Nice one, Cedric. And one of the things that really got me thinking about two years ago. Here is the gist.
If you are even remotely competent at working with eBay sniper tools, you can get serviceable razors for under USD 10 in decent amounts. Fixing scales is not that difficult, either. Besides, OK looking scales can be had for
USD 10 or less. Provided it is a hollow ground blade in halfway decent state, cleaning and fixing takes less than an hour. Then you sell.
Check the prices
here or
here. Compare them to the prices in the same forum three years ago. Then compare them to
this. What do you see?
First, the prices for razors have risen sharply. Even more so by the usual suspects, ie the hyped brands like W&B (I've yet to find one I would keep), Dubl Duck (if you had the choice between German beer and German export beer, which one would you buy? Thought so...), or Filarmonica (you could get two
new Revisor razors for the price of one, but they would have scales worth the name). Others are going up, like the Swedes (got relatives in Sweden?
Get rich quick!!!1).
Second, there is a growing number of people cashing in on the market situation. More people looking for straight razors, less good ones in the market, resulting in the sale of razors no-one would have bought three years ago. Not that there
really is a shortage. There is a guy who runs a market stall here in Berlin who has several boxes (not shoe boxes, but moving boxes, the big kind) of NOS Solingen razors. No name ones (and a few with names, too). He sells them for 40-60 EUR, which is a realistic price. Then there are probably thousands of heirlooms somewhere in this country, but no-one knows what they are any more. I was lucky and got a few from makers whose names are long since forgotten. They are great razors. One has to keep in mind that the "big brand names" from Solingen had subcontracted major parts of their production to artisans. People were making razors in their homes, and some then sold excess products on the side. But the old Crafts and Trades Regulation Code was still in place, and not just anyone could sell products in Germany. I have said it many times before, but please familiarise yourselves with the proper meaning of the word
Meister. It has little, if anything, to do with the US English use of it. Apart from the legal aspects, it might apply to Bart, in a way. Not that he was properly trained and educated in the honing craft, but with his background in maths and physics, as well as business administration, and his teaching, he is the closest thing. But in one big forum in particular, anyone capable of honing razors is called a honemeister. Marketeering 101: We need more buzzwords, Captain!
Third, certain people keep stirring it. One particular reason I hate forums as a means and a goal at the same time is the need for recognition. The second law of magic: People are stupid. And lazy. In times like these, with attention spans short of the duration of a Fox news interview, they want to be spoon fed. Or, in more friendly terms, people learn by different means. I read technical documentation for fun. I read a lot in general (meaning 500-1500 pages per week). I am reasonably good at turning written information into action. Others need videos, sound clips, or quizzes. But most of all, people need a canonical source of information. Not to air my dirty linen in public, but there were several heated arguments (some of them public, which is why I can comment on them here) with regards to a certain Wiki. My point was: 'The sole purpose of a forum is discussion. But discussion for its own sake is a semi-intelligent exercise in mental masturbation. The ultimate purpose of a forum should be to aggregate, amalgamate, and refine the salient pieces of information into one article, then keep polishing it until it shines. No first person narrative, no slang, jargon or superlatives.
Wikipedia's Manual of Style is the way to go.' Mind you, English is certainly not my first language, and I find it exceedingly difficult to meet these quality standards. But this proposal was not accepted. Two main reasons being, 'forums are fun, library is boring' [sic!], and 'we need to engage people in conversation.'
Excusez-moi, but I do
not need to be engaged in conversation. People like me like their peace and quiet, and a good read on top of that. I want hard and fast, well researched and quality controlled information. I do not want to wade through endless threads with a signal/noise ratio worse than MTV's. I genuinely do not believe that forums have a good potential to actually educate people, but that there is far more to be gained from one well written article with audio-visual support material. Want to know about UniCot honing, buddy? Read the article here, and watch the video. Got any further questions? Ask in the forum, then submit a suggestion for improving the original article. That is the way good information is produced.
But, of course, it is not the way to become a big name in the scene. However, you need a big name in the scene if you want to commercialise you hobby. I have received honemeister honed razors that actually pulled. And I mean,
pulled. No way were they test shaved. One ended up with Bart, and came back as one of my all time favourite razors. I have since re-honed it, and can attest to the fact that a trained monkey could hone that razor with his eyes closed (well, I did not try the latter part, but certainly the former).
Yet, did it ever occur to you that there might be a relation between razors sold, and razors commercially honed? I mean, USD 20 for honing one razor can actually be a lot of fun, especially if you retain the right to accept the problem cases (warped, smiling, wedge). A lot. And I am not even talking about the tax evasion aspect, yet.
You know, I was really lucky. I met quite a few people who told me they refused to sell me certain razors while I was on auto pilot in shopping spree land. I wanted a Filarmonica but got a Mehl. I wanted a Dubl Duck but got a Dorko. I wanted a W&B and... errr got five of them, and they all sucked, and I hate W&B, and... I digress. The thing is, beginners need sound, independent, unbiased advice. 'Dubl Ducks are the best because they are easy to hone' is neither. 'Find a 5/8 and a 6/8 in decent shape from Solingen, preferably from someone who certifiably knows what he is doing and does not overcharge' is, in my opinion. If I ever should become part of a team of people willing to write a beginners guide worth its name, Dubl Duck, Filarmonica, or W&B will not play a part in it, except as a warning to others.
Anyone got a Puma 89 with rubber and box for sale?
Regards,
Robin
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