Straight suggestions a.k.a. Take My Money!!!

As Mentioned Above More than Once..Theirs Issard SRs are Very Well Ground..I Have Honed Many Different Models from the Bottom to the Top of the Range & All I Can Say is..TI Razors are One of the Best Ground Razors from the Factory Available Today & Very Consistent..I Have One in for Honing this Week..I Dont think All the Theory Stuff Adds to Anything..

I Dunno where the Bad Reputation of Grinding is Coming From..

Billy..

 

So.....from your drawing, I would call that a discard, or no purchase.

Only traditional grind kamisori style razors should have a purposely offset grind. I'm happy to be corrected.....only been at straight razor shaving/collecting for almost 2 years. Still lots to learn.

Everything else should be a pretty near perfect match, or usually called western grind. The grind types already mentioned above.

 

I have a few razors made from what the forger calls '01 Tool Steel'. No problems with rusting or staining, no more so than any of my other razors. Easiest way to prevent this is to keep a 1 oz bottle of oil with a needle spout near the shaving gear or blade storage. Small dab on the finger, wipe the blade everyday. I multitask Hoppes Lubricating Oil.

 

In my pursuit of finding a good new razor I found at least two different sources that mention while they shave great, TI has (or has had in the past) grind problems. Y'all have convinced me those folks are crazy. Consider my fears assuaged.

I did exaggerate that drawing for demonstrative reasons. Still, what is that called, the coming together of the left and right grind? On a knife, its the plunge line. I'm curious as to what its called on a straight. And correct, ideally, everything should match.

Good to know. I keep mine wrapped in corrosion resistant paper and in a plastic toolbox with a Zerust packet. It sounds like if you take care of your stuff like you should its no worse than any other steel.

 

I'm also a small fan of pocket knifes, bowie style knifes.....very little experience there, just kind of purchase what interests me over the years and from time to time.

I don't think anyone's trying to not be forth coming with info...but to my knowledge, there really is no 'plunge' line when talking about a straight razor. It's either ground correctly as a western grind, which means equal on both sides, or it's not. If it's purposely not ground equal, that's the traditional kamisori grind. Some straights have a shoulder on the heel, some don't....but it's not really ever referred to (that I've seen it) called a plunge line.

When a blade is not correctly ground, there's usually two descriptions I've seen thrown about....'wonky' or 'twisted', but doesn't always come from a bad grind. I somewhat recall once seeing someone describe an uneven grind...which is what it is I guess. And to that end....I've gotten a wonky twisted razor advertised as NOS. Rather disappointing, as it was my first Filarmonica purchase. Requires some special pressure on one side to hone.

Hope that helps explain a little. I would say everyone that's responded has probably forgotten more straight razor history than I'll ever acquire.....

 

Easily so in my case, as I've aptly and repeatedly demonstrated in my posts thus far.

 

Next question that came up in my search...what's up with belly? What's the purpose? Is there pros or cons to it? The Boker Shwartzgold has a belly and a few of the customs had it as an option. Why?



EDIT: I got to looking on the series of tubes and found that its for stiffness similar to an I beam. The article also said most razors have it but it's just not very pronounced...I swear I've never seen it on mine. I'm gonna go check.

EDIT (part deux): All mine are belly-less

 

The belly of a vey high quality razor is where it is ground thin, in the middle of the blade, then flares out at the end, sligltly.
Here is a good pick of a very nice Koraat 14 . The thin middle adds flexibility, and the belly adds stiffness.
http://www.koraat-knives.at/konfigbilder/1420/verrundet.jpg

 

Does belly make them any more or less difficult to hone? That Koraat 14 is nice...I was tinkering with the build tool they have a little while ago.

 

The well built razors that have them, are usually a pleasure to hone, if in good shape. But, if you want a razor to learn honing, get some inexpensive Gold Dollars, or Gold Monkey razors. Please dont purchase a high end one to learn on. If you do, you will probably mess it up. It happens.
Many here purchase nice razors, and send them out, to a professional honing. Properly stropped, a well honed razor can last a year or more, before having to be touched up.

 

I found a pretty well used smaller 4/8 W&B and a small Japanese Kintaka to learn on. I have a really nice old W&B that I'm putting off honing until I can confidently hone the other two. So far I'm doing pretty good and have gotten DFSs out of both honings and haven't messed up either yet. I figure I'll keep easing into those in prep for the big W&B and whatever razor I get new.

I had a Gold Dollar several years back that was actually a really good shave. I think I'll grab at least one of those to throw in the hopper of learning with the other two.

 

I have a Koraat double belly hollow 14, It’s easy to hone, nothing special to do.

 

My wife has selected the razor and ordered it. I have no idea what it is! Should be here this week?

 

I hope, for your sake, it isnt from Pakistan. But, if it is, act happy and pretend to use it.

 

She knows better than that. We'd been talking about razors and she knows what I was aiming for for myself so I'm pretty sure she at least got me what I was looking at or better.

My M-I-L picked me up a Pakistani razor several years ago. I don't know how the folks that shave their face over there, do. They can't use their own nation's straight razors. It was soooo bad. The edge was literally wavy, almost like a lazy serration.

 

Nothing like a RSO to ruin your day!

 

I have two French razors, one of which is a Thiers Issard. I think of the five straight razors I bought new, they are the best as far as the quality of shave they provide. That said, they both show signs of "French craftsmanship." The Thiers Issard is uneven along the shoulder where the blade transitions to the tang. There's also a lot of blemishes in the ram's horn scales which probably would not be tolerated in a German razor. My take on that is if you have horn that is too perfect, it almost looks plastic. The other one is a Rasoir Sabre which might be the coolest looking razor I have due to the weird notched and zig-zag shape of the spine. The blade is pretty much flawless, although the wooden scales don't quite match (size, not color or texture).

 

Yeah, she asks how it shaves from time to time so I tell her I think it is more for display, which it really isn't, it isn't quite finished as well as a dollar store butter knife. It's one of those weird situations where you have to not be completely honest out of kindness.

It'd maybe work for peanut butter.

 

Ok, so here is what the missus ended up getting me. I'm well pleased. I got it yesterday afternoon and had to travel this morning. No pics from me but here is one from online:



I'm well pleased. It is beautiful. It is the carbonsong type. It's nice...really nice, and the file work is cool. The desert ironwood scales are lustrous and I see no flaws yet but I've also not even cleaned off the factory oil even. I looked at it and put it away. It says its shave ready so I'm going to strop it and give it a try before I try and hone it. I have to get back home first though!

I'll post up my SOTD when I get back home...could be as much as two weeks.

 

That is a beauty. Congratulations.

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