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Cheapie Oriental Razor Shootout!

Titan (the razor company) do not manufacture any part of their SR's in China (PRC). Their blade steel is manufactured and heat treated in Japan. The grinding and all further manufacturing is done in Taiwan. Most of their scales material is sourced from Africa.

Their biggest market is China (PRC) so their finished products are shipped to Hong Kong for distribution, including to other countries. For logistic reasons their products are shipped worldwide from China (PRC).

If that makes them Chinese razors for you, so be it.

So they moved from Korea to Taiwan, Republic of China. Ok, so it's a Taiwanese company that makes razors and moves them thought China. If their steel came from US steel in PA we wouldn't call them American razors either.

Come on, every country has left a certain stamp on razor making. Solingen, Sweden etc. You look at those razors and you can see the style. When I look at a Titan I see Chinese style. I dont see Japan, I dont see Spain, I dont see Eskilstuna. That's all I am saying. Nothing to be ashamed of. Just saying if it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck it's most likely a duck.

For all I care they can make them on Mars. What caught my attention is the repetition of the word Japan, from steel to wooden box etc. That is done for marketing reasons.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I often forget that there is a difference between Chinese and Japanese. Knowing little about razors they both seem the same "overseas". But it just dawned on me the comparison of a Chinese dirt bike to a Japanese dirt bike. There really is no comparison. Not only are they not on the same field,they are barely in the same game . So razors must be like dirt bikes, I guess? Sorry. Just had a revelation and wanted to share.

Kinda, yeah. The one thing that Chinese razors have going for them is that they are plentiful and cheap, and very expendable, while still being usable. They are not in the same league as Japanese razors. Nor are Taiwanese, which are NOT Chinese and NOT Japanese. Made in Taiwan. Reportedly of Japanese steel. But made in Taiwan, and not in China.

Japanese razors are generally of very good quality. I never ran across a bad one. No design flaws. No shortcuts. No lapses in quality control. No compromises. Of course you pay for that level of quality, though.
 
I often forget that there is a difference between Chinese and Japanese. Knowing little about razors they both seem the same "overseas". But it just dawned on me the comparison of a Chinese dirt bike to a Japanese dirt bike. There really is no comparison. Not only are they not on the same field,they are barely in the same game . So razors must be like dirt bikes, I guess? Sorry. Just had a revelation and wanted to share.

for offroad id get along with a kawasaki.

analogy works for me too.

camo
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
I often forget that there is a difference between Chinese and Japanese. Knowing little about razors they both seem the same "overseas". But it just dawned on me the comparison of a Chinese dirt bike to a Japanese dirt bike. There really is no comparison. Not only are they not on the same field,they are barely in the same game . So razors must be like dirt bikes, I guess? Sorry. Just had a revelation and wanted to share.

I’ll trade you a Gold Dollar for an Iwasaki.....
 
I have decided to put my money where my mouth is. Or isn't. Most of us here are familiar with the Gold Dollar's pros and cons from actually using them. To me, the worst characteristic of the brand is that the bevel angle is too wide. Then ZY430+ came out, with an even fatter bevel angle. Not too many guys who bought them, still have them in their rotation. Why? Steel was okay, maybe better than the GD steel. But it was like shaving with a cold chisel. No matter how much you put into honing, it's still a 20deg or 21deg bevel. May as well shave with your pocketknife. Now we have new kid on the block but actually not so new at all Titan, with bevel angles not quite as obtuse as the ZY but still more obtuse than the GD razors, but made from three different grades of Japanese steel, two being pretty good and one being darn good. I am on record as badmouthing the Titans for their geometry and pocketknife scales. After being disappointed in wasting a few bucks on a pair of ZY430+ razors, I was reluctant to actually throw good money after bad, and spring for a Titan. So I have been assuming I would not like them, based on their known characteristics and not actual hands-on time with them.

Until now.

My contention is it doesn't matter how good the steel is, if the geometry is outside the performance envelope, and heavy, metal lined scales make shaving and maintaining the razor a major PITA. Today, I decided it was time to try to put my prejudices aside and have a good old fashioned razor shootout. I looked on fleabay and the cheapest Titan I saw was in the upper $30's with two month shipping from China. Went to Ali Express, to the Titan store, and prices are much lower and shipping times much more realistic. I pulled the trigger on the following three razors:

US $19.75 21% OFF|Titan wood handle striaght razor blade sharp already free shipping|Razor| - AliExpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32900122962.html ACRM-2 steel, 59-61 hRC $20
US $29.45 28% OFF|free shipping titan brand wood handle straight shaving razor blade shaving ready|razor blade shaving|shave readystraight shaving razor - AliExpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/892056650.html VG-10HZ steel, 59-61 hRC $29.86
US $43.13 28% OFF|Titan free shipping barber shaving wood striaght razor|straight razor|old straight razortitan razor - AliExpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1261419640.html ACRO steel, 61-65 HRC $43.73

I will put them through their paces and directly compare them to a Gold Dollar 208 and a Gold Dollar P-81, and then select one of the Titans, probably either the first or the second, and one of the two GDs, and do a passaround. I will probably repeat it over on "that other" forum, too. This passaround will be open only to experienced straight shavers and honers, because credible opinions are what I am after. I will probably PIF both razors when all is said and done, with the razors going to newbies.

Don't say "I'm IN!" yet cause I haven't even seen the razors yet LOL! Haven't decided what criteria to use, probably minimum one year honing razors, two years shaving, and 30 razors honed, minimum 1000 posts, something like that. The purpose is not to let guys decide if they like them or not, but to let everyone else know if they are any good or not, and if so, how good. So I think the opinions of those whose experience and opinions carry more weight are important to the purpose of the passaround.

Comments welcome!
Isnt the term, "oriental" kind of racist? Just sayin'. Its like youre trying to group all asian countries together as the same thing. Perhaps changing the title to, "cheapie asian razor shootout" is in order?
 
I had a titan iirc (could have been a zy) that was claimed to be PWS, it looked very much like my 66s. Heavy wood/metal lined scales. I think i have them in a drawer if anyone wants to see them. Posted about it here too a couple years ago. Spoiler, it was not PWS.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Isnt the term, "oriental" kind of racist? Just sayin'. Its like youre trying to group all asian countries together as the same thing. Perhaps changing the title to, "cheapie asian razor shootout" is in order?

If Oriental is racist, then isn't Asian racist, as well? I don't get it. Oriental is racist... how? Correct me if I am wrong, but I think it just means "Eastern". As in pertaining to the Far East, maybe? In other words, Asian. Anyway there is no racist intent so I do hope you were not accusing. Anyway I will not be offended if you unsubscribe this thread or block my posts. And no, I will not change the title. I see no reason to, other than it seems to offend you, which I do not regard as my problem. Are you Asian, by any chance?
 
The Orient is the eastern part of Asia. The Orient includes countries and regions like Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Asia is a much larger continent which includes places like India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Tibet, Nepal and most of Russia.

Copied this from the good old google search. I have no idea what is or is not racist. What is or is not offensive. I am very bad about picking up on those things. But to me anyway the orient is a region not a race.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I'm just glad that I live in the Philippines (part of the Orient) where political correctness does not exist!

The only times that I get offended here is when someone refers to me as an Americano. I politely explain that I am Australiano or just bight my tongue. Americanos are not as highly regarded here as Australianos.
 
I'm just glad that I live in the Philippines (part of the Orient) where political correctness does not exist!

The only times that I get offended here is when someone refers to me as an Americano. I politely explain that I am Australiano or just bight my tongue. Americanos are not as highly regarded here as Australianos.
Haha, my favorite morning drink is an Americano and I have have been called Joe many times before, but I do not get offended by it. Just as no one is offended if I wear an Orient Watch. I used to be a Redskins fan and stopped watching the Braves many years ago, pretty soon I will be called a dinosaur but I think that phrase is also going extinct.
 
I had a titan iirc (could have been a zy) that was claimed to be PWS, it looked very much like my 66s. Heavy wood/metal lined scales. I think i have them in a drawer if anyone wants to see them. Posted about it here too a couple years ago. Spoiler, it was not PWS.
What's PWS?
 

thombrogan

Lounging On The Isle Of Tugsley.
Patterned Welded Steel. One of the two types of “Damascus” steel. The other type being “wootz” or “crucible steel.”
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I had a titan iirc (could have been a zy) that was claimed to be PWS, it looked very much like my 66s. Heavy wood/metal lined scales. I think i have them in a drawer if anyone wants to see them. Posted about it here too a couple years ago. Spoiler, it was not PWS.
I have never heard or read of Titan claiming that any of their SR's being of PWS. It may have been ZY. Titan only claim that the three types of steel that they use in their SR's is manufactured, forged and heat treated in Japan.
 
I have never heard or read of Titan claiming that any of their SR's being of PWS. It may have been ZY. Titan only claim that the three types of steel that they use in their SR's is manufactured, forged and heat treated in Japan.

Definitely Titan... i did a thread on this with some microscope pics, did some sanding and did some acid... etching. This is a pic from a sales advert. It was laser dotted to resemble the pattern folds of PWS.

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So I have been assuming I would not like them, based on their known characteristics and not actual hands-on time with them.

Until now.

My contention is it doesn't matter how good the steel is, if the geometry is outside the performance envelope, and heavy, metal lined scales make shaving and maintaining the razor a major PITA. Today, I decided it was time to try to put my prejudices aside and have a good old fashioned razor shootout.
...
I will put them through their paces and directly compare them to a Gold Dollar 208 and a Gold Dollar P-81

So whats the plan? you are going to fix the geometry and rescale to keep everything baselined?
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Definitely Titan... i did a thread on this with some microscope pics, did some sanding and did some acid... etching. This is a pic from a sales advert. It was laser dotted to resemble the pattern folds of PWS.

View attachment 1227024
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Interesting. I have never seen it before. Looks like they may have done it for the Russian market.
 
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