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D. Petard Double Courbe

Well gents, I finally scored my (hopefully last) grail razor.... D.Petard double courbe rasior. This is another French beauty. There are a few variations by this maker, this is the most striking, IMO. They also made thick shims for the Gillette old type.

Though curved edge razors were often marketed to women, this was made for the men’s market. The exposure is quite pronounced, I think it will have lots of blade feel. I’ll report back after tomorrow’s shave.

This is hefty and built like a tank. The threads on the long stem are like I’ve never seen, I’d describe them as acme threads. Also, the guard bar is on the top plate, similar to a Leresche #77. Nice thick silver plated that shines up well and a handsome wood presentation box, though it has seen better days.

I have only seen two or three of these come up for sale or auction over the past 6 years since I’ve been collecting... I know Thomas has one or two. I feel lucky to have scored this. It not quite stupid money like a Darwin, but close.

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D

dangerousrazor

I bid on the razor, too. but the winning price was 3 times more than my bid. :( Hope to hear from you how it shaves!
 
Superb, Matt! Never saw it before but it looks awesome. And the wooden case is wonderful too, with a gentle sanding and new layer of laquer it will look like new!

Does it take regular blades? Looks like it?

Congrats on catching your grail!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
I had my firs shave with the Petard this morning after a nice hot shower and it didn’t disappoint:

Proraso preshave
Cella brick, face lathered
Gillette yellow

The blade is clamped tightly near the edge. This along with the slight curve makes it very stiff; it gives little audible feedback and no chatter. There is plenty of blade feel and seems to work best at a steep angle.

It’s quite heavy and has a rather chunky, thick handle... it’s not necessary my preference, but was easy to maneuver. Unlike the Leresche 77 which has a huge gap with neutral exposure, this has a narrower gap with positive blade exposure.

I was able to achieve a nearly BBS shave, with the exception of my neck just below my jaw which is nearly BBS... however, that’s always a problem area for me.

Overall, I’m pleased and look forward to the next week of shaves in order to get to know this razor better.


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Superb, Matt! Never saw it before but it looks awesome. And the wooden case is wonderful too, with a gentle sanding and new layer of laquer it will look like new!

Does it take regular blades? Looks like it?

Congrats on catching your grail!:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

I’m likely to leave the case “as found”. For me, there’s a sense of history that is lost with a complete refurbishment.

I did polish up the silver plate, though. I had to see how she would look “as new”. Luckily it appears to have never been dropped or otherwise damaged in any way.


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"It's not quite stupid money like a Darwin, but close."

If this is the auction I'm thinking of, then yes, I'd have to say that this razor is indeed getting very close to commanding "stupid money". (Just kidding, of course, as I believe that I may have been the second highest bidder.) I'm just jealous, that's all. Beautiful looking example, and worth every penny by the looks of it!
 

ERS4

My exploding razor knows secrets
It's really special, this is the first time I have seen this kind of razor.
 
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