Top 5 luxury manufacturers

[BradWorld]

Wolfman, Charcoal Good, Timeless, Blackland, H&S.

Should Rockwell really make this list? Those are mass produced, and cosmetically look like they were designed to be parts in a 1970’s carburetor. Not a judgment on how they shave mind you. They do shave great. But I wouldn’t consider them luxury or artisanal. I was on the Rockwell from the original KS campaign. So I’m 100% familiar with the razors. But I just can’t get past the industrial looks and the huge blocky head.
Razorock is questionable for this list as well. Definitely awesome razors. And I have tons of them. I’m a big fan. But are they really luxury? Inexpensive and fairly utilitarian in nature. And they come with cheap imported mass produced handles.

Again not a judgement about shave or quality. Just asking about whether these two are really in the luxury category.

 

[JCarr]

My list is in order of availability and affordability.

RazoRock
Karve
Blackland
Timeless
Charcoal Goods

 

[Benoni]

Tatara?

 

[Joncr]

Timeless, Razorock, Rockwell, Above the Tie and Karve - have, own, and enjoy each of them add Edwin Jagger DE89 and those 6 are why I prefer modern to vintage razors. For me CG and Ikon never measured up to these 5. I don’t expect I will be trying the several others on the list or mentioned in posts on this thread.The manufactures I already respect and enjoy have so many options/models - four Timeless models ( Titanium, Bronze, Aluminum and SS) as well as three Rockwell models ( 6S, 6C, and Model T ) and three Karve models ( brass, stainless and aluminum ) and many Above the Tie and Razorock versions. I don’t expect I will have time and money to try them all let alone explore unknown artisans. Oh well.

 

[Hannah's Dad]

I’ve been most impressed with:

Blackland
Wolfman
Charcoal Goods
Timeless
H&S

 

[BradWorld]

Wolfman, Charcoal Good, Timeless, Blackland, H&S.

Blackland
Wolfman
Charcoal Goods
Timeless
H&S

Great minds think alike!

 

[jefffeith]

Tatara is my favorite razor. I’d consider it premium.

 

[GlazedBoker]

Is luxury classified by cost, alloy or mode of construction (cnc, mim, cast, forged etc)? Luxury is different for many here on the shave forums.

No order in particular and my top 5. (In my shave den that I own).

Timeless
H&S
Carbon Shaving
HomelikeShaving
Razor Emporium

 

[merovirginian]

Yes, this was an oversight.

An evergreen response by everyone who created a poll on B&B

they were designed to be parts in a 1970’s carburetor

I really enjoyed this take on the classic Rockwell 6s looks 'industrial'.

 

[J.Atique]

Of listed razors, currently I have Ikon and Above The Tie. Feather AS-D2 is an excellent premium razor (not Listed!).
I must say, Above the Tie Windsor Pro gave a notably excellent shave and extremely smooth, a great blade feedback. A well made, flawless beautiful polished razor.
I would say ABOVE THE TIE.

 

[Music]

My favorites are:

Yates
Tatara
Charcoal Goods
Blackland

 

[Furex]

Is luxury classified by cost, alloy or mode of construction (cnc, mim, cast, forged etc)? Luxury is different for many here on the shave forums.

What the thread is suggesting is that perceived quality more or less positively correlates with higher prices and limited availability.

Manufacturers that do not charge top dollar and/or do not have limited production runs, tend to be seen as second tier even though they might be using premium materials and production processes.

The question "what are the top quality manufacturers" is being replaced, mostly subconsciously, with the question "what are the most exclusive manufacturers", which gets answered instead.

This happens largely because objectively assessing quality is hard, more so for those who are not industry insiders, whereas price and availability are very easy to gauge.

 

[BradWorld]

What the thread is suggesting is that perceived quality more or less positively correlates with higher prices and limited availability.

Manufacturers that do not charge top dollar and/or do not have limited production runs, tend to be seen as second tier even though they might be using premium materials and production processes.

The question "what are the top quality manufacturers" is being replaced, mostly subconsciously, with the question "what are the most exclusive manufacturers", which gets answered instead.

This happens largely because objectively assessing quality is hard, more so for those who are not industry insiders, whereas price and availability are very easy to gauge.

I dont agree with this. It's not a subconscious thing for me. I have owned hundreds of razors and nothing shaves for me as well as a Wolfman or Charcoal Goods. If I could find a $40 razor that works as well for me, I would use it every shave. But I cant. I have weird facial hair that is light and swirls around in circles in spots. I get a better shave with those two razors. Not because they are expensive or beautiful works of art. They just shave better.

 

[Furex]

I don't mean to steer the discussion away from its main topic, and was merely expanding on a clever observation.

So I'm just going to leave this brief read here, for those who might find the topic enticing, and worthy of more time and attention, and refrain from further discussing the matter.

Scientists are trying to uncover what makes Stradivarius violins special – but are they wasting their time?

A new study analyses the chemistry of a Stradivarius, but there’s little evidence these violins actually sound any better.

theconversation.com

The sample is small but the results are fun (or chilling).

At the end of the day even pros are subject to the same biases as everybody else, but they won't know until they are faced with the results of their own blind tests.

 

[Avi]

I don't mean to steer the discussion away from its main topic, and was merely responding to a question that I found interesting.

So I'm just going to leave this brief read here, for those who might find the topic enticing, and worthy of more time and attention.

Scientists are trying to uncover what makes Stradivarius violins special – but are they wasting their time?

A new study analyses the chemistry of a Stradivarius, but there’s little evidence these violins actually sound any better.

theconversation.com

The sample is small but the results are fun (or chilling).

At the end of the day even pros are subject to the same biases as everybody else, but they won't know until they are faced with the results of their own blind tests.

This is why double blind tests are so important - so neither the tester knows the answer nor does the testee. Actually the flip side of this is the placebo affect (just believing something is real makes it real) is really immense - which points a hidden truism in "mind over matter" e.g. I give you a sugar pill to make you feel better, you will actually quantifiably get better. The human mind is a tremendous thing to behold.

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

An evergreen response by everyone who created a poll on B&B

That sly comment cracked me up - how very "inside baseball" of you.

 

[glm38]

It's razorock for me. Their stainless models. I've tried the pricier razors but for me razorock beats them all. They aren't as highly polished as some others but to me a razor isn't jewelry it's a precision tool and razorock shines in that regard.

one not in the list that deserves mention is feather. Their AS D2 is a fine razor as well.

 

[BradWorld]

I think the differentiator for me is the uniqueness of the engineering in an expensive boutique razor, versus that of a more common razor like Razorock. The Razorock razors are beautiful in their own right, and the price point makes them even more attractive. However, I believe a razor like the Game Changer was made to attract as large of an audience as possible. So the shaving geometry is such that it would work for as big of a cross section of the wet shaving community as possible... aiming for a good blend of comfort versus efficiency at all aggression levels. I think Joe and the team have 100% succeeded at that goal with the Game Changer series. It is a great razor, and I have owned most of them at one point or another.

However, I have a very tricky beard to shave to a full BBS. I have very fine stubbles, but they grow in swirls and circular patterns on my neck. So while I can get a nice BBS on my face with ease, getting any high level result on my neck is a very difficult challenge. The makers of the expensive small batch razors spend many years engineering and perfecting their razors in pursuit of getting their level of shave just that small fraction better than what was there before. This is done in pursuit of that perfect shave. And its done without regard for selling a million razors. Without regard for hitting a reasonable price point. That uniqueness is what makes all of those high end razors so different. For those that have a typical beard, they can use a GC or Tech or whatever they set there hands on, and get a fantastic BBS with every shave. I can not. I have been trying for years to make that happen. It is just not in the cards. So I have to keep searching for that perfect razor that will attack my crazy stubbles in such a way that works for me.

Since I dont have unlimited funds, i have to pick and choose my razors very carefully. This entails reading reviews and looking at videos, websites, etc. So do the exotic materials and the artfulness of the razor's design factor into these decisions? Yes, of course they do. But for me, at the end of the day, its the shave results that speak to whether I keep the razor or not. And unfortunately for me, I have to delve into the world of high end boutique razors to get the shave results I want.

 

[Leverspro]

I think the differentiator for me is the uniqueness of the engineering in an expensive boutique razor, versus that of a more common razor like Razorock. The Razorock razors are beautiful in their own right, and the price point makes them even more attractive. However, I believe a razor like the Game Changer was made to attract as large of an audience as possible. So the shaving geometry is such that it would work for as big of a cross section of the wet shaving community as possible... aiming for a good blend of comfort versus efficiency at all aggression levels. I think Joe and the team have 100% succeeded at that goal with the Game Changer series. It is a great razor, and I have owned most of them at one point or another.

However, I have a very tricky beard to shave to a full BBS. I have very fine stubbles, but they grow in swirls and circular patterns on my neck. So while I can get a nice BBS on my face with ease, getting any high level result on my neck is a very difficult challenge. The makers of the expensive small batch razors spend many years engineering and perfecting their razors in pursuit of getting their level of shave just that small fraction better than what was there before. This is done in pursuit of that perfect shave. And its done without regard for selling a million razors. Without regard for hitting a reasonable price point. That uniqueness is what makes all of those high end razors so different. For those that have a typical beard, they can use a GC or Tech or whatever they set there hands on, and get a fantastic BBS with every shave. I can not. I have been trying for years to make that happen. It is just not in the cards. So I have to keep searching for that perfect razor that will attack my crazy stubbles in such a way that works for me.

Since I dont have unlimited funds, i have to pick and choose my razors very carefully. This entails reading reviews and looking at videos, websites, etc. So do the exotic materials and the artfulness of the razor's design factor into these decisions? Yes, of course they do. But for me, at the end of the day, its the shave results that speak to whether I keep the razor or not. And unfortunately for me, I have to delve into the world of high end boutique razors to get the shave results I want.

Well said, and my experience is similar. I agree on the unique designs that certain razors have which explains why their effectiveness can be such a personal experience based on the uniqueness of a person's beard. I also have had very good success with expensive razors and it seems like the more I spend the better it gets and the jewellery like quality is a bonus. But I've also had good experiences with uniquely designed razors that worked very well for me but were not expensive, namely Karve and Yates Precision.