I have only seen perhaps 1-2 Hart Steel Razors, on The Shave Den site. I was wondering what people thought of them? If you have one, please post pics of them, and talk about the pros and cons, if you can. ..
I own two, I’m happy with both of them. The steel is good but the scales are a bit ‘primitive’. The take a good edge and I have no problems honning them.
Mine is in storage .I will take it out a post pics for you .My feelings about them are the same as Keith;s .Good Steel and good shaver ,Basic scales .
Good razor but not really my "cup of tea". I have no issues with the blade or steel it's made from. It takes a nice edge. Kinda like shaving with the razor equivalent a 1970 Caddy. It's a big heavy razor.
Having never tried one or even seen one in person I can’t add anything useful. But I will add that I never bought one because I thought the scales looked too bulky. Especially where the wedge normally goes.
Y'know, it's funny. I enjoy looking at and owning some absolutely slick looking, dandied up, bling sticks as much as anyone else, but I seem to get my most satisfying, effortless shaves with my old Sheffield wedges, the ones that I've only just cleaned up and honed.
I have three of them. Two are 6/8 Sq point. One is 5/8 Sq point. They are all great shavers. As far as quality, I think they are excellent. But some of that comes down to preference. They are 1/4 hollow grind, so they do not flex much. The shoulder/spine are also very unique to the Hart product, which may make them feel a bit different on a strop or stone. The edges have a slight smile to them. It is my understanding that all of the Michigan artisans have left the company within a year or two after Hart was acquired by Classic Shaving. As far as I know, the only ones still available are existing stock or they are made in Sandpoint, Idaho in the "Blades Grim" Facility. My first w/ Cocobolo scales Second w/ personal etching and (blonde?) wood scales Third - 5/8 w/ original plastic scales If you get on Classic Shaving's email list, they do put the Hart product on sale periodically. I have a couple coupon codes that may work to get you 15-20% off. DM me if interested.
Anything other than 5/8 and 6/8 are considered their "Artisanal" series. Classic shaving basically cleared out all of their inventory, including a bunch of one-off and unique razors made by their Michigan artisans. There are still a few stores that carry Hart razors. They may still have stock on 7/8. Q Brothers in Chicago carries them. According to their website (smallflower), they are sold out of 7/8. I will be there on May 2 for a wetshavers' event. I will ask if they have any that are not listed on the site or if they have another source. You also have another option, and that is to contact the former makers of the Hart product. They are: (Every Hart razor has the initials of the blademaker etched on the tang - If you own a Hart, it was made by one of these guys)) Randy Buckmaster -The 6/8 shown on his page is 100% identical to the standard Hart 6/8. I'm sure he'd be happy to make a 7/8 Terry Van Norman -He seems to be moving in the direction of axes & knives, but he is still just as good w/ razors. He puts the identical etchings on his razors (minus the Hart name) that are on Hart blades. Message him on FB to inquire further. Bruce Gregory He sells primarily through Maggard's under their house brand (Maggard/TTFFC). There are a couple 7/8 listed on the Maggard site. These are the same blades you would have gotten under the Hart name, but the scales are bit more...upscale (pun intended) than the plastic ones included with Hart James Arman -Super nice guy! I've chatted with him on the SRP - FB page (the one run by Lynn Abrams). Message him on FB to inquire further. All of them are now making razors independently, (some more actively than others) and most offer razors that are modeled after the Hart product. Bottom line....you have options. I will edit this post after my visit to Q Brothers.
Inspired by this thread I decided to use my 7+/8 Hart Steel. It reminds me of Brutalist Architecture, ugly but functional. Actually, I like the look and style, nothing fancy or ornate about this razor but it takes and holds a nice edge and is a pleasure to shave with. This one I bought back before the change in ownership.
I always thought this was a interesting piece of info about the early Hart razors... Tim Zowada was an early “hired gun” (to use his phrase) in the formation of the company. He did all the initial designs, prototypes, and engineering. Seems that he also trained the earliest guys in the grinding, heat treating, and honing processes. His affiliation ended in March 2012. Not sure how exactly to tell the old from the new, but sounds like a stamp of approval to me. That info was from a Tim Zowada post back in 2013. Tom
I believe Tim is fairly good friends with all of them. His son, Nate Zowada, has a business called "Nate's Straights" that does honing and restoration. Nate did also make custom razors for a short while, but he eventually started referring customers to Randy Buckmaster. The northern Michigan blademakers are a tight group. As for Tim, he is on a completely different level. He smelts his own steel from locally sourced iron ore. I've chatted with him a bit about metallurgy and testing, and I've given an open invitation to visit my company's test lab in the Chicago area. After Classic Shaving acquired Hart, they brought Tim in as a consultant for the Blades Grim razors that they were producing in Sandpoint, Idaho. It is my understanding that they were producing a lot of junky razors, which earned them a spot on the shave library "Brands of Straight Razors to Avoid" list. Apparently, they completely shut down production and retooled according to Tim's instructions. HERE is a link to the SRP thread where Tim actually chimes in regarding Blades Grim. It's my understanding that the Grim Blades are now very good quality. I don't think they are a big seller though. I have never personally seen a SOTD pic with one of them. They're nice looking, but they're firmly priced at around $300.
I had the opportunity to buy one, exactly like this one, you just posted for $100, but passed. It has since sold for $110.
Well, I broke down, and bought a used Hart Steel Razor, Made by James Arman. It was a last minute listing on Ebay Auction, listed as Hartsteel, and there was 9 minutes left, when I saw it. So, I bought it. It is a 6/8th Round point, but looks more like a 5/8th in the photo. It looks to be in decent shape. Any info on this one??
