Of all manufacturers currently making DEs, which one offers the generally highest quality across their product line?

[Steve_in_CT]

I haven't tried any of the "high end" razors, but I am willing to believe that they are high quality instruments. From a quality perspective, I think you can be very confident buying Timeless, Blackland, Wolfman, ATT, etc. Among the rest, I certainly haven't tried them all, but I have had very positive experiences with Merkur, Muhle, Rockwell, Feather and RazoRock. Edwin Jagger has been more of a mixed reaction; overall the quality is great, and as someone already pointed out their customer service is top-notch, but the threads of the top cap of my DE89 did corrode after several years. The only razors which have not met a high standard in my experience have been Fatip and Schone. They're great bargains and many folks swear by them, but the likelihood of bad machining and poor alignment argue against putting them in a "top quality" group.

 

[BigJ]

Timeless, Blackland, Wolfman

+1! Definitely!!

 

[sugardaddy]

I have seen my share of Fatips with blade alignment issues due to manufacturing problems, but I'm really glad that you mentioned them because even though one side of the head might be a little (very little) more exposed than the other , it still shaves so smoothly and efficiently.

Love Fatips!

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[crpearson]

Charcoal, Timeless, Wolfman, Blackland... The order seems to depend on who you ask.

 

[juno]

Blackland
Timeless
Karve
Rex
In no particular order.
Wolfman and Charcoal are too niche market for me to include.
The others are readily available.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Quality of shave: Fatip

 

[Esox]

Quality of shave: Fatip

Quality of razor: Joris.

 

[Raven Koenes]

Quality of razor: Joris.

Not to mention: The Fatip Nobile and Woods. They aren't Joris quality but they are pretty darn good.

Joris:

 

[Esox]

Not to mention: The Fatip Nobile and Woods. They aren't Joris quality but they are pretty darn good.

Joris:
View attachment 1021467

As far as quality and price, its a no brainer for me. Fatip wins that hands down.

 

[crpearson]

Wolfman and Charcoal are too niche market for me to include.
The others are readily available.

Fair enough, but the quest to find that absolute finest possible DE razor usually does end up with Wolfman and Charcoal. Everyone is different though and has different priorities. I, for example don't care for plated razors, and prefer only solid machined parts. That's me... Others have different priorities.

 

[juno]

Fair enough, but the quest to find that absolute finest possible DE razor usually does end up with Wolfman and Charcoal. Everyone is different though and has different priorities. I, for example don't care for plated razors, and prefer only solid machined parts. That's me... Others have different priorities.

Too heavy, handles can be ridiculously large. No thanks. There are plenty of other unplated razors, such as the ones I mentioned. I don't understand the current obsession with heavy "aggressive" razors. But to each his own. I admire the artisan and craftsmanship aspects of them as functional art objects, but do not find them optimal in the least. Balance points for one. I think the carve 3.25" and the timeless razors are very well balanced between the handle and head for optimal use.

 

[crpearson]

Too heavy, handles can be ridiculously large. No thanks. There are plenty of other unplated razors, such as the ones I mentioned.

I'm not saying you have to like them... Just that many people do come to the conclusion that those are the best razors out there. As this was the nature of the OP's question, it seems wrong to exclude them.

 

[lancre]

Might be easier to list companies producing less than worthy products.

There are too many of them to count. Mostly with names you've never heard of. IMO, it's better to stick with positive recommendations.

 

[musicman1951]

Of the razors I own ATT and Wolfman have the highest quality. But I seriously doubt many of us have the resources to own enough of the high priced razors to adequately answer your question.

How does a Karve compare to an ATT? I have no idea. I own 5 ATT's but no Karve. But even if the process virtually guarantees your results will be far from scientific, you will no doubt find a few names surfacing with some regularity. Those would probably be safer places to spend your money.

 

[psychoman1128]

I haven't tried any of the "high end" razors, but I am willing to believe that they are high quality instruments. From a quality perspective, I think you can be very confident buying Timeless, Blackland, Wolfman, ATT, etc. Among the rest, I certainly haven't tried them all, but I have had very positive experiences with Merkur, Muhle, Rockwell, Feather and RazoRock. Edwin Jagger has been more of a mixed reaction; overall the quality is great, and as someone already pointed out their customer service is top-notch, but the threads of the top cap of my DE89 did corrode after several years. The only razors which have not met a high standard in my experience have been Fatip and Schone. They're great bargains and many folks swear by them, but the likelihood of bad machining and poor alignment argue against putting them in a "top quality" group.

I’ve bought two Schone razors the first was perfect mechanically, but had a spot on one of the “bullets” where the brass wasn’t fully plated. On the second one the center screw post was bent ever so slightly, so the head wasn’t completely straight. I sent that one back and kept the one with the minor plating issue, as it didn’t affect the shave, and unless you’re looking for it you don’t really notice.


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[Steve_in_CT]

When it comes to manufacturing quality, I don't think you can make a good case for Fatip or Schone. That's not to say that you can't make a convincing case for those razors with regard to shaving quality or value for money. I've owned three Fatips and one Schone and all of them suffered from cosmetic blemishes and alignment issues. Was I able to overcome the alignment issues with a minor adjustment when I loaded the blade? Sure, but that's not the mark of high quality manufacturing.

 

[Raven Koenes]

I’ve bought two Schone razors the first was perfect mechanically, but had a spot on one of the “bullets” where the brass wasn’t fully plated. On the second one the center screw post was bent ever so slightly, so the head wasn’t completely straight. I sent that one back and kept the one with the minor plating issue, as it didn’t affect the shave, and unless you’re looking for it you don’t really notice.


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I own 40 Fatips plus a vintage 1980's Fatip. The quality of shaves from each of them is outstanding. The plating on my 1980's has held up. If we take them off the list Merkur, Muhle, EJ need to go as well. They are zamak, I've had alignment issues with my Merkur, and @Esox has a r41 head where the quality control is abysmal The guard on the baseplate has a noticible warp to it. Not to mention all the threads with pictures of zamak rot.

Vintage 1980's Fatip with zamak rot...oh it's not zamak "snap". The plating is still holding up for all the years of use it has seen:

 

[MntnMan62]

There are a ton of quality razor manufacturers. With the quality being made by those mentioned already, and some at very reasonable prices, I wonder if you can really include companies that use pot metal or zamak when using the word "quality". They may be quality when it comes to comparing only zamak razors but when comparing across the entire industry, I would say the word quality really can only be attributed to those who are making stainless steel, brass, titanium or other metals that do not corrode or rust. Quality at this point has to equate to a razor that not only shaves well but will also last essentially forever. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Raven Koenes]

There are a ton of quality razor manufacturers. With the quality being made by those mentioned already, and some at very reasonable prices, I wonder if you can really include companies that use pot metal or zamak when using the word "quality". They may be quality when it comes to comparing only zamak razors but when comparing across the entire industry, I would say the word quality really can only be attributed to those who are making stainless steel, brass, titanium or other metals that do not corrode or rust. Quality at this point has to equate to a razor that not only shaves well but will also last essentially forever. Just my 2 cents.

I mostly agree with you. I think we need to be careful here lest, "the those who think the more money you pay the better it is crowd carry the day." Which is not necessarily the case, especially where quality of shaves comes into play. TobyC used to say, "Just get a Old Type or a Piccolo and call it a day"...but yes.

 

[Steve_in_CT]

There are a ton of quality razor manufacturers. With the quality being made by those mentioned already, and some at very reasonable prices, I wonder if you can really include companies that use pot metal or zamak when using the word "quality". They may be quality when it comes to comparing only zamak razors but when comparing across the entire industry, I would say the word quality really can only be attributed to those who are making stainless steel, brass, titanium or other metals that do not corrode or rust. Quality at this point has to equate to a razor that not only shaves well but will also last essentially forever. Just my 2 cents.

I'm inclined to agree with you, although I still think that my Merkur Progress and Edwin Jagger DE89 are awfully nice razors. With the more recent explosion of sub $100 stainless steel and brass razors, it's hard to view those zamak razors as the highest quality for the money. But much like those who are Fatip fans despite less than stellar finishes and tolerances, I also see a great deal of value in those high quality zamak razors. You can get many years of great shaves from those razors - if not a lifetime.