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Thread: Custom-scaled Kikuboshi

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    Razor Vulture sharptonn's Avatar
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    Default Custom-scaled Kikuboshi

    Having enough of everything else, I decided to get a few western-grind Japanese razors. My birthday was last week and on that day the mail brought me a sweet 7/8 plus Kikuboshi with some rather plain black scales as well as a used 'Tokyo' strop formerly used by the same barber, K. Yamamoto. The blade appeared NOS, but in looking at the scales, scratched and obviously used, I started digging. I had bought these scales long ago. Back when you could send a check for an Ebay purchase. Green abalone, rough with all the occlusions and natural. Done well, they had come sloppily pinned to an Imperial 'Eagle etch' blade with a hunky spacer of faux-tortoise celluloid. Nothing seemed to go with them. As fine as they were, nothing.
    So now, all of a sudden, they screamed Japanese to me and I went to it. I made a wedge from white PVC and oversized the shell down to the nickel-silver liners with end-mills by hand and sized 4 of Babur's silver-plated collars to just above the shell. I did the RubnBuff on the tang stamps and tail stamp in gold to match the blade etch, CA'd some of the holes and pits in the shell, sanded and polished. Pinned-up, it all seems good to me. The scales are a bit heavy, yet so is the blade. As tightly as I got the pivot, it all seems fine. The strop is an enigma. Well used, yet feels like butter. It could have been made by Kanayama, I suppose. The hardware is same. Anyhoo, after working on it several days, I am now in the Japanese razor fold. Sorry about the picture quality. The shell seems to freak out the camera! Cannot lose THIS! Bad-sharp, I took care to avoid any damage to the edge and am hoping Yamamoto's edge will be just right with some stropping on this strop for a Sunday shave. We shall see!
    Thanks for looking!

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    "Don't be stubborn. You are missing out".
    I rest my case.

  2. #2
    Senior Member AntiqueHoosier's Avatar
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    LOVE.................Want
    sharptonn and Dzanda like this.
    Mike

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    sharptonn (10-04-2014)

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    Moderator Razorfeld's Avatar
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    Tom, happy birthday, happy scales, happy razor, nice photos. All glitter and glam. When do you get a gentleman's Kimono?
    "The sharpening stones from time to time provide officers with gasoline."

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    sharptonn (10-04-2014)

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    Senior Member blabbermouth Geezer's Avatar
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    Happy Birthday!幸せな誕生日 Shiawasena tanjōbi

    For the razor fixing, Thank you!
    かみそり固定していただきありがとうございます..Kami sori kotei shite itadaki arigatōgozaimasu..
    Be well my friend!
    ~Richard
    sharptonn, WW243 and Dzanda like this.
    Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
    - Oscar Wilde

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    Senior Member blabbermouth Substance's Avatar
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    Happy birthday Tom
    Very nice looking str8
    I do love the abalone
    Job wel down
    sharptonn likes this.
    Saved,
    to shave another day.

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    Senior Member blabbermouth nicknbleeding's Avatar
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    Happy Birthday Tom. That is one hell of a present. I love it.
    sharptonn likes this.

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    Fatty Boom Boom WW243's Avatar
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    In general, I like the cheesy scales that come on Japanese Westerns....but, you kind of present an awesome alternative. And late Happy Birthday!
    As an aside, I also like the occasional Engrish as on the reverse side of my K-3 Fon Golden Star shank which reads:
    MADE BY AMOST SK-
    ILLFUL TECHANIQUE
    Just like that, 2 lines.
    Last edited by WW243; 10-04-2014 at 03:16 PM.
    "Call me Ishmael"
    CUTS LANE WOOL HAIR LIKE A Saus-AGE!

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    I used Nakayamas for my house mainaman's Avatar
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    Very cool, both razor and scales.
    I am big sucker for Japanese razors, just some of the best out there.
    Birnando, sharptonn and WW243 like this.
    Stefan

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    sharptonn (10-04-2014)

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    No that's not me in the picture RoyalCake's Avatar
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    That's one nice looking razor - let us know how she shaves!
    Great job.
    sharptonn likes this.
    I love living in the past...

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    Razor Vulture sharptonn's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by AntiqueHoosier View Post
    LOVE.................Want
    Thanks!
    Quote Originally Posted by Razorfeld View Post
    Tom, happy birthday, happy scales, happy razor, nice photos. All glitter and glam. When do you get a gentleman's Kimono?
    Well, I got a new bathrobe and some socks! Does that count? Thanks, Richard!
    Quote Originally Posted by Geezer View Post
    Happy Birthday!幸せな誕生日 Shiawasena tanjōbi

    For the razor fixing, Thank you!
    かみそり固定していただきありがとうございます..Kami sori kotei shite itadaki arigatōgozaimasu..
    Be well my friend!
    ~Richard
    Most impressive, Richard! Thanks! You are now SRP's official Japanese interpreter!
    Quote Originally Posted by Substance View Post
    Happy birthday Tom
    Very nice looking str8
    I do love the abalone
    Job wel down
    My thanks!
    Quote Originally Posted by nicknbleeding View Post
    Happy Birthday Tom. That is one hell of a present. I love it.
    I have been a good boy. I think I deserve it! Thanks!
    Substance likes this.
    "Don't be stubborn. You are missing out".
    I rest my case.

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