Hobby Tool Supply Razors. Anybody Tried One Yet?

[Slash McCoy]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HTS-B3-183-...138240?hash=item5430edb780:g:VoIAAOSwjXRXYdgQ

Just wondering if anyone knows anything about these razors or RSO's, whichever the case may be.

 

[jlindy]

Nope, don't know a thing about them... I suspect RSO, but given the price I may have to find out... =)

 

[Lmarkow]

"Machine edge"? Might need a bit of work, don't you think?

 

[jlindy]

UPDATE: Hookey doke dere eh. Decided to take one for the team, and pulled the trigger on one of these probable RSO's. Don't nobody else do this!! Let's let only one fool be parted from his money! At least until such time as I have one in hand, and can tell you if this thing is even hone-able let alone shave worthy!

 

[gvw755]

Thanks jlindy,

At that price, it is even cheaper than a GD. Real test is if it can hold an edge like a GD. Personally, the words hobby and tools for a company selling the razor is not a good sign, but who knows, maybe one day we will have a HST competition.

good luck!

 

[jlindy]

Thanks jlindy,

At that price, it is even cheaper than a GD. Real test is if it can hold an edge like a GD. Personally, the words hobby and tools for a company selling the razor is not a good sign, but who knows, maybe one day we will have a HST competition.

good luck!

Thanks, this may require all the luck I can get =) Look around a bit, you can actually find GD's for the exact same price =)

 

[David]

Points for taking one for the team!

 

[Slash McCoy]

I found GD66 for $4.15 shipped, on the bay yesterday. Last batch I bought was $3.06/ea shipped, I think. But anyhow I decided to pull the trigger on the HST so I'm not late jumping on the wagon.

 

[Mudruck]

Thanks for taking one for the team there! Can't wait to see what you think of it.

 

[pundi64]

Don't be a sucker for cheap junk

 

[Viseguy]

If you read the description, they seem to be positioning it as a learning razor, which is fair enough, I suppose.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about the "learning razor" concept. On the one hand, it's a way of getting comfortable with holding the straight and getting the angle right, without shedding blood. On the other, it lacks the pedagogical ouch value that only a real razor can deliver. I cut my teeth -- and my cheeks, and chin, and neck -- on a kamisori-style Feather AC with ProSuper blades, but sometimes I wonder if I'd have been better off starting out with a butter knife.

 

[147_Grain]

The tang looks blocky to the point that it'd be uncomfortable to hold.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I just heard from the vendor that it is made in Pakistan. So don't get your hopes up. But... who knows until somebody tries it?

 

[jlindy]

I just heard from the vendor that it is made in Pakistan.

Yea, that doesn't bode well... The one I ordered has shipped, so I should have it before long then we'll know for sure =)

 

[jlindy]

Hokey doke dere eh! I have this wondrous thing, this miracle of modern manufacture in hand! And you know what? I'm not all that impressed... For $5 you don't expect to be blown away by it's splendid quality, but this is sad even for a $5 razor.

The good: It's made of real steel, a magnet will actually stick to it!
The grinding, and polishing isn't horrible, it actually looks like it might be a razor!
It will actually close on center!

The bad: The scales are flat un-beveled slabs of plastic.
The wedge is not a wedge, just a simple spacer.
If you have meaty fingers you won't like the short tang.

The ugly: Blade geometry is totally fubar! the spine measures between .19 and .20 ,with a width of 7/8" gives you a bevel angle
between 10 and 11 degrees.
Blade may have a slight twist. Hard to tell with the variation in spine thickness. Not impossible to hone, but a real PITA.

Here it is shown with a Gold Dollar:


The spine compared to a Gold Dollar ( GD on the left)


As for honing, did I mention it was a PITA? I put 6 layers of tape on the spine and got it somewhere around .25 thick... Probably should have put on a couple of more layers...

Bevel setting on 1.5 k king...


After 1 micron film...

Did I mention honing was a PITA?

I hit it for a few laps on my homemade horsehide and linen fire hose strop... Then the acid test...

The Shave: The shave was in a word... Rude! I was only able to withstand a WTG pass, then I had to swap out for a real razor!

Conclusions: If I had only $5 to spend on a razor I think I'd prefer to have a Gold Dollar as I know I can make a good shaver out of it. It may not be entirely fair to judge by only one shave, but so be it, I'll take a GD over this one any day. Oh, I'll throw some more tape on it and re-hone it and see what happens, just not right away thank you! =)

 

[adrian jordan]

Thanks a bunch for the review! As a pauper, it's valuable to me to see things like this on the lowest-cost stuff. I'll stick with the proven stuff from reputable sources.

 

[6Cuda6]

Thanks for taking this one on the....rrrr....face...lol. At least we all now know thanks to your curiosity

 

[Slash McCoy]

Sounds like too much tape to me. .250 spine thickness is about right for an 8/8 or 9/8 razor. And actual blade width is not the measurement of interest. You want the distance between the upper edge of the spine bevel and the shaving edge. Divide that into half the spine thickness for the sine of the angle, which doubled gives you the bevel angle.

Gotta say, the edge doesn't LOOK bad, after your 1u film. Gonna shave with it some more?

 

[jlindy]

I judged the amount of tape I put on it by another 7/8 razor I have which measured out at .26 . I'll drop the tape back to 4 layers re-hone, and try it again, maybe not right now, but I will give it another go... =)