Thread: Sweeney Todd Style Razors

I am new to this hobby, and while I don't really like shaving, the knives are what I find fascinating.

And while I do look primarily for functionality, I do sometimes opt for aesthetics- And most straight razors I find that are of good quality simply don't appeal to me. The major qualm I have is with the blades, I have this fixed hope that I can find a blade with the same Spanish point, single shoulder, and primary curves as the blade from Sweeney Todd, a movie which is half the reason that I find straight razors so cool.

The problem is that most of the Sweeney Todd blades I find are simply props- dull, poor build quality, cheap materials, and so on.

Does anyone have any idea where I can find a decent knife with the same blade and shape as the Sweeney Todd blades? I don't care much for the engravings on the handle, just the blade...

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

In order to get that style you're either going to need to shell out for a custom or track down and shell out a smaller amount for an antique. The sweeney Todd razors look like the props people modeled them after early English razors (looks like 1810s to 30s to me, somewhere in that area). This site has a lot of pictures of that style of razors in its archives; you can google search images with the tag site:straightrazorplace.com to easily sort through images. John and Isaac Barber are two makers off the top of my head that made pieces that looked a lot like the props.

Unfortunately, you might find some of the qualities you're after in more modern razors, but they're not going to have quite the look of the prop razor.

Agreed. I think the best bet would be to get a custom made.
The oldest razors I've seen were from just before 1900, and they looked very similar to modern ones.

Keep an eye on ebay and you will eventually see some razors that have the style you are after. Price for an unrestored, not-shave-ready example will likely be in the $40-120 range based on past sales I've seen.

Looks are only a small part of the Trip. You need a razor that has the Balance and the Feel that will let you shave and maintain it easily.
Form Follows Function.

Are there any makers you would particularly suggest that I look into for a custom?

You mean a sweeney todd one?

I spent a long time looking for one because I wanted the scales, but the only ones I could find were those really cheap, useless blades.