What's the best Swedish Straight Razor Maker?

[Luecke2326]

I just bought this..... :-O
QUOTE=Antique Hoosier;8566343]AGREED. Magnus Gabrielsson, a straight razor enthusiast from Sweden has some of the finest I have ever seen. His pair of Erik Anton Berg in tortoise with etched shark relief on the blades are delightful! View attachment 694240[/QUOTE]

 

[Antique Hoosier]

Check out Magnus Gabrielsson on YouTube. His videos are quite Swedish centric.

 

[Catalinbread]

I've been watching this re-scaled in horn MK No. 5 for a few days. Can't justify buying it for a while so chances are someone else will snag it.

 

[Luecke2326]

Check out Magnus Gabrielsson on YouTube. His videos are quite Swedish centric.

Just watched the video with ish shark frame back, he can shave so fast and efficient! I hope my new Berg will cleanup so nicely!

 

[Antique Hoosier]

Just watched the video with ish shark frame back, he can shave so fast and efficient! I hope my new Berg will cleanup so nicely!

He is a GREAT guy too btw. It is a small world among us straight guys.

 

[mc57]

I made a mistake, one of my CV Heljestrand is n° 8 and not n° 4 as indicated.

 

[*stefan*]

I have only shaved with one frame back so far, a thin Hellberg, liked it a lot, both the grip and shaving. So it is very personal how you find the grip for different straight razor designs.

I squeeze my ring finger slightly between the tang and scales and keeps a rotating force along the tang so that the scales presses my ring finger with a larger area than before. I find this more comfortable if the length of the tang for the ring finger is not a shorter variant. And a tomb notches is preferable.


Noticed: My pre-selected titles changed from "lather learner" to " I dream of DE".
Probably bad dreams as last I shaved I used several straight razors and a devette, made my first longer cut in my face (not deep). And it was not with any of the straight razors.

 

[Luecke2326]

Doc 47 already have written most of what's to be said.

As Dan, Doc47, already have pointed out all Eskilstuna razors are made of Bergslagen steel from the purest ore in the world that's no longer mined. The razors keep their edge for a very long time, but the steel is also very hard to hone due to the same reason. It also means that the edges feels a bit different from other edges, you may like it or you may not. An Eskilstuna razor will never feel like a Sheffield razor.

Eskilstuna razors where produced for about 200 years. During that time different producers came, dominated and retired. There are about 20 major names. I'd like to add E.A. Berg and Söderen to the list of the most prominent ones.

Like Solingen Eskilstuna isn't a large town and it never has been. The different producers shared craftsmen and happily stole ideas and successful designs from each other.

So if you find an Eskilstuna razor that you like the looks of you can be sure of that it is a good razor no matter what manufacturer name, but that it may be tough to set the bevel. I strongly recommend the shoulderless models, but then again a standard full hollow 5/8 is always right.

I do hope that you'll enjoy your frameback razor. Beware of that the very thin tang will mean that it is "flippy" and need a slightly different technique.

I just receive my first Faux Frameback, a C.W. Dahlgren, there is some very fine etchwork on the face of the blade which you can see when the blade is at just the right angle. Unfortunately I don't think the etching will survive the restoration process. I AM VERY SUPRISED how thin the tang is, it will take some getting used to the light weight and thin tang, but it seems to be a very fine razor with a few small rust spots that need to be cleaned up. I decided to soak the razor in neatsfoot oil overnight or for a few days because the scales were dirty and pretty dried out. Cheers!

 

[Polarbeard]

I just receive my first Faux Frameback, a C.W. Dahlgren, there is some very fine etchwork on the face of the blade which you can see when the blade is at just the right angle. Unfortunately I don't think the etching will survive the restoration process. I AM VERY SUPRISED how thin the tang is, it will take some getting used to the light weight and thin tang, but it seems to be a very fine razor with a few small rust spots that need to be cleaned up. I decided to soak the razor in neatsfoot oil overnight or for a few days because the scales were dirty and pretty dried out. Cheers!

The etching will survive it you coat it with nail polish before the restoration. There are a couple of other things to think of as well. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

 

[Luecke2326]

I’m gonna bump this thread because of all the Swedish goodness in it!

In the time since I started this thread, I now own:
2-Heljestrand MK31
1-E.A. Berg Full Hollow
1-E.A. Berg Frame Back
1-Dahlgren Frame Back
1-No name Mk30 “copy” made in Sweden
1-Jernbolaget Wedge
1-Klas Tornblom Shoulderless

They are all great, but the frame backs are much more challenging IMHO.

 

[Polarbeard]

I’m gonna bump this thread because of all the Swedish goodness in it!

In the time since I started this thread, I now own:
2-Heljestrand MK31
1-E.A. Berg Full Hollow
1-E.A. Berg Frame Back
1-Dahlgren Frame Back
1-No name Mk30 “copy” made in Sweden
1-Jernbolaget Wedge
1-Klas Tornblom Shoulderless

They are all great, but the frame backs are much more challenging IMHO.

I wouldn't call the framebacks challenging. I believe that the word I'm looking for is suicidal.

 

[BDWoody]

Excellent! What are your favorites? I have a swedish steel Kamisori (Iwasaki) and I am also interested in other swedish steel razors. Been starting to look more actively...

 

[Polarbeard]

Excellent! What are your favorites? I have a swedish steel Kamisori (Iwasaki) and I am also interested in other swedish steel razors. Been starting to look more actively...

There are at least four definitions of Swedish steel:

1. A steel recipe for "Swedish steel"
2. Steel made in Sweden from Swedish iron ore, usually from ore from the Kiruna mine in the north of the Pole circle.
3. Products from Sweden made out of Swedish steel, usually from ore from the Kiruna mine.
4. Products from Sweden made out of Swedish steel from ore from the Bergslagen area. Unfortunately all but one of those mines are presently closed.

Japanese razors fit in under 2 above. Swedish razors fit in under 4. This means that your kamasori is made out of steel of very high quality.

 

[Luecke2326]

Excellent! What are your favorites? I have a swedish steel Kamisori (Iwasaki) and I am also interested in other swedish steel razors. Been starting to look more actively...

I’m gonna have to say it’s a toss up between the Heljestrand MK31 5/8 full hollow and the SSA full hollow 4/8(which I forgot to mention).... Both have only been honed once in the last two years and both still have laser sharp edges, but the MK31 has never given me a scar. The ultra thin SSA took a bite out of me just below my left side burn 4 weeks ago when my darling wife popped in to ask me a question while I was shaving... A momentary lack of concentration has left me with a thin, nearly half inch scar. I blame myself and partially the square tip of the razor, but still it was 98.99% a failure in technique. Even based on this one incident the two razors are still virtually tied for best razors in my den, but my American made Genco Easy Aces, still wins that race by a nose.
@Polarbeard have you ever chosen a favorite? Mk32?


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[Gamma]

Engstrom framebacks are among my fave blades to hone and shave with. Just reworked the edge on one this morning actually.

 

[6Cuda6]

Engstrom framebacks are among my fave blades to hone and shave with. Just reworked the edge on one this morning actually.

Question for you....do you hone yours the same as you would a solid straight or do you do something different.

 

[Gamma]

Question for you....do you hone yours the same as you would a solid straight or do you do something different.

I feel as though there is another question behind this question. Or something...

Nothing special went on with this Engstrom though.

 

[lslick23]

I blame this thread for making me pull the trigger on this EA Berg frameback. Thank you!

 

[Luecke2326]

I blame this thread for making me pull the trigger on this EA Berg frameback. Thank you!
View attachment 899072

That is slick! I love the old ones with the brass “frames.” Did you just acquire this one or have you had it for some time? Glad to help!

 

[Polarbeard]

@Polarbeard have you ever chosen a favorite? Mk32?

Heljestrand MK Mo.32 is indeed my favourite razor and has been for a very long time. Even so it is a devious razor that is far from easy to handle. Furthermore I'm not sure that Heljestrand was the best Swedish razor maker. There are quite a few to mention and you can't bypass makers like E.A. Berg, Törnblom, Jernbolaget, Hellberg, Söderén, Engström, SSA, Neiström and others. Eskilstuna was, and is, a small town where the proud craftsmen knew each other, shared experience and cooperated. Just choose the razor type and design you prefer, as long as the razor is marked "Eskilstuna" you will get a quality product.