Thread: Giesen & Forsthoff, #571, 6/8 Real Horn

Can be a bit of a geometry lesson those G&F's.

Originally Posted by samircanada

I would vote to add them to the list of razors to avoid.

They've been on the list for some time.

Sometimes gents, honing can be a SOOTHING process. So after you have cursed the retailer, the brand and yourself, for being the idiot who bought it, Every few days, when you are bored, try the pyramid, or the progression method, throw in the Japanese method, and if you are really...I mean really down, watch a Murray Carter video. If you still can't get a shaving razor....go back to the start....Bit like putting in golf, if you played 18 holes and had 40 putts, most of the time the putter stays in the bag....but there are known occasions when the putter ends up in the lake, on a filfthy day the whole bag ends up wet. So if you bought a g & f recently accept that you will get to know it well over the coming weeks, or it's in the lake OR you are!

Necro-post or not, they are poor razors and that is worth pointing out to the unsuspecting. I had two in for honing recently - they gave such trouble and maintained the edge so poorly that if they were mine I have would given both of them an intimate introduction to my lump-hammer.

I would never, ever buy one - money down the drain in my opinion.

Regards,
Neil

I like the term Necro-Post so much that I am thinking of becoming a necro poster exclusively, maybe change my Avatar to a mummified Egyptian cat....

Neil, I feel the steel is from a Pakistan foundry, stamped Solingen (Loophole). So those of us who see 'Solingen' and expect a certain standard, this is surely fraudulent, because, the #571 6/8 I could comfortably give it the kids to play with their play dough! I have 1 Dovo prima klang honed by a pro, a 2nd I did once I knew what sharp is, and a number of other Dovos and german razors. All are perfect, and I have taken 6 of them from new to shave ready. The G & F was rusty, dull, and basically unuseable out of the box. So, the latin aside, I agree with you, a razor to avoid. I am once bitten, and never again will I be foolish enough to buy one. They have caused the brand to collapse world wide. People see the price - solingen- and out comes the card. Dont do it.

Bobski

Patience may bare fruit! After pages of harrassing G & F razors over their much highlighted floors, I can say amazingly that you can get an edge with which you can get a good shave. Take into account I have honed this on the full range of Naniwas for a bloody week. I've patiently allowed this razor to 'mature', then all of a sudden that thumb pad felt 'right', I went to the finishing stones with so little pressure it barely touched the 10K. At this stage, the TPT was maintained. I dare not use a TNT as the last thing this razor needed was to be dulled, to prove it was sharp. I gave it 30 x 30 linen strop, followed by 50 x 50 3 inch black latigo. Leaving nothing to chance, I gave it 50 x 50 on a balsa coated Chromium Oxide block. T o my thumb it felt sharp. I shaved with it apprehensively . As I sit here before you this razor gave me a nice smooth shave. This doesn't mean it's a good razor, it means that to get it shave ready it takes 7 or 8 hours and 10 different techniques on the hones. I just was going to give up on a real horn set of scales without a fight. Don't get me wrong guys, this took plenty of work. So now we wait for a couple of shaves to see if its a one shave wonder! Don't you love this forum, can save suicides from frustrated men, over damned razors! Moral to this story,,give up only when you have given it absolutely everything you;ve got!

Originally Posted by bobski

... to get it shave ready it takes 7 or 8 hours and 10 different techniques on the hones. I just was going to give up on a real horn set of scales without a fight. Don't get me wrong guys, this took plenty of work. So now we wait for a couple of shaves to see if its a one shave wonder! Don't you love this forum, can save suicides from frustrated men, over damned razors! Moral to this story,,give up only when you have given it absolutely everything you;ve got!

As far as the moral is concerned, send one to me to hone and I'll send it right back - unhoned. Go figure how much your own time is worth...

Regards,
Neil

Whenever you see the term "made in" or similar it doesn't necessarily mean squat. Many countries have no laws regulating what you can call made in. In the U.S with most things it's mostly trade organizations that try and create standards for it's products. Select products are defined by law but most aren't. often times importing a product and warehousing it allows you to call it made in or sometimes doing a minor process to it gives you the right to call it made in. Probably the strictest laws are in Switzerland relating to watches and there are loopholes even there.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Whenever you see the term "made in" or similar it doesn't necessarily mean squat. Many countries have no laws regulating what you can call made in. In the U.S with most things it's mostly trade organizations that try and create standards for it's products. Select products are defined by law but most aren't. often times importing a product and warehousing it allows you to call it made in or sometimes doing a minor process to it gives you the right to call it made in. Probably the strictest laws are in Switzerland relating to watches and there are loopholes even there.

Correct. I once worked in a factory that assembled fairly expensive speaker cabinets for home audio. We were instructed to remove the "made in Taiwan" stickers from tweeters, and the "made in Malaysia" stickers on the speakers. Because the crossovers, grill screens, and cabinets were built on site, and all the components were assembled here they were legally allowed to market them as made in the USA.