New Concept - Variable weight & balance point razor handle.

Guys,

for the last 2 months or so I have been working on a new razor handle design and wanted to gauge interest in this concept. I have to get this concept out there and see if I am even barking up the right tree with this.

Firstly a declaration - I am collaborating on this with another person. He is an Engineer, working for a very well known Forumla One (F1) team. I can say no more than that my friends... at this stage. He inspired me to the design and given his unique insights and skills with materials, he guided me somewhat on what can and cannot be achieved with the materials I am using. It all started out as a hybrid design using a mix of carbon fibre and stainless steel and has morphed, as he inspired me further, to come up with this concept.

OK to the meat of it - the design is a razor handle, From the outside it looks like a standard razor handle. A bit of knurling, some fancy ends bits - you get the picture. Hidden inside though is a system of ballast weights that allow the user to not only vary the weight of the handle but to also vary the balance point too. So you can add weights, take weights away and vary the handle weight by up to 24g in 6g increments. The base handle weight is 67g. Now - the weights that you add or deduct also have a threading on them. The internals of the handle also have threading on them so.... in this way you can vary the position of the weights to perfectly balance your razor. It is all sealed and protected from dirt and soap. I will be adding sealing rings to the design.

What do you guys think - a problem worth solving? Interested? Here are some of the design drawings I am working on - obviously I will post no details like threading sizes and dimensions of parts - don't want to make life too easy for Yaqi eh? By the way this will come with a radial new head design AND a grip pattern to die for. F1 inspired - watch this space.

Great idea but I have to imagine most razor hoarders on here like me have matching handles for their Razors. Half convenience, half aesthetic.

Where this might work well is if you provide a modular system with multiple stored heads and one handle. Maybe different heads for different blade types. Thinking a gem head like the WR3 is heavier than a de head.

Blacklands new osprey has the removable plug for this type of thing. But it isnt as impactful because the razor is already heavy so this idea may work better in titanium or aluminum format.

the Osprey removeable plus is 17g - kind of a binary weight change. No variability or balance point change. Besides, it mixed brass and stainless steel, soap and water... galvanic corrosion is a possibility unless they passivated the brass or the razor is fully cleaned and dried after each shave.

the Osprey removeable plus is 17g - kind of a binary weight change. No variability or balance point change. Besides, it mixed brass and stainless steel, soap and water... galvanic corrosion is a possibility unless they passivated the brass or the razor is fully cleaned and dried after each shave.

There is a very noticeable balance shift removing 17 grams from a 2" section. While I appreciated the weight reduction it made the razor too top heavy

Any more thoughts guys?

I would be interested also if it was titanium. Starting with a base weight of 67g, I am not going to want to add enough weight to get the most out of the adjustable balance. I like a head heavy balance and currently don't have any handles that let me push that as far as I would like except the Fatip, but I can't use the handles on any other razor. There definitely are people that want a 90g handle, but I am not sure if they are also interested in the adjustability.

Too much mass at 67g.  Titanium matches 80% of my razor heads.  

I actually prefer the full razor to weigh between 50-70g, with the exception of one. 

But it’s only my opinion.

Too complicated, too many parts, not a necessity for most traditional wet shavers. I suspect it will require a screw driver to insert the plugs. The price for all of this would likely be more than the cost of most competitive handles, currently on the market. Does this new handle also have an adjustable length, to really make it exotic? I would tell your engineer to stick with race cars. Good luck.

Personally ,I find the idea intriguing.
I've posted not so while ago a rough but
similar idea : https://damnfineshave.com/thread-rr-lupo...#pid509258

What concerns me is the cost of the
actual materialization .
Ideally it should be kept within a reasonable
retail price range,because only few shavers can justify to themselves a handle that costs
far more than a complete razor.
And that is the most difficult part of this attempt.
Nevertheless ,a great idea.

Too complicated, too many parts, not a necessity for most traditional wet shavers.  I suspect it will require a screw driver to insert the plugs.  The price for all of this would likely be more than the cost of most competitive handles, currently on the market.  Does this new handle also have an adjustable length, to really make it exotic?  I would tell your engineer to stick with race cars.  Good luck.

I think my co-designer knows a thing or two about this subject and Carbon shaving seemed pretty happy with his design ideas, the one with the carbon fibre tube for example, This was/is a very successful handle. his idea. He has also seeded ideas to a couple of other manufacturers - all of whom seem happy with them. 

I am delighted that he chooses to work with me now - truly delighted.