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Wow! That's a good looking razor! What wood is that? I know it's not pecan, but what is it?

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 17, 2022 11:18 pm

Wow! That's a good looking razor! What wood is that? I know it's not pecan, but what is it?

Yeah! nice surprise for no extra charge! Steve offered to replace them with acrylic if I wanted. Heck no! I prefer wood handles on most everything. He said the wood is bubinga.

Whoa! He did you right!

Yes he did.
Got the ebay razors in. I said 3, but...

Those should clean up nicely. Good haul!

I've been reluctant to buy off of eBay not knowing what I might actually get. However, a lot of people seem to do okay, there.

It's a mixed bag.
For instance, the IXL (top left) has a cracked blade, which the seller didn't mention. Fortunately the crack is less than 1/2" from the tip. I'll cut that off and should have a very good 2-3/8" blade.
The blade looks to have never been honed, very clean, minimal staining.
Points off for the plastic handle.

That's too bad about the IXL. That looked to be one of the better ones. I can't read the names on the others, but the IXL didn't look to be used much. If you are careful about the heat you can certainly shorten it, if it would be worth it. The rest look like they'll clean up nicely and make good users.

I had thought that if I ever bought a bunch together like that I could PIF one, along with a brush, soap, and strop to someone who would like to learn to shave with a straight razor, but can't afford to buy a good one.

I chopped and honed the IXL. It shaves well, I'm satisfied. I might try making a handle for it.

Got a tracking # from Colling.

The wade & butcher sharpened up like a dream despite being all uneven due to what looks like, someone with a sloppy dremel trying to clean it up.
First shave was very good, very close, very smooth, almost zero chance of blood, as well as my boker. It doesn't give any audible feedback while shaving, which is new to me, but I'll get used to it.
It has a big thick heavy blade and bone handle. The handle stays firmly wherever I put it, yes!
No idea when it was made, but I suspect pre 1900.
As beat up as it looks, if it maintains well, it will join the boker as a regular. Time will tell.

I've not shaved with a smiling razor. Is it very different from standard in that regard?

I posted this in the other thread, but I'll re-post it, here for those who might be interested in learning.


Steps in Learning to Shave With a Straight Razor


The straight razor is the centuries old method of taking hair off of a man’s face and neck, and off of a woman’s legs and underarms. The razor manufacturers, led by Gillette, learned quickly to get people relying on their mass produced safety razors, which needed proprietary blades. At first, they nearly gave away the handles and people had to buy refill blades. Then, they came out with razors with multiple blades that required a special handle. These razors could be expensive and the blade cartridges kept rising in price. Disposable version were released with more and more blades. The razors and cartridges started becoming very expensive and the plastic became a problem in landfills, oceans, and lakes. Added to that, the razors caused irritation, shaving bumps, and painful ingrown hairs that the straight razors and double edged safety razors didn’t generally cause.

Many people around the globe have transitioned back to the double edged safety razor and the straight razor. The initial cost is more, but subsequent costs are far cheaper. Added to this, there is little to no waste and no plastic to lie around for thousands of years, or longer.

Those who transition to the safety razor often go on to buy a straight razor. There is no waste, there are no blades to dispose of, there is no irritation (from a properly honed razor), no bumps, no ingrown hairs. Shaving with a straight razor the way our grandparents and great grandparents did is easy to learn. There is no need to listen to all of the overly dramatic fear mongers about the many times you will cut your face. The truth is, that is it simple and safe. Barring any physical abnormalities, anyone can learn to safely shave with a straight razor by following the simple steps outlined below.

1] The first step is to get a straight razor and the necessary implements to go along with it. It might be possible to borrow a nice, well-honed razor from a friend or relative. If you decide to buy your own it is best not to buy a cheaply priced poor quality razor. Most of these are poor quality, often have bent or warped blades, and the heat treatment isn’t good. It is best to buy a razor, even if inexpensive, from a reputable dealer that will hone your razor properly and make certain there are no warps or bends in the blade.

If the dealer offers a honing service they will so state on their website, or somewhere in the store if it is a brick and mortar shop. It is a good idea to ask whether they offer this service in-house or they send it outside. Sending it outside might cost more. The Invisible Edge (UK) and Maggard’s (USA) offer this service and there are others that do, as well.

These sellers have less expensive razors that are honed properly. However, the heat treatment is not as hard as a better razor.

A properly honed razor is not sharpened like a knife. It is laid flat on the stone and the resulting edge is very thin. Care needs to be taken not to touch the edge on anything, such as the sink, faucet, or other things as the edge is easily damaged.

Here are some current razor makers, though there are many more:

Ralf Aust, Solingen, Germany https://rasiermesser-manufaktur.de
+49 (0)152 297 468 73

Thiers Issard, Thiers France https://www.thiers-issard.fr/en

Steve Colling , Proserpine, Australia s.k.colling@gmail.com or kcoll316@eq.edu.au

Koraat-Knives, Wachau, Austria +43 699 10767887 mail@koraat-knives.at Töpfergasse Kleinpöchlarn, Austria, 3660 http://www.koraat-knives.at/english

Wacker, Solingen, Germany https://wackerrazor.com


Steven Colling makes an excellent razor that is only $87 (USD). Ralf Aust has a model that is around $109. Thiers Issard has very hard steel and has models that are about $110 at the time of this writing. So basically, for the price of a Delica a person can get a razor to be proud of.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:02 pm

I've not shaved with a smiling razor. Is it very different from standard in that regard?

Not much different. Seems it does a little better in depressions without having to stretch the skin too much. Doesn't cut quite as wide a swath on flatter parts of the face.
Takes a little different technique to sharpen than a true flat edge.
Overall, I prefer a slight belly/smile.

Here is the next part:


2] A descent strop needs to be purchased. There is no need to buy an expensive leather strop, but a good one is a must. Stropping does not sharpen the razor. When a person shaves, the hairs are like small copper wires. The damage the edge ever so slightly and this damage is repaired by stropping.

Anchor the strop onto a towel rack, a hook in the wall, door knob, etc. Something as simple as paracord will work. Most strops have a clip on the end for attaching to such a cord or a hook. When using pull the strop out tight, but still with a slight give towards the middle when used.

Before shaving, hold onto the tang and place the razor’s blade flat on the leather side of the strop and with little pressure, move the blade along the length of the strop in the opposite direction of the edge. When the end of the stroke is reached, leaving the spine in contact with strop and roll the edge up and over until it is flat on the strop in the opposite direction. Then, make the return stroke. This is one complete lap. Repeat this for thirty laps. When the shave is finished, before oiling the blade and putting it away, strop it at least twenty laps.

There is often a canvas side to the strop. This is for repairing blades that are slightly worse than normal. When this is used, care must be taken not to further damage the edge. Once the required number of laps are finished, then stropping continues on the leather side as normal.


^{Photo taken from Shaving Made Easy (1905). New York: The 20th Century Correspondence School}

Here is an excellent video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/mVjU1f0lye0

If the strop is wide enough for the blade, this is all that needs to be done. If the strop is narrower than the blade, then put the blade on the strop with the toe (front tip) of the razor hanging off and stroke so that during the length of the stroke the heel (back part) of the blade comes off the edge of the strop and the toe is on the strop. Return in the opposite manner. Think of this as making an X. See the picture above.

The pipe razor only needed honed.
It was a very good shave, much like the wade & butcher.

This one also has a thick blade with no audible feedback. I guess that's the way these old razors were ground. Handle stays put and appears to be horn, lightly nibbled by some critter.

If it maintains well, will join the rank of my boker.

Part 3
The shaving cup or bowl is an essential part of any shaving gear. A lot of money need not be spent on this. A stainless steel, plastic, stoneware, porcelain, or other material wide coffee mug or small cereal bowl or dessert bowl with a handle is just fine. A hand can be used, formed in a cup shape or a convenient rice bowl can be used or other small bowl. A bowl is easier than using a hand and less messy.

The bowl needs to be large enough to hold a puck of soap or in which to make lather with the brush. We will discuss soaps and making lather later.

Of course, there are expensive bowls of horn and some with hot water compartments to keep the lather warm. These are not necessary and when one is just beginning not recommended.

I've been using a stainless bowl just like this for years.


A simple dollar store wide coffee mug or soup mug works great.

Here's my new S.K. Colling razor. No pictures can show how incredible this thing is. These were taken on the fly just after I opened the package, so the pictures are't very good. The paua shell has a lot of depth and a lot of shifting colors that don't show up in a picture.

Excellent !
Mine is prepping for shipment from Brisbane, AU.

Erik Antonberg Swede razor.
I was looking forward to this being a better one of the bunch, but so far just the opposite.
I knew something was wrong when I heard popping and felt grittiness on every few strokes.
The edge is crumbling on any/every stone I use, resulting in microchips along the edge.
Goes to show you never know what you have till it's put to the rock.

If I can't get it sorted out, the horn scales will replace the plastic on one of my others.

Part 4] Shaving soaps and creams. Good shaving soap or cream are a must. Shaving soap is not like bath soap. Quality shaving soap has lubricants and other ingredients to help the razor glide over the skin and to protect the face. It gives a good cushion and should have enough residual slickness for touchups with the razor. Shaving soaps and creams also soften the hair so the razor can cut it more easily.

Shaving cream in an aerosol can is really not good enough for use with a straight razor. They have very little lubricants and moisture. A good quality shaving soap is what is needed. One need not spend a lot of money on good soaps. Certainly there are fine artisan shaving soaps from a myriad of companies that crop up seemingly daily. Makers such as Barrister and Mann, Ariana & Evans, Stirling, and many more sell soaps in many scents and formulas, some even imitating expensive colognes in their scents. These artisan soaps are more expensive, but are of very good quality and the difference, going from some less expensive soaps to these soaps is striking. However, there are some very good inexpensive soaps and creams that are as good, or nearly as good, from companies like La Toja, Speick, Arko, and others that only cost a few dollars. La Toja cream is particularly good and also has a sensitive skin formula cream that works quite well and is lightly and freshly scented.

Shaving cream is easier to lather and takes less time to master. Shaving soaps are harder and come in round pucks that are either in their own container, or made to fit in a shaving mug of your own choosing. With a cream all one need do is put a thumbnail sized dollop in the mug or bowl, and with a properly wet brush, whip it up into a rich lather. With a soap, a wetted brush is then run around the soap in circles to load the brush. One has a choice of continuing to build the lather in the mug or bowl with the soap puck, or moving to another bowl and making the lather in it. Either way, a rich wet thick lather is what one is looking for. If there are lots of bubbles it means the soap is too wet and one will need to load more soap on the brush without more water, and then continue to stir until the lather is just right. With practice, one can get as fast at building lather with a cream or good soap as one can dispensing and applying a canned soap.

Any soap that leaves the face dry or irritated is not the soap that one should continue to use. A good soap should hydrate the skin and leave the skin feeling good after the shave.

Got my second shave in with the new razor, today. (Saturday is an off day for my face)

I got a really good, close shave. My face always feels good after a straight razor shave in a way other types of razors don't give me.