Karve Diem

[RayClem]

I took me about two months from the time I placed my name on the Karve SS wait list to the time I had it in my hands. We have gotten so used to Amazon two-day Prime delivery that we have become impatient. Admittedly, I did have to write Chris two weeks after I received my shipping notice and neither Canada Post or USPS showed the package as being in the system. Two days later, Canada Post acknowledged receipt. I never got an explanation from Chris as to the reason for the delay which is bad form. However, the razor itself fully meets expectations. I just wish he would eliminate the indentations at the end of the cap as there is no need for blade alignment. The machining is quite precised, so blades align perfectly.

The thing that perplexes me is why Chris would announce aluminum razors when he is still trying to fulfill the demand for stainless razors. That does not seem to make sense, but apparently Chris is better at machining than he is at running a business.

 

[MTG Jr]

......but apparently Chris is better at machining than he is at running a business.

^I feel like we should all just agree on this and quit beating the proverbial dead horse.

 

[merovirginian]

Chris is better at machining than he is at running a business.

^^^^^ That, as MTG wrote.

 

[MTG Jr]

......but apparently Chris is better at machining than he is at running a business.

^I feel like we should all just agree on this and quit beating the proverbial dead horse.

By the way, it’s been said in this thread already, back on page 31....by me!:

I am convinced that they know how to make a great razor, but have no clue how to run a good business.

 

[gsurko]

And don't start with the quality of shaves nonsense - a 60$ Gamechanger delivers the same quality shaves as all of those 4 brands.

Now this guy gets it.

 

[jmudrick]

Tatara Nodachi/Treet Platinum.

I had very high expectations for the Nodachi based on Tatara's previous offering and am not disappointed. Although it has positive exposure and substantial blade gap you wouldn't know it by how friendly it feels. Near perfect shave, zero touch ups necessary on my head and very little effort required to get there. Anxious to try it with the sharper BIC and Mano a Mano with the H&S and GC Jaws. Karve D I don't think is in the running but I suppose I'll do that face off as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

 

[Calm_Shaver]

Tatara Nodachi/Treet Platinum.

I had very high expectations for the Nodachi based on Tatara's previous offering and am not disappointed. Although it has positive exposure and substantial blade gap you wouldn't know it by how friendly it feels. Near perfect shave, zero touch ups necessary on my head and very little effort required to get there. Anxious to try it with the sharper BIC and Mano a Mano with the H&S and GC Jaws. Karve D I don't think is in the running but I suppose I'll do that face off as well.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

I have the Karve D plate in Stainless Steel and I would appreciate the Face-off with the Nodachi and how it compares. Thank you @jmudrick excellent review btw as I said in the Nodachi thread

 

[Yojimbo1968]

I can think of one company that used that practice and is talked about like they invented sliced bread. And it wasn't Henry Ford

Yup.

 

[Cleanface]

Yup.

I think I know his initials

 

[glm38]

Out of boredom I visited this thread and I must say this bickering is kind of amusing. Why anyone would expose themselves to the shenanigans of the Karve or Wolfman Sales process is beyond me when ATT and Timeless have razors readily available. Just not flavor of the month/pseudo exclusive enough
And don't start with the quality of shaves nonsense - a 60$ Gamechanger delivers the same quality shaves as all of those 4 brands.

Can't wait for the next company who gets the YouTube shavers all hyped up and by extension the forums & FB groups.

Haha. Great post. And IMO very true.

 

[Camilo0519]

there is no waitlist for charcoal . if its in stock you order it and get it in 3 days. i just got mine and its amazing

 

[Bill Wood]

I'm a Karve fan, but perhaps what started as a hobby gone awry. It happens. It started as cult following for brass, then a brass stand. Then the Karve plastic razor, then the SS, and suddenly aluminum. Sometimes a hobbyist pleases oneself before customers. Too big and too soon perhaps. A few days ago I ordered a E and F plate in brass. It'll be interesting to see if these arrive in a couple of weeks. The danger is this. The Company continues to forge ahead with SS and aluminum, but can't supply the original Karve brass razor and parts that got them there in the first place. I also notice that a large selection of original brushes have twindled down to just about nothing. See what I mean.

 

[Cino]

I polished 2 Karve razors when they first came out. The natural brass acquires patina very quickly even just sitting on the shelf. It develops a nice deep amber color followed by black, but the cap and guard get a little polished every time you use them. Just a wipe with Flitz removes the tarnish and you are good as new. Kind of cool.

Stunning job, Graydog.

 

[Cino]

FWIW, I used a bench polisher with a wheel and solid compounds. When I was putting the finishing touches on the first cap it flew out of my hands, across the shop and onto the concrete floor.
I had to start all over again but the cap made a full recovery.

 

[Graydog]

I polished 2 Karve razors when they first came out. The natural brass acquires patina very quickly even just sitting on the shelf. It develops a nice deep amber color followed by black, but the cap and guard get a little polished every time you use them. Just a wipe with Flitz removes the tarnish and you are good as new. Kind of cool.

Stunning job, Graydog.

I used Renaissance wax/polish to finish it off and nothing has changed at all since I first did it.

 

[Fedsbackhand]

Hope you are enjoying your new Karve @Earcutter!

A quick update. Well, I've now had mine for a few weeks and I'm still not sure what to think.

I mean it is well designed and machined and all that but I'm not getting the advertised wow factor. Sorry, the shaves are no better or smoother than my other razors. I even like the little cut outs for the blade tabs -- no ear cutting here. In fact quite handy for picking up the cap and loading a fresh blade. The razor is a little larger than I'd like. I'm not talking about the size of the handle but the baseplate/cap assembly is fairly oversized personally. Much prefer the slimmer format of the likes of the Tatara. This is more in the Timeless territory.

Maybe I need to try more blades or something. I've tried a bunch. Silver Blues. G. Plat. G. Stainless. Astras. Nacets. Kai. Feather. Polsilver. Rubie. Voskhod. Permasharp.

GSB and Polsilvers were the best and Feathers the worst.

Obviously I haven't tried all the available baseplate configurations but I don't imagine they will change my mind a great deal. Going up or down the ladder.

 

[Shavemd]

@Fedsbackhand I had similar experience with the CB Karve Brass. I tried D,E & F SB and OC and numerous blades and 3 different handle lengths, Beautifully made razor at an excellent price but just wasn't for me.

 

[Earcutter]

Hope you are enjoying your new Karve @Earcutter!

A quick update. Well, I've now had mine for a few weeks and I'm still not sure what to think.

I mean it is well designed and machined and all that but I'm not getting the advertised wow factor. Sorry, the shaves are no better or smoother than my other razors. I even like the little cut outs for the blade tabs -- no ear cutting here. In fact quite handy for picking up the cap and loading a fresh blade. The razor is a little larger than I'd like. I'm not talking about the size of the handle but the baseplate/cap assembly is fairly oversized personally. Much prefer the slimmer format of the likes of the Tatara. This is more in the Timeless territory.

Maybe I need to try more blades or something. I've tried a bunch. Silver Blues. G. Plat. G. Stainless. Astras. Nacets. Kai. Feather. Polsilver. Rubie. Voskhod. Permasharp.

GSB and Polsilvers were the best and Feathers the worst.

Obviously I haven't tried all the available baseplate configurations but I don't imagine they will change my mind a great deal. Going up or down the ladder.

I'm loving on mine. I'll say this though, when I got my brass razor I was really underwhelmed with the plates i had. A C plate and a D. I was ready to give up on it but I had already ordered a F open comb, so I kept trying. When it arrived, I honestly considered not using it because I was going to sell the razor anyway.

In the mean time, when I expressed my lack of wow, people were telling me I hadn't dialed the razor in. I thought they were crazy.

Anyway, when the F open did come, I did use it... and it was then the clouds parted and the angels sang. I couldn't believe it! I still can't. One day I'll revisit those other plates and see if it really was me not having dialed the thing in, or if it was the new open comb F. Either way, nom, nom as they say.

It's a razor. If you are underwhelmed, you're underwhelmed. The Karve for me is awesome, but its not that much better than my R41. Moreover, you can do crazy things to any razor by changing only the blades.

I hope you dial it in as it were, but if not, move on I say. Not everything is for everyone.

 

[Fedsbackhand]

In the mean time, when I expressed my lack of wow, people were telling me I hadn't dialed the razor in. I thought they were crazy.

Sure, maybe I haven't dialled it in or found that blade. However I've been using it exclusively and not flipping between razors for about three weeks, almost daily and it's just a razor. It shaves fine but nothing special.

Whereas my Tatara was incredible from day one. Not much dialling in at all.

I'll give it a bit longer before calling it quits.

 

[Earcutter]

Sure, maybe I haven't dialled it in or found that blade. However I've been using it exclusively and not flipping between razors for about three weeks, almost daily and it's just a razor. It shaves fine but nothing special.

Whereas my Tatara was incredible from day one. Not much dialling in at all.

I'll give it a bit longer before calling it quits.

I understand.