Well, I don't hate you, Earcutter. I love you like a brother. Smooch, smooch. But I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for your angst over this. My approach to this sort of thing is: no kickstarters; no prototypes; no wait lists; no constant checking of Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, or refreshing of web pages; no ... any other @#$%. Instead, I wait a couple of years for everything to settle down, and a finalized product that is consistently in stock and sold through a reliable distribution channel. Maybe the product or even the company that makes it will be gone by then. So be it. I'll stick with products and companies with at least some history of sales, service and satisfied customers. This approach has worked for me in realms outside shaving, and already in shaving too, with the Rockwell 6S. It will work for you.
Karve Diem
- Thread starter East coast shaver
- Start date
Finally. It arrived today via USPS. 3.25 inch handle with a C SB. Number 122 on the cap. Now I can get back to shaving and forget about Karve, the company.
That's great!
Enjoy!
It is a great razor, no doubt, shame about all the problems with the company....
The Karve Brass is the best razor I own but I don't see anything to be gained personally by acquiring another in SS or any other material.
True, no difference at all in shaving experience between brass and SS Karve.
SS easier to maintain, no patina, but more expensive, and long waiting list at present... so down to personal preference as you say....
Here we go again.
Karve just posted on Instagram that the aluminum razors that were purchased at the launch last Friday "should" be out by the next Friday a week later.
"The orders are being processed as we speak and should be out by the end of this week."
Again I put forward the thought that the Karve business model is based upon selling a product that does not presently exist but rather is manufactured after the payment transaction has occured.
Why else would the shipping out of an existing purchased razor not be in a timely fashion like all of the other razor companies?
The Karve razor is one of the best but customer service is definitely consistent and not in a good way.
Oh brother.
I am glad I canceled my stainless steel order. Unbelievably bad business owner. But he is quick to tell about his camping trips.
I got a karve stainless and love it! It’s a razor so i just added my name to the list and enjoyed shaving with my collection until it arrived. I have the B plate but will be ordering c as welll. I think i have to sell many others now that this is in my life
tl;dr Had a long day's work, so sitting back with a martini. I mention this because I am mellow right now. Karve's razor, the Christopher Bradley, is excellent. And worthy of your dollars, if interested, with a very large asterisk.
That asterisk is the documented business practice of Karve using sales language suggesting that it has actual products in stock, but then never actually seeming to have those products in stock. To me, this is much more common in the artisan community (the reality, not the communications). You want this handmade product? Pay me and I'll produce it.
I daresay that if Karve would state this, people would be willing to pay and wait for the product (or, know that they don't want to wait and not buy the product) (for example, I have often stared hard at the idea of getting a shaving brush/handle from Dogwood Handcrafts... one day, my beautiful friend). Unfortunately Karve does not do this for reasons I do not understand.
One can claim this is unreasonable. One can claim this is unfair. If I can take all the facts out there and come up with what I personally believe is a reasonable, if unwanted, situation, I will do so. As far as I know, Karve has always *eventually* delivered on the products it promised (or refunded money on cancelled orders).
I don't see them as engaging in repulsive treatment. I see quality products with poor quality communication and poor distribution. Perhaps even an inability to see the problem or sufficient desire to correct it, as it appears to repeat. Perhaps Karve's shaving sales eyes are bigger than its production stomach? The shaving market will sort it out, including all of us.
I *otherwise* see a small artisan with an honorable product who is simply making mistakes. I strive to forgive mistakes. I don't have to reward mistakes though. We all make choices about how to spend our money. I know I've also had many, many delays at times in delivering products at work. I don't like it; I promise myself not to do it again. But it does happen. It results in shame. And a desire to do better. And it's a mistake. Not in the delivered product, but the timeline, and the communication about completion.
But I respect everyone's opinions on this (I know I can and have been not only wrong, but also an offender). There's no right answer for everyone. I wish shaving happiness and contentment on everyone.
That asterisk is the documented business practice of Karve using sales language suggesting that it has actual products in stock, but then never actually seeming to have those products in stock. To me, this is much more common in the artisan community (the reality, not the communications). You want this handmade product? Pay me and I'll produce it.
I daresay that if Karve would state this, people would be willing to pay and wait for the product (or, know that they don't want to wait and not buy the product) (for example, I have often stared hard at the idea of getting a shaving brush/handle from Dogwood Handcrafts... one day, my beautiful friend). Unfortunately Karve does not do this for reasons I do not understand.
One can claim this is unreasonable. One can claim this is unfair. If I can take all the facts out there and come up with what I personally believe is a reasonable, if unwanted, situation, I will do so. As far as I know, Karve has always *eventually* delivered on the products it promised (or refunded money on cancelled orders).
I don't see them as engaging in repulsive treatment. I see quality products with poor quality communication and poor distribution. Perhaps even an inability to see the problem or sufficient desire to correct it, as it appears to repeat. Perhaps Karve's shaving sales eyes are bigger than its production stomach? The shaving market will sort it out, including all of us.
I *otherwise* see a small artisan with an honorable product who is simply making mistakes. I strive to forgive mistakes. I don't have to reward mistakes though. We all make choices about how to spend our money. I know I've also had many, many delays at times in delivering products at work. I don't like it; I promise myself not to do it again. But it does happen. It results in shame. And a desire to do better. And it's a mistake. Not in the delivered product, but the timeline, and the communication about completion.
But I respect everyone's opinions on this (I know I can and have been not only wrong, but also an offender). There's no right answer for everyone. I wish shaving happiness and contentment on everyone.
I find it surprising that so many folks complain about Karve's business practices but had no issues with some companies who used Kickstarter to fund their razors and did not deliver any product for over a year.
Nice job, that looks great!
I was on the list for a bronze Karve when they first came out. After many delays Chris sent an email to say he was going on holiday for 2 weeks and would get back to production then. I waited for another month and still no razor (or contact even). I bailed at that point, and cancelled my order.
Fast forward to now, and I'm 46 on the wait list for a SS Karve. Yeah, sucker, I know.
However...relate this to the wait list now for a Wolfman. Anyone complaining about that?
Yes, I'm on that wait list too (sigh), and no idea how many hundreds/thousands are ahead of me.
So Karve isn't all that bad when compared to Wolfman and Charcoal Goods.
They don't have stock in hand. They put you on a wait list. They finally contact you (might take a year) about your order and ask for the money.
Seems to be a common theme. Maybe they all should just hire more staff?
Fast forward to now, and I'm 46 on the wait list for a SS Karve. Yeah, sucker, I know.
However...relate this to the wait list now for a Wolfman. Anyone complaining about that?
Yes, I'm on that wait list too (sigh), and no idea how many hundreds/thousands are ahead of me.
So Karve isn't all that bad when compared to Wolfman and Charcoal Goods.
They don't have stock in hand. They put you on a wait list. They finally contact you (might take a year) about your order and ask for the money.
Seems to be a common theme. Maybe they all should just hire more staff?
I don’t know why people keep comparing Karve to whomever they choose with worse service. “Karve sucks but it doesn’t suck as bad as...”
I had bad service at restaurant K. It wasn’t as bad as the service I got at restaurant B. Therefore restaurant K is ok?
Uh no. I got bad service at restaurant K and worse service at B. Restaurant C however gave great service putting both K and B to shame.
I might like the food better at K, but do I care to take the malarkey that comes with it.... that’s on you. But don’t excuse bad because there’s worse. There is WAY better too.
Crazy.
I had bad service at restaurant K. It wasn’t as bad as the service I got at restaurant B. Therefore restaurant K is ok?
Uh no. I got bad service at restaurant K and worse service at B. Restaurant C however gave great service putting both K and B to shame.
I might like the food better at K, but do I care to take the malarkey that comes with it.... that’s on you. But don’t excuse bad because there’s worse. There is WAY better too.
Crazy.
Didn’t know he ever made a bronze razor.
He hasn’t...
I suspect Iron Paw was referring to the waiting list for BRASS Karve razors, as the situation was very similar about 12-18 months ago... history repeating itself in many respects....
Everyone of us has a voice and it’s with your wallet. Most of the artisans mentioned are one man shows, most of us know about the wait. So we decide is it worth it? Only you can answer that
