I've heard of every kind of Straight Razor from every country in the East... From Pakistani to Russian (including Japan) But no one mentioned China. Are they making any? They are flooding the market with pocket knives claiming that they are made with 440 steel. (It's crap steel) But I've not heard of any straight razors yet... But I'm not sure if that's true with my myopic view. There's a chance that I might go this fall to the big country. If I go... maybe picking up something would be an option. Looking for what yawl might know... (Since we got spammed)
Gold Dollars are from China. Quite a few guys have them. They are reported to be pretty good shavers. I'm sure they'll be chiming in shortly.
I just saw a razor on ebay with made in China printed on the coffin. It was called a Double Arrow #66 and made by what looks like Sun-Chung HWA Cutlery. The vendor is out of Jakarta it's worth a look.
If you want one from China look no farther then eBay. I have heard though that razors from China are sub-par and best for mod-razors only. Sent from my phone using some app
I have honed and shaved with Gold Dollar razors, I think I own 2-3. Very good steel, but the main issue is the blade stabilizer had to be ground down, to make honing the entire edge possible. Also, the scales are cheap plastic, on the Gold Dollar 66. The higher end one's have better scales. Many modify these into custom razors, that are works of art, that shave very well too. The ZY razors are supposed to be mad e of very good steel, and are easier to hone, but can be more expensive than the Gold Dollar. I have a ZY on the way from China, for a few weeks now. I believe @Billyfergie is fond of honing these. I am not familiar with the Double Arrow razors, but plan on trying one out soon.
I got this one a while back. It is an XY XIA that was made shave ready, and it only set me back $10.99 and it came with a leather pouch. It was a remarkable deal.
ZY Razors are Fantastic Shavers..I Have Honed & Sold a Few of them & I have had Excellent Feedback from the Buyers..A Wee Tip..I have Played around with a Number of Natural Finishers..ZY Razors Excel with a Synthetic Finisher..And I Mean Excel..Trust Me..I Use 16 K Lapping Film to Finish them..The Same for Current Dovo Razors..ZY Razors have Excellent Factory Grinds & Hone Up & Shave Akin to a Current Dovo.. I Was Gobsmacked at the Qaulity of ZY Razors for the Money..Unless Asked I Would Never Put a Gold Dollar on the Hone Again..The Cheaper 66 Dollars are Quite Badly Ground at the Moment..The More Expensive Gold Dollar 208 is a Far Nicer SR to Hone..Better Ground from the Factory than the Cheap Skate 66 Model at the Moment Anyway.. Billy..
So @Billyfergie if I wanted a cheap practice honing razor I should get a ZY then? Sent from my phone using some app
I picked up a stack of the Double Arrow 66's from a dollar store a few years back - they had hundreds in a bin. Horrible boxes. Got a few Gold Dollars later on. I'll be passing a couple to @DaltonGang for his abuse and entertainment - once he heals from the Pakistani razor
Double Arrow - Early Chinese razors Gold Dollar - Next generation ZY - Titan and a few other names These are all made at the same place, they all are capable of shaving, they have different levels of "Doneness" Keep in mind that I can have them stamped as "Glen's God Razor" tomorrow if I want to order 500 or more, so the name and accouterments mean nothing... Frost, Krigear, Marble, etc etc etc on Ebay all other Chinese brands, there are dozens of names, these have the wrong geometry and temper and will not hold a Shaving Edge unless the luck of the Shaving Gods created one by accident
Oooh - that's right. @DaltonGang - want a real challenge? I have a Kriegar I was going to fling the blade and re-use the scales. You could try to get a shaving edge out of that
I personally prefer to stick with known brands from Sheffield, Solingen, Japan or some American makers. You pretty much know what you're getting (good steel) and many can be had for a very reasonable price.
Sheffield and Solingen can be just like Toledo. Just because they're made in that area doesn't mean they aren't crap. My personal feelings are that if you are going to look for a really good razor - find out what other people have had good luck with. Or, just buy some random lots, and you'll probably get at least one good one
Oh I'm sure there are some stinkers out there from that region, but in my own experience, the majority of razors from these regions that have survived the test of time intact tend to be of excellent quality. Odds are if you find a maker's stamp from these regions, you're more likely to have a decent shaver than buying random lots of unknown origin.
If @gssixgun says the Kriegers are junk, then they are junk. Save the scales, and.toss the blade. But, it would be interesting to see just how bad these really are. Presently, the Paki "Two Gold Man" is the worst I've run into. I do agree, the Gold Dollar 66 is the bottom of the line, for the Gold Dollars. These are best used for those that want to modify, and customize.
I Can Only Talk of the Ones I Have Received Thus Far...I Would Say Yes & Yes..They have a Great Finish from the Factory & Hone Up as Easy as Current Brand New Dovo..I Would always Recommend a New or Good Condition SR to Learn to Hone..Its a Big Enough Learning Curve without the Added Complications of Hone Wear & Or Poor Factory Grindings/Geometry & Levels of Finishing.. Billy..
Yeppers. I can attest to the comment:"I Would always Recommend a New or Good Condition SR to Learn to Hone..Its a Big Enough Learning Curve without the Added Complications of Hone Wear & Or Poor Factory Grindings/Geometry & Levels of Finishing". I tried a lot of worn razors when I first started. This made it difficult learn on, but, conversely, it taught me to deal with all sorts of issues most don't encounter.
I say this with respect to China, a country I've travelled to on business several times: Chinese DE's range from low quality to decent, Chinese DE blades are of poor quality, at least to me. I don't have any experience with any Chinese straights.