Suggest a new current stock SR for under USD 150

[rbscebu]

Chinese.

About the only PRC (Chinese) that I can find meeting my requirements are the Gold Dollar W series. I already have their W59 (and love it).

ROC (Taiwan) has Titan that are made with Japanese steels and I already have/had most of their models.

 

[street]

About the only PRC (Chinese) that I can find meeting my requirements are the Gold Dollar W series. I already have their W59 (and love it).

ROC (Taiwan) has Titan that are made with Japanese steels and I already have/had most of their models.

This thing is awesome.
Took some hohning and stropping though.

I have a few Gold Dollars but this thing is way better.

 

[rbscebu]

This thing is awesome.
Took some hohning and stropping though.
View attachment 1298529
I have a few Gold Dollars but this thing is way better.

Honing and stropping doesn't worry me. Do you have a manufacturer, approximate cost and from where it is available?

 

[street]

Honing and stropping doesn't worry me. Do you have a manufacturer, approximate cost and from where it is available?

I believe it was ZY Grandslam. Could be from Gold Dollar. I don't know.

Here it is:

 

[rbscebu]

I believe it was ZY Grandslam. Could be from Gold Dollar. I don't know.

Yes, certainly looks like a GD blade but re-scaled in timber. Found it on AliExpress for about USD 27.50 (free shipping).

 

[Slash McCoy]

This thing is awesome.
Took some hohning and stropping though.
View attachment 1298529
I have a few Gold Dollars but this thing is way better.

That is a reground Gold Dollar, unless my eyes deceive me. When a stamped shank has the stamping ground away, there will still exist some work-hardened steel from beneath the stamping, and persistent polishing with fine abrasives will bring out the design, by removing the softer steel from around the work-hardened steel, making a bas-relief representation of the original. Even just sanding will often bring out detectable traces of the stamping. look at your shank closely and you can see this. Notice that this is the show side of the blade. if you turn it over and look at the back side, I predict that you will see a much more homogenous surface. Also, you might want to compare the jimps to those of a GD. I believe the jimps are die forged into the shank rather than ground. Check it out and see what you think. It is definitely not the ZY Grand Slam, though. Look at the stabilizer.

The monkeytail also looks very Gold Dollarish.

The GD factory will cheerfully sell you blades partially finished at any stage of completion. They will even stamp or etch or silk screen your logo for you, and within limits, apply your choice of scales. typically they will want an MOQ of 1000 units though she will sell you 100 unmarked and unscaled blades at no extra charge, In fact you can generally negotiate a price less than the wholesale price of the whole scaled and marked razor as shown in the product listing, if you don't want scales.

So, often when you see a cheap razor or even a not so cheap razor that is shaped a lot like a Gold Dollar, that may well be exactly what it is. Some buyers will simply buy whole GD66 razors, toss the scales, do a bit of grinding, put some new shoes on, and call it their own brand. CiCi don't care. She just wants your money, not fame or glory or credit for manufacturing the raw blade. It would not surprise me if they sell more bare blades to re-branders than whole razors to resellers.

I forget who it was, and I wouldn't want to call them out anyway, but a few years ago a popular supplier was selling replacement blades that absolutely were Gold Dollar. They also of course sold replacement scales and pin kits. For under $40 you could buy the parts for building a whole razor and put it together and have a perfectly good $4 razor for your trouble. I thought it was kind of funny. When I asked, the proprietor admitted the source of the blade so at least he gets points for honesty. And it's just steel, anyway, and fairly good steel at that, so no harm done.

I may be wrong about your razor being a GD but I think it is very likely to be one.

 

[street]

That is a reground Gold Dollar, unless my eyes deceive me. When a stamped shank has the stamping ground away, there will still exist some work-hardened steel from beneath the stamping, and persistent polishing with fine abrasives will bring out the design, by removing the softer steel from around the work-hardened steel, making a bas-relief representation of the original. Even just sanding will often bring out detectable traces of the stamping. look at your shank closely and you can see this. Notice that this is the show side of the blade. if you turn it over and look at the back side, I predict that you will see a much more homogenous surface. Also, you might want to compare the jimps to those of a GD. I believe the jimps are die forged into the shank rather than ground. Check it out and see what you think. It is definitely not the ZY Grand Slam, though. Look at the stabilizer.

The monkeytail also looks very Gold Dollarish.

The GD factory will cheerfully sell you blades partially finished at any stage of completion. They will even stamp or etch or silk screen your logo for you, and within limits, apply your choice of scales. typically they will want an MOQ of 1000 units though she will sell you 100 unmarked and unscaled blades at no extra charge, In fact you can generally negotiate a price less than the wholesale price of the whole scaled and marked razor as shown in the product listing, if you don't want scales.

So, often when you see a cheap razor or even a not so cheap razor that is shaped a lot like a Gold Dollar, that may well be exactly what it is. Some buyers will simply buy whole GD66 razors, toss the scales, do a bit of grinding, put some new shoes on, and call it their own brand. CiCi don't care. She just wants your money, not fame or glory or credit for manufacturing the raw blade. It would not surprise me if they sell more bare blades to re-branders than whole razors to resellers.

I forget who it was, and I wouldn't want to call them out anyway, but a few years ago a popular supplier was selling replacement blades that absolutely were Gold Dollar. They also of course sold replacement scales and pin kits. For under $40 you could buy the parts for building a whole razor and put it together and have a perfectly good $4 razor for your trouble. I thought it was kind of funny. When I asked, the proprietor admitted the source of the blade so at least he gets points for honesty. And it's just steel, anyway, and fairly good steel at that, so no harm done.

I may be wrong about your razor being a GD but I think it is very likely to be one.

Well it's a ZY Grandslam.I remember buying it.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Well it's a ZY Grandslam.I remember buying it.

Okay then.

But the ZY Grand Slam shown above has no stabilizer. Just sayin. Maybe they change it. Fooled me.

 

[AdamAZ]

For my money I would buy an Ertan Suer razor from France. He is the a one man operation in France who is actually originally from Turkey. All of his razors have impressed me and I think that he finishes them on paste after he hones them because they have very smooth edges.

At $132.44 his 5/8 would fit the bill, but I prefer the ones that are forged in France by him for a little bit more money. My 6/8 of this same model (forged in France) is still popping hairs after twenty eight (three pass) shaves.

Rasoir Sabre France Campiono 5CA122ROEST Ertan Suer French Straight Razor | Carbon Steel | 5/8 Size | Full Hollow Ground | Spanish Point | Rosewood Handle | Made in France {Forged in Solingen Germany} | The Superior Shave

 

[street]

Okay then.

But the ZY Grand Slam shown above has no stabilizer. Just sayin. Maybe they change it. Fooled me.

This it.Picture from the web.

 

[Slash McCoy]

This it.Picture from the web.
View attachment 1302414

Exactly. And the one you showed in post #22 has a stabilizer.

 

[street]

Exactly. And the one you showed in post #22 has a stabilizer.

What is a stabilizer?

 

[rbscebu]

What is a stabilizer?

The thicker piece of the blade that runs from near the heel to the shoulder. It is used to add stiffness to the blade.

 

[Eastcoast30]

@rbscebu I am wondering why you want wood scales. I have always been hesitant to get wood scales because of the exposure to moisture. I know they can be treated to resist moisture. And wood is both beautiful and natural, but so is bone, horn, kirinite, etc. Any specific reason this one needs to be timber? Or just a preference?

 

[dabrock]

Has anyone used a Timor razor. Looks like it's made by Giesen and Forsthoff from Solingen. Walmart is selling them dirt cheap on their online site and I've seen some of their higher-end blades at Kent of Englewood, where I bought most of my other non-GD razors. I imagine the steel is good since they use the same blanks as any other from what I understand, but I haven't seen much out there on this brand.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Has anyone used a Timor razor. Looks like it's made by Giesen and Forsthoff from Solingen. Walmart is selling them dirt cheap on their online site and I've seen some of their higher-end blades at Kent of Englewood, where I bought most of my other non-GD razors. I imagine the steel is good since they use the same blanks as any other from what I understand, but I haven't seen much out there on this brand.

The Timor and the Giesens and Forsthoff brands both have sort of a checkered past. Definitely better than a Pakistani RSO even at their worst, but nothing to write home about. Both HAVE been known to indicate reasonably decent quality razors at various points in time. However, Walmart selling them "dirt cheap"? You get one, and let us know how it works out for you. If I want a cheap new razor I know where I stand with Gold Dollars. Or Titans. If I just want cheap, I will look for an American vintage such as a Genco or a Union Spike. Good steel, good grinding. Mass manufactured in the hundreds of thousands and common enough to this day to be pretty cheap.

 

[dabrock]

The Timor and the Giesens and Forsthoff brands both have sort of a checkered past. Definitely better than a Pakistani RSO even at their worst, but nothing to write home about. Both HAVE been known to indicate reasonably decent quality razors at various points in time. However, Walmart selling them "dirt cheap"? You get one, and let us know how it works out for you. If I want a cheap new razor I know where I stand with Gold Dollars. Or Titans. If I just want cheap, I will look for an American vintage such as a Genco or a Union Spike. Good steel, good grinding. Mass manufactured in the hundreds of thousands and common enough to this day to be pretty cheap.

Thanks, I already have several GDs and a Titan on order, but not sure I want to spend on the Timor, so that was the point of my post. Looks like I'll probably pass on this then.

 

[rbscebu]

@rbscebu I am wondering why you want wood scales. I have always been hesitant to get wood scales because of the exposure to moisture. I know they can be treated to resist moisture. And wood is both beautiful and natural, but so is bone, horn, kirinite, etc. Any specific reason this one needs to be timber? Or just a preference?

Just a personal preference. I'm a timber sort of bloke. I treat my timber scales with an application of floor wax inside and out about every 2 or 3 months to prevent water absorption. Works well for me.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Thanks, I already have several GDs and a Titan on order, but not sure I want to spend on the Timor, so that was the point of my post. Looks like I'll probably pass on this then.

I was sort of challenged to do a Titan vs GD shootout by <ahem> someone on this forum a few months ago. Believe it or not, I found the cheapest of Titan's product line to overall be the best of the bunch. That was I think just a hair over $20 and it compared favorably to a better GD. I don't remember the model number. Anyway I liked it a lot more than the more expensive Titans. Some of them were a bit chippy, and most had metal lined and metal bolstered scales, and heavy ones, too. I prefer the razor balance between thumb and forefinger, maybe be just a tiny bit out on the blade. Heavy scales to me feel very awkward when honing, stropping, or shaving. YMMV.

Best bang for the buck, the GD P81. Hands down. Fairly easy to get it sorted out, recommended for newbie honers on a budget. The entry level Titan is okay, though.

My FAVORITE new razor of course is the Dovo Bismarck or any similar blade from Solingen... they apparently all originate from the same factory. The various makers just do final grinding and marking and put some shoes on. Very ergonomic and you occasionally see a plain vanilla one for right around $150. I have several, and also a few of the original Bismarck branded Bismarck #2 that is the pattern for these new generation Bismarcks.

 

[rbscebu]

I was sort of challenged to do a Titan vs GD shootout by <ahem> someone on this forum a few months ago. Believe it or not, I found the cheapest of Titan's product line to overall be the best of the bunch. That was I think just a hair over $20 and it compared favorably to a better GD. I don't remember the model number. Anyway I liked it a lot more than the more expensive Titans.
....

That Titan model you have forgotten was their ACRM-2 T.H.60 (etched on the blade's face). On AliExpress it is about USD 20 including free delivery and a denim strop with a piece of stropping paste (if that's your thing).

The T.H.60 is a good valued SR with decent timber scales. The blade does however need to be honed up to shave-ready from new. Once that is done, it holds a good edge for a long time.