Well, I probably will not shave with it for awhile because I recently bought a used and new Ralf Aust 6/8 Spanish point razors. I only shaved with the used Aust once in Dec. just before the Jan shave focus. So I can't wait until the end of my last shavette shave to enjoy my Austs in February, especially the new one. Also, I don't know if the NOS Friodor would be shave ready because it has not been used and it is 60+ years old. I will try it out in March, but I am expecting that it will need to be honed. I don't have any experience honing and this is a stainless steel razor so I will have it professionally honed.
Odds are that it will need to be honed. It will be nice to save it until you have a little more experience. It’s gonna be a nice razor.
So these popped on my radar screen... 2 separate auctions from the same seller. Was it weird that I felt it was my duty to make sure they stayed together??? They are indeed a matched pair (#1 & a #2), E.M. Robinson (edit: found to be E.H.), Bishopsgate St Within. I am not familiar with what “Within” meant, so with a little research it seems Bishopsgate is 1 of 25 wards of London, named after 1 of the 8 original gates in the London Wall. It looks like this Ward straddled the location of the wall, so you had a Bishopsgate Within and a Bishopsgate Without. Thought that was interesting. How could I have possibly let these two become separated?!??? I was destined to help. Happy hunting. Tom
Thanks Mike. I haven’t found a Robinson cutler or retailer, other than a grocer. Best guess would be late 1800’s but nothing I have found to narrow it down.
Looks like the M is really an H, so E.H. Robinson of 53 Bishopsgate Also found an advert for cutlery, specifically razors in 1865. Cool stuff. Tom
Got a couple ideas... I will probably go with 2 of these 3: Coticule, Thuringian and/or Charnley Forest. Any suggestions?
I love a Coticule followed by a Thuri with Sheffield Steel .It will give you a very smooth edge .If you finish with the Charnley Forrest it will be a little less smooth but have a crisp edge .You could finish # 1 with the Thuri and #2 with the Charnley.I find the key with Softer Sheffield Steel is to finish them in the 10-14 K range .I do not think that most older Sheffield Sheffield Steel likes to push passed the 14 K mark .
Thanks guys. One of those opportunities where the seller’s pics leave some risk, but the risk paid off. Also didn’t hurt that the auctions ended late evening on the west coast... didn’t have to compete with some of you out there, and that the “handles” were described as Bakelite might have helped.