, no problem.'

The other thing is, some guys make razors that look like medieval weapons, others are more traditional, and others avant garde, and then there are some that go both ways (designing razors I mean) so I look at their gallery, examples of past performance, and go to someone who tends to make what I like as a rule. Just IMHO.

Tim Zowada makes Razors to order. I contacted him and choose the type steel I wanted for the blade, the point I wanted, the grind and the type of scales. All that's left is to wait til he gets it finished and it may take a while before you get it. He seems to be a busy Man ?

Originally Posted by Slamthunderide

Tim Zowada makes Razors to order. I contacted him and choose the type steel I wanted for the blade, the point I wanted, the grind and the type of scales. All that's left is to wait til he gets it finished and it may take a while before you get it. He seems to be a busy Man ?

Yeah, some of them have waiting times measured in years, not weeks or months.

Sometimes I have even forhotten anout the whole thing when suddenly a mail sits in my innox with pictures of the beauty()

Ali's Blade from France!!!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The other thing is, some guys make razors that look like medieval weapons, others are more traditional, and others avant garde, and then there are some that go both ways (designing razors I mean) so I look at their gallery, examples of past performance, and go to someone who tends to make what I like as a rule. Just IMHO.

That's a very good point that bears repeating.

Most custom makers gravitate to a specific style. If you want to have a razor of that specific style, it is best to ask that person. Not only will they be the most experienced at making things like that, they themselves also enjoy making them best. And because they make them often, they'll also be able to better understand the design and the possible details that need attention.

I'm quite interested in this as well. I've spent the last few days drawing up designs of razors, quite different to the usual style, and I;m hoping to get one made in the next few years.

I was wondering though, how many razor-makers work with meteorite steel? From what I've seen, Tim Zowada is the only maker who offers this, but the razor's style is like a hybrid between Max Sprecher and Charlie Lewis'.

Originally Posted by Iasonas

Ali's Blade from France!!!

Good lick getting a reply. I was in Avignon and asked about a visit well before departure, no reply either.

Cheers, Steve

In addition to the makers already mentioned

Ken Powell - produces high quality 'traditional' straights as well as some highly imaginative razors
Also, I don't believe anyone has mentioned Phil Dobson, Pierre Rodrigue or Dylan Farnham.

As others have suggested
Look at all the different makers respective work/styles and make a choice as to which you would feel best be able to 'put pen to paper' for the ideas you have bouncing around your head.

Depending on what one is looking for in a custom razor, I would also try to get as much feedback on shaveability as I could from fellow shavers.. Out of the fifty+ customs in my collection there are a small minority that simply put are unusable as shavers.
So no, basing your purchase on shiny gallery-photos is not good advice without the accompanying check on how they shave. As tested by seasoned users