Thread: Custom razors

Originally Posted by Dlb1963

I was wondering are custom razors worth money and are they really that much better than manufactured razors.

The customs I have personally seen so far have not been quite up to sniff compared to vintage. Exception was a Max Sprecher razor that I got on a loan to try.
I am big fan of hollow ground razors and so far aesthetically only Koraat appeal to me with their Filli 14 replica model. I have not tried a Koraat though.
I personally gravitate towards vintage blades because we know they work for the most part.

I have a bit of old, and a bit of new. I will say that in my experience, most custom or semi-custom razors are quite a bit better than modern production razors like dovo, boker, etc...
That said, I've never had a custom razor that out-performed my best vintage razors in terms of shave quality. Looks are a different story. The benefit of buying a custom new razor is that you get exactly what you want and can be assured of good quality. Sometimes with vintage razors purchased online there are imperfections that you just aren't seeing in the pictures. And because the person that made it is long dead and gone, no one is going to take a vintage razor and give you a new one to remedy the situation like a modern custom razor smith (hopefully) would to preserve his/her name in the marketplace.
I know that's not extraordinarily helpful in terms of making a decision either way, but it will hopefully shed light on some of the different considerations when you ultimately make that decision. There's only one modern production razor that comes up in my rotation and that's a Dovo prima klang simply because the grind is exceptional and it's fun to shave with. Other than that, the rest sit in a cabinet.

Originally Posted by Dieseld

Don't tell her.....seriously, DON'T!!!!!


As mentioned there are some very good customs out there. Just ask around here if you are considering one.
I'm sure one ormore of us had the makers product and can give you an honest review.

You are correct. There are some very good customs out there.

I'm just not 100% sure that dropping $1000 on a razor and not telling the wife is one of them!!

Originally Posted by Dlb1963

I was wondering are custom razors worth money and are they really that much better than manufactured razors.

If you understood the time and skill that goes into them, then you would think "what a deal" on most custom razors.

Considering what you are talking about auto's, here is a perfect analogy: "Is a Rolls Royce/Ferrari worth the money and are they better than Chevy/Ford". No, they aren't necessarily any better, both the auto and razor will "get you there", it is more about how you get there. Sometimes you want to add a bit of style to your life, whether it's when driving or shaving.

Unfortunately I do not have the ability to restore the razors. It does make sense about the quality if that particular razor.

Originally Posted by ScottGoodman

If you understood the time and skill that goes into them, then you would think "what a deal" on most custom razors.

Considering what you are talking about auto's, here is a perfect analogy: "Is a Rolls Royce/Ferrari worth the money and are they better than Chevy/Ford". No, they aren't necessarily any better, both the auto and razor will "get you there", it is more about how you get there. Sometimes you want to add a bit of style to your life, whether it's when driving or shaving.

Yes, that is a very good way to put it. If you consider the time and skill that goes into making a custom razor, that alone justifies the asking price. It is then up to a potential buyer to determine if it is worth it to them to add that amount of style to their shaves.

I just would not want anyone to think that because they can't afford and/or otherwise justify the asking price that they are getting an inferior shave with a none custom razor.

Bob

Good point gentlemen, my only point of reference was online. We all know it's good , but can be misleading as well. My business I own is full of misinformation on the web. That's why I joined this forum and I wish I did earlier. Thanks everyone for the valuable information.

Originally Posted by Dlb1963

I only have one strop, it seems not wide enough for my feeble attempt to strop.

Practice x-strokes. I have scads of strops. Not a 3 inch one in the bunch.
Begin the stroke at the heel and be in the middle of the blade at the middle of your stroke. Finish the stroke with the toe on the strop. Much more effective than going straight up and down on a 3 incher.

Like honing..Except going the other direction. Look at some stropping videos here by doing a search.
Slow and easy is every bit as good as super fast, BTW.

Customs might be more fun to look at, and at times more fun to shave with, but I do not think they shave better than quality factory made razors.

I like the feeling of shaving with a giant 9/8s (maybe I am compensating ) ,but for everyday use I love a 5/8s factory made wedge.

My only experience is with a 6/8, my only issue is a few nicks on my bald head.