German/NL Blacksmith / Razor Shop

Hi Gents,

I'm a newbie on the block, originally from Australia, but I'm studying in Tilburg, Netherlands until July of this year. I was looking to bring back a memento of my travels (and something I can use on my rapidly growing beard), and from what I hear German razors are world-class.

Would anyone happen to know a nice razor shop in western Germany, or even in the Netherlands? Bonus points for it being a blacksmith where they're made, but I really don't know if this is something that is done or not.

Just a note - as it's a bit of a memento, I'm not at all against spending 200 euro or so. I may balk at significantly more than that, but my price range is fairly expansive.

Thanks very much!

Ben

Look up Ralf Aust or Revisor, they are 2 very good brands. As far a blade smiths, want be very lucky with their back orders having one laying around, plus the money your wanting to spend doesn't get many customs, either f those 2 dealers can offer something in your range or even lower, remember you will need a strop, brush and lather. Plus read , listen and prepare for a lengthy leaning process. They will provide you with a decent edge. Them get someone like Oz down under to keep it sharp and shave ready till you learn to maintain them yourself. Or just don't and let the pros, it works out the same dollar wise if your only shaving. Good luck. Tc

I can suggest you to visit Antwerp in Belgium. There is a small shop over there, something like Ollivander's wand store, called "De messenwinkel"
http://www.messenwinkel.eu

They give lessons of shaving and of honing (once a month I think)

Wacker is another good German brand. I have two of them, both are attractive razors and great shavers. I noticed that the Belgian shop mentioned earlier carries the brand.

I suggest staying away from the French Thiers Issard brand, at least at first. I have two of their razors and both are fine; but others have reported that the quality of workmanship on TI razors may vary more than it should considering the price of their razors.

The conscientious in this forum seems to be that a 6/8" wide blade is a good place for beginners to start although anything between 5/8" and 7/8" can work. Razors under 5/8" and over 7/8" are best left to experienced shavers as they are harder to use for beginners.

As far as a strop is concerned, you might wait until you get back home as kangaroo hide strops can be quite nice. I do not have one..... yet.

I live in Belgium but my price range is quite a bit higher :)

However, I do recommend the Ralf Aust razors. They are all handmade by a single craftsman, which is nice if you are looking for something special. I mean technically all razors are handmade to some degree, but dovo and ti are factories, whereas Ralf Aust is a one man shop. And his razors should definitely fall within your budget. I've always considered them very affordable, considering they're all made by hand, one by one.

The shop in Antwerp is a nice place to visit as well, but they can be bit pricey depending on the article. They're friendly people and carry quite a bit of stuff.

Thanks very much for that gents, I think I'll drop into Dusseldorf and make a trip out to Ralf Aust and Revisor. I've been using a Dovo shavette for the last year and a half and I've found myself a strop and a couple of stones, so I think it's time to give the proper razor a shot!