Once worked correctly, they are indeed fine razors. Fresh from the factory, maybe not so much. Nobody should expect anything else for $12Quote:
Originally Posted by RayG
And yes, Ray, as a man with a refined eye, the DA edge is Example D:rock:
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Once worked correctly, they are indeed fine razors. Fresh from the factory, maybe not so much. Nobody should expect anything else for $12Quote:
Originally Posted by RayG
And yes, Ray, as a man with a refined eye, the DA edge is Example D:rock:
Quote:
Originally Posted by RayG
Now there is a possibility of high demand dropping QC raising it's ugly head again??????
Same thing happened with my wapi. First was a charm. So much so that I bought 6 more - 5 of which were warped. :rant:
I've been lurking around the DA posts for a long time and have not jumped at buying one. I bought 8 Wapis after being completely swooned by accolade after accolade about them about 1 1/2 years ago on SRP. My intent was to make a 7 day set. IIRC 2 of the 8 were decent with the rest going from bad to worse in terms of warpage, ill-tempered flakey steel at the edge, etc. I fully realize many do honestly love the Wapi and get good to great results from them. Based on my experience of drawing the short straws in a big way, I thought overall they sucked.Quote:
Originally Posted by RayG
I could never get a Wapi to shave like my vintage U.S. razors, Solingen or Sheffield blades, some of which literally shave like a dream. Yeah, they're cheap, but to me, the Wapis that were decent were not up to the performance of my faves. In retrospect, given that was/is my feeling about them, I know think buying them wasn't a benefit or a positive and satisfying experience.
I like the idea of a DA, but based on my Wapi experience I've got a bitter taste in my mouth. "Good" razors don't seem to stay in my rotation very long whereas the great to exceptional razors do. Maybe a DA can be great or even exceptional. I'm not saying I don't think some of them are capable of that. How would I know?
Chris L
Here's a TI Le Grelot I did recently. A tad warped :cry:Quote:
Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale
As regards the wapis, I think what Mike did a while back with his group buy was smart. He seemed to have had an arrangement with Stamps222 about sending back the ones that he felt were not up to spec. I may be wrong but seem to recall that Ken may have the same arrangement about the DA's. Seems to me this would be the best way for a newbie looking for one of these razors (getting it from one of our members) rather than buying direct. Sure it costs a little bit more, but you avoid getting duds. Especially if you are not yet experienced enough to tell if it is a dud.
I just ordered four more DAs today.
Honed up another one today, took a pretty nice edge, and centers in the scales (that did require a bit of vice-work...):
lovely job sir :tu
Just beautiful!
You don't just put lipstick on a pig, you give it a fur coat and fancy Italian shoes.!
With this we get into the age old debate that utopian has hinted at, the silk purse out of a pigs ear, whatever cliche phrase you choose to use. My question would be, if after all the work put into a DA it is still not as good a steel as so many countless brands out there available (and cheap too if you are looking to do the same work as on the DA). I have 3 blades sitting on a shelf at home, they do have hone wear, but look otherwise to be excellent. I think two are german, hell, maybe all three. I'm sure that singly they would fetch less than 20 bucks.
when I decide what razors to have rescaled and refreshed, at a cost to myself, I pic ones that I hope I'll not get upside down on, ones that will be worth more or at least even when they're done.
I learned this with rifle stocks when a friend of mine who's a stockmaker told me,"stocking a rifle is 2500 bucks, whether you give me a 200 dollar blank or a 2000 dollar blank". in the end the work is the same but one is worth a lot more.
And most of all, it amazes me, simply incomprehensible, when a good sheffield steel razor, in fantastic shape, hits the classifieds at 30-40 bucks just needing polishing and honing and guys pass on them.
to each their own though right?
Red