Originally Posted by
MikekiM
Agree with this recommendation.. If we rely solely on looks, we would all own a few hundred straights. There are so many that look nice, but that's where it ends...
I agree here as well. I have a Dovo Flowing. Essentially a Bismark with a scalloped spine. I love the looks and the ergonomics, but the shave just isn't on par. It gets very little use. It's sentimental value is what keeps it in my collection.
You know... You can buy a great used blade with a set of crap, boring scales and have it either restored or give it a new set of scales that have all the bling factor and are EXACTLY what you like, and probably end up spending less.. There are a good many artisans who can help you with the scales and it's not all that expensive. What could have more cool factor than custom design?
No doubt Ti & Ralf Aust have both function and form. I have both and they are at the upper end of my rotation.
Spending $200 on a Ti won't necessarily yield you a better shave than if you spent a third of that on a starter blade with all the right specs (round point, half to quarter hollow etc) and then added a set of custom scales with all the bells and whistles for another $100 and put the balance into a nice brush and soap.