I recently purchased a Spanish straight from Jose (username: Ambrose) off the market place and wanted to give a little report on this beautiful razor. I have had the pleasure of owning a Filarmonica 14 Doble Temple and so when the opportunity arose to purchase a straight razor similar at a fraction of the price – the Cabeza de Leon 14 that I purchased from Jose cost me $165 (not including shipping as I live in Taipei – shipping conus would have been included), I jumped on it immediately. I was not disappointed. Jose was really helpful, he answered my questions quickly, and I knew if I didn’t act fast this would go to another buyer. I was, for once, in the right place at the right time.
First the aesthetics, the blade geometry is subtle yet stunning. It contains everything I prefer in a razor. It has a gently swayed spine with an ever so slight smile, jimps top and bottom and a spike point. On the blade face there is a beautiful etch (well it’s not exactly etched, it is more embossed but I’m not sure what I call that) with a crest containing the face of a lion below a crown in between the words ‘cabeza’ and ‘leon’, all within an ornate border. There are some watermarks (though marks is a loaded word, I would probably prefer to say watersmudges?), nothing even close to the edge, very faint and with a razor that has some age and use to it, welcomed. It gives character. The scales are original and plastic; they are inlayed with a silver lion, crown and the name ‘Cabeza de Leon’ on them, pins are brass.
The edge of Spanish steel just feels different on my face. It is stiffer with a nice amount of flex, the kind that sings when you strop it. In comparison to the Filarmonica I would say that the Cabeza de Leon has slightly less flex and is therefore, less forgiving. The difference however is so slight that it is hard to notice. I was initially drawn to Spanish straights because I have some Spanish roots and there is a certain nostalgia shaving with something that reminds me of this distant heritage. As I’ve shaved now for a short amount of time with the ability to compare American, Solingen, Sheffield and Japanese ‘western’ straights I would say that while all of these have their merits there is something particularly special about Spanish steel. It just feels sharper and it seems to sing through whiskers with ease and conviction. I must also add there is something special about Jose’s honing. While I can confidently speak about Spanish straights with two to compare from different honemeisters, I must also comment on the edge given to this beautiful and rare size 14 Spanish straight. It is incredibly sharp but also velvet-like smooth. I checked under my magnifying glass and the bevel is thin with a perfect edge from heel to toe, both of which with a slightly wider bevel – great for using the point and heel for accuracy, which I like to do. In short, a great straight from a great vendor, Jose was also kind enough to include a small bottle of Ogalla Bay Rum aftershave / toner, this came just at the right time and mine had just run out. If any of you have not tried this outstanding bay rum I suggest you do so, it is distinctly divine. Note: Jose originally took first few photos while the last SOTD style shot was taken by me.
First the aesthetics, the blade geometry is subtle yet stunning. It contains everything I prefer in a razor. It has a gently swayed spine with an ever so slight smile, jimps top and bottom and a spike point. On the blade face there is a beautiful etch (well it’s not exactly etched, it is more embossed but I’m not sure what I call that) with a crest containing the face of a lion below a crown in between the words ‘cabeza’ and ‘leon’, all within an ornate border. There are some watermarks (though marks is a loaded word, I would probably prefer to say watersmudges?), nothing even close to the edge, very faint and with a razor that has some age and use to it, welcomed. It gives character. The scales are original and plastic; they are inlayed with a silver lion, crown and the name ‘Cabeza de Leon’ on them, pins are brass.
The edge of Spanish steel just feels different on my face. It is stiffer with a nice amount of flex, the kind that sings when you strop it. In comparison to the Filarmonica I would say that the Cabeza de Leon has slightly less flex and is therefore, less forgiving. The difference however is so slight that it is hard to notice. I was initially drawn to Spanish straights because I have some Spanish roots and there is a certain nostalgia shaving with something that reminds me of this distant heritage. As I’ve shaved now for a short amount of time with the ability to compare American, Solingen, Sheffield and Japanese ‘western’ straights I would say that while all of these have their merits there is something particularly special about Spanish steel. It just feels sharper and it seems to sing through whiskers with ease and conviction. I must also add there is something special about Jose’s honing. While I can confidently speak about Spanish straights with two to compare from different honemeisters, I must also comment on the edge given to this beautiful and rare size 14 Spanish straight. It is incredibly sharp but also velvet-like smooth. I checked under my magnifying glass and the bevel is thin with a perfect edge from heel to toe, both of which with a slightly wider bevel – great for using the point and heel for accuracy, which I like to do. In short, a great straight from a great vendor, Jose was also kind enough to include a small bottle of Ogalla Bay Rum aftershave / toner, this came just at the right time and mine had just run out. If any of you have not tried this outstanding bay rum I suggest you do so, it is distinctly divine. Note: Jose originally took first few photos while the last SOTD style shot was taken by me.
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