Straight Razor from Spyderco

[Mike Blue]

Yeah. Sorry 'bout that. The whole project is on hold until we can get back together. Mike and I discussed this and we think we'd like to make the first piece out or Banite. (He twisted my arm :p ). Mike and Ed are working on a heat treating system that we can use to stop at banite in heat treat. We've been unable to do much apart. Something about a virus?

sal

If the virus becomes less risky, this project will move along briskly.

[sal]

For all forumites that are considering classic wet shaving - do it.
Yes, I am biased, but for last 8 months of shaving with DE razor, brush and soap was never been happier with shaving.
I am shaving every day, because I start to like it so much.
And really, wet shaving start could be made really on cheap, and in long run it's so much cheaper than cartridge and foam.
Straight razor are fun, but are bit more finicky (honing, stropping....). I would wholeheartedly recommend to start wet shaving with DE and then ,, upgrade,, to SR, even from Spyderco.

I agree. It's an adventure for a blade afi. There is a learning curve, but worth the journey.

sal

[cardoso5fr]

I can only advise to give a try in the wet shaving adventure :). I'm sure could do some realy nice and perfect straight razor. I used to shave with SR from 13 year and make a lot of them.

[Matus]

I use straight razors too. As the joke goes about Turntables in HiFi community … I got in for the cost and inconvenience

Seriously - to properly grind a razor blade is very NOT simple. All my razors are old and most are Japanese - one can get a very good quality razor for around 50€ pretty easily. Well made new ones from someone like Koraat start at around $200 or a little more. Could Spyderco make something in that price range? I don’t really think it would be possible for them. It would basically mean starting a new company and I am wondering whether the market is large enough for that. But I am sure they would come up with some cool designs :)

[Doc Dan]

For all forumites that are considering classic wet shaving - do it.
Yes, I am biased, but for last 8 months of shaving with DE razor, brush and soap was never been happier with shaving.
I am shaving every day, because I start to like it so much.
And really, wet shaving start could be made really on cheap, and in long run it's so much cheaper than cartridge and foam.
Straight razor are fun, but are bit more finicky (honing, stropping....). I would wholeheartedly recommend to start wet shaving with DE and then ,, upgrade,, to SR, even from Spyderco.

Ditto to everything! Yes, shaving with a proper double edge safety razor (not a cheap piece of junk) has made me love shaving, again. It is no longer a chore, but a joy. Women love shaving with a DE safety razor, too. Plus, there is no plastic junk to fill up landfills and stay around in perpetuity. There is one down side. Razor Acquisition Disease.

[Bloke]

Women love shaving

[Mike Blue]

Lovely.

[sal]

Hey Mike,

Howaryadoin?

sal

[Doc Dan]

I want to bump this thread, again. I wonder if Spyderco would consider making a straight razor? It is just a knife for the beard.

That makes me wonder what steel would be best. It would have to take high hardness and have a very fine grain structure.

[sal]

Hi Doc,

We ended up with a number of issues from COVID to health issues that but the project on hold.. It's not been forgotten, but we'll have to get back to where we were when the issues began to crop up.

sal

[Mike Blue]

Okay. The pandemic caught everyone in its web, I understand.

[Doc Dan]

@Sal, that will be awesome. I've discovered the joys and curse of straight razor shaving (curse because it can be expensive!).

[Doc Dan]

One thing good about using a straight razor is that there is little to no irritation. Also, the shave is close and there are no ingrown hairs or shaving bumps. It does take a steady hand and there is a learning curve. It's a lot more enjoyable than any multiblade monstrosity, that is for sure.

[JD Spydo]

I"ve looked at a lot of straight razors on different websites since this thread started. I've noticed that most of your high end German made straight razors are made of high carbon steel for the most part. It would be nice to have a straight razor made of corrosion resistant steel. But it wouldn't be a deal breaker for me if they chose a high carbon steel.

I'm now wondering what type of handle material would be ideal? I talked to a guy who collects the older straight razors and he told me that the handle has a lot to do with it's collector value in many cases.

[Ric]

@JD Spydo
I noticed that in many cases the handle material for straight razors or brushes drive the costs.
Same user piece on the other side, means no improvement to the shave overall.

I would prefer as handle the same material as the Roadie handle for example.
Something good and cheap, the blade should be the most important piece, sharp as ****.
If the blade is established, some sprints would be appreciated for sure.

[Doc Dan]

I wonder if 14C28N or 13C26 can be made hard enough to hold a thin edge for a long time. The steel has to be fine grained.

My straight razor handles: I have an antique that has what appears to be ivory (back in the States, I don't have it with me). My Japanese razor has what seems to be Kirinite scales. My Thiers Issard has blond horn scales. Scales can make a razor affordable or raise the price.

Other things that raise the price are gold, file work, and other hand work.

[Doc Dan]

@Sal

What kind of straight do/did you shave with?

[sal]

Hi Doc,

Might be time to talk a little story here;

As I mentioned earlier in the thread, it began for me in 1983. I had been making knives for a couple of years and being a bit OC, I decided that there were things that I should learn to do if I was going to be an effective knife-maker. One was to learn to forge and the other was to learn to shave with a straight razor.

I began both in 1983 at the First Forging Seminar in Dubois, Wyoming. It was a really special event hosted by; Bill Moran, Bill Bagwell and Don Hastings. I really learned a lot, though I must admit much of it was over my head and this "blade-steel stuff" was slow coming in. Persistence is King.

I was staying in a camper and the first day of the seminar was also the first time I shaved with a straight razor. I couldn't find a teacher from whom to learn the art, as most barbers were using "switch-blades" for their straight razors. I actually pulled out my microscope and experimented for several months learning how to sharpen and strop a razor and experimented to see what would work best.

I boiled up a pan of water, lathered up and shaved. Obviously, I made a number of mistakes and with little pieces of paper stuck to my face, I attended the first day of the seminar. I'll never forget the line, but one of the attendees from Canada said; "What choo been doing sal, you look like you been trying to shove butter up a wild cat's *** with a hot ice pick".

That's where I learned about Banite. It seemed to be some magical transition phase in heat treat that little was known about. I made a mental note to eventually learn about Banite. When my old friend Dr. Mike Blue told me he was making straight razors out of Banite 35 years later, the project began. It's been held up due to COVID and some health issues, but as soon as Mike and Ed can get together and build my "salt pot" heat treating apparatus, we'll pick it up again.

Regarding what I've used; I've used a variety of Straight razors, both non stainless and stainless, always trying new tools. I do have a very old straight razor that I'v not used, thanx Larry. I've tried different sizes and shapes. I ground one down to be very short to see if that helped in tight areas. I resharpened a Bob Terzuola knife and shaved with it. I ground the tip off of a K05 kitchen knife, soldered a spine to be able to sharpen it, and shaved with it all through the Fair circut one year. I was pitching our kitchen knives at County and State fairs and while I was going through each of the knives, when I got to the K05, I said; "You may not believe this, but I shave with one of these every day". Naturally,everyone watching laughed and didn't believe it, but it was actually true and my own private joke. It didn't have a folding handle,so I made a small wood stand for it to live in to protect the edge. I might still have it around somewhere.

I'm looking forward to picking up the project again as I'm anxious to use the Salt Pots. I don't know that I'll shave much with the razors we make. Once our eyes start to go, trying to shave with glasses on has it's challenges, but I'm sure I'll try.

sal

[Stuart Ackerman]

And that is why the Razor will be named... Wild Cat

[Woodpuppy]

That’s an awesome story!