Wow.
Hello Andrew.Hi All, thanks for your thoughts. I saw quite a bit of traffic coming from the forums so thought I would jump in. I know I have been quite for a while but I do find the time to read every couple of weeks.
I know the cost is high, and honestly that is part of the long gestation of the 15t, as I was costing before I began I was starting to get nervous of the price and took a long time to decide if it was something I should do. If you have any direct questions please let me know.
Re the knot; I spent a long time deciding what to do. As with my earlier research it is very hard to find a supplier of knots that knows/will admit where their badger comes from, or can prove their methods are humane. And based on the anecdotal evidence I have heard about the fur trade, the answers I found were not strong enough to outweigh the potential of supporting something that I don't want associated with Hone. Also as I will ship globally my customers come from all sorts of cultural and enthinc background and synthetic is overall safer in that context as I am supplying the brush and razor as a set.
Happy to answer questions or hear feedback
Andrew - Hone.
Hi @Aaron1983 I understand that it is indeed a high price, and as mentioned it was something I debated. I came to a few conclusions. When I looked at the cost to buy the raw stock, buy tools to machine a limited number, prototype to validate, and then create the final quantity - that initial exploration alone would likely have ruled the project out for most brands. I felt that as a small manufacturer perhaps that was exactly the reason to take such a project on, because I enjoy it and I hoped others would too, and because it is something that would otherwise not exist.
Hi @Aaron1983 I understand that it is indeed a high price, and as mentioned it was something I debated. I came to a few conclusions. When I looked at the cost to buy the raw stock, buy tools to machine a limited number, prototype to validate, and then create the final quantity - that initial exploration alone would likely have ruled the project out for most brands. I felt that as a small manufacturer perhaps that was exactly the reason to take such a project on, because I enjoy it and I hoped others would too, and because it is something that would otherwise not exist.
I knew that the cost could be interpreted multiple different ways and as @Kypros Christodoulides and @Blademonkey have also highlighted and - which I would like to address - I don't want to abandon my customer base. Nor do I want to push the price of my existing razors up. This isn't a push into a new territory for Hone. Hence why I this is a one off and why there are only 22. It is not sustainable for Hone to pursue limited editions such as this, and it is not what I want to do long term. Indeed for the next versions I have been looking at scaling the batch quantity and working hard on the design to bring the price down (and it will be a more aggressive version).
But I do feel that what a small manufacturer can provide is something bespoke and unique, which I truly believe this is. Larger brands and manufacturers sometimes struggle in the broader context to provide the personalised experience and a level of customer service that I hope Hone stands out for, and helps support craft and manufacturing and which I will continue to offer on this and my other razors.
Andrew, thank you for your comments, it is reassuring to know that you will be producing razors at a scale that would bring the price of your future razors to a price that we have seen from you before and a more aggressive version would be welcomed by many I'm sure.Hi @Aaron1983 I understand that it is indeed a high price, and as mentioned it was something I debated. I came to a few conclusions. When I looked at the cost to buy the raw stock, buy tools to machine a limited number, prototype to validate, and then create the final quantity - that initial exploration alone would likely have ruled the project out for most brands. I felt that as a small manufacturer perhaps that was exactly the reason to take such a project on, because I enjoy it and I hoped others would too, and because it is something that would otherwise not exist.
I knew that the cost could be interpreted multiple different ways and as @Kypros Christodoulides and @Blademonkey have also highlighted and - which I would like to address - I don't want to abandon my customer base. Nor do I want to push the price of my existing razors up. This isn't a push into a new territory for Hone. Hence why I this is a one off and why there are only 22. It is not sustainable for Hone to pursue limited editions such as this, and it is not what I want to do long term. Indeed for the next versions I have been looking at scaling the batch quantity and working hard on the design to bring the price down (and it will be a more aggressive version).
But I do feel that what a small manufacturer can provide is something bespoke and unique, which I truly believe this is. Larger brands and manufacturers sometimes struggle in the broader context to provide the personalised experience and a level of customer service that I hope Hone stands out for, and helps support craft and manufacturing and which I will continue to offer on this and my other razors.
