Chinese Copies of Razors

I thought the Yaqi copy of the YPM handle was bad. 

This is probably the one that takes the cake…




At some point -  I had to draw a line in the sand. I want to keep artisans inventing stuff (regardless of the country) vs a company taking a pic and a few dimensions and saying I can make something close to that for cheap.

Yeah, I get where you are coming from.

While some folks can afford to spend $200 or more on a artisan razor, there are are many who cannot. For them, having a less expensive, but inferior copy is helpful.

The same thing happens in the art world. For example, the artist Terry Redlin, now deceased, painted some 160 oil paintings. Purchasing an original would be cost prohibitive for most of us. However, lithographic prints have been made of many of these paintings. They are far more affordable than an original, but from a distance, they are just as beautiful. I have one of his prints hanging on my balcony.

Yeah, I get where you are coming from.

While some folks can afford to spend $200 or more on a artisan razor, there are are many who cannot. For them, having a less expensive, but inferior copy is helpful.

The same thing happens in the art world. For example, the artist Terry Redlin, now deceased, painted some 160 oil paintings. Purchasing an original would be cost prohibitive for most of us. However, lithographic prints have been made of many of these paintings. They are far more affordable than an original, but from a distance, they are just as beautiful. I have one of his prints hanging on my balcony.

That's an apples and oranges comparison though. A print of an original painting is quite different than a blatant copy of something tangible. Your analogy would make sense if a different artist painted one of Redlin's works and tried selling it.

You make a good point, but a signed lithograph generates income to the artist. The inferior copy offers no compensation to the artisan.

The 'Big Picture' is that many of the countries making counterfeit items are using those profits against the USA and our interests. Sometimes we have to look beyond our own selfish needs/wants for the better of our country.

Well, this is what Design Patents are for.

Also, there may be product configuration trademarks here.

Chinese do not respect US Patents, TradeMark, or CopyRights. That is why the copy many things, in some case the Copies are as good, in other case they are not so good.

The Wolfman WR-@ Razor head has been copies by both Yaki, and DSCosmetics, never seen the copies, but photo look every good.

I get the point about the artist not making money from the copy, but unlike counterfeit goods, where someone is trying to sell a fake item disguised and priced like the real thing, AliExpress is not claiming that these obviously inferior copies are in any way related to the originals.

I get the point about the artist not making money from the copy, but unlike counterfeit goods, where someone is trying to sell a fake item disguised and priced like the real thing, AliExpress is not claiming that these obviously inferior copies are in any way related to the originals.

If I have a PATENT on a DESIGN, and someone Copies my idea, be it counterfeit, or copy of idea might as well be make COUNTERFEIT.  Theft of intellectual propery is a big deal in my world.

King C. Gillette Razor all had Patents ob his Razors, most modern Razor Markers I have examined for TradeMark or Patient Numbers show zero, so these makers are fair game to be copied.  Not cool to make a EXACT COPY of say a YATES RAZOR,  even copying the YATE BRANDING on TOP CAP.  Not sure how this would work out, but any attorneys might chime in.

Knowing gentleman who actually has products he Designs in USA, and Manufactured in CHINA.  He protect his intellectual property with a CHINESE PATENT on each product.  Chinese Government is helpful in enforcing his Chinese Patent.  Not sure if they put people in prison, shoot, whip, but they take the stealing serious if your product has CHINESE PATIENT.

If your product or process is important to said country - you will not get issued a patent issued there.  

All of this aside - I won’t be buying copies of razors to save a few dollars from any of these guys.  

I don’t buy cheap copies of mobile phone cases, wall plugs, charging or data cables either. 

That is just me, I won’t tell people how to spend their money but that cheap price isn’t so cheap when it puts people out of work who had original ideas.