Thread: I picked up this beau brummel

Hey guys,

I recently went out and spoiled myself a little with a little shopping expedition and for a little over 100 bucks, I managed to get a used norton 4k/8k, a beau brummel no 35 with tiger stripe-like scales(that needed a little cleaning up and honing) a UK version of the Gillette Super Speed DE, called the Rocket in it's original box. After a light cleaning, it looks almost new. (shaves amazing too)
A hefty NOS blade, whose name I'm unfamiliar with: Herder. Nice blade though. Some water stains on it, but otherwise untouched and undamaged.

I also picked up a boker that looks like an edelwiess or king cutter, but is made for a small company, so it has a different gold wash on the blade than "king cutter". Had a little rust on it that I cleaned up. I also picked up two other blades whose brands I am unfamiliar with but can tell the steel is pretty decent on both of them. Once I can borrow a camera, I'll post pics, because I'd like to get some advice on the last two, and see if either would be worth donating, once they can be appropriately honed. I am hoping someone here, once I can provide pics can tell me if either are worth honing up and donating as a give-away. I did so well for 120 bucks, that I feel like I should share some of the "luck". I'm hoping I can send one or both to someone who can hone them up nice for a give-away? I'd do it myself, if I was much better at honing, but I've just started since grabbing that used norton.

I really love the look of the all the vintage razors I picked up , but my only issue is that all of them are square points( save for the Herder, which because it's NOS, I have not attempted to hone. I'm too new, and don't want to mess it up.)
I managed to get the beau brummel shave worthy, but I really *hate* the square point. Doesn't seem to work well with the shape of my face. It some areas, it gives a great shave, but the square point gets in the way for the majority of the shave.

So, I am wondering, how hard is it to round that point down? What kind of tools would do that job? Because I don't have a space for a workshop, I only have some basic power tools.

I think I did pretty well for 120 bucks, and I'd love to be able to shave more with the beau brummel, as it would give me a second razor that is shave "worthy" and I'm thrilled I was able to hone it good enough to shave with; it was pretty dull starting out. I like how the bb looks, like the weight of it, but that square point.....ugh! Least I know what new blades to stay away from, once I am ready to buy a new one.

It seems to me, that a lot, if not most of the nice vintage have a square point, and since I'm not looking at razors for their re-sale value but their shave value, I am wondering how hard it would be to grind down all the square points I have seen on all the vintage razors I find myself drawn towards.

JD

Sounds like you scored really good! Can you post some pics? My barber says he doesn't like giving shaves with square points so he just rounds off the point on a hone. You have the 4/8k Norton's, that will do just fine. Use the side of the hone and just rub the tip, edge down (bread knifing) to firm a small radius. Be careful not to bread knife too far back from the point. It won't be a round point nut it won't slice you open either.

Be sure to use a very light pressure so you don't chip the blade. Start from the edge and roll to the spine.

Good luck!

The first question is, is it a square point or a spike?

I wouldn't be rounding off the edge yet because if you do once you get more proficient with a straight you will be sorry you did that. Barbers used square points or spikes all the time because they are easier for trim work but require a little more attention.

You say the style doesn't go with your face. Sorry but that is just your inexperience talking.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The first question is, is it a square point or a spike?

I wouldn't be rounding off the edge yet because if you do once you get more proficient with a straight you will be sorry you did that. Barbers used square points or spikes all the time because they are easier for trim work but require a little more attention.

You say the style doesn't go with your face. Sorry but that is just your inexperience talking.

Perhaps.

But every face is different, and so are the various styles of razors. And when you have high cheek bones and an over all angular face, it's challenging to shave with any kind of razor. The same pass, with a square pointed tip, won't do as good a job (on an XTG pass especially) over that cheek bone as a razor that has a bit of a smile and a round point that won't bump into my cheek bone.

All technique being the same, the round point has the advantage. At least on my face.

Btw, I recently took a dremel to the square point of one of a few scale less King Cutters, I picked up at an antique market. Looks quite good. If it ends up shaving nicely and I didn't unknowingly damage the rest of the blade by doing that, I will probably round off another one of the two, at least. If not both of them. It looks quite nice. I just need to find some nice scales to dress them up now.


Oh, and to answer your first question, the beau brummel is a square point. I haven't taken the dremel to it, yet.

Originally Posted by Joed

Sounds like you scored really good! Can you post some pics? My barber says he doesn't like giving shaves with square points so he just rounds off the point on a hone. You have the 4/8k Norton's, that will do just fine. Use the side of the hone and just rub the tip, edge down (bread knifing) to firm a small radius. Be careful not to bread knife too far back from the point. It won't be a round point nut it won't slice you open either.

Be sure to use a very light pressure so you don't chip the blade. Start from the edge and roll to the spine.

Good luck!

I have to borrow a camera, but I'll post pics as soon as I can. I've also picked up a few scale-less King Cutters, that are starting to look all nice and shiny, after days and days of rust removal and cleaning. I'm hoping to find some purty scales to dress them up. I picked them up, because they looked like good practice material AND they were all square points. Since they only cost me ten bucks, I thought I would take the dremel to one of the points and see if it rounded nicely, using the metal cutter attachment. So far, so good. Hopefully, once I'm finished cleaning it and can put some scales on it, I can see if it shaves alright, and if so, I will be rounding off, at least one more of those blades.

Originally Posted by New2CutThroats

Perhaps.

But every face is different, and so are the various styles of razors. And when you have high cheek bones and an over all angular face, it's challenging to shave with any kind of razor. The same pass, with a square pointed tip, won't do as good a job (on an ATG pass especially) over that cheek bone as a razor that has a bit of a smile and a round point that won't bump into my cheek bone.

All technique being the same, the round point has the advantage. At least on my face.

Btw, I recently took a dremel to the square point of one of a few scale less King Cutters, I picked up at an antique market. Looks quite good. If it ends up shaving nicely and I didn't unknowingly damage the rest of the blade by doing that, I will probably round off another one of the two, at least. If not both of them. It looks quite nice. I just need to find some nice scales to dress them up now.


Oh, and to answer your first question, the beau brummel is a square point. I haven't taken the dremel to it, yet.

This might soundlike I'm being a jerk, but...

If that is the case, buy round points. PLEASE don't wreck original, irreplaceable square points, for the sake of historicity AND those of us who like a square point.

Originally Posted by BKratchmer

This might soundlike I'm being a jerk, but...

If that is the case, buy round points. PLEASE don't wreck original, irreplaceable square points, for the sake of historicity AND those of us who like a square point.

LOL.

I try! Lord knows I try. But it seems square points are mostly all I find. Besides, I only have one other razor that is shave ready, and I didn't know square points weren't my thing, until I got that Beau Brummel shave ready. Now, that I know, I only look for round points.
I might leave the BB as is, and have something else rounded off. The BB does look nice just the way it is, so I'm not absolutely crazy about having her rounded off.

As for saving the history.... dude, what do you think most restos involve? Deconstructing original work, and reconstructing something completely different perhaps? If I could afford it and give an old antique razor to someone like...say Max......I'd say....."do whatever man"......"do whatever you want to do, because I know it'll look much better when you're done with it."

Anyway, King Cutters are a dime a dozen (it would seem) in this area. Seriously, if anyone out there has a "thing" for them, they should aske me to look for one for them. I doubt I'd have to look hard. For some reason, there's an awful lot of King Cutters in this city. I found another one recently, very inexpensive, with MOP on the tang. You can still (barely) make out the Boker tree on the MOP.

Don't worry. That one, I promise not to round off.

What city? I can't find any decent razors here in Ottawa, and travel through Ontario a lot.

Toronto/GTA.