Hart Steel Razors, New Thread

IMHO: being new to straight razor shaving I couldn't decide on one straight razor to start with, so I bought the big three. A Dovo Best blade, a TI Spartacus, and a Hart Steel. Of the three, I'm most impressed with the overall look and feel of the Hart Steel. The TI was the one I was least impressed with. The Dovo looks great, but I find it a little too flashy and showy. I'm really impressed with the no frills, "I'm here to shave a mans face" look and feel of the Hart Steel. I'm in the Army and I work around a bunch of A-type guys and I would have no reservations about pulling my Hart Steel out in a crowded latrine. I think of it as the Harley Davidson straight razors. Oh, and the shave and ease of maintenance are great. I'm thinking about getting a second.

I have honed several Harts in the last couple of months, damn fine shavers with a hearty, masculine look.

I agree. All I know is that I have the 6/8" and I hone it myself about once every 3 months. I ablsolutely love it. It is a smooooth shave and it is my favorite by far. What I like best is that for whatever reason, I practically never cut myself with it. I call the Hart my "safety straight razor" because it is so bloodless.

Am sure the blades are great,the steel is great,the grind is great,am sure they take a great edge,but they look far to industrial,the scales are far from looking good,they are to cluncky JMO, take a lesson here,alot of people have them re-scaled,WHY?

I own 7 of these fine Razors and have had 2 re scaled 1 in ivory And one in ebony I did I'd just because I could not for any other reason if hart would use other materials it may push the price out of reach of the average joe no matter what the scales are made of as far as I am concerned the blades are sharp out of the box or at least mine have been and I like them to each his own

^ Semper Fidelis my brother.


I've been looking at a Hart. I am partial to the simple design on the scales. I favor that modern contemporary look

Aside from the fact that I do not like wood scales for straight razors generally there is something else about the Hart that pixelfixed has gotten close to with the original word cluncky. There is some subtle design feature that I cannnot quite describe, possibly having to do with finesse or elegance....honestly not sure how to describe it but I agree with all of the good qualities as stated above.

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Am sure the blades are great,the steel is great,the grind is great,am sure they take a great edge,but they look far to industrial,the scales are far from looking good,they are to cluncky JMO, take a lesson here,alot of people have them re-scaled,WHY?

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I personally think they look like they were made by a caveman. The tang is so thick it is like shaving with a camp axe. Any $10.00 vintage blade is light years ahead of them. Just my opinion.

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Originally Posted by 25609289

I personally think they look like they were made by a caveman. The tang is so thick it is like shaving with a camp axe. Any $10.00 vintage blade is light years ahead of them. Just my opinion.

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Have you shaved with one?
Looks is one thing, but how it feels on the cheek is entirely different.

Well, that is the problem with any consumer goods, once you get past whether it performs it's intended function well or not you are left with the aesthetics of the thing. Ideally you want both to be pleasing if you are laying out a good chuck of change for it. Personally, I fall into the camp that does not like the looks of the Hart razors and can't bring myself to buy one for that reason given the all the alternatives that are more attractive looking to me. OTH there are plenty of people who do like the looks and actually buy the Harts. Not a problem either way.

Bob

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Have you shaved with one?
Looks is one thing, but how it feels on the cheek is entirely different.

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come on stefan,spare me here,you make some of the best scales on the planet.looks is EVERYTHING.
My newest palmera,I found a stick out in the yard,I shall epoxy the tang into said stick,will be a razor of magnificence.:)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...e/stick001.jpg

I have one Hart Razor and I love it. I do no find it clunky at all. The design is also appealing. My only gripe is the scales could be a tad bit thinner.

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Originally Posted by Mephisto

I have one Hart Razor and I love it. I do no find it clunky at all. The design is also appealing. My only gripe is the scales could be a tad bit thinner.

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That is what I mean, different strokes for different folks. Main thing is not to get too hung up because it may or may not be someone else's cup of tea. You have to please yourself and it needs no justification or defense.

Bob

Harts are not stamped out, they are ground from start to finish therefore they are larger, this is to be expected, they also fall into a category all their own as they are the only production custom razors. Custom because each one is ground one by one by hand, production because they are mass produced.

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

come on stefan,spare me here,you make some of the best scales on the planet.looks is EVERYTHING.
My newest palmera,I found a stick out in the yard,I shall epoxy the tang into said stick,will be a razor of magnificence.:)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...e/stick001.jpg

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Put me down for one of those please, Pixelfixed. I only have 325 dollars to spend though, so I guess I might have to opt for twig rather than the de luxe stick model... :)

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by 25609289

I personally think they look like they were made by a caveman. The tang is so thick it is like shaving with a camp axe. Any $10.00 vintage blade is light years ahead of them. Just my opinion.

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Clearly, we need to enlist more cavemen to make razors.

Your opinion is noted and balanced by mine. I prefer a thick tang, and find the Harts that I own to shave very well.

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Originally Posted by unit

Clearly, we need to enlist more cavemen to make razors.

Your opinion is noted and balanced by mine. I prefer a thick tang, and find the Harts that I own to shave very well.

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Nobody is talking or dissing the blades,they are wonderfull in looks and am sure in construction,grinding and honeing.
They lose everything with the scales,see my pic above,that to me is the heart of a hart.Stick a great blade into a stick of wood.

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Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Harts are not stamped out, they are ground from start to finish therefore they are larger, this is to be expected, they also fall into a category all their own as they are the only production custom razors. Custom because each one is ground one by one by hand, production because they are mass produced.

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I am not sure that I agree with the first part of that - right up to the early 20th century hand forging and grinding was the norm in Sheffield, with some die-hard compnies like Butler persisting in it to near mid 20th century. Some were a bit chunky but in a wonderfully eccentric way, while a great deal were quite graceful and not chunky at all. Stamping out blanks was an innovation that was mostly frowned upon - those old boys were remarkably resistant to change, hence their failure to be competitive until it was too late.

I do of curse agree with the latter sentiment and also that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We should accept others opinions of what looks nice.

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Put me down for one of those please, Pixelfixed. I only have 325 dollars to spend though, so I guess I might have to opt for twig rather than the de luxe stick model... :)

Regards,
Neil

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Do you want it resin impregnated??

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Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Do you want it resin impregnated??

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Nah - I like rough and ready -au naturel for me. Affected? Moi?

Here is my one and only Hart. I also don't care for the look of their standard fare. Very 'vanilla' to my eye. Nothing wrong with them but none of the ambiance of say a Ralf Aust. Anyway, when an SRP logo limited edition was being talked up on the forum and nothing seemed to be getting done ....... the wheels grind slow but exceedingly fine ....... Hart posted this 8/8 on their website. I hated to spend the $ but there was room on the credit card so ........ :shrug:

I don't like the scales and it is not even close to the SRP logo other than the scales are blue. It is a good shaver though and I love big wedges so I'm not sorry I bought it. BTW, when I say I don't like the scales, there is nothing 'wrong' with them. They are straight and would probably survive if you dropped them off a ten story building but they are thick and not artful, described as such for my lack of a better vocabulary.

Attachment 132247Attachment 132248Attachment 132249

Nice razor Jim,seems the general feeling is,hart razors are lacking something,they need somebody that knows how to make scales.

I must admit that when I first saw photos of them I was not really too impressed but once I got one in my hand...'nuff said. Yeah, scales could be tweaked a bit. The nice thing is Hart could come out with a new design and presto blamo you could easily swap old scales for new ones.

:jedi:

Um, I never get to use the jedi emote so why not throw it in here

yep. with the nut and bolt system,would be a pce of cake.

See, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I liked the Hart scales shape, I was just not smitten with the ho-hum wood choices.

I duplicated the dimensions of the original scales as close as possible.

Attachment 132255

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Originally Posted by unit

See, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I liked the Hart scales shape, I was just not smitten with the ho-hum wood choices.

I duplicated the dimensions of the original scales as close as possible.

Attachment 132255

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That looks very nice,what was the material used?

Dyed stabilized Oregon maple burl.

Thanks:)

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Originally Posted by unit

Dyed stabilized Oregon maple burl.

Thanks:)

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Fantastic work,they look wonderfull

I do not mind the shape. I just find them too thick....Well, was looking at it. What bugs me a little is the toe end. The scales are thin down the length but were the toe is is really think. It just looks weird.