Originally Posted by
hatzicho
Great advice here Jerry - but I cannot agree to what you have said above. In the great Solingen times it was absolutely self-evident that all razors were honed to shave ready before they leave the facility. Scaling and honing was a seperate job beside razor grinding - done by special educated people. And it was an honour and understood craftmanship that each and every razor was honed and finished properly.
Of course shave ready in former times didn't mean maybe exactly what we or some specialists in honing nowadays except from shave ready.
But it is for me not understandable that - lets say some of the remaining larger companies in Solingen - who are still very proud to put "Solingen" on each razor, knife and scissor, deliver such bad quality, as well in grinding sometimes and also in honing. I spoke with a lot these companies the last years in Solingen and often about the quality in honing.
The first thing even a newcommer recognize if he buy a razor is, if he can have a (more or less, depending on the experience) comfortable shave with it. He don't look at the quality of grinding, that comes later, but he recognizes immediately if the razor is really sharp. And I can't really understand why the companies don't care about that, even if they know about these circumstances! And that cannot cost any extra cent more. Comfortable keenness is a necessary precondition for each razor!
But talking and talking doesn't help - at leats with some companies. There are others who are doing better though, still keeping the honour of good craftmanship allive.
Sorry but could not hold back the above tirade.
If for what reason ever, Glen or other good honers in the States don't have the time or possibility, send the razor to me back to Germany I will hone it for free. It is a shame.
Regards Peter