U.S made straights

Wich brands of u.s made razord would you guys reccomend?
Would like to ad some in my collection.but they had to be made in u.s. not german made sold under a u.s brand.

 

Case, JR Torrey.

 

Genco, Geneva (New York) cutlery.

 

Have a bid on a JR Torry at the moment☺that and kinfolks is the onley brands i know of.

 

The Torrey is supposed to be a great razor and good steel. I believe they sourced their iron ore for the steel locally in Massachusetts.

 

Can'n be more us made than that☺

 

I can vouch for the JR Torrey. Excellent razor..

 

J Wiss. I have one and I love it.

@Drygulch has some good thoughts on this topic.

 

I'll give my modern recommendations:

Portland Razor Company PRC
Jerry Stark

 

Clauss from freemont ohio
Any from little valley new york
Geo Korn
Kinfolks
The real red dot

 

I know you are a fan of PRC. How do the Jerry Stark razors compare in your opinion? Also, didn't you have a Hart Steel razor at one time?

 

Portland Razor is a good group. Razors come customizable or stock. You just have to contact them. I did receive mine shave ready and have yet to touch up the edge in quite a few shaves.

Hart I similar in grind and quality steel but did not come shave ready new from classic shaving and did take some skill to get the hard steel shaving well. That said I like my hart. It is a smooth shaver and unique in its rustic scale and bolt for a pivot.

Torrey or Case or Portland would be my go to American companies.

 

Many of the NY, MA, and OH companies produce incredible razors

Look at Shumate also


Fair warning: Some of the Vintage American steel especially the Little Valley NY stuff will flat out smoke other edges
They have the fine grain steel that can really hold onto some of the high grit edges like from the Shapton 30k and the Gokoyama 20K and still be smooth on the face..
George Korn of Case Family fame (Case, Cattauragus, Kinfolks, Korn) is known as one of the best master grinders and held several patents for his grinds

 

The Jerry Stark razor is very nice and takes a great edge. The difference between the PRC and Jerry Stark is the grind, all my PRCs are 1/4 grind while the Stark is a full hollow. The feel is different and the sound is different. I prefer a heavier grind but the Stark is a nice shaver and sometimes it is nice to hear the ping, ping, ping of the hair being removed.

I have two Hart Steel razors. These razors take a nice edge, are heavy and 1/4 grind, all of which I like. The difference is in the finish and the scales. The Hart razors are just not as refined looking as the PRC or Stark razors. They are more 'primordial'. The scales on the 7/8 are rough and look like they needed more sanding and sealing. The 6/8 scales look better but also lake the refined look and feel. That sounds harsher than I mean it to, the Hart Steel razors I have shave great and do have a cool look to them, I will not let them go.

If I order another custom it will be from Koraat. They are much faster than PRC and have a huge range of options and the proprietor Ulrik is great to work with. The fit and finish of my Koraat is the best of any razor I own. That being said if I hit the lottery I would also add a Mastro Livi, it is the best shaving straight I have.

 

If new, go with hart steel or portland razor company. If vintage, go with jr torrey, genco, or case.

 

Anything from Little Valley, New York or Bradford, Pennslvaina. These are some of my favorite razors. Brands:

• Cattaragus
• Kinfolks
• WR Case & Sons
• Case Brothers
• Geo. W. Korn
• Platts
• Robeson

There are some other great ones from other towns in this are. I often search for razors with "straight razor New York" or "straight razor Pennslvaina" to find razors. As Glen mentioned, the steel from this area is awesome. The razors are typically a little less expensive than German big name razors from the same time period. Most of the razors I have seen are 5/8 or just a bolt larger, and hollow ground. The makers listed above are all related to or involved with the Case family, so I think the blades are comparable.

 

Few more:

• Union Cutlery Co
• Ontario Cutlery Co
• Genco
• Geneva

 

Robeson ShurEdge, Rochester NY

 

I have a Case Bulls Eye on the way, and a couple of Shumate Tungsten steels that need honing. I will be going with recommendations from yous guys.

 

just won a genco expert.will be my fitst u.s straight☺