Thread: hello from kansas

I suppose the place to start is when I started with straight razors. I've been useing straight razors for a little over ten years now. I got my first two straights as hand me downs from an uncle who was a barber from '62 to about '74. Not long after that I got another from my aunt who was also a barber from around '58 to about '74. I cleaned them up (none of my razors are really restored just cleaned up) and I shaved about three inches before i got a three inch nick on my cheek. thankfully it wasnt very deep. I do have one more that I have never shaved with I just like it because it was grandpa's. I mostly signed up here to find out more about the razors I have. the first two are a red imp wedge 132, and a curtin & clark that doesnt have any other markings. my third is a J.A. henckels 401. lastly is grandpa's old wilbert cutlery co. which is really the one I'm the most interested in finding out about. I have found out that the red imp's were only made up to '62 and that the wilbert was only made up to 1920 it also has a faint print on the blade that says damascus steel, but it's not a pattern welded blade. so thats how I started and why I'm here.

Welcome aboard. If you post pics in the razor forum people will be able to help. There is a razor database in the wiki that might help you.

Get those babies honed and then use them!! Nothing worse than learning on a dull razor!!

Welcome aboard! Sure wish I has some herlooms like that!!! You are a lucky guy!

first of all, thanks for the welcome.

woodchuck, thanks for the advice. the forums are where i learned what little i do know about those razors.

jeffegg2, I do consider myself very lucky to have pack rats for relatives. I'm fairly sure I still have at least 60% of my grandparents things around somewhere. and those straights were honed thanks to my uncle that was a barber and his instruction in honeing. I shave with three out of four but grandpa's straight is a bit larger and quite a bit heavier which makes it a bit more intimidateing to me, and it was my late grandfathers so it means more to me as a keepsake than as a good shave. since my aunt and uncle who were barbers are still alive and doing well I dont mind useing their old barber razors quite so much.

just as a side note i also ended up with another uncles old DE razors and schick injectors. I know injectors were never high end or stylish but i learned with one and i feel nostalgic every now and then (actually one of the injectors I have is the same one i learned with).

I also learned on an injector! I had to go to the DE to get away from the multi blades though as I could not find them in the store anymore...

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

I also learned on an injector! I had to go to the DE to get away from the multi blades though as I could not find them in the store anymore...

kinda sucks when they quit makeing anything that actually works! I ordered a four pack of injectors online not to long ago, but I heard all the new injectors aren't as good since they moved the factories for cheaper labor. I had to order a sample pack of DE blades to get above the $25 needed to get free shipping, but i been meaning to try a DE anyway.

since I read the rules against nameing vendors I won't say the name of the place i got them, but I will say its a very large online store that started out only sellling books.