I used my Grandfather's vintage razor today.

[Rosseforp]

Hey Guys, I have my Grandfather's Real Old English Razor that I have been working on for a while. It is a Joseph Rodgers & Sons 6/8 from around 1901.

As a few of you know, I am new to wet shaving, having started DE shaving early this year at the ripe old age of 63 years. I'm getting really great DE shaves every day thanks to the advice I get from the B&B members, so decided to try my hands at using a Straight.

I used the SR yesterday on just my face and only using my right hand. The edge sucked because I just reset the bevel and didn't hone it enough. I got a slightly better edge today and also used my left hand for my left side. I'm just shaving my face with the straight for the first pass, and finishing up with my GC68.
I noticed right away that the straight had removed almost all the stubble where I shaved with it, as there was nothing for the GC to cut.

I have a Sharp Pebble 400/1000 stone that I use for wood planes to set the bevel with, then I used a piece of wood with green compound and my Grandfather's Raven for now. I have a Norton 4000/8000 and some lapping film on order, so I should be able to maintain the edge.

Now I need some advice on a backup straight razor to complement my vintage straight without breaking the bank!

Thanks and Happy shaves
prof

 

[Brasspin]

Gold Dollar razors
Super Cheap Gold Dollar Razors

 

[Twelvefret]

My advice would be to obtain a vintage razor from eBay and restore yourself or from these sellers.

razor*aficionado*brothers on eBay

johnloc1 on eBay

Looks like a vintage Texas Instrument calculator you have as your avatar ?

 

[RayClem]

I have about 25 straights in my collection. They range from inexpensive Gold Dollar razors to expensive works of art.

The problem with Gold Dollar razors is that craftsmanship is poor, so you will always need to do some soft of modification to the razors. If you are lucky, modifying the heel will take care of the issues. Some folks sell Gold Dollars that have been modified and honed. Others sell Gold Dollars and say they are "shave ready" but they are far from it.

If you purchase a vintage razor in good condition, you might end up with a great razor. I have a Wade and Butcher that turned out quite nice, but I had to put on new scales and polish the blade. However, I also have a couple of vintage razors that looked decent, but pitting near the edge prevented getting a good shave. There are sources of vintage blades that have been either partially or fully restored. Since you are not skilled in restoration at this point, that may be a better option.

If you are willing to spend a little money, you can get some nice enew blades from craftsman like Ralf Aust and Heribert Wacker. There are also companies like Boker, Dovo, and Thiers Issard who make good blades.

In the States, Brian Brown of Brown Razor Works has a line of razors that he produces from Solingen blanks. They are priced around $200 for 6/8" models and $250-275 for 7/8". I have one of each size.

 

[Lightcs1776]

It's always better when the razor is a family heirloom. Very cool.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[Rosseforp]

My advice would be to obtain a vintage razor from eBay and restore yourself or from these sellers.

razor*aficionado*brothers on eBay

johnloc1 on eBay

Looks like a vintage Texas Instrument calculator you have as your avatar ?

Heya @Twelvefret , it's a vintage Hewlett Packard 41CV, an RPN calculator I've had almost 40 years.....

I'm pretty sure that I am gonna need at least one more SR to complement the vintage razor I already have, but I know as much about them as I knew about a Ball End Tech when I started DE shaving in January. In other words, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to choosing another SR to get started with.
I don't know if I want another vintage SR or if I could get by with an 'El Cheapo Gold Dollar SR for under $20.00, or something in between.

I just wish I had taken a picture of my Grandfather's straight when I took it out of the box, it was so rusty you couldn't read any of the writing on it, it actually looked like my Grandmother used it to open letters, and it had a couple of huge chips that I honed out. It sure ain't pretty, but it does shave........

Take care
prof

 

[Twelvefret]

Heya @Twelvefret , it's a vintage Hewlett Packard 41CV, an RPN calculator I've had almost 40 years.....

I'm pretty sure that I am gonna need at least one more SR to complement the vintage razor I already have, but I know as much about them as I knew about a Ball End Tech when I started DE shaving in January. In other words, I'm pretty clueless when it comes to choosing another SR to get started with.
I don't know if I want another vintage SR or if I could get by with an 'El Cheapo Gold Dollar SR for under $20.00, or something in between.

I just wish I had taken a picture of my Grandfather's straight when I took it out of the box, it was so rusty you couldn't read any of the writing on it, it actually looked like my Grandmother used it to open letters, and it had a couple of huge chips that I honed out. It sure ain't pretty, but it does shave........

Take care
prof

Okay and thank you for identifying the calculator. If you decide to buy from one of those sellers, they are good about answering inquiries.