I'd like to know more about razors that are in between straight and safety. I mean Rolls, for example. How do you find them? How do they work for you? Advantages and disadvantages?
You find them here or on eBay and in antique shops primarily. Mine doesn't work at all for me yet but I have some conditioning of the blade, hone, and strop to do first. That, I think is going to be the only problem, finding a good and salvageable Rolls from jump. By good I mean one that has a blade, hone, and strop that is salvageable to begin with. You gotta think, this thing has been sitting in a display case or a closet somewhere for the last 50 years without use, it is going to need a little love before you can start whipping out awesome shaves with it. I'm new to Rolls' though, perhaps Greg or Mark (gregindallas and mycarver, respectively) will see this thread and shed some more light. I know they do work really well when you get them in working order. People love 'em.
Besides the Rolls, there are also some old single edged razors by Kampfe which took removable wedge blades. Some had automatic stropping machines, but I think you had to hone the blades with a regular hone. Some later models would take both the wedge blades and disposable ones. I have one of these, but have used it only with the modern disposable blades. Apart from shave quality with the permanent blades, which I don't know about, it's a trade off between not having to buy replacement blades, and having to do maintenance on the one that you have.
:sihns011 As mentioned elsewhere, there are three or four of them here in The Stryker Den. Only one of them is shave ready and that is because I got it from Greg. What I can tell you is that with the Rolls, you are basically shaving with a straight razor that has a perpendicular handle attached to it. The mechanics of the shave change a little because you do not have to contort your arms around your head to shave the upper cheeks, but it is advisable to stretch the skin like a straight shave. Another difference with the Rolls is that while you still have to hone and strop the blade, the angle of the blade on the stone or strop is built into the machine. Here is a TSD link showing you the instruction sheet from a Rolls. Here is a nice bit of reading as well. Once you get the blade dialed in they really are magnificent shavers.
Ugh. Going to need to wait. Still at the wedding. Morning after. I seem to have developed some sort of terrible allergy to champagne. The wife seems to be not feeling too well this morning either, if “you turn on the light, you’re a dead man” is any indication. So I’m hiding out in the lounge waiting to die or get better, whichever. :sick007
Thanks for info! That 'all-in-one' machinery attracts me! The idea of 'safety razor that fork forever' is just... crazy! I really have to try one of those and heal my BAD :happy102 If I want to get more blades why not get some blades and such 'eternal machine'. There will be so many nice shaving surprises this year ... PS. Thanks, Jeff!
