China Sourcing Specialist — Premium Shaving / Metal Grooming Products

I’m building VEYRIK, a top-tier traditional wet-shaving line that will launch with five metal-heavy pieces: a DE safety razor, synthetic brush, lather bowl, razor dock, and premium rigid gift box. For Phase 1 I need a China-based sourcing and product-development specialist who genuinely understands grooming hardware and high-end metal consumer goods. Your first mission is to locate, vet, and compare the most capable factories, then map the smartest manufacturing path for each part—deciding what can ride on proven OEM platforms and what demands fresh CAD and custom tooling. The immediate target is just one or two exhibition-quality prototype sets, not mass production. The techniques at the heart of this work are CNC machining, die-casting, and PVD coating; strength in electroplating, precision metal finishing, and stainless-steel consumer manufacturing rounds out the ideal skill-set. If you routinely take zinc or stainless parts from drawing to show-ready sample, you’re the partner I’m after. How I see this phase unfolding 1. You create a short-list of serious, well-audited factories for each component, complete with photos, certifications, MOQ, and sample pricing. 2. You recommend the optimum process route—e.g. CNC for low-volume razor heads versus die-cast zinc with PVD for scale—highlighting cost, lead-time, and quality trade-offs. 3. You arrange quotation and prototype slots, ensuring the suppliers can hit the required cosmetic grade and tight tolerances before we commit to hard tooling. 4. We wrap up with a concise roadmap: confirmed vendors, estimated tooling budgets, prototype timelines, and any design tweaks the factories suggest. Deliverables (Phase 1) • Factory vetting report with contact details and on-site photos/credentials • Comparative matrix of process routes (OEM vs. custom) for each part • Prototype cost & timeline schedule, including finishing options (PVD tones, plating, polishing grades) • Recommendations on next steps toward pilot production To be shortlisted, please show: • Case studies or photos of razors, grooming tools, or similar metal consumer products you helped bring to life • A brief outline of how you typically tackle prototypes before committing to full tooling • Any relevant NDA or IP-protection measures you already practice with overseas clients I’m ready to move as soon as the right expert steps forward—let’s craft the most refined shaving kit on the market.