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Karve Diem

Will you be ordering a SS Karve?

  • Yes

  • No

  • Later when the price drops

  • I’m so torn...


Results are only viewable after voting.
Hi mrdoug,

Karve's plates especially the A-B plates are rather mild and I think only the C and upwards will have some positive blade exposure.

If it's that hard to get a great shave from a Karve there's so many other choices and my offer still stands too.

Happy shaves,

Mawashi

Lol. Thanks Mawashi. [emoji846]

It's not hard to get a great shave, per se, just to get a close shave with the A plate ... or ... a comfortable ATG pass only with the B plate. In fact, beyond the irritation with the B, the shave is perfect. Near BBS, definitely DFS+. The A plate is below DFS.. maybe feeling like I'm 10-12 hours post shave immediately.

In fact, I should do my first two passes with the B (or C), then go ATG with the A. But I'd like to explore how I can make the A work, first. I don't particularly want to switch mid shave.

I just figure, there's no way Chris made this plate that wouldn't cut close... I am missing some sage advice on technique. [emoji846]
 
Lol. Thanks Mawashi. [emoji846]

It's not hard to get a great shave, per se, just to get a close shave with the A plate ... or ... a comfortable ATG pass only with the B plate. In fact, beyond the irritation with the B, the shave is perfect. Near BBS, definitely DFS+. The A plate is below DFS.. maybe feeling like I'm 10-12 hours post shave immediately.

In fact, I should do my first two passes with the B (or C), then go ATG with the A. But I'd like to explore how I can make the A work, first. I don't particularly want to switch mid shave.

I just figure, there's no way Chris made this plate that wouldn't cut close... I am missing some sage advice on technique. [emoji846]

Use the A plate only with more pressure (heresy!) on pass 1 & 2 and no pressure on pass 3 ATG?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Lol. Thanks Mawashi. [emoji846]

It's not hard to get a great shave, per se, just to get a close shave with the A plate ... or ... a comfortable ATG pass only with the B plate. In fact, beyond the irritation with the B, the shave is perfect. Near BBS, definitely DFS+. The A plate is below DFS.. maybe feeling like I'm 10-12 hours post shave immediately.

In fact, I should do my first two passes with the B (or C), then go ATG with the A. But I'd like to explore how I can make the A work, first. I don't particularly want to switch mid shave.

I just figure, there's no way Chris made this plate that wouldn't cut close... I am missing some sage advice on technique. [emoji846]

Welcome buddy and as I said anytime u wanna try a NSC let me know.

Use the A plate only with more pressure (heresy!) on pass 1 & 2 and no pressure on pass 3 ATG?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Slight pressure perhaps. I too have some issues with ultra mild razors and I'll apply a bit of pressure especially with my techs n rockets.
 
I’m curious if anyone knows the price point for the upcoming SS Karve? I saw one poster say $200. Idk if that’s accurate and I don’t want to spread rumors. Can anyone confirm this?
I’ve had my eye on this razor for a while. I was being “patient” for the ss version, but if the pricing is accurate I would go for the brass.
I like the 6s on plate 5. From my research, it sounds like the C and D plates would work well for me.
 
There's no reason for the SS version not to be priced the same or slightly less than brass due to material and machining costs alone... Blackland and CG pricing will give you a good estimation of price comparison of Brass vs SS...
 
I’m curious if anyone knows the price point for the upcoming SS Karve? I saw one poster say $200. Idk if that’s accurate and I don’t want to spread rumors. Can anyone confirm this?
I’ve had my eye on this razor for a while. I was being “patient” for the ss version, but if the pricing is accurate I would go for the brass.
I like the 6s on plate 5. From my research, it sounds like the C and D plates would work well for me.


During a Reddit AMA session sometime end of last year, Chris from Karve was asked about estimated price of future SS razor, and that’s when he said that, after some initial calculations, he was expecting to sell it for 200 CAD, so around 150 USD (and roughly double the price of the brass razor). That’s where that came from....
I haven’t seen any more info on that since, and he never replied to any questions on Instagram about it either, as far as I know....
I don’t think he’s ever made an official final announcement on the price.

And yes, in my experience if you like 6S on plate 5, Karve plate C and D (SB) should work well.
 
There's no reason for the SS version not to be priced the same or slightly less than brass due to material and machining costs alone... Blackland and CG pricing will give you a good estimation of price comparison of Brass vs SS...

I agree that the material cost are probably pretty similar. I suspect the price increase could be to cover the increased cost of new tools, finishing, labor and ect. Regardless, I'm sure many would be happy to see a stainless version.

During a Reddit AMA session sometime end of last year, Chris from Karve was asked about estimated price of future SS razor, and that’s when he said that, after some initial calculations, he was expecting to sell it for 200 CAD, so around 150 USD (and roughly double the price of the brass razor). That’s where that came from....
I haven’t seen any more info on that since, and he never replied to any questions on Instagram about it either, as far as I know....
I don’t think he’s ever made an official final announcement on the price.

And yes, in my experience if you like 6S on plate 5, Karve plate C and D (SB) should work well.

Thanks for the clarification. The post I saw didn't specify CAD, so that's an important difference.
I think that I will go ahead and pick up the brass version. It looks nice in brass. My other razors are stainless, so it'll be something different.
 
... And yes, in my experience if you like 6S on plate 5, Karve plate C and D (SB) should work well.

I'd like to add, at least for me, to be careful ATG shaving. Some of the magic seems lost... IE, a .98 gap feels more like a .98 gap ATG.

At least that's my observation. Love my Karve, still. [emoji16]
 
I'd like to add, at least for me, to be careful ATG shaving. Some of the magic seems lost... IE, a .98 gap feels more like a .98 gap ATG.

At least that's my observation. Love my Karve, still. [emoji16]

I hear you, .98 is a healthy blade gap. I won't be going ATG; I gave up on that awhile ago. I would get a BBS shave and then I would get razor burn. I think it's just the nature of my beard growth.
I go WTG on my first pass. On my second pass, I go cross grain with some light buffing and a Gillette slide. I get a DFS+ shave without the irritation. I shave ever other day, and this works well for me. I'm looking forward to adding the Karve to the rotation.
 
Screen Shot 2019-05-29 at 19.51.23.png


Have any brass Karve owners heard anything about the SS razor? I imagine Chris would let them know first.
 
I agree that the material cost are probably pretty similar. I suspect the price increase could be to cover the increased cost of new tools, finishing, labor and ect. Regardless, I'm sure many would be happy to see a stainless version.
Coming from a 30+ yr background of Industrial Tools & Supplies I can guarantee that tooling, finishing, and labor for Stainless vs Brass is nowhere near double the price!! As I stated in my previous post, Blackbird charges the same for the Brass or Stainless Blackbird and I believe Charcoal Goods charged the same for Brass or Stainless. It would be a shame for Chris to exploit his customer base by charging those kind of prices!!
 
How is that "taking advantage"? It's called good business. A manufacturer can charge what they like, and the consumer's option is to seek a similar product elsewhere if they see no value in it.

If Chris charges (for example) ~$200.00CAD for a complete SS razor, and people buy it, then it's a fair price. If sales "tank", he'll get that message, too.
 
How is that "taking advantage"? It's called good business. A manufacturer can charge what they like, and the consumer's option is to seek a similar product elsewhere if they see no value in it.

If Chris charges (for example) ~$200.00CAD for a complete SS razor, and people buy it, then it's a fair price. If sales "tank", he'll get that message, too.
If you think its a fair price then by all means, go ahead and buy it!! I'm just telling you as someone with 30+yrs in the business that if he charges that much more than for the brass, I would consider that as exploiting his customer base. As I have already pointed out, higher end mfg's have been charging the same price or very similar for both materials. Why is it all of a sudden more expensive for him to do it and not them? Call it what you want... I call it price gouging!!
 
I'm trying very hard not to buy an electric razor. Seriously.

I have been wet shaving since 2012. I have discovered things that work for me and others that don't. It's a very weird world, this wet shaving stuff.

The razors that I use now exclusively: ATT SE2 and SE1. I hardly ever use the SE1. I have a Karve with C,D,E, and F plates, all solid bar. Micromatic OC, first generation. All my shaving in the last 6 months have been with the ATT and Karve razors because I ran out of GEM blades and I've been too distracted and lazy to re-order from Connaughts.

The issue is that I can only get a close, comfortable shave with no irritation with a four day growth. I can shave with a three day growth if I don't try to get everything close, especially my neck. The big problem is that a lot of times I don't want to go that many days without shaving. I just don't like it. I'm retired, but I don't like to go out and do things looking all scruffy. That's just me.

I have tried doing the single pass shave. This works for a no-irritation shave and is also a SAS. However, it leaves what I call "sharpened whisker syndrome". The more flat against my face the whiskers grow, the more they are sharpened with a one pass shave. This is true especially on my neck. This ends up being extremely irritating to me. Clothes catch on them, even my hand if I rub it over my face a bit. The sharpened whiskers grab and tug collars on my neck, and I end up with red, irritated skin by the end of the day. The only way I can combat this is to do a standard three pass shave.

Now this may all sound like funny stuff, but to me it's a big pain in the neck (see what I did there?). If I wait four days and then do a nice, close shave with my ATT SE2, my whiskers grow out "unsharpened", and they don't catch on anything no matter how long they get.

So if I get a great, BB shave on Friday but go to church on Sunday morning, I want to shave. BUT (and this is very important) it does not have to be close. Yes, that is correct. I don't care if I can feel some stubble. As long as that stubble is not sharp, I look clean shaven, and I don't have irritated red skin.

My C plate cannot do this for me. I have tried many times. Now I have six options from Karve. AA, A, B in either solid bar or open comb. I would like to choose two plates to try. I love open comb razors, but I realize I love them for the way they look. I'm going for pure function here. I don't for the life of me understand how an open comb is more efficient or aggresive than a solid bar, all other things being equal. Yes, I've heard all the hypothesis, but I don't see it. But the Karve web site states the open comb is more aggresive than its solid bar counter part, so there you go.

I know this is rather lengthy, but I really haven't seen this specific issue addressed here or any other shaving board. Maybe some of you have experienced this and can give some advice. Maybe even some of you know what I'm talking about and own a Karve. Now that would be fortunate for me.

In any case, all thoughts and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks for reading.
 
I haven't tried Karve yet (my Karve with B and D OC plates should be here in a few days), but you might want to look into Rockwell 6C or 6S. The only reason I'm mentioning another razor is because the 6C will come with six different baseplate adjustments for $50 that will let you try very mild to pretty aggressive.

As for sharp stubble; you got me there.
 
If you think its a fair price then by all means, go ahead and buy it!! I'm just telling you as someone with 30+yrs in the business that if he charges that much more than for the brass, I would consider that as exploiting his customer base. As I have already pointed out, higher end mfg's have been charging the same price or very similar for both materials. Why is it all of a sudden more expensive for him to do it and not them? Call it what you want... I call it price gouging!!
And how much is a Wolfman or a Charcoal stainless? An ATT? A Blackland? If we follow through on your logic what should really be happening is Chris should be charging much more for the brass CB. We should acknowledge that those of us who picked up the brass razor received an excellent deal given the quality, workmanship and performance of the Karve. I would have gladly paid more.

And, ultimately, as Bakker suggests, the market will decide if the stainless is overpriced.
 
Can I join the club? I put in an order for the 3” brass handle with C and D plates. I’m excited for this one. Less excited to make a new BST, but I only need so many razors, right?

On a different note, all this talk about stainless vs brass got me thinking. Has anyone plated their brass Karve? Not exactly economical, but it could be sweet. I have no plans for that, just curious.
 
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