Thread: Is it true that TI makes the best straight razors for shaving?

We've discussed diamond and ceramic before (search for ceramic).
The problem with those material is that they are too hard to hone, and prone to chipping.

Diamond coated scalpels are designed to cut, and they do it extremely well.
For shaving you need smoothness, or you will hurt yourself and get razor burn at the least.

And because of the tendency to microchip, they'd essentially be disposable razors.

Originally Posted by Bruno

The hollow is ground after the heat treatment. At that point the steel is already fully hardened, so removing any of it it a tough job. There is more wear and tear on the grinding equipment, and it takes longer, meaning that they can make less of them per hour.

Yes, but I was speculating that how the grinding is done could be different. If you pushed the limits on how fast you did the grind there may be some variable effects on the steel as opposed to a speed with a good margin. Stuff like that.

When looking at non-crap razors, there are only 2 brands really.Dovo uses solingen steel, and TI uses sheffield steel. Both use specific high quality steel.
If you see other named new german razors, they are mostly made by dovo.
Boker has just started, and they probably use solingen steel.

Your argument could be true if there were dozens of manufacturers left. But there are only 3.

ahh, Ok. I thought people were including vintage blades as well. And this "specific high quality steel" can have different specifications (by the buyer) than that "specific high quality steel". I have no clue, but I'm assuming buyers of quality steel are very exact with the minimum requirements using whatever measures of quality are used for steel. Maybe maximum requirements for the same measures as well. Less narrowly defined specs would result in greater variability of the steel (at a cheaper price)

This is funny, it's like asking What't the best hone.

The only way you will know which one you prefer is by trying them and deciding for yourself.

Nobody else can answer the question for you.

Some might write a more eloquent reply or a convincing argument but you can not beat trying the blades for yourself and narrowing down your personal favorites.

When you are comparing razors, your standards are always based on personal experience. When I started, I wanted my straight to give a better shave than a DE blade and there are plenty of blades out there that don't achieve this standard. It's one of the reasons why so many straight razor shavers switched in the past.

Last night I was away from home visiting relatives and I used a good quality DE razor that I have in my travel bag. The shave was mediocre compared to the straight I am currently using. So I for one am really glad that I bothered to find straight razors that suit me.

It takes a little time and patience but if you trade your razors on the forums classifieds section you will find it is not very expensive and its really good fun.

Happy hunting.

What he said (above)
buy lots of reasonable razors that look OK, keep the ones you manage to sharpen to your liking, flog the rest you have improved to your friends here.
Easy.
That IS the fun.
M

Originally Posted by Bruno

Sorry to burst the bubble, but when it comes to the actual shaving performance (sharpness, smoothness) it doesn't make any difference whether you use a vintage Joseph Rodgers, a modern Dovo or TI, a custom made razor or a 9$ Wapienica.

Some razors keep their edge a bit longer, due to being a bit harder / tougher, but as far as shaving itself goes, it doesn't make much of a difference.

What you are paying extra for with high end razors is the effort that went into making a stylized razor, brand name, scale material and steel type, and availability. Most well known vintage razor brands floating around today are as good as it gets, and no amount of money thrown at it will get you a better shave.

Of course, the shaving experience itself can be vastly different, but not the actual hair removal process.
Shaving with a custom made razor that is honed to perfection is a wonderful experience, because it has been made specially for you. It looks great, it feels great, the scales look just the way you want, and the razor radiates an aura of quality and beauty.
But I shave with every razor I restore before sending it back to its owner, and I have gotten equaly fabulous shaves with vintage razors and wapienicas.

So long story short: find out what you like, and then spend money on it to get that. The shaves will be great and enjoyable (given good honing) But don't expect the actual hair removal proces to be much different from what you get with vintage, dovo, ti, wapienica, or any other quality razor.
One of our members (Iwan) is / was into high end straights. But he once said the best shave he'd ever got was with the 9$ wapienica that put all of his other high end gear to shame.

+1 on all that for my take on it.............

I think this thread has developed into a very interesting one. If I understood this correctly, one must find the appropriate "razor type" for your own face and technique. Now the question is, if you are a newbie, is there a way to accomplish this without having to test (buy) a million razors?

In other words, are there some guidelines for razor selection?

Now that I have a few razors, I noticed that they not all feel the same on my face. I find that contrary to the majority of the people that post on my threads, I prefer medium size blades than huge ones. They seem to move around my goatee better... Also, I find full hollow razors and my neck area do not get along well. What puzzles me is why there are some razor brands (Dorko, Filarmonica, Dubl Duck, etc. ) that seem to get "all" the attention? I can see how customs would be sought after and more expensive. After all they are works of art and you cannot put a prize on art... On the other hand, my Filarmonica 13, is a great shaver but has the most plain scales of all the razors I have. Perhaps what I am trying to get at is that I do not understand why some these razors cost so much when there is not even a guarantee that they would be good for your face. Perhaps somebody here could shed some light on this issue.

Al raz.

Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale

My Grandfather said my Great-Grandfather only used a strop to sharpen his edges, he obviously meant an abrasive strop!

M

Or maybe he had a chronik.

As you've already observed, much is the art/collectors value. The filarmonics are no longer made and fairly hard to come by in new condition. A good number of the vintage blades are know to be quality razors. Some of the vintage blades have a distinctive heft/feel/balance. etc.

As to the right razor for your face... you'd need to determine that. Generally speaking, the great majority of new shavers do just fine with a 5/8 round point razor. Then you go from there. You mentioned a goatee to trim around. I also have sideburns that run down to the jawline hitting a narrow beard that runs into my goatee. I find the "standard" blade length to be a bit too long. When shaving my cheeks I have to work either with the toe or the heel of the razor with the other end lifted off my face. Otherwise I'm going to be into the sideburn or the goatee. I have straight lines and sharp corners. My ideal razor is a spike point with a blade that's about 1/4 inch shorter than "normal". I probably wouldn't recommend a spike point to a beginner. It's not that it would be impossible to manage but it is an extra thing that you have to keep in mind while you're trying to get used to all the other things. And if you run that point into your ear, nose, face it will nick you. A round point is much more forgiving in that respect. Having been shaving with the 5/8's I can say that is a preferable width for me too. I can tell that if it was narrower I would have difficulty maintaining a consistent angle to my face (I have a tendency towards lifting the spine for too much angle). If it was wider it would be more difficult to see around the blade enough when shaving around the beard. I could probably do with a bit more heft to the razor but larger/heavier scales will do that. My Micarta feels about right but that's a secondary issue for me.

So about the time you get comfortable with the fundamentals you're probably going to know what you're looking for if it's not the "standard" length/width round point you learn with. Less than full hollow gound is a bit more esoteric.

I recently landed a 5/8 spike point kinfolks razor. I knew from other's evaluations that they are made of good steel. I knew the spike point and width were what I wanted. I didn't know it when I bought it but I was pleasantly surprised to find it about 1/4" shorter than my other razors.

I agree 100% that one must find the appropriate razor for oneself as everyone's beard is different. I also wholeheartedly agree that honing skills is paramount to making any razor work well.

But there must be others who also are curious as to the steels used and quality of the manufacturing with all these old razors. As much as I have checked into it, there is little info on these "trade secrets" of the old days, and nut and bolt reviews of these razors. With anything edge related that I buy or make, I always like to know exactly what steel, tempering process, and skills are used in the making of the blades. With razors, there seems to be almost no information on that subject, and as a collector user, that frustrates me.