I bought an RSO and it made me laugh

[FWiedner]

Several weeks ago I got some junk email that got me into a mood to do some on-line shopping for knives with Damascus pattern on the blade. (You see where this is going, right?)

I shopped around and found a couple that I liked.



While I was shopping I ran across a Damascus pattern "straight razor" that I thought was attractive. I had to have it. Now I am well aware that quality Damascus instruments for shaving are expensive and rare. Boker wants, what... $1800 for their Damascus? Anyway, as I said, I had to have it. So...

When it arrived, I giddily open the package to see my new prize. I carefully unwrapped it, and withdrew it from the custom sheath. It had a wonderful Damascus pattern and the scales were lovely, but it in my eyes at that moment it appeared to be about the size of a lawn-mower blade, and it had a night stick pinned to it. Yes, it made me laugh.

No, I did not think I was buying a razor, I knew I was buying a pretty RSO. That said, I have my Damascus pattern RSO, and I quite like it. No, it is not "shave ready", and I doubt that I will attempt to make it so.

In reality, it's not nearly as huge as is seemed at the moment I opened the box. It's easily not even the largest blade I've tried to shave with (In the military, out in the field, I once tried to shave with a Ka-Bar on a dare. Really. It wasn't a very good shave, but darn it, I won the bet.)

Anyway, here's my RSO and one of my everyday shavers for comparison.