Received my Moreville razors today from salonsupplystore off Ebay. They are made in Japan, and the box is marked Misaki. The head of each razor is etched "Moreville Solingen." The KST-7 weights in at 93 Grams, & the KST-5 at 77 Grams. Both are heavy weights. Construction is chrome plated copper alloy. The fit and finish is flawless, and the thread is standard 10-32, so most all handles will fit. The razor is only slightly less aggressive than a Muhle R-41, and may not be a good beginner choice. The blade alignment is straight and even on both models. Balance on both razors is excellent and the knurling on the KST-5 provides an excellent grip surface. The KST-7 with a smooth handle still provided a firm grip because of the curvature and rings on the handle. Both handles are long at 3.75." I did a test shave using a feather blade; one model on one side of my face, one model on the other. Both shaves were outstanding with a 2 pass, & touchup BBS. These razors look far more expensive than the $10.00 they sell for, and IMHO are an outstanding buy.
I tried to find information about the material but could not find. Technically even zamak is a copper alloy as the 'k' in zamak stands for copper. And brass is also a copper alloy... so the material could be anything from good brass to bad pot metal.
That may be true, however considering the overall quality, especially the weight, and fit and finish of these razors, I doubt the manufacturer used a low grade pot metal. Additionally, Japanese made products frequently tend to be much higher quality than those made in some other countries. If I am not mistaken, lower grade pot metals are less dense than high quality copper alloys, and one of the tell tale signs of low grade pot metal is the unusually light weight of the product in proportion to the mass. The KRS-7 for example is heaver than even a Muhle R41.
This might be good, but this is surely fake. A German will never etch Solingen on something made in Japan. Given that they are lying on the razor head, there is no guarantee that they are not lying on the box. If their Solingen is in Japan, their Misaki might be in China. But for $10, does not look bad. I'd buy if it wasn't as aggressive as you mentioned.
I just read two amazon reviews that claim the razor, at least a TTO version is made in Pakistan. Definitely BUYER BEWARE!!
I suspect these razors are produced as many others, where the retailer buys from the various worldwide razor manufacturers and brands/markets them as their own. That's one of the reasons so many supposedly name brand razors have no marking on the razor identifying the sellers brand, as that would require retooling, etching etc. that would increase the cost. I don't necessarily agree with a buyer beware for razors manufactured in Pakistan, as they are one of the major worldwide suppliers of razors and blades, and make many high quality products in addition to low end.
Considering that so many razors are manufactured by so many worldwide manufacturers and rebranded by so many companies as their own brand, it's difficult to actually know who makes what. I really don't care who actually made the razor, I am concerned about the quality of the razor itself, and the quality of the shave it provides. These razors rival the shave quality and appearance of some of the top brands I have in my collection, and at a fraction of the cost. The beautiful handles alone are worth more than the asking price of the entire razor. I don't believe they are lying anywhere, as the item box clearly is marked Misaki which is a Japanese company. Maybe it's a Solingen style or clone, who knows. I bought some Chinese dinners the other day at the grocery store, and they weren't made in China. They were Chinese style food, but made in the US.
I agree with you. But if your diner claimed they were made in China, he'd be lying. You missed my point. Marking "Solingen" on an engineered product is a long standing tradition of stuff authentically made in Solingen. If someone etched that on their product, it is equivalent to marking something "Made in USA" when it's not. At least other cheap Chinese razors are being civil and selling unbranded or under their own brand. This is not the same. VDH does not claim they are Dutch. Micro Touch One does not claim they are German. These people are claiming they are made in Germany by etching Solingen when, in fact, they are not. This is not generic re-branding. If Merkur ever made a razor in other country, they would not etch Solingen on it. I think I'm getting the point across now. Again, not commenting on quality as I haven't used it. But I don't believe one bit that they are made in Japan. It's not a bad thing. But one must know if they are drinking cow milk or horse milk.
I fully understand your point. It's not as putting Made in USA, but analogous to putting "Chicago" on something foreign made. I have no doubt the intent was to imply its a German product. As an example, half the tools at Harbor Freight are labeled with the prominent word "Chicago." Sometimes to determine the country of manufacture, the only clue is a small adhesive sticker on the bottom of the item, once it's out of the original packaging. VDH -Van Der Hagen is a Dutch name and the packaging has a windmill logo. It is a graphic representation of some Dutch influence, but the razor has nothing to do with Holland. The internet is filled with Chinese made razors in addition to other countries manufactured razors, both high and low quality, that are sold not identifying the original country of manufacture. In three piece razors, sometimes the heads are from one country, and the handles from another country. Whether this type of marketing and packaging is right or wrong is not something for me to judge. Again, I really don't care about where a razor is actually manufactured, but do care about the quality of the build and quality of the shave. These razors appear to be high quality and provide an excellent shave.
