Thread: TI Silverwing LE

Mike I'd like to agree with you but I don't think we have gone forward at all. I think you are wrong.
One thing you are correct about is that prior to throwaway razors the man in the street did not own a hone, he would just drop his razor off at the barber shop and pick it up in the evening. He couldn't care a damn how it was honed but if it wasn't sharp the barber went out of business very quickly.

I'm not talking sentiment, I am just reading the facts and trying to point other members in a direction that does not lead them to expensive disappointment.
I have wasted money on three modern razors and been totally disappointed. The harder steel does hold a good edge if you know how to develop that edge. This said the shave is not more comfortable or "better".

The reviewers have paid a high price to test these razors for us.

The razors didn't work out of the box and should be criticised accordingly.
I do not think we should complement TI on producing expensive razors that don't work exceptionally and only experts can hone them to give a satisfactory shave. The quality sounds appalling.
I could get on my horse about this issue. I won't. Let it suffice to say that I have not had a shave from any modern factory razor than can compare with my vintage razors. In fact no modern factory razor I have tried including DOVO and TI have come close to the old every day razors that are still readily available at very low prices. This review tells me that that there has been no change to the status quo.

But we are all free to spend our hard earned cash in whatever way we choose. I just don't choose to support or promote mediocracy.

Just for the record, I didn't try my Silverwing stropped straight out of the box. It may have been just fine; it had been honed with a perfectly even bevel that glinted smooth as a mirror.

I've just found, for my tastes, chromium oxide adds an extra smoothness off nearly any hone, including coticules. Shapton 16,000, Chinese 12,000, or ultrafine Spyderco. I didn't use the chromium oxide to fix any perceived problem with the razor.

If you like the feel of a razor better straight off the stone, that's OK with me.

There is an old saying about people who put their faith in technology to save the day and it has many parallels in our day and age. I find it comical how people just assume things like you can never get a shave from a barber as good as you can get yourself and modern steels are just so superior and no razor from the 1930s or 20s could ever shave as good as modern razors. I say poppycock to all that. I for one agree that vintage razors are better razors. Certainly workmanship in this day and age as far as mass produced items go doesn't hold a candle to things produced in the day. There simply is no more pride in doing things well (I'm not talking about custom items here). We all feel so damn superior to our ancestors because of our technology. Technology isn't everything.

As far as the silverwings go I don't think continued honing will do aything further with mine anyway. If it was a honing issue the razor either wouldn't cut properly or it would shave uncomfortably but thats not the case. It has comfort and sharpness in spades. It just has this very heavy feel to it. I have about 90+ razors and have them all, you name it, I got it and no razor I have shaves with these characteristics. I'm not saying its a bad razor in any way its just different and I personally don't like it. Many people might not care or might in fact prefer it. YMMV type of thing.