Thiers Issard 6/8 New Forging

I have had this razor for about 2 months. Overall, I think this razor is great buy. I got mine for about $160 shipped from Germany. The blade is well balanced and well executed. The shave is smooth and the blade stays sharp for a long time. I love the french nose, it is a great compromise that allows you to really do a great job on detail areas without risking a cut. My only negatives are that sharpening is more difficult due to the hard steel and the black plastic is a little too long for the blade. Despite this, I can not think of one good reason why a straight razor shaver should not own this razor.

Price (9): $160 shipped is very good for a new production razor of this quality even with plastic scales. There are cheaper options on the bay, but that can be a crap shoot.

Craftsmanship (9): No issues other than the scales being too long for the blade.

Easy to Sharpen (7): No, not easy but not the end of the world. Just be patient and do more laps.

Lasting Edge (10): I have not found a longer lasting edge on a straight.

Shaving Smoothness (10): As smooth as it gets including some of the more legendary names.

Easy to Maintain (10): Despite the extra work sharpening, the blade stays sharp a very long time. Nothing else about the razor demands serious effort.

Good looking razor, smooth shaver. Definitely part of my rotation.
Again, not to beat a dead horse, but the scales are too long.

Good price for good quality, nonetheless.

I bought the above pair from Rasurpur.de. I requested them without any artwork on the blade and Martin delivered a few weeks later. No mess, no fuss, Martin was great to deal with and put and absolutely killer edge on the blades.

Pros: Awesomely smooth edge in a well-balanced razor. I shave my head and sometimes use a straight to shave the top and front part of my dome. So far, with a few weeks of regular face and partial head shaving, there's absolutely no deterioration of the edge. It's still as sharp as day 1. The razor also appears to have an extra long shank that makes holding/controlling while shaving and stropping extra easy.

Cons: Very very minor stuff. As Huntmol pointed out in the initial review, the scales appear to be slightly extra-long.

Purchased this blade about three months ago from Rasurpur. Martin provides great customer service. I sent him quite a few emails, and he was always very polite, answering all of my questions and more.

The razor gives a great, very smooth shave. Behaves in all the ways that a proper full hollow should. Doesn't "sing" as much as vintage extra hollows, but provides good feedback and shaves just as well as an old W&B or Friodur. The razor is made of Carbonsong C135 steel, named because supposedly it has 1.35% carbon. Takes a very sharp edge. Blade longevity is fantastic. I honed it up myself when I first got it, and although I have almost exclusively used this blade for the past few months it did not need a touch-up until very recently - today, in fact!

I really like the look of the blade. Great lines. The point is what Martin calls a "French Nose", which basically a straight point with a curved top edge. Combines the best of functionality and aesthetics. Bottom jimps. Tang isn't very tall, but it makes up for it in width and is really very comfortable to hold. The blade has a black logo on it that reads "Best Sheffield Silver Steel." I'm not too sure as to why, maybe because the blade composition is closer to that of a vintage razor? Kind of an odd choice of words, but in any case, it is very nice looking. In case you're wondering about the "Z" on the back of the razor, it is how TI tracks their razor batches to know which ones were made when, and by whom.

I don't know what it is about Thiers Issard scales, but they are consistently among the highest quality plastic scales I've ever seen. They have a beautiful shape, contrasting white spacer, and the pins are nice and tight. They even have a good feel to them - more 'resin' than plastic, really. In the right light they could be easily mistaken for black horn!

One nitpick I have about the razor is the small gap between the edge of the razor and the end of the scales. (Click here and here for pictures) There's about a 3/8ths inch space, and it is easy to tell that these are mass-produced scales and not fit to each individual razor. Not a huge deal, but one that I definitely notice from time to time.

The price was €109.24, which as of 4/5/2010 is $147.80. I gotta say, pretty damn good price for what I feel is one of the best current production razors out there. All in all, I think it is an outstanding razor that looks good and shaves great.