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Learner: I have an old Blue Diamond, made in Germany & sold by S.R. Droescher of New York plus a Marke Birko, Solingen stainless. Any
input on their relative quality? The third razor I have is a Robeson Shur Edge 15-L-40. I read about their much respected quality on this
site two days ago. I don't, however know what the 15-L-40 is code for. Thanks for any help.
You can do a search to see if there are any threads about anything you are questioning.
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Blue Diamond was a Norvell and Shapleigh trademark in the early 1900s I believe. Good razors and the ones I've seen had pretty scales on them.
Birko I know nothing about, but being a Solingen razor, I expect it is a good razor.
I'm sure there is a thread on here about the Robeson numbering system, as Ed mentions above, do a search for it to learn a lot.
The short version is that model 15-L-40 is the model number that "fits your face" for "tough wiry beards and tender skin".
Check out RobesonsRme.com and click on the straight razor link.
And yes, the Robeson is a good razor.
Send them out to be professionally honed and start shaving.
Thank you criswilson10, I'm adventuress enough to try honing them myself. I have been investing in honing stones (Norton 4000/8000) and Hard Arkansas and
more. I have gotten them to pass the hanging hair test. I have nicked myself a few times; I'm telling myself that is part of the learning curve.
Incidentally, I bought the first two many years ago at a flea market at the local fair grounds for almost nothing but have only recently become interested
in shaving with them and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I am seventy four, have a one man auto restoration shop where I am busy enough that I work
seven days a week. Still very active and still excited by life and activities.
Sounds like you've honed a few things before. :)
I'd still recommend sending at least one of them out for a professional honing so you will have a reference as to how sharp a sharp razor really is.
It's worth the $30 or so.
Nicks and cuts do come with learning (check out the cut of the day thread), but you are less likely to nick yourself with a sharp blade, well except for ears and nose.
Thanks again, criswilson10. I think sending one out for a reference point is a good idea. I'll do that. The nicks I have caused I think are from not yet having mastered
shaving technique. The Blue Diamond & the Robeson that I mentioned earlier are both square point. The Marke Birko is round point which I think is safer for me. I did
nick my left ear lobe with the Robeson by not closely watching what I was doing. Haven't nicked the nose & will do my best not to.
Blue Diamond was used by Grah and Plumacher, their mark was the tuning fork. I think that they made a lot of razors for other people, but a lot of them retain the tuning fork as in SRD Blue Diamond with the tuning fork was most likely made by Grah and Pumacher. I would not be surprised if the others with the Blue Diamond mark and the tuning fork were made by them as well. I have had quite a number of SRD razors and they have all been pretty top shelf. Not that different from C-Mon or Bresnuck or Hess Hair Milk. All very good razors all made by unconfirmed cutlers.
RezDog: thank you for the input. Learning the history of old razors is interesting. I picked up the Blue Diamond & the Robeson for three dollars each at a flea market
at the local county fairgrounds many years ago. I also got an Ashcraft pig skin strop (No. 50) made right here in my home town of Portland IN shortly after getting
the razors. I just bought the Marke Birko from an ebay aution. It is old, never used, in brown waxed paper packing & in original box. It seems to be a mystery razor
that nobody knows anything about. It's stainless and honed up nicely; now I will see if it will hold its' edge properly.
Hi and welcome. A quick search on birko will bring up a lot of information about makers quality etc. Good luck and any questions feel free to ask
Thank you eddy 79. I will try the Birko search you suggest. I had a week of R&R in Austraila from Viet Nam in 1968. I spent most of my time playing tennis
at courts in Rush Cutter Bay. I saw a Maserati Mexico parked by a curb while I was mucking about. Had a good time.
The blue Diamond is a good razor. Norvell Shapleigh had them made but originally I think all their razor's came from Germany. The Marke Birko was made in Germany. Here is another like it on here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...tml#post431263
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...tml#post306500
The Robeson ShurEdge is a good razor. They were around from 1922-1940 but The Robeson Cutlery Co. Elmira, NY was around from 1893, then there's more info about Robeson Cutlery Co. USA from 1896-1922. My book says they were founded in 1893 as Robeson Cutlery Co.& were an import & jobbing firm in Elmira, NY. They moved to Rochester in 1894 & in 1896 leased the cutlry wrks in Camillus, NY until operations ceased. Robeson then began manufacturing cutlery in Perry, NY. In 1917 they opened a plant in Mount Morris, NY & in 1922 they merged with Rochester Stamping Corporation to form Robeson Rochester Corporation. In 1957 Rochester purchased Kinfolks Cutlery Company of Little Valley, NY which was another good razor firm. Robeson closed the Little Valley plant & made hunting & pocket knives with the Kinfolks trademark until it was discontinued in 1965. In 1965 he Federal Cutlery Inc. purchased Robeson & made it a subsidiary. The Ontario Knife Company acquired Robeson around 1974 & used that marking until 1977. There are a few patterns now being produced by Queen Cutlery, which is the sister company to The Ontario Knife Company. The sales & service are located at the The Ontario Knife factory in Franklinville, NY. Robeson was considered one of the best knife makers in the world in the 1920's. Pocket Ease, Shuredge & Masre Craft are trademarks used by Robeson.
