Thread: HART Razor

I truly like the Hart that I have. It has taken some time and effort to dial it in. The toe had sharpness problems and it does have a smile. I have since re-honed it and have started getting it dialed in.

• Day one; Stropped it and the shave was only ok. I have a heavy beard and I have developed a very light touch so a sharp razor is a must.
• Day two; Using one layer of tape I re-honed it using 600, 1000 Shapton, Coticule with slurry till smooth, 8K, Coticule with just water, 16K Shapton, 0.5 and 0.25 diamond pastes on a paddle then 10 laps with 0.5 Chromium on a paddle and a 100 laps on a strop. The shave was a little harsh but a very good shave.
• Day three; shaved with my Le Grelot to give my face a rest.
• Day four; I gave the Hart 50 laps on the Chromium paddle and 200 laps on the strop. The shave was incredible! I have not had a better shave, ever! A ten is,well, a ten! It was smooth and the razor cut perfectly from heel to toe and my face showed it!

I personally like the feel of this blade in motion and the shape is to my liking. It has a confident feel without being to overpowering, probably because of the weight of the razor is a tad lighter than the Le Grelots that I am used to using. I will see in the coming weeks how the edge holds up, I am hopeful. If she holds up this razor will be at the very top of my rotation, and I have been blessed with some very nice shavers.

Take Care,
Richard

It is very nice to see some positive reviews. I know there woill be bimps in the road,but overall those can be worked out.
Thanks to everyone for their input.

What would you describe the grind as? Looks a lot like a wedge to me....

I've detailed some of my experiences with this razor earlier in the thread, much to the annoyance of Mentor chrisl. But overall I'd have to say that once I fixed the sharp corners on the spine and the minor bevel issues at the toe, it's been a pretty good razor, and it does feel good in the hand, light and stiff like a small frameback. I can't get it to take a feather-level edge like the Bergisher Lowe or the nicer TIs, but it's a pretty good edge nonetheless, if I were pressed to compare the edge to something I'd say it reminds me of a Clauss or Heljestrand, both of which are favorite brands of mine.

The major issue I see with my Hart (other than the price but that's not a fault of the razor) is that it's simply ground too thin. The sharp edges and bevel issues are minor and were fixed in a matter of minutes. But the shallow honing angle can't be fixed without using a grinder to take it down to 11/16ths. Mine calculates out to just over 13 degrees, and I'm really skeptical that an edge this thin will hold up over time, meaning tape is necessary during honing, maybe as many as three or four layers (I get about a half degree per layer on a razor this size, stretched tight). This seems excessive to me, but I've read of some guys doing this sort of thing regularly to create multiple bevels so it's possible that it's a recent fad.

From the others that own Hart razors, are yours ground this thin as well or is mine an anomoly?

Lamentably, I have no way to measure the spine thickness.

-Rob

Can you hold it up next to some other 6/8ths and 5/8ths and eyeball it to see how it compares? Mine is considerably thinner than all my 6/8ths, thinner even than some of my 5/8ths.

Originally Posted by mparker762

I've detailed some of my experiences with this razor earlier in the thread, much to the annoyance of Mentor chrisl. But overall I'd have to say that once I fixed the sharp corners on the spine and the minor bevel issues at the toe, it's been a pretty good razor, and it does feel good in the hand, light and stiff like a small frameback. I can't get it to take a feather-level edge like the Bergisher Lowe or the nicer TIs, but it's a pretty good edge nonetheless, if I were pressed to compare the edge to something I'd say it reminds me of a Clauss or Heljestrand, both of which are favorite brands of mine.

The major issue I see with my Hart (other than the price but that's not a fault of the razor) is that it's simply ground too thin. The sharp edges and bevel issues are minor and were fixed in a matter of minutes. But the shallow honing angle can't be fixed without using a grinder to take it down to 11/16ths. Mine calculates out to just over 13 degrees, and I'm really skeptical that an edge this thin will hold up over time, meaning tape is necessary during honing, maybe as many as three or four layers (I get about a half degree per layer on a razor this size, stretched tight). This seems excessive to me, but I've read of some guys doing this sort of thing regularly to create multiple bevels so it's possible that it's a recent fad.

From the others that own Hart razors, are yours ground this thin as well or is mine an anomoly?

I hope my comment wasn't misinterpreted. I was not annoyed by your review and subsequent comments; on the contrary, I appreciated them and have always valued your posts. My point was simply that one razor from a fledgling company out of it's initial product may not speak for all razors from that company. Especially since each razor is apparently made by a single individual artisan from start to finish. I do not doubt your description of your Hart Steel razor in the least.

Chris L

I have a Dubl Duck that has a 13 degree bevel as well, and it shaves very well, I don't think the bevel needs to be made thicker, but it's easy enough to do by breadknifing.

Originally Posted by cotdt

I have a Dubl Duck that has a 13 degree bevel as well, and it shaves very well, I don't think the bevel needs to be made thicker, but it's easy enough to do by breadknifing.

It is easy to change by breadknifing but not so easy to get the edge back afterwards. At least not in terms of hands on labor.

From the others that own Hart razors, are yours ground this thin as well or is mine an anomoly?[/QUOTE]

mparker,

Comparing apples here, my Hart is a 13/16" razor and has a spine thickness of .188" which gives me an included angle of just over 13 degress - just like yours.

Throwing an orange into the works, my favorite Friodur (which may be real close to my favorite razor) is a big 7/8, about 29/32's and has a spine thickness of .262" for an included angle of about 16.4 degrees. A little more than the Hart angle, but less than I thought it would be. Are we figuring out anything useful here?