Thread: why no bids on so many lovely looking swedish razors on usual site?

I was assuming there must be a good reason that i wasn't aware of. Will be fighting with you over them now. Sorry.

at this point in my collecting I have to stop and assess the collection. I have so many half finished and started but not finished project it is tough to get any more on the bench.

Originally Posted by decraew

Maybe because a lot of those Swedish blades are quite small ? Meaning 5/8" at most. A lot of folks here seem to prefer 6/8" and wider (I'm also guilty there).

Indeed. When I ordered my Mk32, I was expecting a 6/8, not a toothpick. Decent razor, but tiny.

Originally Posted by decraew

Also, you will not see a decent Heljestrand go without a serious bidding war!

That depends, I should say. The really tiny ones, ie Mk31 and less, can easily be had for $40 or less.

Originally Posted by dmnc

also on there a bengall cast steel. These any good?

Cadman/Bengall razors are actually quite excellent. And completely underrated. One of your safest bets to get an affordable 6/8 hollow grind made in Sheffield. If you find a proxy in AU or NZ, you will easily get one in excellent condition for less than $40 shipped. Thank the British army, if memory serves me right.

Originally Posted by RobinK

Cadman/Bengall razors are actually quite excellent. And completely underrated. One of your safest bets to get an affordable 6/8 hollow grind made in Sheffield. If you find a proxy in AU or NZ, you will easily get one in excellent condition for less than $40 shipped. Thank the British army, if memory serves me right.

Coincidentally, Cadman Bengalls seem to have been immensely popular in Sweden. So much so, that Borlänge Maskinaffär had a line of Bengall branded razors.

What exactly the deal was there I don't know, my guess is an operation independent from Cadman & Sons. But I may be wrong and the Borlänge Maskinaffär might possibly have had some franchising/licensing deal going on with Cadman & Sons.

Maybe some of the more knowledgeable Eskilstuna experts can shed some light on this.

That is very true, Pithor. I have a number of cast steel horn handled Bengalls from Sweden, bearing the names of several high-end stores.

You find the same with a few German Solingen-made blades stocked by high class stores in Sweden, as well as other prestigious Sheffield razors - I had an equisite ivory scaled samuel Osborn (of the Clyde Steel Works) 7 day set, acid etched with the days of the week in Swedish and made from Robert Mushet's Special Steel (Osborn bought the patent from Mushet, employing his men to teach him the process, the championing it over most of the known world).

It is clear to me that Swedes know well what makes a thoroughly decent razor, and they put their money where their mouths are, at least in the past.

Rdgards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Pithor

Coincidentally, Cadman Bengalls seem to have been immensely popular in Sweden. So much so, that Borlänge Maskinaffär had a line of Bengall branded razors.

What exactly the deal was there I don't know, my guess is an operation independent from Cadman & Sons. But I may be wrong and the Borlänge Maskinaffär might possibly have had some franchising/licensing deal going on with Cadman & Sons.

Maybe some of the more knowledgeable Eskilstuna experts can shed some light on this.

Yes, I have a few "Äkta Bengall" razors(two of them have the Borlänge stamp) as well as a few 1840's Cast steel Bengalls in Horn.

When I started using Straights the only razors you could find on Tradera were either Swedish or made by Bengall but now it's a bit more varied, I guess the new variety is because more people have started using straights here and they're selling razors that they bought from sellers in other countries.