Overtime Windfall
I have bought my share of new modern manufacture straights this year with overtime earnings and it is only May. I gotta stop this stuff.
Being the pearl tang enthusiast, I really wanted one of these Böker 6/8 extra hollow jobs, so I bought it. Paired the shave up with a recently acquired Simpsons Emperor 3 (another OT windfall) and Stirling for Him soap and aftershave from the top of the ranks on The Max Headroom List of Most Glorious Stanks.
Great shave other than the ‘stabby point’ mark on my cheek. As the Mrs and I headed out for our weekly grocery errands, she put her finger on it and gave me that smirky look and eyebrow thing (she is just plain mean at times, but still I love her). This razor has a rather short reach with a shorter blade, so I’m gonna take that point down a bit soon.
This is my first Böker so I decided to take it with a factory edge. I’ve never really understood the big deal on the ‘shave ready’ stuff. I’ve always thought that all shave tools will dull anyhow and the owner should accept the responsibility that it is up to him to deal with the sharpness as he sees fit.
I honed it up using my usual unapproved, unauthorized, and illegal methods that no one should ever try at home.
My initial examination revealed that in spite of the obvious beauty of this piece, it possesses the same manufacturing defects found in hand made shaving gear from century(+) old European razor makers still trying to compete with the Modern Chinese.
Odd that they can precision fit mother of pearl in the tang, but can’t even extra hollow grind metal to a few of thousands of an inch perfectly straight. As a lover or thin grinds, I do find it an acceptable trade though.
I did the sharpie thing on the edge to see where I was hitting first. Very odd that I was hitting on the edge side of the bevel first. I hope nobody is going to try and tell me Böker is using more illegal stuff than I am instead of the authorized gear. Didn’t take much time or need much metal takeoff. Spec’d to be 1.2210 carbon steel at 59HRC, very common and not difficult to work with.
Very happy with the acquisitions, and end results, uh except that stabby point thing.
![[IMG]](https://theshaveden.com/forums/attachments/557954a4-2ad5-4a58-b030-f175423aa61e-jpeg.250722/)
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