Thread: New Blade Production- Unrealistic?

Originally Posted by mparker762

...so you'd just need to front the cost for the mould. But this could get you blanks coming out with no grinding needed, just polish to a matte finish, harden and temper (which is cheap IIRC - something like $5/blade in double-digit quantities), then hone on a couple of continuous belts with pastes....

...So if you want gold trim or a mirror polish that's gonna cost extra, though jimps, worked backs, and even engraving can probably be incorporated into the initial mould....

This situation isn't really feasible, heat treating a blade that is fresh from a mould can go one of two ways:

1. the fresh from the mold blade is close to the final thickness at the edge to facilitate fewer grinding steps, and would warp like hell when exposed to the heat changes in the heat treat process, thus rendering it useless.

2. the fresh from the mold blade is thick enough to withstand the heat treat process with no, or minimal, warpage thus requiring very careful grinding to achieve the final dimensions and still maintain the hardness of the blade, thus adding considerable work to the process.

Put simply, if there were a more economic method of producing razor of comparable quality, the current manufacturers or custom razorsmiths would be doing it.

*edit: the exception to this is the "disposable" feather straights that use a generic replaceable blade that is stamped out of thin hardened sheet metal stock, and given a decent edge. they are cheap because the sheet steel is used for other more popular items as well. so you may be able to offer a more attractive model that adapts these disposable blades or something like that.

I like this dialogue. Particularly when we discuss the actual process of metal work (molds, CNC production, etc.). I know the general idea has hurdles and I think so many of them have been laid out well here.

On the flip side of the coin, there's a guy in Pakistan and China (they're male-centric countries so I'm assuming a guy is in charge) that said, 'we're going to make a straight razor. we don't know how, but we'll do it. It will be junk, but we'll do it. Heaven knows if there's a market, but we'll invest the capital and do it.' And so, those two countries have product. How is that? I always thought Pakistan had a struggling industry. Are they getting investment from Europe and the former Russian states? Also, will their blades get better with time? Will they push the better makes out of the market on price point alone? Somehow I think it might.

Again, I'm just trying to see the hurdles before I take any kind of leap and I think you guys are truly helping me see the picture a little clearer.

Don't forget that the pakistani market is a wee bit bigger than most other national markets, and the average Pakistani probably can't afford a TI.

And also, investment capital and production costs are significantly lower if quality and consistency are way down on the priority list below shiny and cheap.

Ummmm.... let me get this right.... you're thinking of mass producing a razor for the American market... the market prolific with people who got too lazy to get out of their chairs to change the channel on a TV?? And you're going to... expect them to strop and hone these razors on a regular basis and to carefully wipe them dry after each use?? And you expect them to spend time whipping up lather and rinsing out brushes.

Surely you jest.

I have mailed for a while with Puma to see if they would be interested in producing a number of blades of the same quality as the vintage ones if I guaranteed buying the lot. They weren't really. I was told Puma silver steel wasn't actually anything special at all, at Puma they reckon the Puma razors' reputation was due to the grind. They said they had scrapped the last hollow grinder when it broke and the last razor maker had retired 10 years ago. They actually recommended I buy a Puma 2nd hand.

Looking at the prices Boker ask for their newly manufactured razors I wonder if it is worth the effort. Either Boker is very greedy or, restarting production and training staff is a costly procedure.

My $0.02.

Originally Posted by azjoe

Ummmm.... let me get this right.... you're thinking of mass producing a razor for the American market... the market prolific with people who got too lazy to get out of their chairs to change the channel on a TV?? And you're going to... expect them to strop and hone these razors on a regular basis and to carefully wipe them dry after each use?? And you expect them to spend time whipping up lather and rinsing out brushes.

:Surely you jest.

We just need to get a clever advertising guru interested in promoting straight razor shaving, making the American public believe the extra smoothness of a straight razor shave attracts lots of bimbos and improves sex life.
If the hype catches on lots of straight razors will be manufactured and sold, when people realize it doesn't work that way the market will be swamped with little used straight razors that will lower the prices for us.

Originally Posted by azjoe

Ummmm.... let me get this right.... you're thinking of mass producing a razor for the American market... the market prolific with people who got too lazy to get out of their chairs to change the channel on a TV?? And you're going to... expect them to strop and hone these razors on a regular basis and to carefully wipe them dry after each use?? And you expect them to spend time whipping up lather and rinsing out brushes.

Surely you jest.

Every man (and at least one woman) on this forums does...

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

This situation isn't really feasible, heat treating a blade that is fresh from a mould can go one of two ways:

1. the fresh from the mold blade is close to the final thickness at the edge to facilitate fewer grinding steps, and would warp like hell when exposed to the heat changes in the heat treat process, thus rendering it useless.

2. the fresh from the mold blade is thick enough to withstand the heat treat process with no, or minimal, warpage thus requiring very careful grinding to achieve the final dimensions and still maintain the hardness of the blade, thus adding considerable work to the process.

Put simply, if there were a more economic method of producing razor of comparable quality, the current manufacturers or custom razorsmiths would be doing it.

*edit: the exception to this is the "disposable" feather straights that use a generic replaceable blade that is stamped out of thin hardened sheet metal stock, and given a decent edge. they are cheap because the sheet steel is used for other more popular items as well. so you may be able to offer a more attractive model that adapts these disposable blades or something like that.

Gilette figured how to mass produce disposable razors by stacking them close together while heat treating to avoid warping and cracking...
I wonder if a mold or jig could be made to hug the blades durring the heat treating process to prevent this warpage, and make mass production possible...

Ya see what we need is a few manly stars, guys like Chuck Norris and Sly Stallone and that kick Boxing Dude to make the rounds of all the late night and talk shows extolling the virtues of straight razor shaving. I can guarantee you guys will come flocking to straight shaving just for the he-man factor.

Lets just say in the next year or 2 it would not surprise me to see a US production razor of quality