Thread: Double Arrow Quality ?????

I think Red nailed it with what he wrote and with no offense pointed towards anyone, just opinion.

Anyway, in slight defense of DA's (which I still hate)- lots of Sheffield grinders SUCKED. I mean I've worked on and continue to work on amazing sheffield blades that were ground WAY off center or even bent down the spine. In the end after doing a lot of frustrating work, they shave just as well as any other. I guess it's a matter of taste and economy. I prefer 'finer' razors myself and wouldn't be satisfied using a $12 razor no matter if the shave were good. On the other hand some guys can't spend more than $12 on a razor, so for them it's a no-brainer.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

I think Red nailed it with what he wrote and with no offense pointed towards anyone, just opinion.

Anyway, in slight defense of DA's (which I still hate)- lots of Sheffield grinders SUCKED. I mean I've worked on and continue to work on amazing sheffield blades that were ground WAY off center or even bent down the spine. In the end after doing a lot of frustrating work, they shave just as well as any other. I guess it's a matter of taste and economy. I prefer 'finer' razors myself and wouldn't be satisfied using a $12 razor no matter if the shave were good. On the other hand some guys can't spend more than $12 on a razor, so for them it's a no-brainer.

So, I'll ask you as well: have you used a DA yourself and formed that opinion by personal use, or is your opinion of them formed through other's opinions and/or just not liking the "idea" of using a cheapie razor, as you allude to?




BTW, you can overcome the "cheapie factor" by simply buying one of my modified ones, as I charge $115 for them!

BTW, I seem to be taking the position as "defender" of these razors. If anyone can clearly point out that they are made out of tin/aluminum, have a radioactive half-life or anything objective to prove their inferiority, I'm just as happy to find out about it as the next guy. I'm not interested in working on and hawking junk razors. But as for now they seem to me to be as good as most any other.

Of course basic opinions are valid too, as Alex posted above. Some folks just may not like them. That's how I feel about most 5/8 carbon roundpoints...go figure

I have seen a few of Seraphim's Sheffield grinds and they are great as well. One nice thing about the DA's is that it gives him (and others) the opportunity to experiment with new techniques without sacrificing a "better," or at least more expensive, blade. If the experiment works, he can throw on some scales and make huge ( ) profits.

I have no doubt that his work on the DAs will translate into more work on other razors and I watch for every one of his projects.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

And I indeed had three, yes three brandy-new Dovos that were so badly warped they were un-honable. Those are $140 razors!

You can see below the Dovo in question (or rather one of the three that had EXACTLY the same warpage...), the hone made contact only on the toe and heel, nowhere along the middle. The other side was the opposite, only in the middle, and not on the toe and heel.

I'm not complaining about the issues I have seen with the DAs,as they have all been readily remedied.

I bought a DOVO (Best, I think, which ever is the cheapest) because I wanted something with butterscotch scales - such a warm beckoning color. I've honed it a bunch, as in large much, and still can't get the angle of the spine to agree with the dangle of the edge. Next is to take it to my big Norton India Combination hone and work the begeebers out of it - with oil - carpenter's revenge. It really is a pathetic razor and never should have made it out of the factory. If nothing else, I'll get to keep the scales when I unrivet the toothpick sized blade I'll probably end up with.

Double Arrows? - hard to imagine they're worse than the worst DOVO has to offer.

where can i get em for 12 bucks. they shave well, at that price i could get a few just for shets and giggles.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

BTW, I seem to be taking the position as "defender" of these razors. If anyone can clearly point out that they are made out of tin/aluminum, have a radioactive half-life or anything objective to prove their inferiority, I'm just as happy to find out about it as the next guy. I'm not interested in working on and hawking junk razors.

Ok if you are really asking for this then Please answer to this question.
have you able to put edge on DA without using tape?
Let me clear a little what i mean by "edge" which will give to you comfortable shave without pulling.?
Now I have sharpen them and unable to put "edge" any of them until i tape the blade 3 layers of the electric tape. edge doesn't last longer then a week.
I hope this helps.i don't mean to be inferior what you have done on that blades. you have done amazing work which i would never able to do so..Personally i wish you will put that work some better razor's.
All above is my personal experience and opinion.

I think maybe we have moved this thread from one end to the other and back again....

My whole purpose of starting it was the same as many of my workshop threads... I wanted to inform people with an interest in working on these razors that they were not quite what was expected when I started.... That's it, just spreading info....

The bent/twisted rate is actually closer to 2/3 so far, at least for me...

The vise/pin correction works OK, Seraphim I think maybe you need to do an even better explanation on this, and we should have it in the Wiki

Charlie/Spazola had a great scale fix diagram at one time, that I wish he would put in the Wiki also, as I really suck at those computer graphics things you guys do so well....

The posts with the failed Dovo's and TI's I just don't understand myself???? Got a bad one, send it back...

What I was pointing out was that it is just not as easy as I was thinking it was going to be, as I had never read Jack about this problem until I posted the thread... Now we all sorta know what to expect for a $12 razor... That's it, no more, no less....

I didn't my any means mean to offend anyone with the thread and sincerely hope I did not.... But like everything else I learn as I work on razors, I try and share the knowledge, to those ends I think this thread was a sucess....

For anyone interested, I just honed up a DA tonight and snapped some pics of the bevel along the way at roughly 85x. I'm no where near an expert honer, but you can see what I did here. I'm pretty happy with the results, but the shave will tell all tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by pjrage

For anyone interested, I just honed up a DA tonight and snapped some pics of the bevel along the way at roughly 85x. I'm no where near an expert honer, but you can see what I did here. I'm pretty happy with the results, but the shave will tell all tomorrow morning.

Did you tape the spine?