What's new

Proserpine Razor Company Custom Razors

A new Australian custom razor manufacturer hits the stage.

Item Description

BoxNRazor2.jpg

Proserpine Queensland is famous for its gold mining past and while mining may have diminished, it is still capable of producing natural treasures. A small fledgling family run business, S.K.Colling and Co, produces custom razors in Proserpine. Steve Colling has been straight shaving for 20 years and along the way has been restoring and recently manufacturing them.

Steve offers a range of razors ready to buy as well as customs. Some appealing features of his range are exotic inserts on the tang (Mother of pearl, Mammoth), scale materials (wood, acrylic, carbon fibre, G10), various points, spine work, and blade etching. In my instance I opted for a classic look, going for a Spanish point and Bethlehem olive wood scales.

The turnaround time was stunning. Having given the specifications, the razor was sent express post in under 7 days! I have read about communication issues dealing with custom manufacturers but not in this case. Steve was easy to communicate with and he sent update images of the razor as it was made.

Upon arrival I was impressed with the presentation, the coffin was like nothing I have seen before.
Box.jpg

The box felt very smooth and had been oiled. It fits together with a crisp snap. My only minor criticism of the box was the finish, when held at the right angle you can see minor sanding striations.



The razor looks very elegant, with classic lines and a constrained design that I find very appealing. The scales are super smooth, almost feeling like plastic and pleasant to the touch. A Mulga wedge finishes the scales off, complementing the grain colour. They are super thin and the blade is nicely centred.
SideLetters2.jpg

The 5/8” Spanish point blade had a mirror finish on both sides and was etched with my user name for a true custom blade. I really like the company’s Head Frame symbol stamped onto the jimp free tang; a nod to the razor’s heritage. The shoulderless blade is 70mm long from nose to heel, which makes honing easier, and provides an aesthetic I prefer. The thumb notch makes for easy stropping, the blade rolling effortlessly on every pass. The geometry was spot on and the grind is a bellied hollow, one I have never used before.

The shave was greatly anticipated and lived up to expectations. I stropped it on my Australian made Black Beauty strop and enjoyed the shave immensely. The razor was light and agile making it very easy to maneuver around my face. The blade came shave ready, passing the hanging hair and tree topping tests (you can see the hair on the blade in the photo!). It was as sharp as any of my collection, a baby bum smooth result was achieved. The lack of jimps didn’t bother me in the least, the razor didn’t slip or falter throughout the shave.

After four consecutive shaves I can say that the quality of the product is beyond reproach, it performs as well as any I have ever used. Having purchased from mainstream manufacturers up to this point I had never considered a custom razor. I felt that they were either very expensive or had designs I don’t care for. My mind has been changed with this company, offering classic looks at an affordable price, with an astounding turn around time. This handmade range is currently priced around that of commercial companies high end ranges which makes it a compelling consideration.

Ordering was straight forward, and the web page has now launched (post purchase) but is a bit of a work in progress and could be a barrier. You can also reach the Proserpine Razor company through their Facebook or eBay pages. The range of blade sizes is currently limited to 5/8, 6/8 and 7/8 blades will be available soon. Most custom razors are 7/8 or larger. The limited size range may put some off but smaller razors are generally less expensive and more maneuverable.

This fledgling company offers value and quality that is amazing, especially if you are buying from outside of Australia with a favorable exchange rate. The web site now also offers hand made strops and so covers all the hardware. The timeless style and quality will always be appealing to a razor connoisseur and make a fitting part of any razor collection.


Size
-5/8”

Grind-Bellied hollow grind

Steel-Solingen Carbon steel 1.2210

Finish- Mirror polish

Point- Spanish point

Scales- Bethlehem olive wood

Wedge- Mulga

Pins- Nickel silver

Washers- Stainless steel

Manufacturer- S.K.Colling and Co

Latest reviews

Custom Spanish Point in African Rosewood Scales
Pros: Very high quality of finish.
Exceptionally good steel using the same blanks as Ralf Aust.
Very good value.
Cons: Communication with the manufacturer can be very difficult at times.
From order/paying to shipping took about 16 weeks.
The manufacturer is Steve Colling of Proserpine, Queensland, Australia. I ordered what I wanted and that was exactly what I received. Cost was about USD 150 (December 2021).

IMG_20220419_122825.jpg
Steve no longer supplies his SR's in a timber case, telling me that they took as long to make as the SR. They now come in a normal cardboard coffin.

With the design I specified, I found that my custom Colling SR was a perfect fit into an old timber SR case that I had lying around.

IMG_20220419_185736.jpg
I specified a 6/8 blade width. The one I received was closer to a ⅞. This is the same as Ralf Aust and most German SR manufacturers who measures their blade widths from the top of the spine wear and not the top of the spine.

The SR arrived shave-ready, honed without tape as requested. My first shave with this SR revealed to me that it would need just a little more work to bring the edge up to the standard that I am use to. A few laps on 1μm film and a full diamond pasted balsa strop progression produced the perfect edge for me.

I put Steve Colling's work at about on par with Ralf Aust. Yes, it's that good.

If I can contact him, Steve will now be my preferred custom SR manufacturer.

Note: Neither Steve's website or Facebook are currently active. He can be contacted via email:

[email protected]

If that doesn't work, try his wife, Kelly:

[email protected]
Price
5.00 star(s)
Lasting Edge
4.00 star(s)
Craftsmanship
5.00 star(s)
Easy to Sharpen
4.00 star(s)
Easy to Maintain
5.00 star(s)
Shaving Smoothness
5.00 star(s)
  • Like
Reactions: Time Bandit
rbscebu
rbscebu
International shipping from Australia is currently (May 2021) under USD 30 maximum to almost anywhere in the world, taking from 1 to about 5 weeks. That includes tracking and insurance.
Doc Dan
Doc Dan
I just discovered him and then did a search and found this review. I ordered a full hollow, Spanish Point with Paua Shell scales. Excited to get it. He said his HRT is 62 or so. Good enough.

Item information

Added by
Straight up
Views
2,033
Reviews
1
Last update
Rating
5.00 star(s) 1 ratings

More in Straight Razors (Reviews)

Top Bottom