Thread: Carbon content dilema (advice needed)

Actually, TC makes a very good point. In addition to my questions above, what experience do you have with straight shaving?

It actually is critical for you to understand how to use them if you want any hope of being able to be competent making, or even just selling, them.

Hassy, I realize that it may seem like we are piling on with criticism, but I hope that you can recognize that we actually are trying to help.

Many thanks to everyone who replied, especially onimaru55, RayClem and Butzy who were extremely helpful.
I guess I should mention that I am not trying to replicate the traditional straight razor. Above all, my aim is to produce something that is reasonable priced but retains the function and and an extent of quality of traditional straight razors. If you imagine the cheap, disposable safety razor at one end of the spectrum and the expensive, high-quality straight razors that you guys enjoy at the other end, my aim is to produce something in the middle for a reasonable price. Hence in manufacturing my product I am considering all metals even those that are traditionally unconventional for straight razors.
Again I am still learning the traditional straight razor and I really appreciate all replies.

@Utopian no worries all comments are welcome and admit my knowledge of straight razors is a minute in comparison to the rest of the members on this forum but that is why I am here and learning.
I do appreciate your help

The reason we say pull a few hundred apart is that high end or mid quality there is an essence to the geometry & function of a straight that a lot of smiths that attempt razor making just don't or won't get.
It's not a mousetrap that can be made better. Cheaper or unconventional sure but better nuhh... Ok maybe modern plastics might last longer than celluloid but that's about it.

It's this simple; You need to know more about your products than your customers.

Originally Posted by Hassy

my aim is to produce something that is reasonable priced but retains the function and and an extent of quality of traditional straight razors. If you imagine the cheap, disposable safety razor at one end of the spectrum and the expensive, high-quality straight razors that you guys enjoy at the other end, my aim is to produce something in the middle for a reasonable price. Hence in manufacturing my product I am considering all metals even those that are traditionally unconventional for straight razors. ....

There are straight razors that cost $10 (perhaps even less). There are straight razors that cost $1000. No matter whether the razor is carbon steel or stainess steel, the cost of the metal in the razor comprises on a very small portion of the manufacturing cost. The cost of the razor depends on the crafstmanship (or lack thereof) put into the razor. A $1000 razor is designed as a work of art by a artist who pays attention to every detail. The $10 razor is designed to have the bare minimum of craftsmanship. It is possible to produce a $100 razor that will deliver a shave equal in performance to the $1000 razor, however, it will not deliver the same style experience. The performance of the $100 razor is likely to be far superior to that of the $10 razor as that inexpensive razor will lack some of the qualities needed to deliver a good shave. However, if someone has the skills and time to refine the $10 razor, it might be made to perform as well as the $100 razor, but it will never come close to the style of the $1000 custom razor.

There is a market for $1000 razors. There is a market for $10 razors. However, the best bang for the buck is probably in the $100-150 razor market.

Originally Posted by RayClem

No matter whether the razor is carbon steel or stainess steel, the cost of the metal in the razor comprises on a very small portion of the manufacturing cost. .

I agree with this with the exception of if you go to the extremes of using metal from a meteorite or the prop shaft of the Titanic.....

A couple of years ago there was an SRP member that decided he could figure out a way to mfg straight razors and compete with the "Gold Dollar razors" of the world. He had a lot of experience in the business world and usually succeeded at whatever he tried. He really worked at this and realized from the start that hand labor was the big enemy. He went to a well known MFG of CNC machines and talked with them. They said they could build a machine that could do most of the grinding but it would cost $300,000+. .... so he tried to build another version which used 2 Bader grinders mounted on a lead screw. He found out that this generated a lot of heat on the steel blade and eventually slowed his work down enough to keep the temps reasonable. The problem he had was in the heat treating and tempering. He was overcooking the steel ..... That's the last I heard from him.