Open razors - the chosen few

Use a straight. You know it makes sense.
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by brothers »

Murray there's only one stainless among the 9. That's #6, one of the last 2 still to be tested. That'll be either Sunday or Tuesday. Between you and me, it's a beautiful razor and I hope it puts out an objectively superior performance when the time comes. I love it but that doesn't mean I have to shave with it.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
CMur12
Posts: 7461
Joined: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:41 pm
Location: Moses Lake, Washington, USA

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by CMur12 »

Thanks for that, Gary.

- Murray
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by brothers »

This morning's candidate was stainless #6. This is the Puma INOX no. 63 hollow ground German razor. Three days' overgrowth of tough wiry whiskers would be a true challenge for any razor. Shaving it was a challenge for me. Good razor - good edge - held by good hands. The shave was all positive. There remains one more razor - #1 - to be tested on Tuesday.The final razor is fully capable of producing results equal to the Puma INOX no.63, if I can personally continue to apply the skills it takes to successfully maintain and use an obsolete old open razor for it's intended purpose.

acceptable = #2 Hart; #3 Rodgers & Sons #4 Torrey; #5 Red Imp Wedge; #6 Puma INOX; #7 SSA Heljestrand; #8 King; #9 Rodgers & Sons;
unacceptable = 0;
pending after trial = 0;
remaining to be evaluated = 1
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: The Chosen Few - project successfully concluded

Post by brothers »

The final razor participating in this project turned out to be the Spanish Filarmonica Novodur #14 8/8 full singing hollow blade and the pretty blue scales. It took a great edge and provided an acceptable shave this morning.

Even though all 9 were deemed acceptable, that doesn't mean they are automatically accepted yet. The main reason I conceived and carried out this project was to identify a small handful of razors that I easily maintain shave ready, and I also enjoy shaving with. There were several of the 9 that removed the whiskers but didn't bring me any joy in the process even though I had no problem with maintaining and/or using the blade to get the results I wanted.

I don't need or appreciate being challenged by any razor. To the contrary, I want to make sure I can always look forward to enjoying the occasional straight razor shave. Now I will take a day or so and think about my choices. Hopefully there will be 3 or 4 that become the chosen few.

EDIT: After a brief effortless period of consideration I have easily chosen the four open razors who are my worthy companions to the General single edge safety razor. Here they are in no particular order:

Torrey
Puma
Hart
Rodgers & Sons
Chosen Few straight razors 22July2021.jpg
Chosen Few straight razors 22July2021.jpg (621.9 KiB) Viewed 4196 times
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by brothers »

This morning I realized my unshaven beard was a full 4 days old. That's very rare for me. No better time than today to put my best straight razor - Torrey - to the ultimate test. Tabac soap and the SilkSmoke synthetic brush were already on today's rotation - both of which are the best of the best of their kind in my experience. I took my time and paid attention to detail as the blade moved in silence through the lathered forest. Over the hills and into the dangerous crevices of my ancient scarred chin. The lather didn't dissipate on the brush as the dense beard required three firm lather passes. The results met all of my expectations. Today's shave has validated everything I've learned and practiced during these 14 years since I first became aware of SMF, for which I am very grateful. Cheers!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10731
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by drmoss_ca »

I've found that when I have a longer beard the straight razor is certainly the best way to deal with it. One of the faults of the General is that it clogs with longer stubble and then stops cutting until you clean out the log jam (and I can't rely on water pressure alone anymore, as we are on a well so the rubber diaphragm in our water tank doesn't provide as much pressure as mains water).

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
User avatar
fallingwickets
Clive the Thumb
Posts: 8813
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2006 11:59 am

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by fallingwickets »

aware of SMF, for which I am very grateful. Cheers!
10000000000 thumbs up on the sentiment

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
brothers
Posts: 21513
Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:18 am
Location: Oklahoma City USA

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by brothers »

The last time I posted in this thread was the last time I shaved with any of my Straight razors. I have abandoned them unintentionally. As we all know, time travels fast as we get older. Nonetheless, I have not fully forgotten my beautiful straight razors in the drawer in the cabinet, and therefore I keep telling myself I need to shave again with one of my excellent and very sharp straight razors. You may or may not watch this space with bated (is that a word?) breath as I have a possibility of shaving with one of my straight razors in the next foreseeable or possibly distant future. Just wanted to stop by and say hello and remind myself that I'm the proud owner of some very good straight razors that need to be used more often. Cheers!
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Gene
Posts: 1508
Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 11:58 am
Location: Buda, TX

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by Gene »

Bated is the right word according to Mr. Google.

The idea of a straight razor is a siren song for me. Alas - SWMBO has requested I not bring one in the house.I enjoy reading accounts of straight razor performance, though, and dream of what could be.
Gene

"It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly American criminal class except Congress."
Mark Twain

"People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people."
Alan Moore
User avatar
drmoss_ca
Admin
Posts: 10731
Joined: Thu Jul 08, 2004 4:39 pm

Re: Open razors - the chosen few

Post by drmoss_ca »

A straight razor won't harm anyone unless they are clumsy with it. And if there are small children in the house it can be kept on a high shelf.
I sometimes wonder if there was a rumour started by Gillette that any house with small children in it ought not contain a straight razor. No one even thought twice about it when there were no safety razors, but I'm aware that by the 1920's young mothers were demanding their husbands use only safety razors for this reason. Will nobody think of the children?
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Post Reply