Thread: Bill Ellis Acquisition

Amazing looking razors. So lovely! Must have one.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Bill Ellis had a thread on the other forum when he was first getting into the hand engraving and as he progressed. I'm pretty sure all of the spine work and the tangs were engraved by hand with standard engraver's tools.

I found one of Bill's threads. Looks like it is all hand engraving. Amazing talent.

Originally Posted by Del1r1um

very nice... looks perfect... I gotta be honest, I'm just green with jealous rage right now.

That's how I've felt every time I've seen one of Bill's razors posted........and now I finally have one. Coming across this one in the classifieds here was my lucky day. Big thanks to a forum friend who pointed me to it via PM very early in the morning!

Originally Posted by sparq

Congrats. It is great to see genuine craftsmanship at work in the age of cheap mass production. Please keep showing her in the SOTD threads!

Agreed and will do!!

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

If I had a razor that beautiful I would be torn between using it everyday and putting it into a display case so it never got touched! Very nice indeed, the engraving is ridiculous!! It looks so perfectly done. Nice acquisition.

I understand that dilemma, but this one will be used about every third shave. I can't stand to *not* use something like this and believe me.....I bought it to *use* it!

Originally Posted by Chris L

Absolutely stunning. I don't see how that could be filework. My guess is that it's an etch.

Chris L

Definitely not file work. It's an etching of some sort, but I have no idea how it's done. I remember seeing some sword making diagrams once years ago that involved coating a blade with wax, drawing the pattern through the wax and then using acid of some sort, but I believe Bill does this work with a small etching tool.

Originally Posted by alabamalawyer

This is really an unfair combination-- Bill's stunning work combined with your great photography-- for those of us trying to avoid SRAD!

Thanks you for the photo compliment Chris. I do better with fashion that product, but I always say that the subject makes the photo and in this case I had a lot of help from the subject!

Originally Posted by FastEdge

This engraving isn't done by hand, is it?

Yes, I believe it is! Bill is an amazing and incredibly talented artist in every respect of knife and razor making.

Originally Posted by vior

Stu, I agree with you 100%. They are incredible shavers and the craftsmanship is on another level. The stunning engraving on the spine must take countless hours to do and adds the finishing touch on these wonderful blades.

Here are my two:

I get just a little angry every time I see this razor.......the one I missed by minutes! It's just one of the most perfect razors I've ever seen............I think I just pee'd a little!

Thanks for alerting me to the Spalted Maple sale. I owe you one for that! Now I can forgive you for snagging that Olivewood/Running Wheat beauty!

Originally Posted by Quick

Simply outstanding!


(but I don't understand why you don't have a brush to match the scales? )

A matching brush would be sweet, but fortunately I don't really suffer from BAD. The few I have are all I need and desire. Whew!

Originally Posted by RayG

Those really are beautiful, guys. Does he do the etching by hand, or is it by machine?

Not to derail the topic, but how does the shave compare to your Ellis hybrid, Stu? Bill's site has had some other hybrids listed, but mentions that the blades were stainless. They look just like the initial (wapi) hybrids, but I guess he now uses stainless?

Ray....I might be able to answer your question after a few more shaves with the new full custom and a re-acquaintance session or two with the Hybrid. I shamefully haven't used the hybrid in a while. I'll see if I can come up with a comparo at some point in the near future and drop you a PM with my thoughts.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by zib

Nice, I've spoke to Bill, He's always sold out. I haven't been able to get one his razors.

A classic example of demand far exceeding supply. This is part of what I love about Ellis razors, but can also be frustrating for sure.

Originally Posted by Earthdawn

Big congrats !!!

Thats just unreal... beauty beyond beauty

Bill really knocked it out of the park with this one, but from what I've seen of his work.....that's his norm.

Thank you for the comment!

Originally Posted by deepweeds

Wow.

If it were mine, I might make it a "special days" razor, though my fingers would itch to make "special days" as frequent as possible! Weddings, confirmations, bar/bat mitzvahs, certainly; high holidays, sure; but would I have the will power to lay off the thing on Groundhog Day or Leap Day??

I'll protect it and keep it clean, but use it, use it, use it!! Regardless of beauty I think razors are meant to be used and not simply displayed, but I have seen some that were more art and less function. The beauty of Bill's work tends to be the perfect balance b/w form and function.

Now some of his crazy Japanese razors................that's a different story!

Originally Posted by bpave777

Amazing looking razors. So lovely! Must have one.

Thank you Bjørn.......best of luck in your search!

Originally Posted by RayG

I found one of Bill's threads. Looks like it is all hand engraving. Amazing talent.

Thanks for the link Ray! Bookmarked.

Thanks for the link to that post, Ray. I'm in awe. Bill's razors IMO are literally among the best in the world and I don't even own one, I'm just talking design, craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Chris L

Originally Posted by B R A N D X

I get just a little angry every time I see this razor.......the one I missed by minutes! It's just one of the most perfect razors I've ever seen............I think I just pee'd a little!

Thanks for alerting me to the Spalted Maple sale. I owe you one for that! Now I can forgive you for snagging that Olivewood/Running Wheat beauty!

Hehe, well I promise to keep it nice and safe. Who knows, maybe one day it will be in your possession.

Originally Posted by B R A N D X

I get just a little angry every time I see this razor.......the one I missed by minutes! It's just one of the most perfect razors I've ever seen............I think I just pee'd a little!

I know how BrandX feels, he isn't referring to my razor BTW but another. Anyway, the way Bill set up the buy was fair but you had to do some quick decision making. I picked my scales immediately but I was torn between three of the blades. What finally led me to pick the one that I did was the deep jimps on the underside of the tang. I was partial to the double leaf engraving more then the single but I love jimps. I also liked the layout of the name on the tang on mine. It was tough to decide for sure and you knew that someone else might beat you to the punch if you waited too long.

Okay, I'm absolutely blown away! I imagine seeing Monica Belucci in PLayboy would have the same affect on me. Two years, that's how long I figure to dig myself out of my hole (I'm horrible with spending money on things I don't need). then I can look at one of these. actually I'd probably need three, the differnent patterns are so amazing I don't know if I could pick.

Red