As most of you know Above The Tie (ATT) is closing. Tomorrow will be the last day of operations. Over the years ATT experienced exceptional growth and success. We were honored to have been interviewed by everyone from Sharpologist to Forbes. Pioneering various razor innovations and offerings were happily greeted by wet shavers around the world. In addition, we became known for providing outstanding customer service. However, some may not know the relationship with Badger & Blade in the early days of ATT which led to the development of our first stainless razor "Titan."
Before ATT was born I flipped vintage razors on eBay -- a lot of razors. In time, my son-in-law Matt and I formed a partnership, and Above The Tie was born. We sold a lot of various shaving supplies including razors from Edwin Jagger and Merkur. However, I never lost my love for the early Gillette razor designs.
After a couple of years I decided to design our own razors from stainless steel. But what did modern shavers want from a quality razor? This is where ATT and the B&B community came together. I had been a B&B member since 2009 so I started asking members what they would expect from a new three piece razor. Well, the response was amazing! I got a lot of comments about what they did not like about modern razors. Specifically, poor quality and the lack of flexibility were overwhelming complaints.
With this input I set out to meld the need for improved quality and performance with a timeless design. Years later customers at trade shows would tell me they could spot an ATT razor simply by its "industrial design style." In addition, they would comment on the interchangeable plates which they described as a "fixed adjustable." After much collaboration with a machine shop and my insistence on important details, our razor design was set. Finally, the day came when I had received our first prototype razor. It was made with a nod to vintage design and a fixation on quality, flexibility and tight machining tolerances.
I remember using it for the first time. I could assemble and disassemble it with ease. The head geometry blade gap, blade exposure and blade symmetry were spot on. After my first shave I was thrilled, but did we have a razor others would like? It needed to be tested by non biased users. That's when I turned to B&B again. This time I introduced the razor prototype including photos and asked for volunteers form B&B. The response was very good and I choose six B&B members to receive a razor for trial. It was a gamble. But I was so confident in the quality and performance of the razor that I informed the guys to use the razors and then post their impressions on B&B without any comments from me.
As they say, the rest is history. The razor was a hit! The name was changed to the Kronos H1 and it was a part of Above The Tie's razor offerings for years. I recall one of the pro-type user's name was Gary, but I have lost the list of the original users and reviewers. Now you know the back story of a special time where a community of wet shavers worked with a small family business in Tennessee to do something special.
Thank you Badger & Blade and those early members who made Above The Tie's story possible.
Before ATT was born I flipped vintage razors on eBay -- a lot of razors. In time, my son-in-law Matt and I formed a partnership, and Above The Tie was born. We sold a lot of various shaving supplies including razors from Edwin Jagger and Merkur. However, I never lost my love for the early Gillette razor designs.
After a couple of years I decided to design our own razors from stainless steel. But what did modern shavers want from a quality razor? This is where ATT and the B&B community came together. I had been a B&B member since 2009 so I started asking members what they would expect from a new three piece razor. Well, the response was amazing! I got a lot of comments about what they did not like about modern razors. Specifically, poor quality and the lack of flexibility were overwhelming complaints.
With this input I set out to meld the need for improved quality and performance with a timeless design. Years later customers at trade shows would tell me they could spot an ATT razor simply by its "industrial design style." In addition, they would comment on the interchangeable plates which they described as a "fixed adjustable." After much collaboration with a machine shop and my insistence on important details, our razor design was set. Finally, the day came when I had received our first prototype razor. It was made with a nod to vintage design and a fixation on quality, flexibility and tight machining tolerances.
I remember using it for the first time. I could assemble and disassemble it with ease. The head geometry blade gap, blade exposure and blade symmetry were spot on. After my first shave I was thrilled, but did we have a razor others would like? It needed to be tested by non biased users. That's when I turned to B&B again. This time I introduced the razor prototype including photos and asked for volunteers form B&B. The response was very good and I choose six B&B members to receive a razor for trial. It was a gamble. But I was so confident in the quality and performance of the razor that I informed the guys to use the razors and then post their impressions on B&B without any comments from me.
As they say, the rest is history. The razor was a hit! The name was changed to the Kronos H1 and it was a part of Above The Tie's razor offerings for years. I recall one of the pro-type user's name was Gary, but I have lost the list of the original users and reviewers. Now you know the back story of a special time where a community of wet shavers worked with a small family business in Tennessee to do something special.
Thank you Badger & Blade and those early members who made Above The Tie's story possible.
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