Straight Razors (Reviews)
This is the same product as the Shavette sold in Europe as Bluebeard's Revenge. It is well made, holds the 1/2 DE blade tight. Very balanced, easy to control blade provided you have experience with a shavette.
Feather Artist Club DX Non Folding Japanese Style Disposable Blade Straight Razor
Over many years of straight razor shaving I have found use for disposable blade straights, both as travel razors, and fill ins before I took up honing. With many western style folding straights in my collection I decided to venture out into a non folder. I did so with trepidation as I couldn't envision success given how I use my folding straights.
I decided to try a Feather Artist Club DX. The review I...
Sometimes reading reviews and searching the net for razor images misleads one into passing over true gems. I had been at Menessentials, on Danforth, in Toronto looking for a new straight. Seth, the Directing Manager, told me about a Dovo Desert Ironwood he had. Having seen a negative review on B&B by Joel I didn't give the Ironwood consideration opting for a Bergischer Lowe instead. Since then, my enabling wife returned to Menessentials to look at another razor. She also checked out the...
Several months ago I decided to expand my accumulation of straights from five to fourteen, give or take. After much searching on the forums I thought four or five Wackers could find a place in my rotation. I set out to buy a blonde horn "Gadsden" 15/16 notch point for an initial evaluation of both a vendor and the Wacker product. I wanted the blade factory fresh. If it were not shave ready I would address the matter with my Shaptons.
In due course I received a dark horn...
I have a modest collection of users acquired since the mid-late nineties. My original three razors are Dovos and recently after a negative foray with Wacker, mixed results with several TIs, and two very good experiences with Dovo, I purchased a Mammut. I did so with some reservation due to the generally negative view of Dovo on this board, and the Mammut review by Joel.
The razor arrived sealed in the same well made black wood case used since release of this model. Nice for presentation or...
Its a disposable razor very similar to the Japanese Feather version but at a fraction of the cost!
This $16 *** which I bought off ebay as a joke, and out of curiosity, just out shaved many of my razors that are worth ten times the price.
*cough* :blink:
Did it come in that condition?
Noooooooooooooooooooooooo............................... It did not.
The craftsmanship is a bit of a joke. The scales are flimsy plastic made to look like carbon fibre, they flex when you hold them. The pins are just a nail, peened on one side. Mine centred OK, but usually they don't.
The...
As one who only uses quality Feather or Kai straights I just got both the folding and the nonfolding Feather SS straights. I had my first shave today with the folding model SS straight. All I can say is the shave was nothing less than phenomenal. Any Feather used with any Feather blade will be much sharper than a traditional straight, hence their reputation of being less forgiving. Its true, they are certainly one very sharp razor. The new SS, IMHO has it all over the other Feather...
A few years back I wrote an article reviewing the then new Silver Wing razor blank forgings using the CarbonSong 135 steel from Thiers-Issard. Well, evidently the factory was very pleased with that little write-up, and I was very happy :w00t: to learn that they wanted me to review yet another new straight razor that they have had in the works.
What I’ve been sent to look at and try out is the new 11/16” Grelot Crown Silver Wing. I’m absolutely delighted with this little beauty for a...
I got this giant fairly recently from a friend and couldn't wait to test it out. I've played around with it and have been really enjoying it. It came to me NOS, but it was pretty sharp and only needed some work on a Japanese natural with slurry to get to shave readiness.
It's a bit of a rare and strange blade for a few reasons:
-it's a GIANT Heljestrand. You don't see too many of these.
-it's a round point, which is again not the norm with the MK Heljes
-it's stamped MK 134 instead...
I received my Kai folding straight today, and at first glance upon opening the box, I was most impressed. This razor just shouts quality. Its solid stainless steel. The look and feel of this razor are most impressive. I only use disposable blade straights, and for almost a year I have been using the Feather AC razors. I have both the RG, and the DX, as well as the non folding AC. These have been excellent razors, and are the ones I learned straight shaving on. I get very good shaves...
Here is a little known razor the genco "easy aces", look wise it looks like any other solingen razor that was made for the american razor market but in actual fact it uses american steel, genco being based in bradford pa.
She's an 11/16 full hollow round point singing razor the tang being quite slender, it certainly gave no problems on the hone the blade is nice and straight no imperfections, quality wise the scales are thin but don't flex when in use and it feels nice and light because...
Purchased this blade about three months ago from Rasurpur. Martin provides great customer service. I sent him quite a few emails, and he was always very polite, answering all of my questions and more.
The razor gives a great, very smooth shave. Behaves in all the ways that a proper full hollow should. Doesn't "sing" as much as vintage extra hollows, but provides good feedback and shaves just as well as an old W&B or Friodur. The razor is made of Carbonsong C135 steel, named because...
Let's take a look at the GD, shall we?
The QC from the factory is a bit lax, so the outline will vary from piece to piece, all are about 13/16 to 7/8 width:
Tip outline, and edge outline vary.
The biggest issue is usually that the heel of the razor is difficult to make contact with the hone due to that extremely large heel stabilizer and thick shoulder on the spine bevel. Some bulk removal of material is usually required to get that sorted out.
Outline is one thing, the next is...
Picked this up on ebay a couple weeks ago and could not be happier. This is a slick razor with a great modern design. It fits and works well in your hand. It is the Japanese non folding style with the replaceable feather blades. It is easy to place new blades in it. With a light touch and with the side of the blade holder against your skin it provides an exceptional shave. Handled lightly it gave a BBS shave in two passes. To much pressure or angle and it will take a layer of skin with...
The razor came via mysteryrazor.com. (Thank you, Jay!)
I have heard a lot about great shaving qualities and easy honing properties of the Golden Dollar blades. Well, the razor did not disappointed. Yes, it needed to be honed, but 30 laps on Chinese 12K was all it took to get the balde to the shave-ready condition.
The blade itself is heavy, as any 7/8 should be, and the shaving is smooth. I managed to get to BBS with just WTG and XTG passes. The scales are cheap, plastic red wood...
The Hess shown is from my personal collection and has become my personal favorite. Now I know what many of you are saying, stainless is too labor intensive. I had the same initial opinion.
The initial honing took a bit over 8 hours. The stropping was easily twice what I'd put on a carbon. Working with many different grades of stainless while I was in aviation, I knew what to expect when it came to working the material. Once the edge was set it shaved like silk!
It slices...
I recently purchased the Parker SR2 Straight Razor for $16. I don't have straight razor experience, but I was impressed enough with this razor to write this review. Prior to this purchase I had bought a cheap generic $7 DE Straight razor off ebay with fold metal to hold the blade. I was not impressed with the generic.
The Parker SR2 has a nice weight to it and feels well balanced. The blade holding mechanics are solid and hold the blade in the proper alignment. The color is all...
A brief intro
I have to admit that I don't understand the Filarmonica Frenesia that seems to have caught everyone and his dog in the last six months. I own several Fillies (#10 Doble Temple, #13 and #14 Sello de Oro, #14 Especial and this #14 EPBD); they're wonderful razors (and the gold wash on the old Especial really is a work of art) but come on, they can't be as good as a custom made one and surely can't be three times better than a Dovo, Puma or TI. Then why their price has spiralled so...
