Thread: New razor company - good bet?

Here's a question for the group: if there were to be a new manufacturer or tang stamped seller of razors, would the demand be great enough for the seller/maker to profit enough to want to continue selling the razors?

Say for instance that Spyderco decided to make razors and made them with excellent steel and a design that attracted the eye, would they sell well enough to make it good business? Or say that Don and Lynn, for instance, contracted with a maker to produce a "Straight Razor Design Straight Razor," and again if the quality were there, would enough of us buy those razors to make it pay well enough that the venture could continue?

Or are there too few of us using these blades to make a new business venture an unlikely prospect? I ask because in the old days it seems that a hardware store could get custom blades made with their company's name stamped on the shank and apparently enough sold so that this enterprise didn't sink anyone's boat. Could a Straight Razor Design, or a Vintage Blades, or a Custom Shaving, or a Shaving Shop, or a Spyderco... make it work?

--we'd have to train a whole new generation of Wackers--

Well as a matter of fact Dovo makes razors with other names on them and TI has done it for AOS. As far as a new company coming along before I would buy one I'd want to know something about the makers.Some of the custom guys have gotten it right however making a razor from scratch is a definite skill and unless you have some real talent and can do it yourself experienced guys are few and far between.

Price point versus quality/options my friend. Obviously if they were really top notch materials and more than is necessary for a straight (or even a niche design), the price would soar and the clientele would drop. On the other hand if it were something simple and basic with a low price point then maybe they would sell. Why? You want me to start selling a "line" of razors before I've even started selling my customs??? lol

If TI and Dovo both are months behind and Boker has resumed production, I would have to say yes !

I think it would be just great if we could purchase an SRD brand high quality moderately priced straight razor/s. I can think of no one better to work with a manufacturer in designing an excellent razor!!

Not to be a wet blanket and not pointing fingers at any faction of straight razor shavers, but most would agree, solidarity to a specific forum seems to be of great importance to many (SRP for me for example). I think non-SRP members that belong to different shaving groups would not be as excited as most of us would be about an SRD branded straight, and I hate to say some would probably even avoid such a purchase for that very reason.

Would there be enough demand from a non-forum affiliated new production focused straight razor company start up? Maybe a U.S. niche company (much like Retro 51 is to writing instruments. Aren't they based out of Texas?)? If it got the right press and marketed well and really promoted itself, bringing the old world and a dying art to life? I absolutely think there would be enough of a demand to fill. Give the company the right name, catchy, non-phony with an interesting edge to it and you're on your way.

I'm in. Who's got seed money or knows any venture capitalists?

Chris L

The only current manufactures of quality straight razors are also producing other lines of cutlery that are the mainstays of their companies. I couldn't imagine a company starting up dedicated solely to competitively priced straight razors and succeeding.

We are a fortunate bunch. We have the vintage market which never seems to run dry as well as a handful terrific custom makers and finally the mainstays such as TI and Dovo. I would love to see a company start up and survive making high quality reasonably priced straights but being the niche market that it is I doubt it is feasable.

Originally Posted by Chris L

Not to be a wet blanket and not pointing fingers at any faction of straight razor shavers, but most would agree, solidarity to a specific forum seems to be of great importance to many (SRP for me for example). I think non-SRP members that belong to different shaving groups would not be as excited as most of us would be about an SRD branded straight, and I hate to say some would probably even avoid such a purchase for that very reason.


Chris L

It does at times seem like people are rooting for their local sports team. Some, on another board seem to be very fond to (over?)hype products with their on forum label on.

Maybe if a new company started offering something different it might be successful. I haven't bought a DOVO or a TI simply because I don't want a hollow ground. If a company made a good wedge I would definately be a customer.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

If TI and Dovo both are months behind and Boker has resumed production, I would have to say yes !

Startup costs are the deal breaker. There is more busines than Dovo or TI can handle but could a new name on the market cut out a large enough share, and quickly enough to overcome the large startup costs needed to even go into production? How about skilled workers to perfectly grind each razor and make quality scales at a production, rather than craftsman rate and what wages would one have to offer and could they be recovered.

These hurdles are why larger makers can more easily offer new products and ideas than small ones and why many small businesses stay small. There are guys out there now making fantastic razors but the jump from a handcrafted Chandler, Williams, Ellis or Earl to Dovo or TI sized production is a huge one. The real meat and potatoes...the hand crafting would have to be passed on to others and that is where quality can take a huge turn. I found that even with my own endevour in order to step up production I would need to add people and there are steps I simply cannot farm out to anyone....the cutting and selection of the strops themselves and assembly of the paddles. On a razor engineers and technical people can design the steel and heat treatment processes but the grinding will require true craftsmanship and will make or break the product.

One can pay people to do a job but you cannot pay people to care.

My real job is in the aerospace industry and one thing overlooked even at our large firm is the difference between can we make this on paper and can we make this in reality.

Tony

Originally Posted by Bruce

Here's a question for the group: if there were to be a new manufacturer or tang stamped seller of razors, would the demand be great enough for the seller/maker to profit enough to want to continue selling the razors?

This sounds much like a new auto manufacturer trying to break into the market. Niche makers such as Lexus have well known parents such as Toyota and have a fighting chance. Other upstarts such as Hyundai and Kia had to duke it out in the bargain basement, price wise, and work their way up the food chain proving they could provide a suitable product. I'm pretty sure the small custom makers like Joe, Bob etc. had to settle for less $$$ per razor when they started out than they do now. However, an artisan will have a better chance than a faceless new company that mass produces products as word of mouth will quickly bring them up to speed if the product deserves attention and they have quite low startup costs as they are a one man show. For a mass producer of unknown quality to jump in and offer Rolls Royce grade products *first* to fund the manufacturing of Beetles down the road might not fare so well.

Zeepk is currently in the startup Hyundai/Kia mode and they're not making the best of the situation! Other marketers, starting up will face the same skepticism by the majority of users and it would require some serious backing to weather the first few years while bringing the labor force up to a competent level where the product could stand on it's own merits.

Please keep in mind though.... I don't know squat about manufacturing or the ins and outs of making it work, but I do how I feel about products *I* buy and the manufacturers who make them.

Regards

Christian