Thread: HART Razor

[QUOTE=ZethLent;452138]
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ZETH wrote:

If the scales on the future Hart Steel razors get more exotic I think that they will be around the same as the Livi razors. Also if they start doing more work on polishing the blades then prices will move accordingly.
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ZETH
I think you have talked me out of a HART for now. It sounds like a new Hart is a prime candidate for a restoration even before the first shave. I don't mind polishing a blade but a new razor shouldn't need new scales. That's a bit much.

Thanks for your input..........
JERRY
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[QUOTE=mrsell63;452223]

Originally Posted by ZethLent

__________________________________________________ ___
ZETH wrote:

If the scales on the future Hart Steel razors get more exotic I think that they will be around the same as the Livi razors. Also if they start doing more work on polishing the blades then prices will move accordingly.
_____________________________________________
________________________________________
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ZETH
I think you have talked me out of a HART for now. It sounds like a new Hart is a prime candidate for a restoration even before the first shave. I don't mind polishing a blade but a new razor shouldn't need new scales. That's a bit much.

Thanks for your input..........
JERRY
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I don't think he was saying they'll need to be rescaled, but rather that the scales are nothing as fancy as the Livi's. In that regard, it's personal preference. I happen to like plain black scales, but, on the whole, those Hart razors look a bit too plain for my tastes.

I understand about the scales. I also understand about the satin finished blade. This means the metal surface is "brushed" which also means that there are minute, microscopic scratches on the surface of the steel which will invite some level of corrosion that a highly polished surface will tend to reject.

A brushed surface might do well on a working knife but a razor is a far more delicate instrument and needs to have a finish that is easily preserved. IMHO.......

We all strive for a polished edge, why not a polished blade to go with it?

JERRY
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Originally Posted by mrsell63

I understand about the scales. I also understand about the satin finished blade. This means the metal surface is "brushed" which also means that there are minute, microscopic scratches on the surface of the steel which will invite some level of corrosion that a highly polished surface will tend to reject.

A brushed surface might do well on a working knife but a razor is a far more delicate instrument and needs to have a finish that is easily preserved. IMHO.......

We all strive for a polished edge, why not a polished blade to go with it?

JERRY
~~~

In a wet environment it matters little whether it is polished or satin. It will rust in a matter of hours if not wiped dry and stored properly after a shave.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

I understand about the scales. I also understand about the satin finished blade. This means the metal surface is "brushed" which also means that there are minute, microscopic scratches on the surface of the steel which will invite some level of corrosion that a highly polished surface will tend to reject.

A brushed surface might do well on a working knife but a razor is a far more delicate instrument and needs to have a finish that is easily preserved. IMHO.......

We all strive for a polished edge, why not a polished blade to go with it?

JERRY
~~~

Becasue some people (like myself) LIKE brushed finished. I like satin more than mirror...call me crazy! (I'm used to it...My wife does it all the time.)

Originally Posted by JMS

In a wet environment it matters little whether it is polished or satin. It will rust in a matter of hours if not wiped dry and stored properly after a shave.

It's harder to get a matte razor properly dry and clean of soap scum. By the same token it hangs on to oil better than a mirror finish, but that's only really a benefit for long-term storage.

I'd rather have a phosphate/teflon finish over a matte finish.

Like Jim posted above, I too prefer a matte finish.

I also read (via Chris Moss) that they are planning to have replacement scales available, if one wishes to add some bling to their razor by replacing the black synthetic. I am sure we will see various options come available as time goes on. My Hart Steel Razor should be in the mail and I look forward to it.

To be continued.

Just got mine today. It's made by "TV".

The scales don't actually look that bad. The wood grain makes them look like ebony if I'm looking through the wrong half of the bifocals. They're not heavy enough though, so the razor feels a bit unbalanced.

One pet peeve of mine are square wedges which force a double bend in the scales in order to fit around the shank, and though these are one-piece scales they have that same problem.

There was no pivot wrench supplied with the razor which is significant because the pivot was dangerously loose and allowed the blade to flop around. Fortunately I got my finger out of the way in time. A #8 torx wrench solved that problem, but it does increase my concern about this type of pivot having a tendency to work loose.

No jimps or scalloping or any other grip enhancers on the shank.

Mine was a smiling blade. I'm not sure how that squares with their claim that every blade would be straight. Smiling blades are a bit of an acquired taste, and not everybody can hone them well. At least the spine is also curved. My major dislike with the Classic Shaving 7/8 Filly is that the edge is smiling but the spine is straight, making it impossible to hone correctly without using tape.

The leather slipcase is reasonably nice, though not as nice as the TI case with the fold-over top. The velveteen box is pretty cheesy and looks like a last-minute addition and IMO adds very little value to the package. If you put the razor inside its leather slipcase then it doesn't fit inside the box very well, while the razor by itself rattles around inside the box though it is at least protected. If you use the box by itself though you're just asking to lose the leather case. I'd rather they either shipped a nicer leather case like the ones that TI uses, or shipped a nicer box. Something like the old Sta-Sharp box would be an improvement; superficially it's a similar-looking box but the sta-sharp box has cushioned innards to keep the razor from moving around, and is actually the right size for the intended razor. The one that came with the Hart is way too long making the razor look lost in there.

Lets see... The edge. The razor popped armhairs on my forearm, but not the ones on the inside crook of my elbow that are my most reliable test of shave-readiness. That's obviously not a good sign, but I don't know what they finished the edge on and that obviously has an affect on the hair test. By way of comparison my last two TIs would pop armhairs around the margins of my inner elbow though not the finest ones in the crook of the elbow.

Hmm. That's about it for the initial thoughts. Shave test tomorrow. If that doesn't go well, then a honing test Saturday. And that %#@#@ pivot had better stay tight.

In the advert I thought it said that it was finished on an Escher ? Thanks for the preliminary to the shave review. I look forward to hearing how it shaves and all the rest.

Stuff I forgot...

That blade is dead nuts centered between the scales. The adjustable pivot probably helps quite a bit since the shoulders of the pivot help square the blade.

The blade is 0.81 inches wide, and the spine is about 0.185 inches thick, which seems a bit thin for the size.

The honing angle is calculated as 2*asin((thickness*0.5)/width), so for this razor that's 2 * asin((0.185*0.5)/0.81) = 13.11 degrees, which is definitely on the narrow side, and on the borderline between "takes a wicked edge" and "edge collapses mid-shave". I had a razor once that had a roughly 7.5 degree honing angle and it wouldn't hold up for an entire shave - you could easily see the chips with the naked eye. At around 10 degrees it would hold up for several shaves, and at around 12 it's pretty good. So assuming this steel is tempered well it should be ok, but I would prefer it be closer to 15-19 degrees.