One of the things about shaving that I've been missing out on is using different razor heads with a beefed up handle. Something heavy, girthy, with knurling that would stand up to even the slickest soaps. So, as I was looking through the various Sue Moore auction threads, I was on the hunt for a handle to bring into my shave den.
Enter fellow Badger and Blade member/hobbyist William Quiles (wquiles) - the same person who makes, what I think, are the only DE razor handles made out of titanium on the planet. Many of these fine specimens can be seen in his Vendor/Hobbist thread here. For the Sue Moore auction, wquiles was kind enough to donate a custom handle made entirely out of brass (link to auction listing). Within 24 hours of the auction, William sent me an email letting me know the handle was on it's way to Seattle from Dallas....I was thrilled to know that I'd be adding a quality piece of hardware while contributing to a great cause like the NBCF. Remember, that this is a review of my first handle, so I'm not going to be very useful with comparing it to the other mainstream handle options that are out there (Weber, ATT, UFO, iKon, etc...)
Alright, enough with the intro, on to the pictures! ...my apologies upfront for camera phone picture quality...
The handle is a true piece of machined craftsmanship. It weighs in at about 85 g, is about 3" long (74 mm) and has a 15 mm diameter. The real stunner though, is the knurling, which consists of a diamond pattern near the ends of the handle mixed with a twist/swirl pattern along the middle portion. I had no problems fitting both vintage and modern heads to the handle, which to me, seems just short of a minor miracle considering the different thread sizes out there.
I have used the handle for about 3 weeks straight now, which comes out to ~12 shaves for me, and have had some time to use it with several different razor heads and a couple different blades. The razor heads include a FaTip, an OLD type Gillette Open Comb, and a Merkur 23c...these comprise all of the 3-piece heads that I currently own. For each head, I used either Personna Med Prep or Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum blades. Across the board, my shaves have improved while using this handle, which has brought balance and dexterity to some of my more finicky razors, particularly the OLD type OC. I think this combo may have even supplanted my beloved Red Tip and maybe even my Rocket HD as my new favorite razor! However, I don't think even this handle will tame the notorious FaTip and save it from the B/S/T....it will find a new home soon.
A couple of pictures of the Quiles handle compared to the ball-end OLD handle - a definite upgrade - and with the OLD head attached.
As a solid piece of brass, I look forward to seeing how its color changes as I use it more and develops a patina over time. It will not be the only razor handle that I purchase, but I take pride knowing that this one-of-a-kind heavy piece of shaving artillery is residing in my den. Now, when are those ATT open comb plates coming out?
Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading my review!
Enter fellow Badger and Blade member/hobbyist William Quiles (wquiles) - the same person who makes, what I think, are the only DE razor handles made out of titanium on the planet. Many of these fine specimens can be seen in his Vendor/Hobbist thread here. For the Sue Moore auction, wquiles was kind enough to donate a custom handle made entirely out of brass (link to auction listing). Within 24 hours of the auction, William sent me an email letting me know the handle was on it's way to Seattle from Dallas....I was thrilled to know that I'd be adding a quality piece of hardware while contributing to a great cause like the NBCF. Remember, that this is a review of my first handle, so I'm not going to be very useful with comparing it to the other mainstream handle options that are out there (Weber, ATT, UFO, iKon, etc...)
Alright, enough with the intro, on to the pictures! ...my apologies upfront for camera phone picture quality...
The handle is a true piece of machined craftsmanship. It weighs in at about 85 g, is about 3" long (74 mm) and has a 15 mm diameter. The real stunner though, is the knurling, which consists of a diamond pattern near the ends of the handle mixed with a twist/swirl pattern along the middle portion. I had no problems fitting both vintage and modern heads to the handle, which to me, seems just short of a minor miracle considering the different thread sizes out there.
I have used the handle for about 3 weeks straight now, which comes out to ~12 shaves for me, and have had some time to use it with several different razor heads and a couple different blades. The razor heads include a FaTip, an OLD type Gillette Open Comb, and a Merkur 23c...these comprise all of the 3-piece heads that I currently own. For each head, I used either Personna Med Prep or Gillette 7 O'clock Super Platinum blades. Across the board, my shaves have improved while using this handle, which has brought balance and dexterity to some of my more finicky razors, particularly the OLD type OC. I think this combo may have even supplanted my beloved Red Tip and maybe even my Rocket HD as my new favorite razor! However, I don't think even this handle will tame the notorious FaTip and save it from the B/S/T....it will find a new home soon.
A couple of pictures of the Quiles handle compared to the ball-end OLD handle - a definite upgrade - and with the OLD head attached.
As a solid piece of brass, I look forward to seeing how its color changes as I use it more and develops a patina over time. It will not be the only razor handle that I purchase, but I take pride knowing that this one-of-a-kind heavy piece of shaving artillery is residing in my den. Now, when are those ATT open comb plates coming out?
Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading my review!
