Thread: Wootz Ottoman interpretation

Someone contacted me to make a razor in Wootz that looked like a W&B Ottoman, but in my own interpretation. I started with the outline of the Ottoman, and then penciled in the changes where I think they should be. For the scales I used Juma Ivory snake which is a new material for me. It works a bit like Kirinite, buy more frangible. It abrades easier and in fact it made a huge mess in my bandsaw. After sawing the scales, the entire machine was packed with ivory colored fluff. The wedge is black streaked horn which I thought would be a better fit than my usual glow in the dark wedges.

The scales have an interesting pattern in them. I,m curious, how is the honing on this steel? And the shave. So if anyone has one of your razors from Wootz, what are their thoughts? Tc

Good question. Honing these is super easy, but I need to add that I always hone them first after the 120 grit stage to verify that the bevels will be small, and then I polish away what bevel there is at 240 and 600 grit. So the resulting bevel is really, really small, which makes for easier honing. And the shave... I can say these are the best edges bar none. That is my experience, and it matches the feedback I've gotten from the customers. Kyle (Prodigy) has one of my wootz razors for which he made the scales himself

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ml#post1632820

Maybe he can chime in.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

The scales have an interesting pattern in them. I,m curious, how is the honing on this steel? And the shave. So if anyone has one of your razors from Wootz, what are their thoughts? Tc

I don't have one of Bruno's but I did have one of Joe Chandler's 'Pendray' Wootz razors. Honing was not more difficult than other damascus I've had, and the shave was great. IIRC Bruno has some of that very same Pendray Wootz, and there won't be any more from Albert Pendray. Here is a PDF with more about Wootz in general, and Alfred Pendray Wootz in particular.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...br171X0zca-sBg

I want to clarify that the wootz I used so far is made by a local craftsman named Evrahim Baran.

I also have wootz by Alfred Pendray. I had the chance to buy it last year, and I bought it for no better reason that I could. That the owner trusted me to not ruin it was high praise for me. The few people I know who also have Pendray wootz left, have pieces at the thickness of knife material, not razor material. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only one who has Pendary wootz that is thick enough for a razor (and documented provenance). When I bought it, I agreed to not sell knives or razors in Pendray wootz for less than a very high price (4 figures, the first of which is not a 1). I do have 1 order for such a razor but I don't actively market it because the price has nothing to do with getting a good shave, any more than a bowie forged by Bill Moran is judged on its edge retention.

The reason I bring this up is that Jimmy mentioned Alfred, and while I have Pendray wootz indeed, it is reserved for special occasions like the good china and I want to avoid people thinking I am implying that I use Pendray wootz when I am not.

I have plans to use one of the pieces I have for a personal kitchen knife. It will be the worlds most expensive kitchen knife when I am done (because of the wootz and I am thinking of narwhal tusk for the handle and some gems inlaid in the bolsters) and probably one of the only things in Pendray wootz made since the last decade which will actually be used