Titan Stainless Straight from Japan - thoughts

[Oscroft]

I think they loaded up the GD razor machines using imported stainless instead of the usual GD carbon steel.

The steel doesn't look any different to me.

Simple as that.

Perhaps even simpler!

 

[Seraphim]

Of course stainless doesn't look any different.

 

[Oscroft]

Of course stainless doesn't look any different.

Well, different steels can look different.

 

[Toasty]

First one to get their Titan to me gets it honed for free, just pay shipping.

I'm curious as to how the razor performs, so I get to try out the razor, and the other guy gets a free honing.

Just got it in the mail yesterday, this offer still available? Definitely not shave ready, after seeing buca's work on the GD's.

 

[Seraphim]

Just got it in the mail yesterday, this offer still available? Definitely not shave ready, after seeing buca's work on the GD's.

Well, shoot shooby-dang! Shoot me a PM and I'll get that honed up fer ya!

 

[Seraphim]

Razor received today. Looks shockingly similar to a GD 66, same rough outline, misshaped tip, crude heel. But that never slowed me down in the first place anyhow....I'll give it a hone and see what's what.

The scales look pretty alright. A bit too thick (hello, Dovo...). If you un pinned them and sanded them down a bit you could definite get some aesthetic improvement.

 

[Kentos]

Leave in the shower for a few days to see if it really is stainless or not.

J/k!!

 

[buca3152]

Im very curious to see how this one turns out. Im sure it will hone up at least as well as a 66. Anybody ever do a hardness test on these gold dollars as compared to some other brands?

 

[Seraphim]

I think Hillbilly did a couple years back. The GDs he measured were about 60Rc if I remember correctly

 

[buca3152]

Hart steel is 63 supposedly. I have no idea on how significant the 3 increments are though. The only blades ive ever felt to be noticebly harder were TIs. The rest of them including sheffield solingen of what ive ever honed feel the same as the gds. Whatever thats worth.

 

[Seraphim]

The Titan is definitely not shave ready as it ships. I did some bevel setting work last night and it still rquires some additional work.

I am getting more and more certain that these things are ground in Ningbo at the GD factory. Same large heel stabilizer, same snaggletooth heel spur, same non-symetric roundpoint tip.

Don't get me wrong, I like the razor, as I do GDs, but it is not a shave ready out of the box razor some may have been hoping for. It needs the same base mods a GD does (heel stabilizer reduction, heel profile smoothing). Other than that, it seems to be honing up OK.

 

[buca3152]

Maybe Thaitan would have been a more fitting name. And instead of stainless it should have been made of Thaitanium.

 

[totorlekiller]

Mine arrived yesterday.
I put it to the test today and it worked.
Out of the box, it could shave arms hair. After stropping on linen (2x50) and leather (2x50) it passed a week HHT.
It shaved me fine.
Not the best shave, but not the worst either.
The shave-readyness was in the same ballpark as my Dovo renaissance when it arrived new.
As for the overall feel. That thing is heavy. I am not sure the blade is the 7/8 it claims. I'll measure it later when I get a chance.
The scales are nicely done on mine. Heavy yes, but come on, who proudly shaves like a man and whimpers about his fingers getting tired for a couple extra grams?

 

[buca3152]

Dovo factory edge isnt that highly regarded as far as I know, but the arm hair and hht does say something.

 

[Seraphim]

Honed it up, and gave it a shave.


Nothing wrong with the steel in this bad boy.

But the workmanship is exactly like a GD66--it needs some work straight out of the box


here's the edge:

 

[Toasty]

Honed it up, and gave it a shave.


Nothing wrong with the steel in this bad boy.

But the workmanship is exactly like a GD66--it needs some work straight out of the box


here's the edge:

Lovely, just lovely. By the way, can you tell if it's stainless, I think they make the claim it's stainless. Thanks, folks like you make this place worth coming back to. Looking forward to a great shave.

 

[Seraphim]

Lovely, just lovely. By the way, can you tell if it's stainless, I think they make the claim it's stainless. Thanks, folks like you make this place worth coming back to. Looking forward to a great shave.

yeah, I tested that too.

Looks like it's not stainless, and doesn't like being banged against the sink faucet either....

 

[Toasty]

yeah, I tested that too.

Looks like it's not stainless, and doesn't like being banged against the sink faucet either....

That's not shave ready! Oh my, that looks like it's gonna hurt, I see you thinned down the scales, ROFLMAO

 

[Pauk3]

The photo does razor Titan? It's not like

 

[Oscroft]

I finally shaved with my Titan today - and it was a good one.

The heavyweight scales made the balance feel awkward, but I got a close and comfortable shave from it. Once I get the scales sorted out, it'll be a fine razor.