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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 17, 2021
A honemeister friend recommended Thistle Cut razors to me about a year or so ago. The fine grained steel holds an amazing edge he said! So I went out on the big auction site and found this razor at that time. When it arrived, the blade was black with tarnish and rust. Some industrious cleanup revealed a blade logo complete with a name and embossed scimitar. I was the proud owner of a Thistle “Persian”. Thistle Cutlery, according to a reputable B&B source was in business between 1890-1917. They were initially based in New York and later moved to Fremont, Ohio. Persian/Middle Eastern themes were popular in this country during the first two decades of the company’s existence, placing this particular blade between about 1890-1910.
In any case a trip through my Shapton progression and a finish on my Jasper stone put a very nice buttery smooth edge on it. The original horn scales were still in decent condition. The mug shaves this little razor delivered were every bit as good as advertised. So good, in fact, that I went out and acquired a second Thistle. As time passed, I debated whether to send my little “Persian” off for a western beauty treatment, but I’ve come to appreciate the patina on the blade. This little century old razor has character! A touch up on my Swaty and constroption last night yielded an amazingly two and a half pass shave. This blade is so exquisitely sharp, that it left very little stubble on either side of my Adam’s Apple for flatblading cleanup.
Following that great mug shave, I grabbed my Gibbs Adjustable #17 for today’s dome shave. Gibbs razors were made by Thibaud Gibbs & Co. in Paris and Brussels in the 1930s. They are renowned for the smoothness of the shave they deliver, and served as one of the design influences for the modern Rex Ambassador (RA). Like the Gibbs, the RA has a 6 position adjustment dial. The modern DE end tabs require a central notch be cut to fit the Gibbs. Some use cuticle scissors, but I use a metal nipper that works excellently for the latter purpose. After notching a fresh Kai blade and loading it, yours truly proceeded to have a superb two pass ATG noggin shave resulting in velveteen smoothness from dome to shoulders.
RAZOR: Thistle “Persian” (Mug), Gibbs Adjustable #17 (Dome)
BLADE: Kai DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Viking Silvertip Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Thayers WH. Finished with Old Spice Fresh Lime.
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