Nate's Straight or Koraat?
- Thread starter Bundah
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Nate
Cry havoc! And let loose the dogs of SRAD!.. Why not both? 
I have one of each, and they are quite different! I have a Nates 11/16 and a Koraat Custom 8/8. These two razors are both wonderful, but could not be more different if they tried. The Nate's is slight, maneuverable, subtle, beautiful in its craftsmanship and its simplicity. At its given price point, it represents a wonderful value. The design has a subtle smile and the satin finish on my blade is fantastec. Moreover, the edge is super smooth, and if presentation is your thing, the box it arrives in and its packaging is fun and unique.
A pic of my Nate's:
Now the Koraat
Another nice piece and extremely well crafted. It is very different from the Nate's in a couple of key areas. It is heavy. Period. I personally love shaving with it, but slight it is not! Beefy 1/4 hollow, lots of metal, and in 8/8, it feels like it weighs 3-4x more than the Nate's. As far as design goes, it is also very different. The lines are more pronounced, edges a bit more abrupt, and subtle is not a word that would EVER be used to describe anything about the blade. It too came with a wicked edge and shaves wonderfully. This one was a bit more expensive than the Nate's, but this is because of the Abalone scales and other customized features on the spine and jimps.
A pic of the Koraat:
To summarize a bit....
Both of the razors are fantastic modern pieces. While different, and not subtly so, they are both well made, impeccably finished, and show a rare level of craftsmanship even pitted against many of their more expensive counterparts. Either way, you can't go wrong...it is just a matter of personal preference and what you like to shave with. If you have any additional questions, feel free to let me know!
A pic of my Nate's:
Now the Koraat
Another nice piece and extremely well crafted. It is very different from the Nate's in a couple of key areas. It is heavy. Period. I personally love shaving with it, but slight it is not! Beefy 1/4 hollow, lots of metal, and in 8/8, it feels like it weighs 3-4x more than the Nate's. As far as design goes, it is also very different. The lines are more pronounced, edges a bit more abrupt, and subtle is not a word that would EVER be used to describe anything about the blade. It too came with a wicked edge and shaves wonderfully. This one was a bit more expensive than the Nate's, but this is because of the Abalone scales and other customized features on the spine and jimps.
A pic of the Koraat:
To summarize a bit....
Both of the razors are fantastic modern pieces. While different, and not subtly so, they are both well made, impeccably finished, and show a rare level of craftsmanship even pitted against many of their more expensive counterparts. Either way, you can't go wrong...it is just a matter of personal preference and what you like to shave with. If you have any additional questions, feel free to let me know!
As demonstrated above, two very very different razors. I think this is a matter of taste, unless you prefer curry, in which case both is the way to go.
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- #6
Pleasure to help! Nate is great to work with. Very prompt and great customer service.
I have never tried a Koraat, but I can tell you that I absolutely LOVE my Nate's Straight.
I had him make me a shorty not long ago, and after getting it, I enjoyed the shave so much, I shaved with no other razor for about a month. That is quite unusual for me, as I have quite a few favourite razors in my rotation.
The only reason I stopped using it was because I sent to back to him for a little tweaking (apparently the wood shrunk, and the pivot became just a little too loose for my liking). So Nate said to send it back, and he'd fix it in a jiffy.
I had him make me a shorty not long ago, and after getting it, I enjoyed the shave so much, I shaved with no other razor for about a month. That is quite unusual for me, as I have quite a few favourite razors in my rotation.
The only reason I stopped using it was because I sent to back to him for a little tweaking (apparently the wood shrunk, and the pivot became just a little too loose for my liking). So Nate said to send it back, and he'd fix it in a jiffy.
Tastes like chicken.
Not tried a Nate yet but have 2 Koraat's a 6/8 half hollow i designed using their configurator - which is amazing, and a Koraat Wolf C 1 8/8 quarter hollow i bought form a german retailer online. The 8/8 is a beast but the 6/8 is nimble and was great fun to design. Both have a great edge and look fantastic in my opinion. The workmanship is fantastic. I've already configured another of his creations a near wedge 5/8 this time. Koraats = addictive but now you have me thinking about Nate's.... more shaving less shopping, more shaving less shopping....rpt
but now you have me thinking about Nate's.... more shaving less shopping, more shaving less shopping....rpt
I have both. As a matter of fact at one point I had four Koraats. I'm down to two and will be selling one of them soon. Awhile ago I decided to own only one razor from each modern custom razor artist. I have to agree with denvernoob that they sit on opposite sides of the spectrum. Both very much worthwhile owning but not very comparable.
Nate... I have had several razors restored by him and they are amazing!!! He does excellent work. Go with Nate!
I own 2 11/16" Nate's, both in Desert Ironwood. Both with very clean lines, light, nimble and shave very well. I cannot think that you will be disappointed. I cannot compare to a Koraat so I can't help there.
I've got a nate's build to order razor that came in last week, hammered spine, black palm, barber notch. 11/16" its very nice. The description that devernoob posted is an accurate one IMO.
denvernoob said:
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