Hart Steel Razors - an American Production Straight Razor

[drmoss_ca]

Gentlemen,
It is with great pleasure that I announce the first production straight razor made in North America since - well, since I don't know when! The few American makers of straight razors must have ceased production of straights by the 1920's at the latest, I think. Since then, there have been new straight razors made in France, Germany, Poland and China (I'm not mentioning those made in Pakistan of recycled steel). There have been a few custom razor makers in the US in recent times, but now we have a production razor. Classic Shaving have announced their new line of straight razors, sold under the Hart Steel name. These are made in conjunction with one of the most respected custom manufacturers of straight razors and knives in the USA, who has trained his co-workers in the arts of razor grinding and honing. Imagine that! - the razor grinder rises again! It might seem strange that I am not naming the custom maker involved, but I have been asked no to do so. I expect this is to avoid harming his custom business (I shall write more of this below). This particular razor is the first prototype, and I was honoured to have been sent it for testing in early May.



The blade is made from O-1 carbon steel, with a Rockwell hardness of 63, and has a satin finish rather than a mirror polish. I understand more highly polished versions may be available in the future. It is 6/8 width, and has a half round point.
It is a relatively heavy and stiff quarter hollow grind. Yes! A razor ground thick and stiff is my favourite! Being a prototype, it has no markings on the blade or tang, but the production version will have, and plans are for the blade to have laser engraving, and for there to be jimps on the shank.



Apparently the jimps may take the form of a stippled finish on the shank. The first production run will have a plain tang, but after the first 100 razors are made, the jimps or stippling will be introduced. I can see collectors talking about having a 'pre-jimp' razor in the future! The scales on this prototype are one piece ebony, and have a single pin, or rather, a hex screw to allow easy adjustment of tension and also easy scale replacement. Production models will start with black resin scales in the same shape as the ebony in these photographs. Will at Classic Shaving has mentioned scales being sold separately in case you get tired of the scales that came with the razor. I donʼt know what other kinds of scales are planned, but if they match the quality of these they will be very good for the price point. The hex screw was fully tightened on this prototype, but the razor was still slightly loose. The screws are being cut a little shorter on production models to get around this, so that should not be a problem. Being a prototype, we must expect a few warts on this one, and I believe these will be fixed in the production examples. The razor is nicely balanced and handles as well as any. The bevel is very narrow, and on arrival I could see it was honed extremely well. I understand the honing was done by one of the new recruits who has recently learned the art of razor grinding, and who has evidently got hold of the technique of honing very well indeed. The finish on the razor was unblemished, the blade sits exactly between the scales with no tendency to bind on either side, and the scales are neatly finished. The tail of the tang has a square cross section with fairly sharp corners - I rather like it although it is more usual for these edges to be rounded off.



On arrival, this blade was sharper than any new razor I have bought from Dovo or TI, and many a user would find it as sharp as any they have honed themselves. I confess to a little obsessionality with these things, so I decided to perfect the edge. Using one layer of electrical tape on the spine I gave it 100 there-and-back passes on a lapped Chinese 12k, then 40 on a lapped Spyderco UF. This was followed by 25 there-and- back passes on an Illinois 827 treated with Flexcut Gold, 50 more on another 827 treated with HandAmerican liquid chrome, then the tape was taken off and I gave it 50 on an SRD latigo strop. I shaved with it exclusively for several days, giving it 15 there- and-back passes on linen afterwards, and 30 on latigo before each shave (I use the linen after the shave so as to make sure the edge is dry as well as to re-align the edge).
Blissful shaves - a very quiet shaver with none of the noisy twanging of a full-hollow. Comfortable and close. Just lately I have been finding ways to make a single pass shave sufficiently close to look good all day, and this razor did as good a job as my usual tools (a set of Zowada damascus razors).



It has become beautifully sharp after a few shaves - the linen strop providing the icing on the cake as it so often does. It's not a flashy razor, but it is a quality razor. The fit and finish are excellent, and the important part - the ability to take an edge that will knock your socks off - is as good as any other razor I have. It's the first and only production straight razor made in North America for a long time. It also gives the straight shaver a relatively cheap way to own a razor by someone whose work is normally much more expensive. Having said that, I should point out that this razor is not a competitor to the kind of razor you buy as a custom piece from this maker. Those razors will have perfectly finished scales in exotic materials, usually heavy quarter or half hollow damascus blades, a nice presentation case to hold the razor, and a price tag to match. Being a prototype, I donʼt know how these razors will ship - they may come with a box or case but Iʼm not privy to such things. Even if it doesnʼt come in a fancy case it wonʼt matter, as this razor begs to be used, not stored in a box! This is a workmanlike razor, and is mechanically first class, but not fancy in any way. It hones up and shaves just as well as the fancier razors available as custom items, but they cost up to five times as much. Your choice! From what I have seen the apprentice razor grinders have learned their work well, and do justice to the blanks they are given to finish. Anyone looking to buy a new, good quality razor could do far worse than to buy one of these excellent shavers.



Late Breaking News!
I have been sent photos of the actual production razors, with some changes from my prototype. The spine is, to use a sheep farming term, a swayback - slightly concave, which gives a very old-fashioned look.



The shank has the name Hart Steel and a stag's head logo on one side, and Made in the USA on the other, along with the initials of the razor grinder responsible for that particular razor. Here they are:



There will be a website going live next week describing these razors, and they should be available for purchase from Classic Shaving by the end of next week. A message from Classic Shaving tonight tells me "They will be enclosed in an Soft Elk Skin Sheath and a wooden gift box….We will be asking $239.99 for them, which of course includes free shipping in the U.S." There will also be two razors finished and honed by the custom razor maker himself, with special teak scales and matching brushes that will be auctioned with the proceeds going to cancer charities. They will be really special collector's pieces as well as excellent shavers, and I would encourage all who can to bid for them! I must say, I am rather excited to see straight razors back in production in the USA - there's little wrong with the products of Solingen and Thiers, but variety and choice are generally good things, and these razors can compete very comfortably with the very best products of those two towns!

Chris

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"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace

[Lee]

Awesome!

The int'l production market needs some American competition

[GA Russell]

Very interesting!

Chris, would you say that at the $240 price point, it is still too good for most beginners?

If so, what would you recommend for a beginner?

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Rainbow
Cella
Koh-I-Noor SC68 boar
1948-50 Gilette Superspeed

[randydance062449]

Outstanding!
I love the sway back and O1 is an excellent steel for razors. The 6/8 size is ideal and the 1/4 grind is what I prefer.

I love USA!

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Randy Tuttle
randydance@comcast.net

[mparker762]

Interesting. I love the way O1 shaves but my concern is it rusts easily.

I wonder what possessed Zowada to get into the low end market?

I really wish he would figure out how to do full hollows like Dovo, TI, and Wacker manage to make. Not even Livi does singing hollows.

[RetroGrouch]

They may be production razors, but I nothing about them seems "low end" to me! I think they look great and may just end up buying one.

Exciting news this!

[Chap]

I can see people collecting all the different names

"I have a BG, a TV and a GJ" etc etc, then of course there will be the arguments about which grinder is best, canny.

Though, 240 seems expensive for what is really a no frills razor, such a price is near the top of the dovo line, and more expensive than a grelot.

[Tim Zowada]

[randydance062449]

Tim, it is good to hear that your onboard with this endeavor. Now I know that the quality will be excellent.

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Randy Tuttle
randydance@comcast.net

[Churchill]

[Baloosh]

Awesome looking razor! Although $240 is bound to be way too steep for a "workmanlike" razor, not fancy by any means. I have to agree with the previous poster who mentions one can get a Le Grelot for less.

Are these going to be targeted at the new straight razor user?

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Jason
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[RetroGrouch]

I think it's beautifully understated. Never been drawn to the fancy, flashy razors.

Please don't change a thing!

[Hawkeye5]

Right in the price range of a Livi regrind. Quite reasonable, I think, considering the time and materials for a new made in the USA razor.

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John

[Dave_D]

Beautiful razors, a bit pricey as already mentioned but well in line with the competition.

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Dave

'Believe nothing, merely because you have been told it . . . or because it is traditional, or because you yourselves have imagined it'

[vior]

I love the simplicity of the first prototype.

[Norman931]

Nice! I love the fact that it's "Made in the US."

[loueedacat1]

This is a really neat pursuit and I will enjoy following it. I hope it really takes off. How many grinders are working on this? Are thee plans to ramp up/scale up significantly?

Wasn't Robert Williams planning to do this sometime? Maybe we'll have two USA production brands going sometimes\!

[drmoss_ca]

The Hart Steel website is up:

http://www.hartsteel.com/index.html

Very pretty razors!

Chris

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"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace

[ZethLent]

I am looking forward to them.

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笑う門に福来る。

[ZethLent]

I just bought mine.

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笑う門に福来る。