Thread: Some random "custom" stuff...

Right. It was that time of the year again. Three razors which are a bit out of the ordinary.

First, a razor made by a single craftsman from outside Germany. Comes in a black cardboard box. Has wooden scales. And an unusual back.

Matte finish, a rather round thumbnotch, pretty wide pins, and very wide scales.

Now, I am not a fan of custom razors. At all. Typically, they fail in one or several departments when compared to modern production razors. This one is not free from problems, either. As you will see below, the scales are wide. Very wide. In fact, they do not have a wedge, but a metal spacer. Regrettably, their balance is still widely off. More precisely, the razor's mass centre is near the thumbnotch - not exactly where one would expect it. However, if properly opened, the razor is still reasonably well balanced, which makes handling it not overly difficult despite its impressive width.

The blade itself leaves nothing to be desired (except the fingerprint I left on it before taking a picture). An outward jutting square point with a diamond shaped nose. Which I think is a nice touch. The back has the same rough texture as the rest of the blade. Which, I think, goes very well with the rough design of the scales.

And here is a badly done full frontal shot of the blade. It is as close to a wedge as you will get. Now, taking into account the picture above, this means two things: 1. you will have to use tape for life if you want to keep the back as it is; 2. the craftsman certainly knows his way around honing, because the edge is very well done, very small, but shaves well.

And here we have razor #2, a 7/8 Revisor with a Kullenrücken. A completely different approach to a wide blade. This one is a round point, singing full hollow in a classic design. The scales are a standard Revisor issue with the Revisor logo. Classic, and very, very usable. The blade is a C. Friedrich Schmidt one, and it performs as expected, ie it leaves nothing to be desired. As always, one of the Kronenbergs put a perfect edge on it (if you have a penchant for edges produced by European natural hones - if you want scary sharp or honemiester sharp, feel free to do whatever you feel you must, but personally, I have never been a fan of such edges).

And here is #3. A 6/8 Terma I bought a few years ago. When it arrived, it came in extremely hideous scales which clearly were aftermarket. So I decided to ask a friend of mine to do the needful with this razor. And he did.

Many years ago, I bought a Wade & Butcher Bow here. It had been retrofit with spalted sycamore scales. At the time, I thought they looked good. And the price was ridiculous, even by the average price commanded for such a razor back then.

I learned a few things once the razor had arrived. First, never trust a picture which has been carefully taken by someone who knows what they are doing. The razor looked more than decent in the picture, but more like something you want to hide in person. Second, just because a pair of scales is well done does not mean it will perform well. Case in point, these were too heavy for the flimsy W&B, so they had to go. Six months and USD350 in scales, shipping, and customs taxes later, I had finally found someone capable of making replica horn scales which actually looked and worked like the original scales. Thank you, Brad.

By then, I had lost all interest in this razor, and even forget where it ended up. But that was the single most frustrating mis-investment ever. So I was not expecting much when I received this one back. However, upon opening the parcel, the scales took my breath away. I do not know how much time went into making them, but it must have been a lot. Because they are perfect. And I do mean perfect. Shape, size, weight, texture, surface treatment - all perfect. I know that some custom scale makers demand USD200 or more for a pair of plastic scales. And if the buyers are happy with them, that is great. However, if USD200 is a fair price for one of them, these horn scales would be more like USD400. Or more. As I said, I have never seen any like these, certainly not on a standard razor.

Last, a comparison of the three sets of scales. Left, the Terma. Ivory wedge, slim design - perfect. Centre, standard issue Revisor scales, nothing to complain about. Black, functional, but not overly inspiring. Right, wooden crash barriers? Well, fitting a 17/16 wedge blade into a pair of scales is a challenge, and the spacer is, apparently, the price one has to pay. A positive side effect, however, is that the blade actually clicks shut into the scales - nice touch.

So that was that. Having presented these three rather different razors in an online cutthroat forum, I know what is going to happen next, so let me pre-empt those questions:

1. I know who made the custom, and for whom, but I will not tell you before the official launch of that particular line of razors.
2. No, I would not have bought that custom. It is worth its money and more, but I have never been a fan of modern designs. I must admit, however, that this one has been quite tastefully done, especially compared to its more colourful or ergonomically dysfunctional cousins from across the pond.
3. The custom shaves well. Very well, in fact. The wedge design makes it a silent killer, and its width and weight take away most tactile feedback. Meaning, do not touch this unless you know what you are doing. Add the outward jutting tip, and you have a serious hazard for your earlobes in your hand. Neat.
4. The Revisor should be available by now. Prices can be found on Revisor's website.
5. You will still have to order direct.
6. No, Revisor have no US retailers, and they will not have any, either.
7. Yes, shipping costs from Germany are insane.
8. No, I will not sell any of these razors.
9. No, I am not interested in the fact that you have just become jealous, or are drooling onto your keyboard.
10. No, I will not divulge the name of the gentleman who made the horn scales. For him, it was a challenge. He does not make scales for sale. But if he did, other scale makers would find it difficult, or even impossible, to match his quality. As I said, I am still lost for words.

Err... are you still here? Blimey, you really must be bored. Me, I am back to writing a proposal.

Have a pleasant afternoon, gentlemen, and thank you for listening.

Robin