Intro.
I build engines by profession.
Am into vaping collecting vape gear and pocket knifes.
I spend most of my day working with metal.
Have always been keen to use a straight razor. Reasons.
1. The new cartridge razors are over priced pieces of plastic and steel crap.
2. I have a rather thick growth. That kind of stuffs up your regular razors.
3. This notion that a real man uses a straight to shave.
For years I managed with an old Gillete Razor my dad gave me. It took regular cheap double edge blades and had a knob to set the blade angle. I just loved it. Then one day it stopped working. Striped it to clean and fix it and the Mrs threw it out.
You cant buy a straight razor in our country for some reason they are banned. Our country loves to ban ****. Last week they tried to ban porn.
So for years I lusted after a straight. The only option asking somebody entering the country to bring one in. So I asked a few friends to help me out. One of them was kind enough to get me a Made in Germany Solingen straight for which he payed 75 Euro. But I could not maintain it. So on his next trip he got me the Strop and paste red and black for another 65 Euro.
I must have used it a few times and noticed that it was rusting really fast and really bad. So I cleaned it the best I could, oiled it and put it in storage.
Fast forward a few years past a heart attack which forced me to stop smoking and start vaping and Im buying from China. I see the now infamous Gold Dollar blade and decide what the heck. Its 5 bucks. Worst case customs wont let it enter and I loose 5 bucks.
Fast forward a month. Its in my hand. The scales are broken in transit. So I get online looking for info on how to repair my GD and I find your forum. I contacted the seller in china to see if he would send me a pair of new scales he says no. So I just buy another one.
Its amusing to see the same story being repeated everywhere. Be it e-cig vape gear. Where an original tank costs 150$ and china is selling it for 10$. Be it knifes where bench made is asking for 150$ and china is selling it for 10$. And now razors same story.
I hung out on the Kayfun forums and wanted to buy an original Kayfun. But I was amused to see that people who where paying 150$ for their original where having the same problems I was having with my 10$ vape. They where having to do the same mods.
My take on this. You have snobs or people who use what they own as status symbols and bragging rights and you have regular folk who just want to get the best value for their money.
Is it fair that China is copying stuff. No. Nobody said the world was a fair place. No they dont
So now as I wait on my next GD. I have started to hone / Strop this one into shape and do some small mods. And maybe build new scales or take the scales off that german rust ball and put them on this GD. Its not rusting half as bad. Still very disappointed with my first purchase. And yes I know about metals and high carbon. But if your making a razor at least make sure it doesn't pick up rust while your shaving.
I looked and looked and will look some more. But could not find good info on what stone to use. I have an edge pro like system for my knifes that goes up to 3000 Grit I have some 6000 grit stones on order for it. But have a feeling I should have gone for 10,000 Grit.
Thank you for this superb forum.
Thanks for not being all anal about using a china product.
Your 5$ is actually feeding a mouth and making somebody happy. Just because its not a lot of money for you. Does not mean it has no value to somebody in China.
I will post some pics of my GD mods and blades soon.
Ps: A better strop than the 65 Euro strop is an old leather belt I have. I have only stopped both blades never honed them may give it a shot on the edge pro. Anybody know what angle to use ? Im thinking 17 Deg.
I build engines by profession.
Am into vaping collecting vape gear and pocket knifes.
I spend most of my day working with metal.
Have always been keen to use a straight razor. Reasons.
1. The new cartridge razors are over priced pieces of plastic and steel crap.
2. I have a rather thick growth. That kind of stuffs up your regular razors.
3. This notion that a real man uses a straight to shave.
For years I managed with an old Gillete Razor my dad gave me. It took regular cheap double edge blades and had a knob to set the blade angle. I just loved it. Then one day it stopped working. Striped it to clean and fix it and the Mrs threw it out.
You cant buy a straight razor in our country for some reason they are banned. Our country loves to ban ****. Last week they tried to ban porn.
So for years I lusted after a straight. The only option asking somebody entering the country to bring one in. So I asked a few friends to help me out. One of them was kind enough to get me a Made in Germany Solingen straight for which he payed 75 Euro. But I could not maintain it. So on his next trip he got me the Strop and paste red and black for another 65 Euro.
I must have used it a few times and noticed that it was rusting really fast and really bad. So I cleaned it the best I could, oiled it and put it in storage.
Fast forward a few years past a heart attack which forced me to stop smoking and start vaping and Im buying from China. I see the now infamous Gold Dollar blade and decide what the heck. Its 5 bucks. Worst case customs wont let it enter and I loose 5 bucks.
Fast forward a month. Its in my hand. The scales are broken in transit. So I get online looking for info on how to repair my GD and I find your forum. I contacted the seller in china to see if he would send me a pair of new scales he says no. So I just buy another one.
Its amusing to see the same story being repeated everywhere. Be it e-cig vape gear. Where an original tank costs 150$ and china is selling it for 10$. Be it knifes where bench made is asking for 150$ and china is selling it for 10$. And now razors same story.
I hung out on the Kayfun forums and wanted to buy an original Kayfun. But I was amused to see that people who where paying 150$ for their original where having the same problems I was having with my 10$ vape. They where having to do the same mods.
My take on this. You have snobs or people who use what they own as status symbols and bragging rights and you have regular folk who just want to get the best value for their money.
Is it fair that China is copying stuff. No. Nobody said the world was a fair place. No they dont
So now as I wait on my next GD. I have started to hone / Strop this one into shape and do some small mods. And maybe build new scales or take the scales off that german rust ball and put them on this GD. Its not rusting half as bad. Still very disappointed with my first purchase. And yes I know about metals and high carbon. But if your making a razor at least make sure it doesn't pick up rust while your shaving.
I looked and looked and will look some more. But could not find good info on what stone to use. I have an edge pro like system for my knifes that goes up to 3000 Grit I have some 6000 grit stones on order for it. But have a feeling I should have gone for 10,000 Grit.
Thank you for this superb forum.
Thanks for not being all anal about using a china product.
Your 5$ is actually feeding a mouth and making somebody happy. Just because its not a lot of money for you. Does not mean it has no value to somebody in China.
I will post some pics of my GD mods and blades soon.
Ps: A better strop than the 65 Euro strop is an old leather belt I have. I have only stopped both blades never honed them may give it a shot on the edge pro. Anybody know what angle to use ? Im thinking 17 Deg.
