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SOTD WEDNESDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 1, 2021
I thought I’d kick off December with the Barbasol Floating Head and the huge Edgar Allan Poe 8/8 stubtail. I’ve told the stubtail’s story before, but in a nutshell, this huge unsharpened 225 yr old, unused, NOS blade ended up along with another of similar vintage at Glen Mercurio’s(
@gssixgun) shop, apparently taken in trade some years ago. Glen had forgotten the specifics. The blade was imported at the latest in 1815 from Sheffield, England by the Richmond, Va. Mercantile firm of Ellis & Allan, in business from 1801 - 1824. John Allan, the stepfather of Edgar Allan Poe, was the American UK resident agent and partner with his friend, Richard Ellis, residing in the states. This is the rationale for the stubtail’s name.
After purchase, it was honed, not an insignificant undertaking on this huge full wedge of almost Bowie knife proportions, and dressed in bone scales with period brass pins, custom beehive washers, and fitted with an amber wedge. Although it looks unwieldy, it balances beautifully in hand, but given its size requires some careful handling during the two and a half pass mug shaving process. Despite these drawbacks, and the need for both hands on this hefty, huge blade during the last half pass of neck stubble flatblading cleanup, the result was a porcelain smooth mug.
RAZOR: Edgar Allan Poe Stubtail 8/8 (Mug), Barbasol Floating Head (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Alpha Shaving T-400 Tribute fitted with 26mm Boar Knot Ferrule
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Cremo Cooling Post Shave Balm.
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