Mike the Iwasaki would make an excellent shorty they could also use the original scales and cut off the existing pivot move the blade down and make it look as if the razor and scales were made that way, I'll show you a Filarmonica that had the same mishap as yours that I ground off an inch after the owner dropped it on the bathroom floor.
Starlet Kanji on front and back of the tang. I know nothing about the name and history of the maker. The tang is hand-forged. This is the heaviest Japanese razor I own. I received it yesterday. The seller said it reminded of Sheffield Steel. Terrific edge and nice heft in the hand.
Jamie, as twisted as it may seem, at the moment I'm comfortable dealing with it as it is, by itself in the place of honor in that damn display case. It's just never going to be what it was. Trying to bodge it into a shadow of itself is just not what I feel I can do right now. As it is, as perverted as it is, I can look at it and enjoy its flawed beauty. And it's serving a purpose of sorts, kind of keeping my perspective in alignment with what I really love about this hobby, and not coveting an object, which is what I was finding myself doing with increasing frequency. But damn brother, if a guy is gonna covet an object, she is the candidate. She gave me some mighty fine shaves!
I'm not up on all the metallurgy used in razors so I can't speak to the composition. I am curious to know how much of the name is relative to the metal content and how much is simple marketing...
I'm a chemist, not a materials engineer, but I'm guessing marketing pretty much covers it same deal with "magnetic" razors I suppose...
I use the John Jay in my regular rotation. It still has the edge that you put on it. I have not needed to take it to the hones yet.
Mightn't it simply be that the steel had once been blued? I've seen several over on that auction site, y'know the one, and most of them really did look like they'd been blued originally and the oxidation was just worn with the years. Just a thought of course... ...then again, I've been playing 'round with gun blue on a couple of razors recently too, so maybe that's the source of this particular (peculiar?) train of thought...
Ahh Glastonbury...the intoxicating scent of patchouli and talcum powder. Stirling nearly got it right!
Chris, all the 'blue steel' Henckels I've come across in photos had no special finish or bluing. So either they didn't have a special finish, or their QC was seriously lacking.... I've a few I'm bluing up, hoping to match the results shown on this Red Imps tang:
The old ones that caught my eye had a pretty subtle effect; not really the full-on black oxide, more like the worn bluing on an old breechblock (or the oil stain on the driveway after a wee drizzle! ). On a different note, a quick interweeb search came up with some interesting tidbits too.. http://japan-blades.com/how-to http://www.japanesechefsknife.com/InformationAboutSteels.html http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/243804-Composition-of-Japanese-White-amp-Blue-Steel http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/573086-Blue-Steel-vs-White-Steel http://giantcypress.net/post/609709105/one-steel-two-steel-white-steel-blue-steel Interesting fodder for the thoughter, at least.
Keep us posted on how this goes Kevin, I've got two razors with tangs I need to blue and I'm happy to hear you've volunteered to be the guinea pig
Yes the oil stain colour you talk of is different to the bluing you get in a bottle as a D.I.Y self application, I remember doing the blue finish you talk of in school you need to heat the metal tang up to quite a high temperature then submerge the metal into a bucket of oil, you then get a very lovely looking almost metallic blue colour this cannot be got from bottle bluing.
Next thing you guys are going to tell me there isn't a Santa Klaus. LOL, it's part of the fun of vintage razors. Wacker MWF homemade boar, Omega 10049 shorty Nice shave this morning. Have a good one.
ESE Solingen 15/16 thick spine,long blade massive razor Razorock P160 with Proraso crème and glycerin Floid Black after shave splash sorry for the phone pictures
Wade & Butcher 13/16 Faux Frameback (or Rattler?). Whatever it's called it's a nice shaver. Kinda wedgy......inna good way though.
