Thread: Are Swedish Steel Straights Better?

Greetings forum members from the new guy from California. I know when it comes to razors, a lot of things come down to personal preference (i.e. Ford vs Chevy, Pepsi vs Coke analogy) and the proverbial "YMMV".

I thought, over the years, that I had heard that Swedish vintage razors were sort of the crème de la crème of the straight world and I was curious if it's true, and if it is, what made them better. Was it craftsmanship, metallurgy or a combination of the two.

Thanks for your input

To me it is just a Ford vs Chevy thing.

Bob

Yep... there is no answer. I like them by their elegance, superb craftsmanship and design, but I have some other razors that can shave as good. Lots of German and British razors are made from the same swedish steel, and we cannot say that Germans or British have less skills or know-how producing amazing razors. BTW, I prefer Fiat.

Better than what?

Quality is quality.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Better than what?

Quality is quality.

Hiya thebigspendur,

I guess I would mean "better" than the straights of the same time period from the US, Germany or England.

Originally Posted by TheFiveO

I guess I would mean "better" than the straights of the same time period from the US, Germany or England.

I don't think so. A well made razor is a well made razor. And all these countries were known for well made razors.
The quality is all pretty even, with each really standing out for different aesthetics or different styles. And you can include France and Spain on that list too.

TheFiveO,

Some people pass their opinion on straight razors as an established conclusion by the whole: that Swedish vintage razors are better than all other razors produced. That's far from reality. Swedish vintage razors are fine blades. Then again, so are the German. The French. The English. And, yes, the American.

Are Swedish razors better than the others I have listed? The answers will cover a wide spectrum of opinion, which is not scientific fact. I have owned vintage Swedish razors, and liked them, I have owned German, French, English and American razors, too, and liked them just as much. And that is my opinion, not scientific fact.

Originally Posted by appa69

I don't think so. A well made razor is a well made razor. And all these countries were known for well made razors.
The quality is all pretty even, with each really standing out for different aesthetics or different styles. And you can include France and Spain on that list too.

That's a very good point. I have an incredible Filarmonica that was given to me as well. I guess this would be akin to saying that quality craftsman ONLY live in a certain area at any given time. We know that there are quality craftsman throughout the world at any given time.

The true judge of a razor's worth is not in the name of the maker, or country of origin, the true worth of a razor, quality of steel aside, is how well it shaved the last time used. Add to that the quality of the honing and how well it maintains it's edge over the course of time where all that is needed is proper stropping.

On a personal note, in my rotation are two vintage razors with no maker's mark on them. I suspect one is either American or German made and the other an early 1820's Sheffield made. Both have excellent edges and shave superbly. I also have several well known maker's razors that I find lacking in the quality of shave (not the steel) given. And these were honed by a couple of well versed honers as well as myself. It's once again a YMMV situation. It's all perception.

A Quality razor is only as good as the pro that honed it,be it germen,spanish, english,whatever,makes no diff,