Keep an eye on eBay...every now and again a great deal pops up on Wacker! They are quite expensive otherwise!
Vr
Matt
Ralf aust
- Thread starter Erchy
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Keep an eye on eBay...every now and again a great deal pops up on Wacker! They are quite expensive otherwise!
Vr
Matt
Ralf Aust and Heribert Wacker make great razors with attention to detail. Although Thiers Issard razors are good, they do not have the same level of craftsmanship as razors from the two independent master craftsmen. I have two Aust razors, two Wackers, and two TI, I do like the TI "Carbonsong" C135 steel, but it is hard to hone.
I’ve heard their QC has slid and the old gray mare just ain’t what she used to be. I’m keeping my eye out for one with the fleur-de-lys spine. I think they don’t exist.
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Hello Ray,
I don't want to start an argument, but I'd like to respectfully express my experience on the craftsmanship of Thiers Issard compared to Aust and Wacker.
I've got two Wacker, three Aust and ten Thiers Issard razors. The proportion is no coincidence. I do fully agree with that Aust and Wacker make very fine razors that are among the top razors ever produced. They do not however, in my opinion, compare to the beauty, finish and perfection of my ten Thiers Issard razors. The C135 steel is indeed hard, but honed they are extremely sharp and stay sharp for a very long time, very reminiscent of Swedish straight razors.
I've read occasional posts being disappointed with TI. My guess is that the given the price tag people expect 100 percent effectiveness in the QC. There is no such thing as total production perfection and even the most exclusive brands do make an occasional faulty product, but I don't see it as luck that I've got ten perfect razors that were delivered shave ready. Then again my experience isn't a universal truth.
Hello Scott, please see my post above.
I am not trying to downplay TI razors. I certainly rank them well above Dovo razors. However, of the two TI razors I have, one has minor cosmetic flaw in the gold wash. The razor shaves quite well, no issues with the grinding or honing, although I did do a refresh when I got them. Most people would have considered them shave ready. At the price TI charges, however, I do expect the razors to be nearly perfect.
Thank you for answering Ray
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
I have 4 TIs, two are well ground and two are not, the two wider blades have wider, wavy bevels, the steel is not a uniform thickness at the bevel, you can see it in the reflections. However, they all hone easily on a flat hone, they’re not warped, bent, or overground as some modern razors are. Still, at the price of a modern wide TI, this can be hard to swallow. They all shave like a million bucks and I agree with Arne that the C135 steel is wonderful.
One of the wide TIs seems to be ground rather like a frameback or rattler, the upper part of the blade is hollow ground, but the lower part seems to be a straight taper, just as many old French framebacks are, and has the same wider bevels that you saw on the old framebacks, as compared to a modern hollow. Interesting to say the least, but would reduce the skill needed to grind a blank like say a Filly 14.
if you want to try one but are on the fence about the cost/quality, try the Basic Black series from The Invisible Edge. Plain blades, plain black plastic scales, and a great price. TI charges WAY too much for nice scales anyway, you can have a BB re-scaled and come out quite nicely.
One of the wide TIs seems to be ground rather like a frameback or rattler, the upper part of the blade is hollow ground, but the lower part seems to be a straight taper, just as many old French framebacks are, and has the same wider bevels that you saw on the old framebacks, as compared to a modern hollow. Interesting to say the least, but would reduce the skill needed to grind a blank like say a Filly 14.
if you want to try one but are on the fence about the cost/quality, try the Basic Black series from The Invisible Edge. Plain blades, plain black plastic scales, and a great price. TI charges WAY too much for nice scales anyway, you can have a BB re-scaled and come out quite nicely.
Starting with the basic black series is a very good advice. I'm sorry for having hijacked this thread. Ralf Aust makes fantastic razors and if he would start to make a new model I'd buy it.
Aren't these pimped up Chinese made razors? I have very low opinion and expectation on anything from Solingen so my paranoia might be kicking in.
You're confusing them with the modern Giesen&Forsthof Timor razors.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
+1 Arne, Ralf Aust has a very good reputation.
Ah, good catch.
Not saying Chinese steel is terrible, just not a fan of bait and switch marketing.
No doubt Arne. I’m still wanting a TI to find out for myself. The reason I felt QC issues were valid is due to a vendor’s comment.
I purchased my Ralph Aust at Straight Razor Designs in their shop just months before they announced going out of business. It’s sad that I can’t go there and shop in person anymore.
I asked them why they had stopped selling Thiers-Issard, as I was looking for one (still am). He said they had to return too many as their quality had slipped. I’m sure he saw quite a few.
Hopefully that is not the case today. Meanwhile, I’m hunting for the fleur-de-lys spine.
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I have had a few T-I razors over the years. One was stolen, another had the weirdest grind I have ever seen. It shaved OK but was painful to look at. Another I sold for one reason or another; cannot remember why. I still have two; both have been rescaled because the OEM scales warped like an LP record in a slow oven. The one I sold and the stolen one had warpy scales too.
They are nice enough razors, but in my humble opinion Ralf Austs are better finished, more finely ground, and a better value all around. Actually I bought Ralf Aust #10 last week.
They are nice enough razors, but in my humble opinion Ralf Austs are better finished, more finely ground, and a better value all around. Actually I bought Ralf Aust #10 last week.
Okidoki I might have been lucky after all.
Actually another T-I may be in my future. I have always kept another 1937 Special Coiffeur on my radar screen to replace the stolen one.
Okidoki I might have been lucky after all.
Who knows? TI might know the situation and have corrected it by now. What I don’t know is how long they had the issue or whether it’s been corrected. Hopefully so. I want a nice one.
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I think the difference is that Ralf Aust is a master craftsman who puts his name on every razor he produces. Thiers Issard is a much larger company who produces knives as well as razors. Thus, many different craftsmen and women may have been involved in the production of a razor, just as with Dovo and Boker. Unless each of those individuals is a master craftsman like Ralf Aust, the quality may vary from one razor to another. Thus, you may get a perfect razor or you might get one that is good enough to pass QC. I have one of each.
Definitely so, but Dovo and Böker make fine blades. They’re not artisan, but they are very nice. Theirs-Issard should equal their quality. I got the feeling they really slipped, to the point a major vendor quit stocking them.
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