Over the years I've taken chances when buying straight razors. Initially I made some stupid mistakes, but over the years I learned what to look for in the pictures and to recognise the photos that should have been there, but weren't. I soon felt comfortable when it came to Swedish razors and felt rather at home with vintage Solingen razors. Then I read about how magnificent Filarmonica razors were, and they truly are. I am very proud of the three (generation 1 and 2) I have on display, but then there is a fourth one, the first i bought thinking I couldn't go wrong with a NOS razor that didn't cost much either. I had no idea what I was buying. It turned out to be of the fifth and last generation, not made in Spain but Pakistan. It is a rather expensive paper weight. I keep it in a tin box of shame on the top shelf of a wardrobe. I can't sell it (I have to live with myself), but someday a Harmonica collector might want it as an memento of the downfall of a once great razor brand.
Share your most dissapointing straight razor purchase
- Thread starter Polarbeard
- Start date
I saw this gorgeous blade handmade by a Sicilian knife maker. It is a small razor that still manages to be over 7/8 in blade width.
Sadly, I never managed to put an edge on it. The one time I tried to shave with it anyway was a confirmation that the thing would not keep an edge.
Sadly, I never managed to put an edge on it. The one time I tried to shave with it anyway was a confirmation that the thing would not keep an edge.
Dubl duck wonderedge. Always wanted a nice condition one but last one I got was warped ;(
I only started shaving with a straight last year. But many years ago, when I was doing woodworking with hand tools, and enjoying sharpening them, I bought a Thiers-Issard straight razor, and figured I'd learn to shave with it. I didn't. I put it away and never thought about it. Each time I moved, I wondered if I should just toss it. But no, I figured I'd use it someday. Finally, that someday came, and it turned out it was warped.
Center high on this side:
Heel and toe high on this side:
I now know I should have followed its contours, honing on a convex stone or a narrow stone. Instead, I resolved to hone it until I reached flatness. About 4mm into the logo, I realized:
This isn't working
I am not enjoying this at all
I don't like stainless steel much anyway
and I gave myself permission to toss it. I haven't missed it.
Center high on this side:
Heel and toe high on this side:
I now know I should have followed its contours, honing on a convex stone or a narrow stone. Instead, I resolved to hone it until I reached flatness. About 4mm into the logo, I realized:
This isn't working
I am not enjoying this at all
I don't like stainless steel much anyway
and I gave myself permission to toss it. I haven't missed it.
While on holidays in Spain we went to the town of Toledo, famous for its knives/sword/blades. I thought a straight razor might make a nice keep sake, plus I can use it in the weekly rotation. I was able to track down a vendor after a bit of hunting. I picked it up for ~30 Euro I think. It had wooden scales, was 6/8" and had Toledo etched onto the blade.
I took it home and of course the blade was as blunt as could be. Run the blade length wise over your finger and nothing happens. I get a hone and start trying to put an edge on it, the blade starts wearing away. Clearly not hardened steel and obviously an RSO. Plus there is a crack in the scales near the pin (super glue to the rescue)
It now hides in a coffin in the sock draw of shame.
I took it home and of course the blade was as blunt as could be. Run the blade length wise over your finger and nothing happens. I get a hone and start trying to put an edge on it, the blade starts wearing away. Clearly not hardened steel and obviously an RSO. Plus there is a crack in the scales near the pin (super glue to the rescue)
It now hides in a coffin in the sock draw of shame.It almost looks like that RSO got worn steel just from contact with the scales while pivoting. That's some impressively soft steel.
Had a few big Sheffields, 8/8 FBU types, arrive with well camouflaged cracks in them, a Boker that looked great but the temper died under a buffing wheel, and a Kamisori with rust running through the lamination. There are others, but those stand out in my memory though.
Don't have any specific examples, but several old old sheffields that refused to do anything but microchip and several old solingens with toe warps or uneven grinding.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
My first. A Dovo Best Quality. This was pre internet, but long after most men had switched to DE, so I had no mentor and even barbers for the most part gave really crappy shaves. So no learning resources. The seller had a knife shop on the new Riverwalk mall in New Orleans and knew nothing about razors. Didn't even sell strops. Just a couple of Dovo Bests, take em or leave em. I wished for years that I had never thought to myself how cool it would be to shave with a straight razor instead of the Gillette Super Adjustable. Anyway that Dovo should have been melted down. It was utter garbage but I didn't know it. I blamed myself. Used that razor for years, always looked like I had been drug through a cactus patch. It literally took me years to start getting acceptable shaves, trying to hone that twisty warpy piece of crap when I didn't even know how to hone a GOOD razor or what a good edge even felt like. It shaved forearm hair, but so did my pocketknife. Anyway that was my most disappointing straight razor purchase, ever. I spent good coin on a piece of trash that NOW, I could turn into an ugly but usable shaver but then, I couldn't really figure out.
Two more Dovo Bests, one of which was actually rebranded for Col. Conk, finally made me realize that there was a big difference between entry level Dovos and the mid to upper range Dovo razors. Now, they tell me that the entry Dovo's aren't quite that bad these days but burn me once, twice, and thrice, you don't get another chance with me. This, from the guy who pushes Gold Dollars. Go figure.
Two more Dovo Bests, one of which was actually rebranded for Col. Conk, finally made me realize that there was a big difference between entry level Dovos and the mid to upper range Dovo razors. Now, they tell me that the entry Dovo's aren't quite that bad these days but burn me once, twice, and thrice, you don't get another chance with me. This, from the guy who pushes Gold Dollars. Go figure.
Dovo, If you are reading this, please have your best master cutler make the finest possible Best model with horn scales, and send it to @Slash McCoy for free.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
HAHA don't bother. I actually LIKE the better Dovo razors. I have several Bismarcks and similar, and they are nice razors. But 3 for 3, their entry level blades were crap. Knowing then what I know now, I could have tortured them into compliance with low grits and lots of English.
As an unpaid advocate for their better razors, you must be responsible for many sales, and Dovo owes you a complimentary razor, @Slash McCoy - at least that’s how I see it.
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Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I’ve bought a bunch of hones off eBay, gambling on the poor photos, and crapped out. Sometimes I think they purposely mess with their white balance to make it look like other things.
I bought a “branded” prima rindleder strop before I understood that it was likely same exact stock of the good, but typical strops. Cost me a small premium, but still stung a bit when I discovered what it was and wasnt.
Early in my journey, I custom/special ordered a TI 6/8 "Spartacus" full hollow with a thumb notch and black horn scales for almost $300. Got the razor. Shaved wonderfully. But when the edge began to tug and I put the razor on my finishing stone, I could see two noticeable grind marks with my naked eyes. Lacking experience I figured the marks would just go away with a little finishing. To make a long story short, they did not, and I sent the razor to Alfredo who advised me to return the razor.
Turns out I was able to return the razor and got a TI 7/8 Basic Black with a very even grind that is perhaps my favorite full hollow. Yes, I lost a few bucks, but I learned a lot and ended up with an excellent TI and a love for C135 (and 7/8 inch razors). For more about the original razor, see:
Warp vs Bad Grind | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)
If this continues to be my greatest disappointment, I will consider myself lucky!
Turns out I was able to return the razor and got a TI 7/8 Basic Black with a very even grind that is perhaps my favorite full hollow. Yes, I lost a few bucks, but I learned a lot and ended up with an excellent TI and a love for C135 (and 7/8 inch razors). For more about the original razor, see:
Warp vs Bad Grind | Badger & Blade (badgerandblade.com)
If this continues to be my greatest disappointment, I will consider myself lucky!
A Spike 4/8 near wedge that I thought was a 5/8 full hollow. Not a thing wrong with it, just not to my taste.
I went into a huge deserted dark vintage mall without my trusty 600 lumen flashlight. I had to hike back to the counter to get a case unlocked. Here is the blade from the BLUE GLAZE razor I found.
The giant divot was only an indiscernible crack at that point. I found it immediately on my workbench. Tiny pressure popped it right off the blade.
How disappointed was I?
1) The scales will be usable.
2) I unpinned my first razor.
3) It is not a treasured rarity, though my Kinfolks Blue Steel Special has made me look twice at any piece of junk with BLUE on the blade or scales.
4) It cost $10.
5) I learned a lesson or two.
So not terribly disappointed.
The giant divot was only an indiscernible crack at that point. I found it immediately on my workbench. Tiny pressure popped it right off the blade.
How disappointed was I?
1) The scales will be usable.
2) I unpinned my first razor.
3) It is not a treasured rarity, though my Kinfolks Blue Steel Special has made me look twice at any piece of junk with BLUE on the blade or scales.
4) It cost $10.
5) I learned a lesson or two.
So not terribly disappointed.
I can't get too worked up about the cheapies, either. You know how venture capital people expect most of their investments to fail, but a few to pay off big? Buying cheap vintage razors is like that.
I put 6 cheap kamisoris on my bevel-setting stone this week, all part of a very unmatched set that didn't cost much at all. I think it basically amounted to a collection of razors this vendor had that could not be touted as interesting individual purchases.
Before this week, my idea was that all kamisoris are good, and some are great. This week, I discovered that there are bad ones.
One took an edge on the 1K stone, but refused to do so on the 2K stone.
The other seemed to take an edge, but on every effort to refine it, it threw off worms of steel, as though it were a burr worked up by doing 200 strokes on the opposite side, except I hadn't done that, and the razor seemed to have an infinite worm supply.
In neither case did I give up early, but it became clear that no possible effort would rescue these kamisoris. Both are now in the trash, after what edge they had was killed.
The other 4 seemed quite good. 1 of them seemed like it might be great. Perhaps suitably, it says "Magic" on the blade.
I put 6 cheap kamisoris on my bevel-setting stone this week, all part of a very unmatched set that didn't cost much at all. I think it basically amounted to a collection of razors this vendor had that could not be touted as interesting individual purchases.
Before this week, my idea was that all kamisoris are good, and some are great. This week, I discovered that there are bad ones.
One took an edge on the 1K stone, but refused to do so on the 2K stone.
The other seemed to take an edge, but on every effort to refine it, it threw off worms of steel, as though it were a burr worked up by doing 200 strokes on the opposite side, except I hadn't done that, and the razor seemed to have an infinite worm supply.
In neither case did I give up early, but it became clear that no possible effort would rescue these kamisoris. Both are now in the trash, after what edge they had was killed.
The other 4 seemed quite good. 1 of them seemed like it might be great. Perhaps suitably, it says "Magic" on the blade.
I spotted a Wade and Butcher mixed in with some barn finds, thought it was the best of the bunch from the photos. My first W&B. Upon arrival the blade was much shorter than I thought, with a lethal squared off toe. Got it shave ready then cut myself with that deadly toe. Took the scales off out of spite and now they are repurposed on another razor. When I’m done sulking I may put new scales on the W&B, blunt the toe somewhat and see how she goes. Maybe.
I bought a custom made straight of another forum many years ago. I paid US$300. When I got it something didn't look right. The whole geometry of the blade size and spine width was totally out of whack. It would have needed more than 10 layers of tape to build up the spine to be able to hone it. I ended up reusing the scales but I kept the blade. I've still got it somewhere. It's the most expensive letter opener I've ever had.
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