Thread: Double Arrow Quality ?????

Seraphim
One question which im pritty sure the answer to which will be yes; when you say 'vice work', you just mean straightening the tang/spine angle, not straighting the spine? (which i would imagine would be impossible)

Cheers

And great user name

+Simon

Since I occasionally, well, usually actually, have a habit of offending when I don't intend to do so, I just want to point out that my lipstick comment was not meant to denigrate Seraphim's DAs. I meant quite the opposite. Though I'm not a huge fan of the DAs, a large part of the reason is simply that I am flat out unabashedly opposed to the dumping of Chinese products on other markets. I have to begrudgingly admit that, dollar for dollar, or soon, yuan for yuan, the DA is a great razor for the price.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Since I occasionally, well, usually actually, have a habit of offending when I don't intend to do so, I just want to point out that my lipstick comment was not meant to denigrate Seraphim's DAs.

Utopian ~ you are a gentleman, and I don't think you give offense.

Seraphim,
For what its worth I think you do fantastic work. You take a good razor, make fantastic scales and sell them for a very reasonable price for the amount of work you put into them. That said, some people will criticize anything and yet you will struggle to find photos of anything they have done and shown on the Workshop. Now, I do not own any DA's but I would buy one in heartbeat from Glen or Seraphim because I know anything they put out will be quality.
I appreciate someone showing the warping of the tang in the event I decide to try one. I could not start to do any of the work that Glen or Seraphim do, but that said I am no going to criticize and blade or its quality when someone who shares their work often tells me the steel is ok. Plus, if the razors weren't good enough, why would they take the time to do all that work to make them aesthetically pleasing and functional? Plus if its holds and edge, gives a a decent shave, then what difference does the price make or the brand?

Originally Posted by Utopian

Since I occasionally, well, usually actually, have a habit of offending when I don't intend to do so, I just want to point out that my lipstick comment was not meant to denigrate Seraphim's DAs. I meant quite the opposite. Though I'm not a huge fan of the DAs, a large part of the reason is simply that I am flat out unabashedly opposed to the dumping of Chinese products on other markets. I have to begrudgingly admit that, dollar for dollar, or soon, yuan for yuan, the DA is a great razor for the price.

Thanks for the explanation, but there was no offense taken in the first place.

I really enjoy this thread about them as it gives what seems to be a balanced view of them from both sides, pro and con, which is what I believe a forum such as this is all about.

I do not try and hide the fact that the razors I use are indeed DAs (I also rework quality Sheffield/Solingen steel when I can get my hands on it!), and do not try to make them out to be something they re not. I put lipstick on them, doll them up, and I feel that they are as efficient shavers as most any out there (after a bit of work...)



Big Red brings up a good point in relation to the steel itself--I'm no metallurgist, and it would indeed be nice to get one of the guys over from the "Forge" forum to do some sort of metal analysis, rockwell testing, etc. on one of these to see just what the deal is with the steel.

What I do know so far is that these razor are quite capable of taking as fine an edge as any of my other razors. My examples above: A- W&B wedge, B-Wapi, C-Dovo Renaissance, D-Double Arrow are meant to illustrate that in more empirical terms rather than just me (or anyone else) saying "these take a nice edge".

If a blind shave test were conducted, would we be able to tell the difference between two of those edges? If the grind were not taken into account, obviously.

Zeepks are reported to not be able to take any sort of shaving edge, and thus dolling one of them up is an exercise in futility. Wapis are another cheapie razor, but one that does take a nice edge.

Perhaps DAs are made of simple 1095 type steel, a plain-jane, inexpensive, yet good steel, the same as many other quality cutting tools? The fact that a Chinese laborer makes about $7 a day would explain alot about why the razors themselves are inexpensive without necessitating the need to also get junk steel to make them?

Anyhow, I do have a vested interest, as I do modify and sell these razors, so take my view perhaps with a grain of salt. But again, i wouldn't use these razors to do that with if I didn't think they were good razors in the first place, so it's a catch 22 taking my opinion alone

I'm sure I didn't offend either, my post was not in regards to the work, only what the work was put into.

Red

mine is straight and as sharp as my other pro-honed blades.

i agree with the whole chinese products thing, but are these new? still being made?

Hello. Yes they are in current production. DA's trade name in the uk is Artimis (or is it Artamis?) and you can get them in most proper independant tobacconists.
I have seen them for sale recently in Carmarthen town and Cardiff.

Originally Posted by Big Red

I'm sure I didn't offend either, my post was not in regards to the work, only what the work was put into.

Red

The only person who may suffer offense as a result of this conversation is currently sleeping in Shanghai...


Red, let me ask- have you actually tried a DA yourself?

Originally Posted by Buckler

Seraphim
One question which im pritty sure the answer to which will be yes; when you say 'vice work', you just mean straightening the tang/spine angle, not straighting the spine? (which i would imagine would be impossible)

Cheers

And great user name

+Simon

Yes, I straightened the tang, not the spine. As Glenn's original post shows, the tangs are often out of alignment. I have never found the spines of any of them to be warped/bent.


And it's not only my user name, but also my real middle name!