Thread: HART Razor

Originally Posted by khaos

NO idea. I'll stop I guess. Sorry I hijacked the thread... its part excitement and wanting the company to succeed, and part sticker shock, and part RAD (and probably part email notifications from SRD- ie easy way to procrastinate is to respond right away... ). If I had funds I would've bought one to play with instantly but such is life...

Sorry guys I'll zip my lips.

No, No! I'm not saying you should stop, but you very clearly care a lot about the topic and I was just curious why. Passion is fine!

Gugi makes a good point. I guess its part of my nature to discuss things at length and in depth and that is a character trait/flaw and I apologise.

Though I did chuckle when Gugi said

the number of people who have put their money where their mouth is is fairly low.

because maybe that in itself is a statement. (not by him but by SR users)

Originally Posted by gugi

I haven't posted in this thread in a while, but I'd say that the number of people who have put their money where their mouth is is fairly low.
I am much more interested in their view beacuse they have an actual experience.

I can make my own judgment on price, value, profit margins, aesthetics, etc., and none of the posts by those who haven't used the razor has changed it to the slightest.

Gugi,

Have any of the guys that have used it changed your mind?

Originally Posted by khaos

Though I did chuckle when Gugi said because maybe that in itself is a statement. (not by him but by SR users)

Well that's true of any new product - the number of early adopters is not all that high and their reviews generally have a pretty large impact on what happens next.
Opining on a subject isn't bad by itself, as long as the speculations and 'analyses' of reviews don't overtake the first hand reviews.

Originally Posted by richmondesi

Gugi,

Have any of the guys that have used it changed your mind?

Absolutely. I have a much better idea about the razor now than I had before reading their posts.

In the before time (), you had two choices: shave yourself with a straight, or pay a barber to shave you with a straight. The number of companies making straight razors was huge! The straight was a household item and a necessity if you wanted to shave yourself.

Straight razors today are a luxury item. Most folks that shave choose not to shave with a straight. The old adage of "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door" still holds true, but it doesn't necessarily apply to luxury items.

The Hart Steel razor is a luxury item. Is it a better "mousetrap?" Any answer to that question will be a matter of opinion. Any decision to buy one will be based on that opinion and the buyers willingness to pony up the dough. Complaining that the price is too high is like complaining that the price of a Mercedes Benz is too high. It is what it is; a luxury item. If you want one then you'll need to pay the price of admission. If you don't think it's worth it, there are plenty of less expensive "mousetraps" that work just as well.

As for Hart Steel... as I've said before, I wish them success, but I hope they have not planned their future on straight razor sales. Considering the name of the company, Hart Steel - An American Razor and Cutlery Company, I doubt they have.

Originally Posted by v76

Seems like an excellent razor and I really like the style... BUT it is non-competitive features-wise, with its competitors... as stated below.
I worked in many marketing/comm. firms and here's what I can say from my experience (that will probably go unnoticed...):

I don't see the ADDED VALUE.

- First thing: it's MADE IN USA. I now see that their product is aimed at old school and nostalgic nationalists, which are usually older. But they counter-balance this with a contemporary design to cater to the younger crowd that feels the same way about shaving.(And I'M NOT talking about the QUALITY OF THE SHAVE) A good selling point in those times where manufacturing jobs goes overseas. But I may add that "made in the usa" is not exactly a warranty of paramount quality anymore, even more so compared against Germany and France craftsmen that are known for their very good cutlery goods.

- That bring us to the price. A local semi-custom made product with a lot of quality variation that costs a lot more than their TI or Dovo counterparts, trademarks that are already proven with better quality control (as can attest the OP). I think most people would prefer consistency in a razor rather than uniqueness (ie. wow my razor has a nice warp in the blade and a slightly uneven spine! SO UNIQUE!). If people do prefer that, it's usually some sort of self-esteem/importance trip, knowing that a single craftsman hand made their OWN blade - so they feel special and it flatters their ego. So that makes the "semi-custom-handmade-unique" argument a moot point.

- Another thing to keep in mind about the pricing is that there are a lot of vintage blades around, in good shape, that sell for a lot less so the "new" consumer will usually venture in the used market - which is probably why the price is relatively high... the aimed consumer already shaves with a straight. The market is small, we all know that. Good press and PR could change that and boost the demand... which is usually what a company would want - to a certain extent (ie. not compromise quality).

- Ok they already associated their name with Mr. Zowada... the "normal" consumer don't care about that, they don't know him anyway AND he's not part of their marketing scheme.

SO WHERE'S THE ADDED VALUE, apart from the "locally made" rhetoric (which I fully support, even though I'm... "french canadian")? For 250USD$ and a very bare bones product, I'd expect something more than I already get with TI or Dovo. What about a lifetime warranty? 1 free hone a year for 10 years or the life of the user? Discounts on future product purchases? Anyway, I know it's tough to get a new company off the ground but my humble opinion is that the entry price is too high to compete with the established names, without a substantial incentive and added value(s).

I partially agree with this. I know as a manufacturing consultant involved with process improvement strategies, defining " WHAT IS VALUE" is the main thought. Not only value to the company but value to your customers, employees etc. etc.. If their marketing plan was to "just get one out there and see", then they can see with just a few buyers and read the comments on the forums. I personally enjoy read the posts concerning the good and bad about this new business venture. I think that Hart can learn a TON over this and if this was their thought, I hope the didn't shoot themselves in the foot. I just wonder if the did any blind analysis or testing of their razors prior to launch date.
If it was me (and I'm glad it wasn't)and I was doing this. I would have tested some of the mentors from both forums and some of the people who do a lot of honing and resto's. I would have stayed away from the owners of companies and small business's to really get "what people want" answers. But what I see here from some of the posters here, there is a plethora of knowledge that could be tapped.
Thanks to all who contribute,
Bill W

khaos,

Have you ever purchased a motor vehicle? If so, how did ever make it past the sticker price? Is the salesperson out of the hospital yet?

I just finished another shave with mine and it is still as good as the first one.

Mine is holding up as well with three shaves down.

I have it in single rotation to judge the edge holding ability.

No Micrometer so I don't know (or care) about the spine width/honing angle.

If it holds an edge, good. If not, bad. That is what I care about.


-Rob

Originally Posted by ChrisL

No, in reading his post from 9/23 and the issues he reported regarding uneven sharpness out of the box I would have returned the razor to the company given that they are advertising a pre-honed razor. I don't know if that answers your question though.

Not really. Return isn't an option.

Per Classic Shaving's Our Policies page:

We can not accept the return of used razors, brushes, or other used items.

...

All merchandise returns must be in as-received, unused condition, in the original package and any existing factory seals must be intact. Returned merchandise must be received no later than 30 days from date of purchase.

Both he and I shaved with the razor as is, found the shave unsatisfactory and it wasn't until we were rehoning our razors that we discovered the toe problems.