Thread: What the Hell!?

Originally Posted by Rawaz

I just got a TI silverwing and I noticed it is slightly warped, not visible to the eye but when you put it on a hone you can see it is warped a little.

This I have bought 3 brand new razors until now and all of them have had defects.
1 LeGrelot 6/8 had the same kind of warp as the silverwing, returned it and got another with a stain on it and some pitting, returned it and I'm still waiting for a replacement

1 Dovo ebony spike point with a very loose pin so I had to get it repinned
and now the silverwing..I mean what is going on with the razor manufacturers, is it just bad luck x3 or is this a pattern when it comes to quality check?

And what should I do now? send the razor back? how much warp is acceptable?

It's really frustrating!!!

I'm going to be a bit of a dissonant voice here.
Before anything else, I have not seen your razors, and I think stains and pitting are unacceptable for a razor. Companies hardly ever send normal production, as replacement, to an unhappy customer. Most manufacturers send tweaked and repaired goods as replacement goods, that they received from other unhappy customers in the first place. They do that with laptops and televisions, and I bet TI makes no exception for razors.
While such is not a nice policy, I do think it is of all times, and the only way to avoid is has always been to deal with a very small business that depends on a personal relationship with its customers. Talking about razors, that leaves Maestro Livi, Joe Chandler, Robert Williams, and a number of other razorsmiths, combined with the price tag that comes with such craftsmanship.

About warp: I see more razors, vintage and new, that have some form of slight warp than I see razors that appear completely straight. It seems that it is impossible to completely control what the blade does when it's quenched during the hardening process.
I personally have always accepted an amount of warp, as long as the razor can be honed on a normal hone. So far I have seen one (vintage) razor by the brand Colibri, that is so warped that it could only be honed on a 1/2 inch narrow hone, and makes strange noises on the strop. I consider that one defect, but I still shave with it, because once I figured out how to deal with the warp, it turned out to be an awesome shaver.

I would ask TI about what they consider within production limits, before asking for a replacement. There is no doubt in my mind the people at Thiers-Issard take pride in their work.

Bart.

Originally Posted by Bart

I would ask TI about what they consider within production limits, before asking for a replacement. There is no doubt in my mind the people at Thiers-Issard take pride in their work.
Bart.

Good suggestion. While on the subject, what are the allowable standards for warping from TI and Dovo?

Originally Posted by Bart

I'm going to be a bit of a dissonant voice here.
Before anything else, I have not seen your razors, and I think stains and pitting are unacceptable for a razor. Companies hardly ever send normal production, as replacement, to an unhappy customer. Most manufacturers send tweaked and repaired goods as replacement goods, that they received from other unhappy customers in the first place. They do that with laptops and televisions, and I bet TI makes no exception for razors.
While such is not a nice policy, I do think it is of all times, and the only way to avoid is has always been to deal with a very small business that depends on a personal relationship with its customers. Talking about razors, that leaves Maestro Livi, Joe Chandler, Robert Williams, and a number of other razorsmiths, combined with the price tag that comes with such craftsmanship.

About warp: I see more razors, vintage and new, that have some form of slight warp than I see razors that appear completely straight. It seems that it is impossible to completely control what the blade does when it's quenched during the hardening process.
I personally have always accepted an amount of warp, as long as the razor can be honed on a normal hone. So far I have seen one (vintage) razor by the brand Colibri, that is so warped that it could only be honed on a 1/2 inch narrow hone, and makes strange noises on the strop. I consider that one defect, but I still shave with it, because once I figured out how to deal with the warp, it turned out to be an awesome shaver.

I would ask TI about what they consider within production limits, before asking for a replacement. There is no doubt in my mind the people at Thiers-Issard take pride in their work.

Bart.

I see your point about the warp, but still if I pay x2 of my monthly students allowance I do expect a razor that is flawless, this is also what I pay for (I know you must think I'm crazy buying this razor in the first place)..I pay for a razor that isn't warped or have pittings etc.. Also would you accept a TV that for example is discoloured in the middle of the screen?
I also don't know how it could be honed as the middle of the edge would not touch the hone as the sides do. It could perhaps do it with a narrow hone but I don't think it is fair that I should have to buy yet another hone just because the razor has a defect.