Thread: J A Henckels Friodur 8/8 Round Point

Originally Posted by RayG

I got a 7/8 from Shaving Shop with RW scales in ebony. The "new" razor had significant hone wear on the spine (I did not get the sharpening option), a dent in the bevel, rough sandpaper scratches on the top of the spine, and a chip where the edge meets the tang.

I am sending it back, and getting one from Vintage when, hopefully, I get a full refund.

Hay Ray - nice to see you use your real name too! You received a standard unhoned Henckels Friodur as received from Germany - ground by the same grinder that Vintage Blades gets his from. The handles are nice ebony ones that Robert made for me. He would have alerted me if there was a problem with the blade. You get the same offer - and I say this tersly since you too have shown your true colors - if the razor is damaged you will get a replacement or a full refund. If not I take 15% as a restocking fee. I am sorry but I am really tired of hearing all the complaints from gutless wonders unwilling to deal with me like men.
I have been doing this for several years now and I know that there are a whole lot of very satisfied customers out there. Some have had problems and contacted me to have them rectified - and they were! Like I said, I am not infalable but neither am I a chump!

Originally Posted by RayG

Those look really nice.

Yeah, it's a drag. Although, if John is going to slap a 15% restocking fee, it may just make more sense to keep the razor and send it out to a honemeister to fix the uneven bevel. Still, with this and the short scales non-disclosure story, and what I have seen of his customer service, I don't think I will be shopping there anymore.

Some of you guys really take the cake. This thread reminds me of the game elementary school teachers used to play where a statement was wispered into the ear of one student. That student wispered it into the ear of the next student and so forth until the last student stands up to tell what he/she heard. It is never anything like what was first said. The big difference is you have perverted it in writing and made up crap as the thread progressed. How many of you other than the two whiners without cohones have actually been customers? How many have actually talked with me or dealt with me?

In two years+ of being an organized company I have sold God knows how many razors to God knows how many customers with few complaints and with very few exceptions had satisfied customers.

Originally Posted by welshwarrior

I was told the re-stocking fee would apply if John felt "there was nothing wrong with it"



I think that is what happened to mine as it was scuffing my strop and the tip cut into my face on the shave. I am going to hone it out when I next use Graham's honemeisting!

I didn't want to mention it in my original post, but I did try and contact John by e-mail to advise of the problem, but he never got back to me.

I never received your email - only your phone call where you caught me sleeping. I work third shift and probably wasn't as pleasant as I normally would be; however, having said that - unless you return it for examination so I can see what the problem actually is, you are like someone complaining about the government but never took the time to vote.

Originally Posted by John Crowley

WHAT CROOKED SCALES? How did we get to crooked handles from scales that are a touch to short? Where did you "seen them crocked scales"? Either you are a dissatisfied customer who did not try to resolve a problem or you are just jumping on the bandwagon due to cranial rectal inversion.

I've seen and honed the razor first hand so my views are (insert whatever word you like).

1) The toe had a wide grind (factory) mark at the bevel and still does as I didnt want to take too much metal away just purely for aesthetics.
2) When the spacer is set flush, there is not enough room for the blade to fit inside the scales fully. (you can manuallu twist the spacer with your fingers)
3) There was a slight mark at the toe, probably from catching the scales as it didn't center properly. (however this was not a big deal)

~The above is said as if the razor belonged to me and in no way reflects Davids opinions.

Posting someones address on an internet forum is bang out of order to be honest.

In all honesty John, I was still going to purchase the same razor from you shortly and get it rescaled by one of our very own forum artists as I still love the razor that much.

'Buyers remorse' couldn't be further from the truth if you're referring to Welshwarrior (david). He has already enquired to getting a custom set of scales on the razor. Not something one would do if he didn't want the razor huh.

Originally Posted by John Crowley

Wrong again! Heribert Wacker has never had anything to do with the Henckels razors I or anyone else sells. These razors were actually ground buy a grinder that works for DOVO.

John,

I apologize for my verbalizing an assumption. From your website and the credit that's given Herr Wacker for grinding and regrinding razors, I incorrectly thought that it was he who ground the Friodurs for you. Therefore, it was the DOVO grinder's inattention that caused the alleged blade/wedge interference. Oops, since it may not have been the DOVO grinder who hafted the blade, I retract that assumption too. Someone, however, may have dropped the proverbial ball if in fact there ever was any contact from the tip of the alleged blade to the interior section of that alleged wedge.

But, since the scales don't say "Friodur" on them, is it safe to have said that these are, as I also assumed, not original Henckels Zwillingswerk scales?

As for this being a "WRONG AGAIN", and so that I may also apologize for that or those other mis/mal/non-statements of fact, were you to let me know what that is or they are, I will also attempt to make amends with whomever else I may have slurred, libeled, or in some fashion nettled.

Originally Posted by Bruce

John,

I apologize for my verbalizing an assumption. From your website and the credit that's given Herr Wacker for grinding and regrinding razors, I incorrectly thought that it was he who ground the Friodurs for you. Therefore, it was the DOVO grinder's inattention that caused the alleged blade/wedge interference. Oops, since it may not have been the DOVO grinder who hafted the blade, I retract that assumption too. Someone, however, may have dropped the proverbial ball if in fact there ever was any contact from the tip of the alleged blade to the interior section of that alleged wedge.

But, since the scales don't say "Friodur" on them, is it safe to have said that these are, as I also assumed, not original Henckels Zwillingswerk scales?

As for this being a "WRONG AGAIN", and so that I may also apologize for that or those other mis/mal/non-statements of fact, were you to let me know what that is or they are, I will also attempt to make amends with whomever else I may have slurred, libeled, or in some fashion nettled.

I am finished with this thread. You guys can continue if you wish but I have expressed my feelings. There are plenty of customers out there who will defend my customer service because it has been good - especially if you are reasonable. I take good pictures for my web site and there should be very little doubt about what you are purchasing. I invite everyone interested to take a look and examine the photos. I will answer any lingering questions about what it is you are buying or interested in buying. Obviously I missed the one gentleman's email but if I receive one I will answer it and I am quite often available on the phone especially on weekends. We are having a get togather in Arlington, Texas on May 3rd and I will be there to answer questions as best I can and show new straight razor shavers how to hone. You can read more about it in the announcements forum.

Spoken like a true lawyer! I did not mean to infer that you have been wrong multiple times but to infer that the whole thread is full of crap. I order razors from Germany. When the razors arrive I sell them. When it comes to the Henckels I understand that Vintage Blades now has access to some of them. Maybe that is why I have been told that there will be no more - I don't know. What I do know is that he will be selling exactly what I have been receiving from Germany - a shaving tool! Some are better than others but they are all functional for what they were designed and manufactured for - shaving! It is only in the past couple of years that to some shavers they have become sudo works of art. The Henckels are ground in Solingen after hours for sale to us in the US as shaving tools.

I'm not sure it's really worth responding to this, but for the record I missed the international shipping off my original order in error, presuming it would be added at the stage when I entered my address. You refunded my payment with a message to re-order and select international shipping. I did this. If something went wrong somewhere then I apologise. I also selected the honing option because at that stage I did not have my own hones.

I'm struggling to empathise with your affront that some people have usernames that are different to their real names. I'm not sure why you link this to cowardice? I didn't realise machismo came into it.

I'm not going to bore the other members by refuting/arguing with you on all of your points. All my words are fact and a photo speaks for itself. That you justify the improper fit of a blade in the scales by the fact that the blade is hard enough to withstand this doesn't strike me as the actions of a reasonable vendor.

Nowhere on your site does it mention the 8/8 blade does not have handles that fit it correctly.

First conversation we had on this you refused to swop the razor. 2nd conversation you said you'll take a look at it, but if you felt there was nothing wrong with it I'd be penalised by 15%. I decide not to risk your judgement and to get the problem solved myself with a new set of handles and you deem this, and the factual statement (in a polite manner) of my experiences, sufficient to warrant calling me a "faceless whiner without cohones"?!

I'm confident I made the right choice by not sending it back. I apologise to all on the board who read this thread and feel the same sour taste I do.