TI Problem

My first brand new razor arrived today; a TI 5/8 with Kingwood handle.

All of the pins are mounted evenly...

except one.:(

It's pretty far off, too. Other than closing a little off center, it doesn't interfere with the function of the razor (the razor edge doesn't contact wood). However, cosmetically it just looks bad. The scales are obviously crooked (off by about 1/8 inch or so at the tang end). Similar to the pit that showed up on the blade of another SRP member's brand new TI recently, looking at this flaw is gonna bug me to death.

I've gotta say I'm pretty disappointed. I paid $160 for this razor (plus shipping and honing) and was not expecting to see sub par workmanship when I opened the package. I haven't shaved with it yet, which is disappointing in itself, because I'm sure it's honed beautifully. I'm waiting until I figure out how I should handle this.

As I'm a newbie, I would really appreciate some advice. Is this type of flaw common and/or acceptable to most customers (at least for TI)? Should I be able to return/exchange this razor considering it is already honed (honing was purchased and performed through the retailer)? Do I just chalk it up to newbie inexperience and refrain from buying TIs in the future?

Thanks!

-Andrew

PS The good news is that the re-scaled vintage razor I purchased for $60 from zman showed up today. It is beautiful (and pinned perfectly I might add).:tu

The first thing I would do is contact the vendor. And include pictures.

RT

Contact the vendor ASAP. The honing shouldn't matter - thats not the reason the pin is screwed. For that kind of money - and TI's reputation - call.

I finally got a call back on mine, but I missed the call. They gave me a RA number, but she said in the message she wants to speak to me... and she didn't really read my E-mail, because she referred to the defect as a chip...

At this point I'm pretty turned off by TI's I don't care how good they might shave. It shouldn't be a gamble when buying a razor. especially when spending hundreds of dollars.
You expect crap when you spend $20 on a new razor, it's not upsetting... but a $200+ new razor should be flawless.
of course when your labor force is as talented as this...
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c1..._pacmonkey.jpghttp://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c5...h_CIMG0659.jpghttp://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...5/drinking.gif

Somebody needs to tell TI to hire people who can do the job right...http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...boy/monkey.gif

As for me, I'm thinking I should ask for a refund, and use the money either for the Livi group buy, or contact Robert Williams.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...f/S5300364.jpg

Yup. That's the pit I was talking about. I got my razor from the same retailer, too.

I'll call them tomorrow and hope for the best.

Thanks, guys.

Even my family who don't use or understand my love of straight razors spotted it...

Was the razor damaged in shipping or is the problem a factory defect. Was the packaging damaged when it arrived.

The packaging for my razor was perfect. It was clearly drilled off center at the time of manufacture.

I'll be sure to post what the retailer says.

OK. I just called Classic Shaving and they issued an RA # with no questions asked. The pre-honing presented no problem. They were very polite and expressed surprise that nobody caught the defect, but I would imagine that it was easy for that to slip by during the holiday rush. After all, it should have been TI that caught it in the first place.

I'll be sure to post again when I receive my new one, hopefully defect free (keeping fingers crossed).

-Andrew

Thanks for keeping us updated.... This is especially important to me as I am getting ready to order my TI through Classic......

I got the same... here's classic shaving's response

Quote:

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Hi Michael,

Sorry it has taken so long to respond to your email. We did give you a call yesterday, but were only able to leave a message.

The RA # for the return of the razor is XXX. Please write this number on the outside of the box before shipping. We will send you an inspected replacement of the razor.

Thank you for your patience and patronage,
Beverly - Customer Service Team

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the only problem is after all the trouble I've had with the lost package, and recieving a bad one...:rant: I'm growing very weary of this transaction.:shrug:
For less $$ I could have bought one of traveller's razors, and known exactly what I was getting.
I'm definitely losing interest in :cen Thiers Issard razors.

I think I'm going to ask for a refund, and put the money towards a Livi or a Williams.

This is a common problem with TI,they have had QA problems for as long as I have been buying their new razors.If you buy your Ti razors from the Laguiole site(in Theires France) they will be better quality,but will cost you more.They must ship all the crap to the US..........regards Gary

Is this an exclusive TI problem, or are there equally bad stories about Dovo's?

on the same note how about Zowada, Livi, or Williams anybody ever have a problem with one of their razors?

I would. TI's are supposed to be better than dovos for fit and finish but I am not impressed by either. Ask robert about his s30v in micarta for an awesome razor at a bargain price.

I'm thinking Livi group buy right now... If I can get in

I have about 10 TI's and probably 5 of them have crooked pins or off centered pins including the new Silverwing LE. TI has had this QC problem for years now and I don't think it is getting any better. As a matter of fact my TI damascus is probably the worst of the bunch. The pins are so off centered its a miracle the razor closes evenly. Not only that the scales on that one are misaligned by about a mm. And thats a razor that sells for almost $800. The fact is if you want perfection on the blade TIs are great but otherwise they are sorry.

That's just plain wrong.:mad: If my new TI shows up in good shape, I'll count myself lucky. That will be the end of my TI purchases.

The one I got was perfectly pinned, and aligned, but the blade was messed up.
and that will be my last attempt at purchasing a TI.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike_ratliff

Is this an exclusive TI problem, or are there equally bad stories about Dovo's?

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Mike, my first and only Dovo (5/8 special- very popular razor) was from classicshaving and had bent pins like I couldn't believe! At the time I didn't even think of asking them about it. Just thought it wasn't important. I have since repinned it, and although I reeeeally want a Dovo Berg. Lowe, I doubt I'll ever chance that.

Get your money back for a nicer razor.

With so many wonderful old rasors out there I can't see myself ever buying a new one. But thats just me.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Doc

With so many wonderful old rasors out there I can't see myself ever buying a new one. But thats just me.

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But if you don't buy new razors now, what will future generations of straight shavers buy on the used market?

We're just thinking ahead.;)

I received my replacement razor today. Classic Shaving picked up the tab for everything, including the honing and shipping.

This razor is much better than the first. No blade issues to speak of. The scales are in great condition. The pins are firm and the razor is centered. The only issue, and it's a small one, is the pins are ever so slightly misaligned at the tang end of the razor. I'm only mentioning it to be thorough. Everything else looks great.

So there's a good conclusion to this story. Whew.

In the future, I will continue to feel good about doing business with Classic Shaving. As far as TI is concerned, however, I will not be purchasing any of their razors without personally examining it first.

I'm glad to hear it worked out for you, Classic shaving refunded my money, and we left it at that, I still want a SRP limited edition razor, but I'll wait till after the Livi group buy before taking another shot at a TI.
I've had several Dovo's with no problems or flaws, including a beautiful 5/8 Bergisher Lowe that I recently sold... The BL was the best shaving Dovo I've had, but it was too small for my tastes.:shrug:
I've honed a couple of TI's and I think they shave better than Dovo's, but in the future I'll want to inspect my TI before I buy it.

I ordered an SRP LE from Classic Shaving. It had warped scales, it could stand up, but if you looked at it it topped over. Classic Shaving were really nice, responsive and helpful. They told me to send it to TI (probably because both TI and I are in Europe), which I did. I just got my repacement razor yesterday, which turns out to have some tiny pitting on the blade and also some pit/rust specs on the spine. :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MagiAndrew

But if you don't buy new razors now, what will future generations of straight shavers buy on the used market?

We're just thinking ahead.;)

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Thats what I was thinking. What am I supposed to look for when I get RAD and start my never ending quest. I'm still pretty young so it could last a while.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bjrn

I ordered an SRP LE from Classic Shaving. It had warped scales, it could stand up, but if you looked at it it topped over. Classic Shaving were really nice, responsive and helpful. They told me to send it to TI (probably because both TI and I are in Europe), which I did. I just got my repacement razor yesterday, which turns out to have some tiny pitting on the blade and also some pit/rust specs on the spine. :(

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OUCH!
I'd send it back again... If we keep returning unsatisfactory razors, they will eventually see a pattern, and fix these issues. Maybe...