What Straight Razor Did You Use Today?

t.i.
SMfD
homemade brush, Evo knot

 

SOTD TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

I enjoy a good mug shave with a replaceable blade Barber’s razor, although I do not enjoy those that are designed for a half DE blade. Up until yesterday, I shaved with a Feather DX or Tedalus Essence, both great shavers, however, many of my friends had been extolling the benefits of the Weck Sextoblade, introduced in 1909, and one of the first true replaceable blade razors. Well, two weeks ago, after my second Manhattan, I jumped on EBay and saw a batch of four non-DE shavettes with an open bid of $8.50. The batch consisted of two Wecks, a Burmax ‘Aristocrat’ and a Durham Duplex. I put in my $8.50 and promptly forgot about it.

Until five days later, when I discovered that as the only bidder, I’d won. The seller threw in a pack of 5 Personna hairshaper blades for all but the Durham. I’ve ordered a three pack of blades for the Durham. I can always touch them up on the stones, if necessary. A number of my shave buddies really like the Sextoblade, and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Edward Weck emigrated from Solingen, Germany and opened his cutlery company showroom in 1890 in Manhattan, with manufacturing facilities in Brooklyn.

According to “Brownstoner”,
“Weck invented the precursor of the multi-blade razor, and patented it in 1909. It was called the Weck Sextoblade. The “sex” in “sextoblade” for all those whose imaginations just woke up, meant “six.” Sorry. Weck’s razor came with six blades all attached at the base, able to be folded back into the handle and secured by a safety guard. Each blade could be extended when needed, and if all were stropped and sharpened at once, this razor could last a long time before the next sharpening. For its day, it was quite revolutionary.”

In 1917 he incorporated under the name ‘Edward Weck & Son’, finally passing away from heart disease in 1922. His son, Albert, moved the company into surgical instruments, made for both the military and medical community. The company continued until 1999 when it was acquired by Squibb. My shave was surprisingly good. My Sextoblade is in excellent condition being a salesman’s copy and delivered a superb two and a half pass shave leaving my mug quite smooth and shaving very much like one of my straights, shave-angle wise. I’ll have to try touching up the blade and stropping it before a future shave.

RAZOR: Weck Sextoblade (Mug), Blackland Vector (Dome)
BLADE: Feather Super AC (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: Rooney Ebony Finest Badger
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Thayers WH. Finished with Canoe Original AS Splash.

 

Nice story Jeff, about the sexto or six, in Swedish, the number and the act is spelled and pronounced exactly the same… sex!


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Well that’s the issue then, isn’t it? At my age 74, it’s no longer the issue it used to be! As Diogenes Laertes said in Athens! At last I’m free of the curse of lust! Lust for women that is! Razors don’t count!!!

 

Another fine, fine shave. And, to make it even better, the Old Spice came out quickly and I had an excess to spread on my clean, smooth face.

Hot water preparation
Argan Oil PSO
Shavemac 2-Band Silvertip Badger
Castle Forbes 1445 Shaving Cream
Mappin & Webb 11/16
NOS Vintage Old Spice After Shave



Happy shaving - Karl

 

Sorry if I.am not posting much, guys. The wife, daughter, and co-workers badgered me into growing another beard. I told the daughter I might shave it off tonight, and she got all bent out of shape, and used the "Mom's going to be mad at you" card.

 

Keep the beard, send me your razors. Then again, I may not have a house big enough to keep them all

 

Hey, you laugh, but I'm going to be getting a bigger house, for the razors. The wife thinks it is for her.

.

 

My hat is off to you Sir!

 

Witte’s Rattler
A hardware store razor made for Witte Hardware Co. from St. Louis, Missouri. Since the Wittes were German, I’m willing to bet it may have crossed an ocean to get to this wholesaler.

Brush: Razorock
Suds: Tallow+Steel West Indies
Splash: Derby City Shave Tonic

The start of the business was in 1849, with the Witte’s buying out the previous owners in 1873, and changing the name to Witte Hardware in 1880. It looks like the old warehouse was refurbished in 2018.

I really like what this razor has going on… just a bunch of cool touches.
Enjoy your shave.
Tom

 

Wednesday morning shave, Kayser Ellison, sold by Company Christiansen & Nielsen Copenhagen Denmark. Soap Edwin Jagger Sandalwood, splash Boss The Scent.



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Lovely razor, Tom! I love rattler grinds!

 

Of course @Karl G - you could just send it to me for proper disposal …

 

It’s a first class problem, eh?

 

Thank you Jeff.

 

SOTD THURSDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

RAZOR: Saito SK3 7/8 (Mug), Rex Ambassador (Dome)
BLADE: Feather DE (Dome)
PREP: Cold water rinse followed by a scrub with Argan Oil
BRUSH: MrEE LE Knurled Aluminum Handle Hybrid Knot #007
SOAP: Mitchell’s Wool Fat
POSTSHAVE: Cold water wash with brush squeezings followed by a rinse with Humphreys Lilac WH. Finished with Fine Platinum AS Splash.

 

User Novodur, soap and balm were Penhaligons Belnheim Bouquet and an Omega boar got one shave closer to broken in.

 

I can always count on the Lund for the finest of shaves - and so it was

Hot water preparation
T&H Ultimate Comfort PSO
Savile Row 3824 Silvertip Badger
Ethos Lisse Collection Lavender Shaving Soap
Lund 6/8
Ethos Lisse Collection Lavender Skin Food Splash



Happy shaving - Karl

 

Wrap up Veterans Day with a Koken Barber Supply Co. “Army and Navy” razor
Brush: Epsilon
Suds: B&M Fougere Angelique
Splash: Wickham 1912 Shamrock Tweed

Enjoy your shave.
Tom