Henckels 8/8 Friodur (INOX No-Stain)

I've got one with beautiful opal mosaic scales that I bought from John Crowley. The reason for the average rating for sharpening is because it hasn't needed a hone yet. It gives a lovely shave, and the $130 cost was well worth it IMHO.


Wayne

I have one of the 8/8s Henkels Friodurs with a plain plastic handle. I picked mine up new for $100 on sale. My craftsmanship score applies to the razor's blade and it's grind. Most of these available now have finely crafted handles that put mine to shame.

It's a very good razor but after the novelty wore off I found myself gravitating back to my 6/8s. The 8/8 rarely gets used anymore. I guess I keep it around for if I ever want to demonstrate an impressive shave, with a great big scary razor.

One of the good points of the thicker razors is they hold a lot of lather. I make my lather thin these days and a 6/8s now has no trouble holding the lather from one side of my face. When I switch hands for the other side I rinse. I'd have to rinse then anyways, as I don't want to spread the old lather on my face when I reverse the razor.

The larger razors are a bit more of a challenge to maneuver under the nose, but not really a problem. That may be one reason I tend to reach for the 8/8 less.

Cool Spacer....


HUGE, THICK spin, simply DWARF'S the 5/8 DD Wonderedge next to it


Ok, as you may have noticed.... this ain't grandpa's friodur. These incredibly interesting, neat, and beautiful scales are handmade by one of the most talented fellas currently making razor scales. These pics are a horrible embarrassment, but rest assured, these are probably my favorite after market scales, and not just due to the cool look - but more so the design. The size, weight, balance, perfect geometry of the wedge/angle of the bend in the scales, fit, finish, ergonomics, ALL of 'em TOP notch on this razor. The craftsman? A fella by the nick of "garythepenman" His wood scales are also gorgeous looking, and I will no doubt be purchasing from him again in the future - world class fella that Gary.

Alright - down to "bidness" - the blade. First... I am gaga over stainless steel razor blades. Sure, they take a little longer to hone (Note: They are not tricky to hone like a brittle edge Wacker - they simply just take a few more strokes on the hone) but they reward you with a much more "stout" edge, a great shaving experience, a long lasting edge, and little to no maintenance. Like all henckels, this thing is a highly capable straight razor that provides superlative shaves.

If you do get a "new" one though - I'd highly suggest dropping Gary a line, and having him come up with a custom handle for ya... they are too cool!

Overall - I'd give this razor about an 9 out of 10. Now, PERSONALLY - I prefer a Dovo stainless steel razor blade to the Henckels, as I find I can get a finer edge from the steel, so I can't get TOO excited about 'em, but regardless they are really nice razors that provide a really nice shave. If you can live without a stainless blade, and want a larger razor, I would personally recommend other options, such as TI's, RW's, old Sheffield razors, etc.

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Thanks!