Thread: New Blade Production- Unrealistic?

Originally Posted by Taz

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

quality isn't the problem, it's the quantity that's the issue in my mind. If there's low demand then the price will only be affordable by the Rolex guys... OR it will have to be made in China where the average wage is $5/day.

what would happen if a man with enough knowledge about steel visited the folks who mass-produce pakistani razors?

They have the cheap labor, couldn't they turn out some quality blanks that are competitively priced?

Just thinking...RH

Originally Posted by richardhead

what would happen if a man with enough knowledge about steel visited the folks who mass-produce pakistani razors?

They have the cheap labor, couldn't they turn out some quality blanks that are competitively priced?

Just thinking...RH

They's have to start by buying quality steel to begin with, instead of anything that looks irony.
Then they'd have to invest in heat treating equipment.
They'd also have to make a decision to throw away anything that does not pass quality norms

I'm not saying it would be impossible, but you'd have to have a reason for them to do it.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

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.

Uhhh, I'm not at all sure Chuck is the right man to advertise straight shaving (or any kind of shaving), at least not in the state I usually see him on TV... OH! You mean he's the "before" picture....

Originally Posted by azjoe

quality isn't the problem, it's the quantity that's the issue in my mind. If there's low demand then the price will only be affordable by the Rolex guys... OR it will have to be made in China where the average wage is $5/day.

I do not think demand would be an issue. TI and Dovo can not keep up right now. This will always be a niche but that niche is growing.

Originally Posted by azjoe

quality isn't the problem, it's the quantity that's the issue in my mind. If there's low demand then the price will only be affordable by the Rolex guys... OR it will have to be made in China where the average wage is $5/day.

Dude I wear a Rolex was that an insult

After thoroughly considering the issue I've come to the conclusion that it simply isn't time for straights to make a mass comeback, and that is a good thing. I very much enjoy the way straights are now and being part of something that isn't advertised during the superbowl. Not to say there couldn't be some very cool superbowl adverts for straights, but with the good comes the bad. Imagine sitting through a lame straight razor commercial that is so bad it makes you want to reach out for a Bic disposable. Perhaps that's what led me here in the first place- Tiger Woods spouting some dumb line about whatever while holding a Gillette. Nothing personal against Tiger, just cheesy shaving commercials.

Still, it'd be cool to be the straight razor manufacturing guru in America. The one with the commercials that say, 'nothing shaves closer- period!' Ah, to dream.

Candide taps me on the shoulder to remind me, "Tis well said, but we must cultivate our gardens."

Originally Posted by Mike_ratliff

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...

well, part of the problem is warpage, but the steel expands and contracts in all directions so even a mold/jig wouldn't be able to stop the wild lengthwise fluctuations along the edge of the blade. And I know from experience that heat treating a blade with a thin edge and a thick back means very different rates of cooling and thus uneven shrinking with HIGH probability of cracking.

maybe it could be done with a standard style straight razor, but it would take mass amounts of R&D to develop the method, as well as specialized machines.