Thread: Art of Shaving Thiers Issard

Originally Posted by PhatMan

joegags,

I have two (2) C135 TIs, and they are both superb shavers

The edge sometimes needs a little effort to dial it in, but once there, they are super shavers.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Yes, the steel is vary hard on a C135 TI
I finish on a balsa hone of 0.25 CBN then .025 diamond, then linen then leather strop.

I got a C135 TI at TOAS, had it professionally honed, and it shaves great and feels high quality. It wasn't "shave ready," despite statements to the contrary by the TOAS staff. Also, I agree that the wooden scales provide much better balance than the stainless scales. My only complaint as a new straight shaver is that the pointed toe is a bit hazardous compared to my rounded toe blades, but I am getting used to it and don't regret the purchase.

TI has switched all of their current production razors to c135. The molten lead is just the heat treatment part of the production process - they (along with many other vintage manufacturers) have had that for over a hundred years. It's not going to temper the steel any differently, it's just a way to control the temperature process. Everybody else uses more modern methods to run a blank through the heat treatment - usually various salts that do not have the same problems as lead.

Of course, there are also the blanks that TI has gotten from LeGrelot, as well as the leftover from their own earlier production. TI seems to periodically make razors out of these and markets them as 'limited editions', but I've seen so many limited editions, some being reissued once they're sold, that to me it has stopped having any meaning. The only truly limited edition historic TI is the run from the pierre thiers blanks - 450 of them and I've haven't seen TI suddenly 'discover' more. The pattern welded damascus was another limited edition with unique steel, but obscenely priced, so it is probably never coming back.


The AOS are just the standard c135 blank, with the standard process which includes molten lead in the HT.

I have two AOS black plastic TIs. How do you tell if it is a C135? Seems like the consensus here is that the older ones may or may not be C135. I emailed AOS and some woman from P&G replied saying that we will contact the vendor. In other words, don't expect anything to come back for months. lol

Originally Posted by toovira

I have two AOS black plastic TIs. How do you tell if it is a C135? Seems like the consensus here is that the older ones may or may not be C135. I emailed AOS and some woman from P&G replied saying that we will contact the vendor. In other words, don't expect anything to come back for months. lol

If you have the boxes, it says on there. If not, I don't believe they have any markings that say (at least, mine doesn't appear to).

Also, as a side note regarding their "shave ready" state, mine actually was okay. I have never used one before, so I have no basis for comparison, but I thought I would strop it and give it a go anyway (without having sent it away for honing). I spent quite a while on the strop, which was the one they sell, and was untreated. The shave was very smooth. This was the stainless scaled model.

Man that sucks. I have yet to figure out what/who/where is TI's US distribution or their French factory website is.

I got a TI 'Evidé Sonnant' a month ago. It has turned out to be my favorite shaver so far. My guess is the Evidé is the same as the AOS razor you are referencing to. I am not sure. But why not? I purchased the AOS Bocote Wood/Dovo Razor. It is basically the Forestal Model w/o the design on the blade. Instead you get the cheesy looking AOS logo. Btw, the TI was 'shave ready'. I never had it professionally honed. The first shave from the TI was the smoothest shave I ever had. I know the price is a selling point with these razors but I am thinking that the resale value is messed up. I would like to sell my AOS Dovo but I do not think I would get a decent price for it. You need to find someone who is sold to the AOS brand. I have nothing against the company. I just feel there are so many other brands to try. Why stick to just one brand? I can thank AOS for the gateway into this world. Well, my bank account does not. But there are so many places to go. Anyway, that was a bit off topic...Good Luck.

Well, I guess at least it's encouraging to hear that AOS procures quality stuff from Dovo and TI. I just wish I can find out exactly whether mine is or not.