Thread: My Definition of a Custom Razor

Gentlemen,

The custom razor has been the center of discussion here lately with many divergent views on the essence of it. Definitions have been tossed back and forth, some with the blatant hints of commercialism that have reminded me of one of the biggest hypes in the world of advertising: the "free gift."

If it is a "gift," what else could it be but "free"?

The reality of a custom-made razor, at least to me, is one that is made by the hands of an individual artist and craftsman, from designing the blade and scales, to forging the steel and finishing the razor. Some may be made for a specific person, while others using the artist's signature in design and taste. Either way, the artist makes the razor by his own hands from start to finish.

Many of the late Tom Clancy novels are now written by other writers under Clancy's name. I am not a Tom Clancy fan, but that's beside the point. Are such novels written by Tom Clancy? Not to me. Perhaps they are fine novels, written in the Clancy tradition, but they are still not Tom Clancy novels.

Max Sprecher, Mastro Levi, Charlie Lewis, Bob Allman, Robert Williams, Joe Chandler, Bruno, Brian Brown and scores of other craftsmen make custom razor that, to my knowledge, bear their signature from start to finish. (I understand Mastro Livi's son Luca works with the grand master, but to what extent, I don't know and, therefore, cannot comment on that.)

Is a special edition Thiers-Issard a custom made razor? Not to me. Other commercial straight razor makers designate such special edition straight razors, or at least hint at them, as custom made razors. Use what terminology you wish, but what else could a "free gift" be than a "gift" that in its true definition is something that is not supposed to cost anything.

So then, gentlemen, what is your definition of a custom-made razor? What do you consider it to be? What do you expect it to be in the way it is made?

I think this is a good start. I think the concept of sole authorship should not apply. Most craft cultures readily accept consortium work.

It is good to understand all the features of a razor and how to accomplish it. I disagree that one person must master all the crafts to make one razor.

To me anything custom is a one of a kind piece and can never be duplicated,copied perhaps but still a one off.

To me a custom razor, or any other custom product, is made at my request to my specifications by a single artisan. I guess I am basically agreeing with what Pixelfixed stated. A razor produced by an artisan and in their inventory produced on speculation is just not quite the same. I know I have a pretty narrow definition of custom made.

Bob

This could become controversial - if I go on the Mastro Livi site and select my choices from a drop down menu of blade size, material, toe shape and scales - does that make it a custom razor? If so, is it any different to the choices I get from Hart?

What real input have I had that cannot be replicated by someone else making the same choice?

Is it any different to Kropp making their razors available in different sizes and you get a choice of scale material?

Originally Posted by BobH

To me a custom razor, or any other custom product, is made at my request to my specifications by a single artisan. I guess I am basically agreeing with what Pixelfixed stated. A razor produced by an artisan and in their inventory produced on speculation is just not quite the same. I know I have a pretty narrow definition of custom made.
Bob

This is my definition as well. Custom made to my specifications and design. Any additional inventory would be one of a kind artisan product.

Like always, there is nothing to stop somebody from replicating the choices you have specified for your custom razor. Still you had control over nearly all aspects of your custom razor unlike the more limited choices of what I would call a semi custom like a Hart. It is simply a matter of degrees, of having fewer and fewer choices till you get to the bog standard off the shelf production razor. It might be splitting hairs but hey why not.

Bob

I'm with you ion this one Obie. There are some that I have that I often refer to as semi custom because they were made by a specific maker in limited production. That would be my Robert Williams Purist and my Tim Zowda 2H2H. Neither of them really fit the bill as a custom in my mind, but were made by the artisan/craftsman, start to finish as I understand it. I do not yet own one that is a true custom, one of a kind, made specifically for me, perhaps in time.

I am getting close to 60 razors labeled as customs and I'm still not sure how to define it

There are makers out there who even produces their own steel extracted from sand in their surrounding.
Now that is muy cool, but not a necessity to earn the moniker Custom imho.

Then you have razors like Mastro Livi makes.
Truly stellar works of art, but not really one-off's all of them.

Then you have the stock removal type of customs.
Some of those makers don't do their own heat-treat either.
But, the resulting razor may very well be a one off.

All of the above are customs to me.

TI's and Hart's and what have you are not customs in my book.
They are limited editions.

That's how I see it, but as I said, I'm not sure how to define it.
All I know is how much joy I have in collecting and using them

I would add that if a maker produces a custom razor, and I then by it from the original owner, that does not stop it from being a custom razor. Also, if a maker makes a custom razor for one buyer and one exactly like it for another, both of those are still custom razors. Custom razors don't have to be unique.

The concept of "sole authorship" is interesting, a razor where all parts are fabricated by one individual. I have some custom pocket knives that are sole authorship and some custom pocket knives that are not sole authorship. Both are custom pocket knives.