Thread: HART Razor

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Sort of equivalent to removing the 'new posts' button on the tool bar above.

Even that would be ok if SRP weren't so fragmented into 20 different low-traffic forums.

Lets try to keep this on topic. There is all ready a thread for comments about the navbar change without hijacking this one.

Back to the Hart Razor, I'll repeat the question that I asked earlier that went unanswered:

Would any of you gentleman that have a Hart Steel razor characterize it as a "good value"?

Thanks

Considering the angles discussed and how they relate to a good edge and its ability to be maintained as such through many shaves and for the benefit of those of us too lazy to do the repeated trig-a-mazoos necessary to resolve arcsines and such, what is a simple, good, working spine thickness relative to blade width?

Such as a 5/8 blade should have a spine thickness of X, and a 6/8 spine needs to be Y, and a 7/8 spine really needs to be Z. Oh, I know that this will be steel and hardness dependent (and maybe even moon phase sensitive), but there's got to be a reasonable average that you cognoscenti are aware of and can relate to us, the pedestrian.

Many thanks,

Originally Posted by mparker762

...basically the spine thickness should be right at 30% of blade width...

This is close to the 1 : 3.5 ratio suggested by the Das Rasiermesser written in 1939. A translation at nassrasur reads:

One of those rules is the to conserve the thickness of the back, which should be the blade width divided by 3,5

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

This is close to the 1 : 3.5 ratio suggested by the Das Rasiermesser written in 1939. A translation at nassrasur reads:

Yep. That gives you a 16.6 degree angle.

I couldn't help but remembering someone posting somewhere that it feels like shaving with a frameback. I have seen frambacks where the frame is literally a band of copper? brass? that can slide on or off the razor (sometimes it is press fitted on though). Perhaps these "evolved" from flat knives that they were trying to hone at a greater angle than laying the blade flat allowed (like a standard knife) but maybe it was a pain to do by hand and so they invented permanent honing wedges- the frame.

With regards to the value question- thats up to you bud. I personally am gonna steer clear for now. I'm not paying this much for a "semi-custom" that doesn't hold up PERFECTLY. But thats just me. I too would honestly like to hear from others what they think, but I think personally I'm gonna wait for hartsteel 2.0 or 3.0 before I consider it again.

Originally Posted by khaos

I couldn't help but remembering someone posting somewhere that it feels like shaving with a frameback. I have seen frambacks where the frame is literally a band of copper? brass? that can slide on or off the razor (sometimes it is press fitted on though). Perhaps these "evolved" from flat knives that they were trying to hone at a greater angle than laying the blade flat allowed (like a standard knife) but maybe it was a pain to do by hand and so they invented permanent honing wedges- the frame.

With regards to the value question- thats up to you bud. I personally am gonna steer clear for now. I'm not paying this much for a "semi-custom" that doesn't hold up PERFECTLY. But thats just me. I too would honestly like to hear from others what they think, but I think personally I'm gonna wait for hartsteel 2.0 or 3.0 before I consider it again.

I know you've mentioned that in your opinion, you think the price of the Hart razor is out of line. I did a quick check on Classic's site and there are 5 Dovos and 11 TI razors all at or over the price of the Hart razor. Granted, many of them have significant embellishments but what caught my eye is you saying that you won't be buying a Hart razor at this point because in your estimation the current Hart razor doesn't "hold up PERFECTLY".

Do you believe that all Dovo and all TI razors at or above the price point of the Hart razor hold up perfectly? If not, do you consider the Dovo and TI razors I make referece to unacceptably overpriced as well?

Chris L

I have not bought any of those razors (any production model for that matter) because I am of the opinion that if I'm gonna shell out, it must be either reasonable, or worth the expense.

Simply put I will not spend that much if it won't hold up PERFECTLY (or at least very very very close to perfectly), regardless of the make. This is not my beef with Hart alone, this is my beef with a lot of razor stuff.

My two best shavers cost me $9 and $15. Granted I haven't had my Goldedge honed and refuse to touch it to stones myself, but even that only cost me $70 or so and I felt bad paying that much. For the record, I am currently saving to get a custom (because I think its time for that, and well, its fully custom and therefore I can choose exactly what I want in it) and I'm even hesitant about that because I have numerous blades that work perfectly well...

Edit:
Bottom line is if you establish a bottom line for a DECENT razor in DECENT condition, needing only a polish and honing to get it SR, then work from there. I'm gonna arbitrarily and generously say $75 because thats the most I've spent on any razor. Now that means the Hart razor, to be worth 3 times as much, needs to perform three times better overall. Plastic scales? Iffy grind? Satin finish? Simply not my slice of cake. If thats what you're into it may be worth it for you. I guess I'm just a cheap college student...

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Do you believe that all Dovo and all TI razors at or above the price point of the Hart razor hold up perfectly? If not, do you consider the Dovo and TI razors I make referece to unacceptably overpriced as well?

Let me ask you a variant on that same question.

There's a razor at Classic Shaving with similar features as the Hart - plastic scales, no decoration, heavy stiff grind that costs $55 less than the Hart.

What should be the quality level of the Hart that would justify that price premium? How would *you* expect it hold up compared to the lower-priced razor? Say the lower-priced razor can hold its edge for 90 shaves? How many would you expect the Hart to last? 120? 150? 5? 7?