Thread: TI can't make razors fast enough.

Originally Posted by Dave_D

Along with the salary that our culture has taught them goes with it.
My original trade was working with my hands and I can remember the salary potential going way up as soon as I transferred to a desk job. With few exceptions (these forums being one of them) people arent willing to pay an artisan attractive wages for what it costs to create these things. I hope it changes someday because I still believe skilled hands and the ability to work and produce something are what saves the day when the shtf.

Dave

i hope they dont mind too " im happy making knives razors and other sharp and pointy things but tring to make a living at it sure is not easy

I have all differant types of razors. Old and new and they all shave great.
The T I I have I payed $275.00 for, and my Dovo I payed $65.00 for, and the Dovo
gives me a much better shave. My Boker is a great shave to. All I can say is that
you dont have to shell out bug bucks for a good shaver, new or old.

Originally Posted by L R Harner

i hope they dont mind too " im happy making knives razors and other sharp and pointy things but tring to make a living at it sure is not easy

From what I understood from So, most of the Japanese blacksmiths are not rich either. Most of them do not get beyond 'not poor'.
What they make is expensive, but given the time needed to make what they make, and the cost of making it, they really don't make all that much profit.

Originally Posted by Bruno

I know the koordenwinkel. When I was a complete noob to honing I followed a honing course there.
In the months after that I spent a lot of time unlearning bad habits.

And while I haven't spoken with the owner since then, I came to the conclusion that he and I have a serious difference of opinion about factory edges.
In their eyes, if dovo or TI says it is shaveready, it is shaveready, end of story. and dovo does not sell warped razors at all. If you cannot hone it because it is bent, you obviously did something to damage it.

Do a forum search for posts under my name which mention the koordenwinkel and you'll find some more novel ideas about honing.

Their problem (imo) is that they have been one-eye in the land of the blind for so long that they don't realize that some people now actually have 2 eyes, and know more than they do.

The latest regarding this sorry saga is ,I sent an angry email to the Koordewinkel to which they have not replied,stating that as agents of Thiers they should stand by their products & give me a full frefund because In my opinion they are substandard.
I am now sending the razors off to David Loft at Thiers because I have no other option . Im also sending him a complete record of my correspondence with De Koordenwinkle ,that lets him know how I feel about the lack of good backup from them. i will post the final outcome when I get this issue resolved .I also told Koordenwinkle that I would be posting my experiences with them Here at SRP. Ican only draw the conclusion that now they have my money they couldnt care less.
On a brighter note I went to London yesterday & Bought a DOVO Bergisher Lowe from Trumpers first impressions its Very well made & came Shave ready I will be posting a Review soon. Have I Found the razor Iv'e been looking for?
The sad thing about this is I do like Thiers razors.Paul

The feedback I get from Dovo is that things are getting worse in terms of lead times, not better. I was asked recently if I fancied moving to Solingen to become a razor grinder - and they were way more than half-serious! As has been said, though, it doesn't stack up - for me, the SIX-YEAR apprenticeship is way too long (oldest apprentice in town by a country mile!) and for kids the pay is gash and they mostly just want to be celebrities anyway - and again six years is a lifetime when your're sixteen.

I think Tony Miller and his peers are caught in the artisan trap, different to the businessman trap in that Tony etc. very rightly wants all their work to be top gun and 100% and (sadly) can't trust assistants to do it to his standard - always the problem of the master craftsman. They are therefore time-poor and their time is finite - only so many hours in the day (I'm starting to hit that wall myself). If they were merely businessmen they could 'let go and delegate', as they could clear up any messes left by the troops at their leisure - a deal can be re-brokered but a razor would be scrap.

Maybe the way forward is for second-income artisans or (like myself) people who are treating it as a full-time small 'top-up' enterprise to work together in some way - I do not pretend to have any answers here! I too would love to see Rodgers or Wade & Butcher- type outfits re-gear for SR production but I'm not holding my breath - the cartridge jockeys have too much invested to ever see a slip in revenue from the MB systems. No, this is strictly the province of the Millers and Livis - and more power to their elbow, I say. Me? I'm happy just giving new life to old warriors - at the moment anyway.....

Paul, glad to hear that you had good initial results with BL. I happened to shave with mine this morning and it gives an incredibly close and effortless shave. The BL is said to made with Swediish steel. DeKoordenwinkel is off my list!

Good luck

Originally Posted by Chrisl

They're sending me back a razor with the "new C135 Carbonsong steel".

New steel! I don't want new steel. haven't they ever heard that if it ain't broke ...
Does this mean if I want a new Sheffield TI I'm gonna have to buy it now?

X

Originally Posted by xman

New steel! I don't want new steel. haven't they ever heard that if it ain't broke ...
Does this mean if I want a new Sheffield TI I'm gonna have to buy it now?

X

I think the advantage of the new Carbonsong steel is a harmonic resonance which emanates from the edge in the key of E, allows whiskers to be removed sonically rather than physically.

Chris L

Iv'e just been in contact with David Loft at Thiers He is going to look at the razors when he recives them& as to my complaint that the second razor Has been hardened TOO hard Thiers will look at it & see if it Just needs sharpening. he has said that if they agree with my complaints they will be replacing the razors & that Theirs take any complaints very seriously.
I will post again when I know more . At least I now feel that something is now being done in regard to this .Paul

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Less and less people want jobs working with their hands and that will continue to affect supply and demand in many fields, not just shaving. It seems imports become our only options now days as our children here want the easy life behind a desk.

Tony

IMHO sitting behind a desk is more tedious than working outdoors. Ever since I delivered newspapers as a kid I've preferred outdoors jobs. My favorite line of work typically involves driving. If I were stuck in the office all day I'd start going bananas and would start goofing off rather than working.