I have three Koraats, they are great shavers. Ulrik is a bit of a hidden secret in North America. That's not a bad thing since a full custom (from drawing to finish) will still fit under $500.
2014 Badger & Blade Awards - Straight Razors Under $500
- Thread starter Front Page Articles
- Start date
I have three Koraats, they are great shavers. Ulrik is a bit of a hidden secret in North America. That's not a bad thing since a full custom (from drawing to finish) will still fit under $500.
Congrats to Nate on the award!
I personally haven't touch one of his razors but I would guess not many people have. From what I understand he has only officially been "Nate's Straights" for 6 months or less. So I'm sure there just aren't that many out yet. That being said, that alone shouldn't prevent him from winning.
I think some members opinions are :
1) It's just not a very well known razor yet, with limited feedback.
2) A "Award" is given out by the forum even though the "members" didn't have an opportunity to give feedback on said award.
Like it was already stated regardless of the "Award" (straight, double edge, shave brush, etc..) it's more accurate to look at is a Mods/Admin choice award instead of a Forum "group" award. I don't have a problem with that. You just have to see it for what it is.
Again Congrats to Nate and good luck in the Future!
I personally haven't touch one of his razors but I would guess not many people have. From what I understand he has only officially been "Nate's Straights" for 6 months or less. So I'm sure there just aren't that many out yet. That being said, that alone shouldn't prevent him from winning.
I think some members opinions are :
1) It's just not a very well known razor yet, with limited feedback.
2) A "Award" is given out by the forum even though the "members" didn't have an opportunity to give feedback on said award.
Like it was already stated regardless of the "Award" (straight, double edge, shave brush, etc..) it's more accurate to look at is a Mods/Admin choice award instead of a Forum "group" award. I don't have a problem with that. You just have to see it for what it is.
Again Congrats to Nate and good luck in the Future!
Last edited:
I'm also a little surprised at this award, given that there are a LOT of options under $500. I must say that at $250, that razor looks like a great deal, and its nice, clean and looks well done.
All that being said, I'm sure I could find a lot of razors for $4-500 that I'd prefer over this one, but they would be closer to $500 than to $250. Maybe a few more details about the list of other razors it was compared to for that evaluation would help in understanding the results.
All that being said, I'm sure I could find a lot of razors for $4-500 that I'd prefer over this one, but they would be closer to $500 than to $250. Maybe a few more details about the list of other razors it was compared to for that evaluation would help in understanding the results.
I wouldn't call my point an opinion. It's a fact that I didn't see anything asking for input via voting or written feedback.
On Nate's website he's put that he has received this award; great, he's surely deserving of it BUT it wasn't the forum who gave him that award, it was one or two Mods/Admins/Site owners that gave it to him. A new user or a family member shopping for someone might see that, then come to this website and be misled to think that it was the community that chose to give him this award instead of the team that runs the website.
I like the word you used, choice. It should definitely be an Admin Team Choice Award, or something like that.
I wasn't specifically say you.
I was just making an observation of all the post in general
Definitely!
How about Editor's choice?
How about Editor's choice?
Joel IS B&B.
It's his site that we are members of.
If he chooses to give out an award in the name of B&B, that's his business, and his right to do so.
It's his site that we are members of.
If he chooses to give out an award in the name of B&B, that's his business, and his right to do so.
I disagree. He owns the site no question..but Badger and Blade is the community. When we have the "Saint Sue" auction it's the Badger and Blade community that make it a success not Joel and some dudes on the internet (the some dudes would be us the members...lol.)
Again, it's only my opinion but I respectfully disagree
Last edited:
I hear you.
But it strikes me as somewhat like the inmates running the asulum:
But it strikes me as somewhat like the inmates running the asulum:
Now I remember why I still stay out of the straight forums. Good grief.
As mentioned before, this is Joel's house, we're just guests in it.
As mentioned before, this is Joel's house, we're just guests in it.
Just to be clear, I have no problem with him picking whomever for whatever award. I'm cool with that.
I can also see where people will have a different opinion.
The only thing I disagreed with was the "Joel IS B&B". Technically yes but I've explained my position on what B&B is
I actually am not wearing any pants.
Just to be clear, I have no problem with him picking whomever for whatever award. I'm cool with that.
I can also see where people will have a different opinion.
The only thing I disagreed with was the "Joel IS B&B". Technically yes but I've explained my position on what B&B is
I totally agree with you. I also think that voicing opinions, which is what most of us have been doing and respectfully so, is necessary. A company is nothing without it's board members (mods) and without their workers and customers (the members) they are the head of... well nothing. That's why I really like the concept of "Editors Choice" and have voiced my recommendations for future awards and perhaps getting the community to vote. Whether or not that is heard/used with decision making is up to the owner, Joel, and i'm ok with whatever decision he makes as it's not him that keeps me coming back, it's the community BUT i thank him for giving us such a great place to convene.
Very, very well said Jeremy.
Bold claims indeed. I'm certain that it's a fantastic razor but a dubious claim, indeed, to say that crossing the $150 threshold should jump immediately to more than double.
I would have liked to see a "runner up" section and, like car and driver, a points based evaluation. The objective with reviews imho, especially awards, that it should not be made with a predetermined winner but based on objective measureables - surprise winners are encouraged.
Is this razor worth two Revisors or a Korat with change leftover ? If the author believes so: why?
But I think the spirit of reviews, like this, are great. But agree that Editors choice is a good name to hang on it.
As for the comments on "perfection" ... I have to disagree: this forum has been a wonderful place of positive feedback and encouragement - something that we all enjoy returning to. We're all far from perfect. So Perfect isn't the right word: Positive would be better (unless this was a typo)
I would have liked to see a "runner up" section and, like car and driver, a points based evaluation. The objective with reviews imho, especially awards, that it should not be made with a predetermined winner but based on objective measureables - surprise winners are encouraged.
Is this razor worth two Revisors or a Korat with change leftover ? If the author believes so: why?
But I think the spirit of reviews, like this, are great. But agree that Editors choice is a good name to hang on it.
As for the comments on "perfection" ... I have to disagree: this forum has been a wonderful place of positive feedback and encouragement - something that we all enjoy returning to. We're all far from perfect. So Perfect isn't the right word: Positive would be better (unless this was a typo)
Isn't that what we're doing?
I've been reading internet reviews for years, even wrote a few back in my day. I love seeing new reviews of products. I appreciate them, and certainly don't see anything wrong with doing them, but we offer our criticism because we want them to represent more what we look for in a review. They're a service done for our benefit, so we speak up about what we like and dislike about them, in the hopes that it will help guide them in the future to be even more useful for us. I hope I'm not coming off as combative or insulting, I just want to help future reviews and awards better reflect what I look for (and I believe most people look for) in a review.As the award doesn't specifically distinguish that it's a "users choice" or something similar, I don't see a problem with its wording myself. The thing I always worry about is when contrary opinions are removed, banned, or shouted down by site staff... which other communities do and have historically had issues with. I haven't seen that manifest itself here, which is why I post here.
Last edited:
Isn't that what we're doing?
As the award doesn't specifically distinguish that it's a "users choice" or something similar, I don't see a problem with its wording myself. The thing I always worry about is when contrary opinions are removed, banned, or shouted down by site staff... which other communities do and have historically had issues with. I haven't seen that manifest itself here, which is why I post here.
I think you misunderstood what I meant. My feeling is some would have rather there been a public vote.
I'd definitely think that should be something that could be done. Have each category include a staff pick and a members pick. The staff pick presumes fewer voices with possibly more specific experience with the category at hand, and the members pick represents a greater overall sample and more varied voices in the judging. Both would offer insight to someone looking at making a purchase, and would shore up the potential shortcomings of the other. Once the votes were in, selections from reviews of the voters for that choice could be compiled and edited into a cohesive explanation of the reasoning behind the award for possibly less overall work than the staff pick requires (as it includes the elements of testing). Requirements for votes to be counted could be used to prevent shill accounts being registered to impact the vote. It's something to think on for sure.
I believe I read somewhere, not sure where probably a knife forum, that Tim does make his own damascus. I'm not sure about Nate though. But I'm sure growing up with his father making razors that he was put to work forging billets more than once.
The heat treat would be the least of my concerns unless they are using a forge. Once you have the recipe for heat treating a certain steel in a oven, all you have to do is set the temp and hit start, let it soak and quench it. Should be the same result every time. This being said I have never heat treated a forged blade, I only have experience in stock removal or bar steel and ready made damascus.
The grind and overall fit and finish is what I would be more concerned about.
Everyone I have heard of that has one of his razors seems to be very happy with it. And a damascus razor at this price point is hard to beat by any of the well known makers.
I would love for there to be a poll or voting next time but not everyone has or will get to use the razors in the voting. So I don't see how this would really be feasible because we would pretty much just be going by pictures.
Similar threads
