I recently bought a Chinese made ZY razor which cost me the princely sum of AUD 11.55 delivered from Honk Kong - that's about 8 bucks US. I have now taken delivery of a Thiers Issard Special Coiffure 6/8 - that's the base model 6/8 with black plastic scales - shipped internally in Australia, all up for $149 - say a hundred and 5 bucks US - not bad eh?

Which one of these razors do you think had a well formed bevel that could easily be honed to a superb edge by anyone with modest honing skills?

Not the TI, that's for sure! There appears to be something rotten in the state of the TI quality control department if they think this razor has been properly prepared for sale. I don't have the set up to photograph it properly but I'm sure you can all imagine a blade where there is a passable bevel on one side and hone contact only at the first cm from the heel and toe on the other.

It had some sort of an edge on it from the factory, which I suspect is the work of a belt rather than a flat hone. It passed a HHT on the first cm from the heel and nowhere else; a newbie attempting to shave with this thing would have been sorely disappointed.

The score so far: China 1, France nil.