Why aren't there more modern TTO razors?

I've been in the hobby for a few months, and was wondering why most modern razors are 2 or 3 piece and not 1 piece. I know Parker does quite a few, and my first was a Feather popular. And there a few others I realize, but the majority seem to be 2/3 piece. It seems like the DE market started out 2/3 piece, then in the 40's 1 piece was dominant, I believe through the 70's. So things seem to have shifted back 2/3 piece since then. Was just curious why you think this happened, or maybe I'm just missing an obvious reason. Some drivers I considered in no particular order:

*Market forces... folks prefer their modern razors 2/3 piece

*Manufacturing cost/complexity: more expensive to produce more complicated mechanism (today's companies don't have 1940's Gillette R&D/Manufacturing budget)?

*Over time, there has just been a general consensus that 2/3 piece is just a better design, better shave

*Patent issues- i already kind of dismissed this given there are multiple companies still producing.

What do you think?

Just a theory...

I don't think a one piece razor can be made from anything other than a material such as brass in order to obtain proper door and overall head dimensions and to create the intricate hinge mechanism, while requiring more hand labor to assemble in general.

This limits production of such razors to relatively low wage economies. Makers such as Merkur would not be able to produce such a razor while keeping its retail cost within reach of the typical consumer budget. So this may explain why there are so many 2/3 piece razors cast in zamak. Cheaper to make, cheaper to purchase.

Highspeedlane said:

Just a theory...

I don't think a one piece razor can be made from anything other than a material such as brass in order to obtain proper door and overall head dimensions and to create the intricate hinge mechanism, while requiring more hand labor to assemble in general.

This limits production of such razors to relatively low wage economies. Makers such as Merkur would not be able to produce such a razor while keeping its retail cost within reach of the typical consumer budget. So this may explain why there are so many 2/3 piece razors cast in zamak. Cheaper to make, cheaper to purchase.

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Interesting... I thought of manufacturing cost, but the labor cost and materials component didn't cross my mind. I believe Parkers are made in India, Weishi in China (and are brass if I remember correctly). Definitely jibes with your comments...

I should have added to my Manufacturing cost bullet "... nor do they have the massive revenue base to support this spend like Gillette did."

Balance, ergonomics, etc.

I like the 3-piece razors which seem to have less bulk in the head. All the brass in a TTO seems to make the 'head' balance heavy. Do I add a heavy handle too? Or is it just perceived bulkiness of a TTO head? The 3-piece razor is also super easy to clean and what about maintenance? I can replace the parts that might break or wear out cheaply in a 3-piece razor. Personal preference also has me preferring to turn or spin a handle and head versus the stub on the bottom of the handle on a 2-piece razor.

2 and 3-piece razors also seem to require more precision in manufacturing in a addition to fewer labor hours. TTO's look like they may have the potential for more stamped parts as well.

Cost too high / demand too low.

BSAGuy said:

Cost too high / demand too low.

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+1. Supply and demand. Just don't see it there.....

Because I don't like TTO razors and I told them not to make them.

It's hard to justify an expensive razor when the business model is sell the razor cheap and clean up on selling blades. The first TTOs (Gem Micromatic SEs) may have prompted a knee-jerk response from Gillette to get in on the novelty and it just kept going after Gem abandoned the TTO.

JPShaves said:

Why aren't there more modern TTO razors?

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Because there is enough affordable vintage Gillettes on the market. And with a single replate of the ugliest you can find you'll have a brand new shiny TTO of a great quality.

Because vintage TTOs were never that great to begin with *runs, ducks and dives for it*

But seriously, it's either too expensive to produce nice ones like the old adjustables, or the endless supply of Chinese manufactured ones (did you perhaps miss those? Not being snarky, there are seriously a ton flooding the market) have already met the [little] demand for them.

TobyC said:

Because I don't like TTO razors and I told them not to make them.

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Guess you told them

it is so much easier to make 2 or the 3 piece razor compared to a tto,no moving parts

3 of my favorite razors are tto and they were made in the 1930s

Supply & demand.

The only positive about a TTO is the ease of changing blades. Otherwise, it's an inferior product across the board, and that's why my two TTOs are hiding in the back of the bathroom drawer.

MMOC, maybe a Clog Pruf or a Bullet Tip, those are the real TTOs, doubt they could make those these days.

Graydog said:

Guess you told them

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They saw my avatar and ran scared!

TobyC said:

Because I don't like TTO razors and I told them not to make them.

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Can you please call the manufacturers that use zamak and tell them to use brass?

tonich said:

Because there is enough affordable vintage Gillettes on the market. And with a single replate of the ugliest you can find you'll have a brand new shiny TTO of a great quality.

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The day this quality in DE razors is reached will never come IMHO!

Swazilander said:

Can you please call the manufacturers that use zamak and tell them to use brass?

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I did, they said if they did the razors would last too long and they would go out of business.

And what about the guys that prefer zamak