Straight Razors: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Dave Rishar

Dave Rishar

Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
3,178
Razor afficianados, sound off!

We've been having a lot of discussions lately about straight razors. Now might be the time to go over which company has what reputation, and why.

A quick perusal of Ebay shows the DOVOs and Heinckels (and most of the other so-called "German" razors) going for a premium. Some other brands are sort of middle of the road. A few seem to sell for the starting bid only.

What other ones are good? Bad? Ugly? I'm sure that a few forumites are currently shopping for razors while I type this. The question didn't even really dawn on me until I unexpectedly snagged two of them off of Ebay. Are mine any good? (Not important, actually -- I paid $20 for the two of them, shipping included, and could flip them easily enough at the swap meet.)

Assume that your audience knows nothing about razors at all, except that they want one for as little as possible. What would you recommend and why?
 
Dovo and Thiers-Issard are current manufacturers that are well respected. I have 2 Dovo's I bought new and I can vouch for them. I have not used Thiers-Issard.

Henckels, Old Hickory, Puma, and a lot of other familiar names used to make razors but dropped out of the business. There were a multitude of others manufacturers also. See http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html I think pretty much any of the old razors you pick up will be of good quality. If they were junk they were probably trashed decades ago. Competition for quality blades was heavier when everyone was using them. I doubt that many manufacturers of trash stayed in business long.

I would stay away from the new cheap Packistani straights available on e-bay. I haven't been tempted to get one but I have not heard good things about them.

I think when buying the old razors from American or European manufacturers you can pretty much assume quality, and should base your decision on factors like condition of blade, condition of handle, and your preference of materials. There are fads for certain manufacturers among collectors, and that drives the price of certain brands up. However, many of the razors that go for the starting bid (usually $10) are excellent shavers. It's a buyer's market. Later when the collecters outnumber the supply it will be much harder to acquire these good old blades.

By the way, knifemaker Bill Ellis offers a CD on restoring old straight razors. http://www.billysblades.com/ I got it and it has lots of good tips. From our e-mail interactions, Bill seems like a neat guy, too.
 
Henckel made me my Chefs knife so I allowed them to make me a razor as well .
I,m still working on getting the razor up to snuff . I have had the Chefs knife for a couple of decades . I have rarely done more than touch a steel to it . No signs of wear on the blade after decades .I am sure to replace the handle a couple of times before I replace the knife .
 
I saw a movie recently where a gentleman was shaving himself with a straight razor. In the movies you don't get cut, and everything went well.
It looked risky. I'm assuming the angle of approach is what prevents one from drawing blood or worse.

I'm on the lookout for one. I"m hoping like some guns, a straight razor might be easier to find here (used and old) than in a suburban area.


munk
 
I use a Hen & Rooster that I picked up new about a year ago. It's a good razor, and one I heartily recommend.

Much like khukuris I prefer to pick up newly made specimens instead of older ones. I don't have the time nor the inclination to do the research needed to recognize good older pieces. So I save myself some aggravation at the expense of some money by sticking to new pieces.
 
I use a Hen & Rooster that I picked up new a year ago. It's a great shaver.

Much like khukuris I prefer new specimens over older pieces. I have neither the time nor the inclination to do the necessary research to identify quality brands and models. This way I save myself some aggravation although I probably do so at the expense of a few dollars.
 
munk,

some of the things to watch out for are
  1. no draw cuts
  2. edge not perpendicular to skin.
  3. do not violate 1 & 2 at the same time, especially over your juglar vein or carotid arteries.
 
kronckew said:
munk,

some of the things to watch out for are
  1. no draw cuts
  2. edge not perpendicular to skin.
  3. do not violate 1 & 2 at the same time, especially over your juglar vein or carotid arteries.
Click to expand...

I'd rather get in a khukuri fight than even *try* to shave with one of these. Any (new) scars on my face will be earned, not accidental.

So, why don't SR's rust? A carbon Mora got rust spots on it hours after cleaning a fish yesterday. Seems like these would rust almost instantly.

And do SR's go in a bottle of Barbasol or something to prevent the infection that will go with the inevitable cuts?

Curse all forms of shaving anyway. Picture Dr. Evil's cat, or the Romans with their iron razors. It's not a good idea. The only time anybody should shave is if their facial hair is growing on their forehead and it's Yeti-hunting season.


Mike
 
How long can one just strop a straight razor, before it needs sharpening and then how does one go about sharpening it?
 
kronckew said:
munk,

some of the things to watch out for are
  1. no draw cuts
  2. edge not perpendicular to skin.
  3. do not violate 1 & 2 at the same time, especially over your juglar vein or carotid arteries.
Click to expand...

And I suppose you wear suspenders in case your belt breaks ! L:O:L

Come on there is a reason they are not called " safety razors "
Live a little . Most important of all ? Pics .

Besides , crewman of the Black Duck I have heard you secretly hack off your beard with a rusty cutlass . Yo Ho .
 
I've got 2. A Dovo, and an antique that the etched name has worn off. Both work well, but I must admit that I choose the Dovo more frequently ... it's wider, and has slightly rounded corners (which saves the occasional scratch).

I think Howard's got something - the old ones are probably all good, assuming they haven't been sharpened down to nothing. It's new stuff that I'd be wary of, if looking for a bargain. Bargains on the antique stuff are thick on the ground anyway.

How long can I go with simply stropping, rather than honing? Since I put Lee Valley's honing compound (Chromium Dioxide crayon) on my strop, I seem to be able to go on forever. Before, when the strop had no compound on it, I would use my antique hone perhaps twice a month, and strop the other days. But the hone's been staying in its case for some time now.

t.
 
I strop my razor before every shave. I only have to sharpen it on my old Swaty stone every 3-4 months.

Razors rust and discolor. My H & R already has a few dark spots. But if you wipe it dry after use and oil it occassionally you shouldn't have any problems.
 
Nordic Viking said:
How long can one just strop a straight razor, before it needs sharpening and then how does one go about sharpening it?
Click to expand...

Opinions vary on this. People strop differently, and at different frequencies. I strop daily, Sarge says once a week. In any case, when the freshly stropped razor is no longer giving a good shave it's time to go to the hone.

I use a very fine abrasive compound on the linen strop, and no abrasive at all on the leather. My razor gets 20 strokes on each strop before use. I have not needed to use the hone yet on a razor I've been shaving with, although I have just for fun and to get the hang of it.

Some people say they hone once a week, some say a couple times a year. I suspect their stropping technique and razor blade steel may play into the required honing frequency. Instructions for honing and stropping are here http://www.classicshaving.com/articles/article/590351/4057.htm and another point of view is here http://www.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/sharpen/instrazor.html

If there is a sizeable nick in the blade neither honing nor stropping will fix it. Razor hones are very smooth. A more agressive abrasive is generally required for removing nicks, then back to the finer ones to restore the razor edge.

Ad Astra said:
So, why don't SR's rust? A carbon Mora got rust spots on it hours after cleaning a fish yesterday. Seems like these would rust almost instantly.

And do SR's go in a bottle of Barbasol or something to prevent the infection that will go with the inevitable cuts?
Click to expand...

Razors do rust and require careful drying after use. I usually rinse the alkaline lather off with hot water, and then dry the blade. The residual heat from the hot water helps finish the drying process. Then I store them outside the humid bathroom.

The modern stainless steel razors don't rust though. I can quickly wipe them off and leave them in the bathroom with no problem.

I haven't had any problem with infection. I suppose if I bought a dirty old razor from a leper I'd clean it before using. Barbers have to take special care because they shave more than one person and have to avoid spreading disease from one person to another.

Ad Astra said:
I'd rather get in a khukuri fight than even *try* to shave with one of these. Any (new) scars on my face will be earned, not accidental.
...
Curse all forms of shaving anyway. Picture Dr. Evil's cat, or the Romans with their iron razors. It's not a good idea. The only time anybody should shave is if their facial hair is growing on their forehead and it's Yeti-hunting season.
Click to expand...

Red Flower and I were walking Billy the other day and saw that the neighbor had posted a sign in her yard.
To whoever shaved my grey cat, we need to talk.
Click to expand...

Aparently we have a cat shaver loose in the neighborhood. It's not me, I swear. Red Flower cracks up whenever she sees that sign.

Mike, just thank your stars you haven't yet found out how fun shaving with a straight is. I hated shaving with regular razors, so that's why I decided as a teenager I was going bearded. I wore a beard pretty much straight through the next 3 decades. Then I tried the straight razor and found it was fun. For us blade freaks, shaving with a straight is a step up from cutting wimpy little arm hairs to see if your blade is sharp.
 
Uh guys, I almost hate to mention it for fear of being percieved as promoting Blade Matrix, but they've got brand new Hen & Rooster straight razors for under forty bucks. Obviously, some of the best bargains in straight razors are to be found in buying old ones and reconditioning them, but I understand why some folks are hesitant to go that route. Still, there ain't no need to plunk down more of your hard earned money than you need to, especially if you're just curious, and want to give straight razor shaving a try. Good German razors, under forty bucks, thought I ought to at least give 'em a mention.
Here you go; http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=straight+razor&btnSearch=GO&Page=1

Best razor to be had? Totally subjective. I've got a variety of razors from different makers in different countries. The two razors I hold in highest esteem are a Henckels given to me by a friend, and a Thiers Issard (what a lovely razor) that I purchased as a retirement gift to myself when I punched out of the USAF. The quality, craftsmanship, and tradition behind the Thiers Issard razors just appealed to me very strongly. Want to see what I'm talking about, give this a read; http://www.classicshaving.com/articles/article/590351/9362.htm

Some clarification on my practice of stropping once a week. I don't use the same razor every day, I go with two razors and rotate them out, so each razor gets used every other day. By allowing the razors to "rest" in that manner, I'm getting three to four clean shaves out of them between stropping. Even when using just one razor for traveling, in the field, etc., I still find there's no need to strop with every use. It's a matter of experience and paying attention to your razor, it'll tell you when it wants the strop.

Sarge
 
I used to do a leg shave every other day, and maybe an end of week stop depending on how the razor sounded. Although it was easier on the environment (disposable razors are evil) I eventually gave up when minis+ bare legs became age inappropriate.
 
Well guys, you talked me into it. Apparently I'm easily influenced. Good thing this is a good crowd.:rolleyes:
First I used clippers to get me beard down to a workable length, then showered.

Started out with an old George Wostenholm & Sons IXL from Sheffield. This is a beast of a razor. Liken it to an 18" WWII khukuri. It did ok on my cheeks, but I think it needs more than a stropping. Gotta get me a hone.

Then I tried a smaller Najeeb Malluk & Co, that is thinner. It's got a nice etching that says Damascus, Hollow Ground. This did much better. I was able to shave everything except my lower lip and chin. (kept the mustache) No blood! Oh, I shaved everything with my right hand. Felt normal. This is going to take a lot of practice though. I wasn't able to get as close a shave as with the triple bladed Mach 3.

That being said, it was a satisfying experience. I felt like a British Officer in India getting ready to take my Sepoys out on maneuvers. LOL:D Howard, I understand now what you were saying about the sound of the hairs cutting.

Interesting note, the razor I used doesn't look that old. I Googled the name and got the following from http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html:

NAJEEB MALLUK
A citizen of Turkey; import agency at 31-33 Broadway, New York City
ca. 1895 - 1896

So I'm shaving with a 110 year old razor.:eek: Cool.

Steve
 
Kevin the grey said:
And I suppose you wear suspenders in case your belt breaks ! L:O:L

Come on there is a reason they are not called " safety razors "
Live a little . Most important of all ? Pics .

Besides , crewman of the Black Duck I have heard you secretly hack off your beard with a rusty cutlass . Yo Ho .
Click to expand...

i AM wearing suspenders, and a belt sumwhere under that grey ossifers kepi & the grey shirt to match the grey beard (seemed fittin). trousers is butternut tho. 'sides, cap'n y'all know i never hides me hacking & slashin', ain't got no secrets from me mates.

the cutlass used to be rusty till i got aholt of her.well the guard was anyways, the blade is nigh perfect with it's original blue over about 90% & the 90 year old scabbard is in fine shape as well, she does jes' fine now as y'all can see, shaves me as close as i need.... the belt is mostly for holdin me cutlass scabbard anyways....it's one of them new-fangled Dutch "Klewang" cutlass, a real one with a solingen blade, not one of them new namby-pamby cold steel M1917 repro's that look like 'em. bit curvey for a razor. she's me one for grabbin when they's summat thet goes bump in the night & sets the dogs a-barkin.

wayne3.jpg

klewang2.jpg
 
Sylvrfalcn said:
Uh guys, I almost hate to mention it for fear of being percieved as promoting Blade Matrix, but they've got brand new Hen & Rooster straight razors for under forty bucks. Obviously, some of the best bargains in straight razors are to be found in buying old ones and reconditioning them, but I understand why some folks are hesitant to go that route. Still, there ain't no need to plunk down more of your hard earned money than you need to, especially if you're just curious, and want to give straight razor shaving a try. Good German razors, under forty bucks, thought I ought to at least give 'em a mention.
Here you go; http://www.bladematrix.tv/index.asp?PageAction=PRODSEARCH&txtSearch=straight+razor&btnSearch=GO&Page=1
Click to expand...

And they have Packistani straight razors for $1.22 each. Maybe some brave soul who places an order can get one and tell us what they're like. :eek: Who knows, they could be good?

ferguson said:
So I'm shaving with a 110 year old razor.
Click to expand...

Another convert. I think at the next khukuri convention we'll have to have a contest with who can shave with a khukuri. (kukri brand straight razors don't count) The contest would have to be photographed for posterity. There could be different categories, like shave with the largest khuk, closest shave, most blood drawn, shaved by a friend, etc.
 
The first of two razors arrived today, a Zartina 5/8 with a godawful ugly yellow handle. It was fairly sharp. Lacking a proper razor hone I used a Spyderco fine stone. Ten strokes per side, ten more per side on the strop, and it was off to the sink. I wasn't about to shave off my whole beard again but I needed to clean up my neck. No guts, no glory, right?

I didn't soak my whiskers (which have a makeup similar to steel wool) and I didn't use enough lather. The razor caught a bit and I had to go over areas a few times. The blade made a ringing sound as it clipped off hairs which I found very cool, sort of like how some khukuris ring on hardwood. It sounded almost like chimes when I was plowing through the thicker areas.

The result? I did not cut myself. That's good. The skin's a bit irritated but not badly. Three hours and some aftershave later and the irritation isn't visible. I got about as close as I do with my electric while using a new blade and a lot of care but I'll bet that I can get closer next time. My technique by the end of the shave was much more effective than it had been at the beginning.

Going against the grain didn't work well for me. I got much better results going with the grain. Initially I used too shallow of an angle. (I was worried about slicing skin off.) A steeper angle cut much closer without nicking me. I suppose that every beard and face are different.

Like Howard, I'm looking forward to next time.
 
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