Buy Gold Dollars from China, comments?

[Nxspam]

The bay is awash with gold dollar razors from various countries, but the best deals seem to come from China its self.

anyone have experience buying directly from china? Do they arrive in the mail, did you wait a long time?

 

[seattleshaver]

I've bought other items directly from China and they usually take 2-4 weeks. I can't say about Gold Dollar specifically.

If you can wait I'd have no qualms about ordering or about them arriving. The one that I ordered was not shipped directly from China. If you are going to buy a bunch of them however I'm sure it's worth the wait.

 

[BakerAndBadger]

They arrive after about 2 weeks in my experience. I've not bought any recently but they are less than EUR3 delivered to your door!
Don't forget, you're gonna have to pimp it most likely so be ready for that. What you save in EUR you end up spending in time vs a vintage.

 

[JonM]

Agreed. As long as you understand that the Gold Dollar is more of a blank canvas for you to put some work into, you'll be fine. Just know that you'll likely need a Dremel to take down the shoulder and a set of hones to set the bevel and sharpen it. You may not decide to stop there though. The scales are notoriously cheap & flimsy. So, you may wish to rescale it too. That means you'll need a jeweler's hammer or a small ball-pein hammer and the materials to rescale & repin it. You'll probably want to refinish the blade too. So, you'll need an assortment of various sandpapers up to about 2000 grit and polishing compound. Just how deep down this rabbit hole you want to go is up to you. So, that cheap Chinese razor you found on eBay isn't quite as cheap when you think about it. Don't buy them just as a cheap alternative. They seem to be more appropriate as project pieces. The're fun to play with though (if that's your thing).

 

[BakerAndBadger]

Agreed. As long as you understand that the Gold Dollar is more of a blank canvas for you to put some work into, you'll be fine. Just know that you'll likely need a Dremel to take down the shoulder and a set of hones to set the bevel and sharpen it. You may not decide to stop there though. The scales are notoriously cheap & flimsy. So, you may wish to rescale it too. That means you'll need a jeweler's hammer or a small ball-pein hammer and the materials to rescale & repin it. You'll probably want to refinish the blade too. So, you'll need an assortment of various sandpapers up to about 2000 grit and polishing compound. Just how deep down this rabbit hole you want to go is up to you. So, that cheap Chinese razor you found on eBay isn't quite as cheap when you think about it. Don't buy them just as a cheap alternative. They seem to be more appropriate as project pieces. The're fun to play with though (if that's your thing).

Talking of blank canvases, there's one on it's way to you. Being an artist I allowed myself to leave a few brush strokes from my own Dremel
Should shave pretty well if it survives the journey, I shave tested and wasn't happy so went back to your stone and finished it again including a final finish on the dreaded oil.

 

[Thomas Martin]

Agreed. As long as you understand that the Gold Dollar is more of a blank canvas for you to put some work into, you'll be fine. Just know that you'll likely need a Dremel to take down the shoulder and a set of hones to set the bevel and sharpen it. You may not decide to stop there though. The scales are notoriously cheap & flimsy. So, you may wish to rescale it too. That means you'll need a jeweler's hammer or a small ball-pein hammer and the materials to rescale & repin it. You'll probably want to refinish the blade too. So, you'll need an assortment of various sandpapers up to about 2000 grit and polishing compound. Just how deep down this rabbit hole you want to go is up to you. So, that cheap Chinese razor you found on eBay isn't quite as cheap when you think about it. Don't buy them just as a cheap alternative. They seem to be more appropriate as project pieces. The're fun to play with though (if that's your thing).

I've heard, and I don't question it, that GD perform well once properly honed. I just don't see why I should put so much time and effort in such an obviously inferior product when there are so much nice razors out there. But that's just my personal opinion.

 

[JonM]

Talking of blank canvases, there's one on it's way to you. Being an artist I allowed myself to leave a few brush strokes from my own Dremel
Should shave pretty well if it survives the journey, I shave tested and wasn't happy so went back to your stone and finished it again including a final finish on the dreaded oil.

Thanks! I can't wait until my new rock arrives.

I've heard, and I don't question it, that GD perform well once properly honed. I just don't see why I should put so much time and effort in such an obviously inferior product when there are so much nice razors out there. But that's just my personal opinion.

Why buy lumber when you can buy a finished cabinet? Why buy flour when you can buy a loaf of bread? I see Gold Dollars as material for a project rather than a finished product. They're good for people who like to work with their hands. They're also a good gateway for people to learn the art of restoring razors. They just aren't very practical for someone who wants a cheap razor right out of the box.

 

[Thomas Martin]

Like I said that's my personal opinion. I'd rather invest my time and money in the restoration of a nice vintage blade than in a cheap new Chinese one.

 

[ladykate]

The bay is awash with gold dollar razors from various countries, but the best deals seem to come from China its self.

anyone have experience buying directly from china? Do they arrive in the mail, did you wait a long time?

I just ordered 10 from the guy who is selling them for 3.06 delivered. This will be the fifth or sixth time I've ordered them from China - different sellers each time for the most part. As was said, takes a couple of weeks but they seem to arrive in fine shape. You are protected if you order through eBay (for the most part) so it isn't too risky. They arrive in the USPS system. You usually get a tracking number but it is kinda weak. I've also ordered brushes, electronics, and other things from China and had good luck.

(paraphrased) Why buy a Gold Dollar and put a bunch of work in it if you can buy a vintage for $20 more?

This was answered - take a look at what folks are making. You can't buy those creations - and if you could, they would be quite expensive. If you just want a shaver and know how to hone (and have the equipment) then you can make a GD a good shaver in about 20 minutes. I think I did one that way... all the rest have been craft projects - and fun. GDs are for those who wish to learn how to do basic honing and tweaking - all the way to craftsmen like Mycarver who makes works of art out of them. Oh... and they shave very nicely once finished.

 

[Tony1951]

I bought two direct from China from different sellers. One cost me £3.20 delivered and took a month to arrive. It wasn't well packed and the envelope was torn, but the razor was A1. The other cost £3.08 delivered and was very nicely packed. That one took 15 days to arrive.

I was very pleased with both razors, although as others have said, you have to fix them up a bit. Both had heel issues which I was able to easily sort out with a simple small knfe sharpening stone. I ground away at the heel to remove a bit of the shoulder. Both then sharpened up great. One had scales a bit askew so you couldn't stand it on its belly (if you get what I mean - it used to fall over, so I ground the high scale a bot with the same sharpening stone I mentioned earlier. The other needed a little attention to the area behind the heel which fouled the central pin in the scales and kept the blade from fully entering the scales. It just needed about 2mm ground off and was fine.

None of these issues took more than ten minutes to sort out and I am no skilled mechanic or workshop guy - just the ordinary individual.

The shaves I get from these are my favourites and I have a brand new £100 Dovo and a nice vintage blade I bought from a guy in Germany. They take a very good edge and keep it long enough to satisfy me fine.

For the money, you just can't go wrong. I might order some more just for the pleasure of sorting them out. Since they cost about as much as a cheap pint of beer and give far more pleasure - why not?

 

[Seraphim]

I bought two direct from China from different sellers. One cost me £3.20 delivered and took a month to arrive. It wasn't well packed and the envelope was torn, but the razor was A1. The other cost £3.08 delivered and was very nicely packed. That one took 15 days to arrive.

I was very pleased with both razors, although as others have said, you have to fix them up a bit. Both had heel issues which I was able to easily sort out with a simple small knfe sharpening stone. I ground away at the heel to remove a bit of the shoulder. Both then sharpened up great. One had scales a bit askew so you couldn't stand it on its belly (if you get what I mean - it used to fall over, so I ground the high scale a bot with the same sharpening stone I mentioned earlier. The other needed a little attention to the area behind the heel which fouled the central pin in the scales and kept the blade from fully entering the scales. It just needed about 2mm ground off and was fine.

None of these issues took more than ten minutes to sort out and I am no skilled mechanic or workshop guy - just the ordinary individual.

The shaves I get from these are my favourites and I have a brand new £100 Dovo and a nice vintage blade I bought from a guy in Germany. They take a very good edge and keep it long enough to satisfy me fine.

For the money, you just can't go wrong. I might order some more just for the pleasure of sorting them out. Since they cost about as much as a cheap pint of beer and give far more pleasure - why not?

View attachment 305115

Why choose?

With the price of GDs, get a 6 pack of razors AND a 6 pack of beer, and enjoy BOTH!

 

[paco664]

as far as GD's go... i will put my #208 up against any razor for shave quality and maintaining an edge.....

 

[O.G.]

Tony1951 what stone did you use? I tried to hone one of the many I bought because I wanted to gauge where it was at before hand and it would not shave very well at all. I wanted to get the heel issue resolved because it looked like it was ready to shave but the edge was not there. Also, does anyone know a non-dremel technique to remove the shoulder near the near?

 

[Shutterbug57]

How are the GDs as far as being straight and generally well made, if cheap, blades? I realize you have to hone them, but if they are a good blank canvas, you can see if your honing skills are good or problematic without having an unknown back history on a blade.

 

[Shutterbug57]

Tony1951 what stone did you use? I tried to hone one of the many I bought because I wanted to gauge where it was at before hand and it would not shave very well at all. I wanted to get the heel issue resolved because it looked like it was ready to shave but the edge was not there. Also, does anyone know a non-dremel technique to remove the shoulder near the near?

Pics would be great if you have them.

 

[Seraphim]

How are the GDs as far as being straight and generally well made, if cheap, blades? I realize you have to hone them, but if they are a good blank canvas, you can see if your honing skills are good or problematic without having an unknown back history on a blade.

See here:

http://badgerandblade.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=137785&title=gold-dollar-74&cat=45

You don't even really HAVE to do anything to the heel if you don't want to, just be careful when honing.

 

[daflorc]

I have heard from enough experience honemeisters that gold dollars are garbage, and I figure, why learn the hard way when I can learn the easy way? On top of that, they have absolutely zero resale value, and you can often find some old sheffield blades that need work for the same price. But aside from all of that....um...no that's it

 

[jpcwon]

It's more of a quality control thing than it is assuming that "they're all garbage"...I bought 2 GD 208's...one honed up perfectly & still shaves wonderful, and the other one? Well, not so much. So you never really know what you're getting..Some people have really good luck with them, others don't...YMMV like anything else..

 

[Shutterbug57]

I have heard from enough experience honemeisters that gold dollars are garbage, and I figure, why learn the hard way when I can learn the easy way? On top of that, they have absolutely zero resale value, and you can often find some old sheffield blades that need work for the same price. But aside from all of that....um...no that's it

I don't expect to hone a GD up and get $300, or $30 or even $3. I simply want a blade that I can learn to hone that starts in a neutral position. I purchased a vintage blade and it is now in not so good shape. I don't know if it came to me that way or I did it - it could be either or both. If I can get a GD for $13 delivered, my max out of pocket for the lesson is $13 plus some time. If I screw it up, then I know that I need to work on technique and, possibly, I can post some pics and get help from this group. If I hone it right up, them maybe, just maybe, the vintage blade I bought was buggered when I got it.

All I am looking for is a learning tool. It sounds like there are some heel issues with the GDs. I am not sure I fully understand these, but it sounds like the shoulder is too thick too far down so the heel of the blade cannot make contact with the stone. I can grind that down so the blade makes contact. I am not trying to get a beauty queen here, or even a daily shaver. If I do it right and get a few shaves out of the blade - so much the better. If I screwed up a vintage W&B, while I would not be out much $$$ (assuming I did not spend much $$$ on it), I would feel worse than screwing up a cheap piece of modern steel that is easily replaced. Just my $0.02, YMMV - probably does.

 

[mdarnton]

Also, does anyone know a non-dremel technique to remove the shoulder near the near?

Use a 6" shop grinder. Put the grinder's guide close to the stone, then put the razor spine-down, edge up, on the guide. Use your eyes, and slide the razor on the guide up to the stone so that it touches in the middle of what you want to grind off, then gently and slowly push against the stone until the offending rib is ground concave, below the honing stone's path between the spine and the edge.

I have two of them, #66s, and they're pretty nice. One is perfect, but the other is slightly twisted like a propeller, requiring more sharpening attention, but not really difficult to handle. Not fancy, but they sharpen up well. The steel seems to be very hard relative to my old straights. If someone wanted to spend some time dressing up the lines with a grinder, you could end up with something that could pass for 80 years old.