Chinese Straight razors

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249
Location
London, UK
First of all I know nothing about straight razors and have never attempted to use one. So this is an academic question for my part.
Leading on from a thread in DE razors
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/com...chinese-futur-clone.42802/page-21#post-643222
I've ordered a Futur clone from China. Mine hasn't arrived yet but by all accounts the fit and finish is good and they shave well.
I found this in the same store
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...lgo_pvid=e0374f4f-88aa-48e5-bf6d-f42651743bd4
Two years ago I would have said forget it, but now I'm not so sure. The Futur clone is by all accounts good. I collect pocket knives as well. I've just received a knife from China which is a clone of an American knife called a Chris Reeve short sabenza. This original costs in excess of £150 the Chinese copy cost £8. Is the original a better knife? It's hand finished so of course it is. Is it £140 better no! The Chinese copy is a perfectly good pocket knife with a good tool steel blade that holds an edge very well.
Is it time to reconsider our opinion of Chinese made goods?
 
First of all I know nothing about straight razors and have never attempted to use one. So this is an academic question for my part.
Leading on from a thread in DE razors
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/com...chinese-futur-clone.42802/page-21#post-643222
I've ordered a Futur clone from China. Mine hasn't arrived yet but by all accounts the fit and finish is good and they shave well.
I found this in the same store
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...lgo_pvid=e0374f4f-88aa-48e5-bf6d-f42651743bd4
Two years ago I would have said forget it, but now I'm not so sure. The Futur clone is by all accounts good. I collect pocket knives as well. I've just received a knife from China which is a clone of an American knife called a Chris Reeve short sabenza. This original costs in excess of £150 the Chinese copy cost £8. Is the original a better knife? It's hand finished so of course it is. Is it £140 better no! The Chinese copy is a perfectly good pocket knife with a good tool steel blade that holds an edge very well.
Is it time to reconsider our opinion of Chinese made goods?
It all depends on who is asking for the product to be made and at what cost......if someone asks for a product at the cheapest possible price it will be made but it will be cheap rubbish. The Chinese can make a very good product if paid enough. Instead of saying yes we can make for that price and then churning out crap they should be saying no , if you want a quality product it's going to cost this much ......if they didn't churn out so much rubbish they wouldn't have made a bad name for themselves . Looking at short term profits instead of building a reputation for being quality producers of consumer goods.
 
The only Chinese razors to go for are the Gold Dollar as honed and sold by billyji1 on eBay or a ZY Razor honed by our very own @Fergiebilly. I'm sure I spotted one on eBay for about £19 + p&p from Billy but you'll have to find out whether he has any currently. :)

Otherwise, I'm sure someone has a great straight floating around for not a lot of money - most people here aren't out to con others.
 
First of all I know nothing about straight razors and have never attempted to use one. So this is an academic question for my part.
Leading on from a thread in DE razors
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/com...chinese-futur-clone.42802/page-21#post-643222
I've ordered a Futur clone from China. Mine hasn't arrived yet but by all accounts the fit and finish is good and they shave well.
I found this in the same store
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...lgo_pvid=e0374f4f-88aa-48e5-bf6d-f42651743bd4
Two years ago I would have said forget it, but now I'm not so sure. The Futur clone is by all accounts good. I collect pocket knives as well. I've just received a knife from China which is a clone of an American knife called a Chris Reeve short sabenza. This original costs in excess of £150 the Chinese copy cost £8. Is the original a better knife? It's hand finished so of course it is. Is it £140 better no! The Chinese copy is a perfectly good pocket knife with a good tool steel blade that holds an edge very well.
Is it time to reconsider our opinion of Chinese made goods?
I was Sent a Couple of these to Hone..They Went in the Bin..If You Want a New Shave Ready ZY Razor PM Me..I Have One Sitting there..Honed..And or a 208 Gold Dollar..:)
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/zy-straight-razors-review.42538/

Billy
 
I was Sent a Couple of these to Hone..They Went in the Bin..If You Want a New Shave Ready ZY Razor PM Me..I Have One Sitting there..Honed..And or a 208 Gold Dollar..:)
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/index.php?threads/zy-straight-razors-review.42538/

Billy
Hi Billy that's sort of the answer I wanted provided you were sent the razor within the last 6 months and not 3 years ago. Companies change some get better some get worse. Time was when if you were buying a motorcycle the only ones you'd consider were made by the British Germans Americans or Italians. Now the majority are Japanese.
Thanks for the offer of the razor but I'm not in the market right now.
 
I would not risk a Chinese straight most respected traders offering honing services won't even accept one which says a lot

As for DE razors you can pick up some bargains after all it's the blade in the razor that makes or breaks the shave and even Chinese DE blades have a poor rep
It's true that the blade do the Shaving but if the head you put t in is twisted or bend you won't get a shave. Chinese De razors used to but like that now some aren't that was more my point.
 
Hi Billy that's sort of the answer I wanted provided you were sent the razor within the last 6 months and not 3 years ago. Companies change some get better some get worse. Time was when if you were buying a motorcycle the only ones you'd consider were made by the British Germans Americans or Italians. Now the majority are Japanese.
Thanks for the offer of the razor but I'm not in the market right now.
One Month Ago..They are Badly Ground..Total Crap..They are Made in the Same Factory as the ZY Razors & Gold Dollars..But..They Vary in Grinding Quality & Stages of Finishing..Trust Me..I have Honed them All..o_O

Billy
 
First of all I know nothing about straight razors and have never attempted to use one. So this is an academic question for my part.
Leading on from a thread in DE razors
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/com...chinese-futur-clone.42802/page-21#post-643222
I've ordered a Futur clone from China. Mine hasn't arrived yet but by all accounts the fit and finish is good and they shave well.
I found this in the same store
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...lgo_pvid=e0374f4f-88aa-48e5-bf6d-f42651743bd4
Two years ago I would have said forget it, but now I'm not so sure. The Futur clone is by all accounts good. I collect pocket knives as well. I've just received a knife from China which is a clone of an American knife called a Chris Reeve short sabenza. This original costs in excess of £150 the Chinese copy cost £8. Is the original a better knife? It's hand finished so of course it is. Is it £140 better no! The Chinese copy is a perfectly good pocket knife with a good tool steel blade that holds an edge very well.
Is it time to reconsider our opinion of Chinese made goods?
No.
 
I have an Old Chinese straight razor(I am not going to say vintage because it may not be that old, by saying old I got it before the Gold Dollars were about) it is Double Arrow, there is a symbol of cross arrows stamped. I would say it is a better quality than Gold Dollar, the over all finish, built quality, quality of the scales etc.. I honed it, it shaves but not very good(perhaps I couldn't hone it that well), it is not the only razor I honed so the other Sheffield and Solingen razors I honed with same techniques and time shaves much better.
I also have a gold dollar that I honed, similar story.
Conclusion, Chinese straight razors are inexpensive and I wouldn't buy them for the purpose of using it for seriously full on shaving, but I would buy them for honing practice, stropping practice, pinning and unpinning and some other projects.
 
Thanks everyone for your views and advice. Straight razor shaving interests me, but it strikes me as an expensive pastime. Either buying two razors so that they can be sent off one at a time for reconditioning. Or buying a selection of expensive stones and learning to do it yourself.
I did buy a shavette and tried that with limited success (and some blood). It occurred to me that if I want to shave with a DE blade a should use it in a razor designed for it. I looked at the cost of the Japanese razors that use replaceable blades but thought that they would be easier to maintain but more experience to run. If I'm being honest both are too expensive for me at the moment.
 
I ended up buying a vintage Sheffield for £50 from a reputable seller. I was tempted by the Chinese Gold Dollars honed by a chap down in Cornwall but decided to pay a bit more for quality. I have also since bought a Whipped Dog Solingen vintage to practice with as the Sheffield is too nice to bugger up. Both give gentle enough shaves but straights are still to tricky for me to get a close shave on areas like upper lip and chin so only use them occasionally. As to Chinese DE razors I have not seen them. You can get reasonable quality products from China: Jinhao and Kagelu fountain pens for example but most of the stuff is tat.
 
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