S
Squinty
Hello to you too and thank you, I'll make a visit to the thread whilst the politicians take a break
Ralf Aust vs Max Sprecher
- Thread starter mspencerpc
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Hello to you too and thank you, I'll make a visit to the thread whilst the politicians take a break
I own a few of each. Both are wonderful, beautifully crafted tools which get the job done. As stated above, Aust is a small production factory putting out a fantastic product. I don't believe anyone would be disappointed with an Aust. On the other hand, Max Sprecher puts out a custom piece which is a work of art. Of the ones I own, they are pretty damn close to perfect. How they look, perform, balance, and feel in hand is hard to beat. Yes, they are expensive. For me, I have found I get greater joy from using a beautiful piece like this vs just another razor which provides a good shave. Another thing about a Sprecher, they are definately beefier than others I have used.
I shave strictly with a straight and own many. I find when I select the daily shaver, it is difficult to grab something other than one of Max's creations!
**not to mention he is a great individual and easy to work with**
I shave strictly with a straight and own many. I find when I select the daily shaver, it is difficult to grab something other than one of Max's creations!
**not to mention he is a great individual and easy to work with**
Will a custom shave you better than a mass produced razor? I don’t think so. Is it nice to have a custom razor where the artisan devoted time and energy and his expertise to make it? Absolutely.
You don’t start with a custom, you start with a production razor and eventually maybe you go with a custom.
Will it offend some people who think you spent too much? It seems it will but hey we live in a free country so you can decide for yourself
By the way if you think 600 is too much go look at a NOS Iwasaki Tamahagane western.
Bottom line if you want a Sprecher and you don’t spend your mortgage money on it then go for it.
You don’t start with a custom, you start with a production razor and eventually maybe you go with a custom.
Will it offend some people who think you spent too much? It seems it will but hey we live in a free country so you can decide for yourself
By the way if you think 600 is too much go look at a NOS Iwasaki Tamahagane western.
Bottom line if you want a Sprecher and you don’t spend your mortgage money on it then go for it.
S
Squinty
I've noticed the NOS Iwasaki Tamahagane a while back on a random natural stone search.
A razor made from steel with the same metallurgical composition as the finest Japanese swords. Shave like a Samurai.
A razor made from steel with the same metallurgical composition as the finest Japanese swords. Shave like a Samurai.
I don't have much to add to the above. If you are looking for an excellent shaver and prefer hollow ground razors, then pick the Aust. If you like the aesthetics of the Sprecher, and enjoy 1/4 ground razors, and the cost isn't an issue, choose the Sprecher. Max is a very nice person who is very communicative, enjoys discussing razors as well as almost everything else about shaving, and will happily see you in his shop in Las Vegas. I assume Ralf Aust is the same from the video of him in his shop posted on Maggard Razors. If you are looking for an artisan razor, there are many making beautiful razors in that price range. Our own bluesman7 (Victor) of Bluesman Blades makes very beautiful razors and his hollow grind is unbeatable.
Max Sprecher razors look to be at the top end aesthetically.
As an amateur I thought it would be too much of a gamble
if it turned out that straights aren't for me.
So I went with a Koraat bellied full hollow.
I have my eye on a 1/4 hollow and find Brian Browns stuff
classic and not crazy expensive.
If I do ever get proficient at straights and figure out all the
ins and outs of being self sufficient at honing, I will definitely
consider a MS razor.
As an amateur I thought it would be too much of a gamble
if it turned out that straights aren't for me.
So I went with a Koraat bellied full hollow.
I have my eye on a 1/4 hollow and find Brian Browns stuff
classic and not crazy expensive.
If I do ever get proficient at straights and figure out all the
ins and outs of being self sufficient at honing, I will definitely
consider a MS razor.
Brian Brown razors are really nice. Seems lately they have gotten hard to come by though.
Yes. Very rare type of steel.
As an beginner, I think you took quite a jump into the deep end with a Koraat! I have a few and love them as well!
As I said earlier, they will all get the job done given they are honed properly. The rest is personal preference. Some are happy driving a ford taurus and others need a Porsche or a Bently. They will both get you where your going but the "drive" is completely different.
Have 2 Max razors and about 5 Aust to be exact. Only use the spreachers with 3+ days of growth. Aust and japanese straights are my daily drivers. Done buying Max razors but will continue to buy the Aust. Both are excellent!! Korat next! Cant find Brown
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Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
what is the grind on your sprecher ....and the Aust/Japanese straights that you use daily?
The edge is what I really feel matters most. I have preferences, and some razors look better to me than others, but it generally does come back to how the razor was honed, maintained, and how well it shaves.
I have Williams, Brown, Koraat, Hart, Aust, Bengall, W&B, Joseph Elliot, Wacker, & Sprecher razors.
Some steel is harder than others, some hones easier, and some hold an edge longer.
The 1/4 hollow & near wedges are heavier than the 1/2 & full hollows - and the 5/8 & 6/8 are a little more maneuverable compared to the 7/8 & 8/8 sizes.
Edges being equal, I can reach for any of them and have a fantastic shave. Since I have a choice, I tend to grab 1/4 hollow or near wedges a lot, and the 8/8 do a great job at catching lather.
I drive my 1/4 hollow, 8/8 Sprecher a lot. It looks great, shaves great, and holds an edge as well as any other.
I have Williams, Brown, Koraat, Hart, Aust, Bengall, W&B, Joseph Elliot, Wacker, & Sprecher razors.
Some steel is harder than others, some hones easier, and some hold an edge longer.
The 1/4 hollow & near wedges are heavier than the 1/2 & full hollows - and the 5/8 & 6/8 are a little more maneuverable compared to the 7/8 & 8/8 sizes.
Edges being equal, I can reach for any of them and have a fantastic shave. Since I have a choice, I tend to grab 1/4 hollow or near wedges a lot, and the 8/8 do a great job at catching lather.
I drive my 1/4 hollow, 8/8 Sprecher a lot. It looks great, shaves great, and holds an edge as well as any other.
You’d have to be a real tool to shell out for one of these:
My goodness what would one these run you, let alone seven of them. That’s a “3” you see not 2:
You do this long enough and I’m pretty sure you’ll own both Aust and a Sprecher. Scratch that itch and get both. It’s fun trust me.
This is for the new mob:
My goodness what would one these run you, let alone seven of them. That’s a “3” you see not 2:
You do this long enough and I’m pretty sure you’ll own both Aust and a Sprecher. Scratch that itch and get both. It’s fun trust me.
This is for the new mob:
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I believe you may be enquiring about two razor makers that each represent "best value" at their respective price points.
Ralf Aust razors are exceptionally well made, with attention to detail unheard of at his prices. One can get a plain "starter" razor, truly shave-ready, from Aust for the price of a sloppy, mass-produced lower-end Dovo...which will definitely need honing, if not remedial work.
Böker's are exhibiting better quality control these days but still cannot compete with a basic Aust on price, and are not shave-ready.
Of course, Aust makes fancier razors at higher prices, but even there I feel you get more for your money from Aust.
I understand that no German manufacturers forge their own blanks these days (not even in Solingen), and Aust is no exception, but it is what he does with those third-party blanks that sets him apart.
[ps. the blanks are German. Beware of steel from Pakistan, India or China.]
Sprecher is essentially an artisan in a class by himself. He spares no expense and takes no short-cuts and as a result his razors are among the most beautiful in the world...true works of art.
And their functionality is first-rate, too. He is a world-class honemeister with decades of experience and a self-described perfectionist.
His blades are probably the best in the world to-day. I believe he forges them himself. In fact, he claims to make every part of the razor from scratch.
His greatest calling-card may be that he will craft a bespoke razor to a client's individual specifications.
Few in the world even do that, and nobody does it better.
Of course his razors are quite dear, but considering the quality and exquisite beauty of these precision instruments, to say nothing of the time he invests in each one, I would consider his razors to be veritable bargains!
Whether one thinks his razors are beautiful or overly-ornate/gaudy is truly beside the point.
He makes whatever his customers want and most of them want such a razor.
However, Sprecher will make you a "plain-Jane" razor if that's what you desire. It will be world-class in all respects, but merely simple and unadorned.
That said, I wouldn't recommend a Sprecher as a starter razor, even to one who can easily afford it. A novice learning to hone would undoubtedly ruin it. And even if it was sent in for honing, a novice might ruin it by dropping or dinging, improper stropping, or improper cleaning/storage leading to rust and scales issues.
You wouldn't learn to drive in a Bristol Bullet, would you?
Ralf Aust razors are exceptionally well made, with attention to detail unheard of at his prices. One can get a plain "starter" razor, truly shave-ready, from Aust for the price of a sloppy, mass-produced lower-end Dovo...which will definitely need honing, if not remedial work.
Böker's are exhibiting better quality control these days but still cannot compete with a basic Aust on price, and are not shave-ready.
Of course, Aust makes fancier razors at higher prices, but even there I feel you get more for your money from Aust.
I understand that no German manufacturers forge their own blanks these days (not even in Solingen), and Aust is no exception, but it is what he does with those third-party blanks that sets him apart.
[ps. the blanks are German. Beware of steel from Pakistan, India or China.]
Sprecher is essentially an artisan in a class by himself. He spares no expense and takes no short-cuts and as a result his razors are among the most beautiful in the world...true works of art.
And their functionality is first-rate, too. He is a world-class honemeister with decades of experience and a self-described perfectionist.
His blades are probably the best in the world to-day. I believe he forges them himself. In fact, he claims to make every part of the razor from scratch.
His greatest calling-card may be that he will craft a bespoke razor to a client's individual specifications.
Few in the world even do that, and nobody does it better.
Of course his razors are quite dear, but considering the quality and exquisite beauty of these precision instruments, to say nothing of the time he invests in each one, I would consider his razors to be veritable bargains!
Whether one thinks his razors are beautiful or overly-ornate/gaudy is truly beside the point.
He makes whatever his customers want and most of them want such a razor.
However, Sprecher will make you a "plain-Jane" razor if that's what you desire. It will be world-class in all respects, but merely simple and unadorned.
That said, I wouldn't recommend a Sprecher as a starter razor, even to one who can easily afford it. A novice learning to hone would undoubtedly ruin it. And even if it was sent in for honing, a novice might ruin it by dropping or dinging, improper stropping, or improper cleaning/storage leading to rust and scales issues.
You wouldn't learn to drive in a Bristol Bullet, would you?
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Man that Zowada looks amazing.
what is the grind on your sprecher ....and the Aust/Japanese straights that you use daily?
1/4 hollow on the Sprecher's. Couple of the Aust seem to be full hollow. [emoji6]
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1/4 hollow on the Sprecher's. Couple of the Aust seem to be full hollow. [emoji6]
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Im just trying to understand why so many folks consider razors like Koraat/Sprecher/Zowada
etc as ill advised for beginners?
Is it only because there is a high chance of ruining the blade by incorrect stropping
or honing?
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