RAZOR POLL

List your top 3 razors of all time in order of preference. (you can also add the reason beside your razor)

e.g ..

1) Dubl Duck - Wonderedge - (insert reason why)
2) ##### - #####
3) ##### - #####

It would be interesting to see how this works out. Would obviously need as many replies as possible, so with your help i'll run this thread for a month and then compile the results and post them for your benefit.

There will obviously be a full spectrum of results but I think there may be trends that develop which users of the forum could benefit from.



Get thinking guys!

Graham.

Could we maybe make this a 'sticky' to ensure maximum response? Can be unstuck after the months over.

Thoughts?

1) Wapienica -- 5/8 -- because it's the only razor I own

(Well, I own two others but they both need restoration. The Wap is the only *working* razor I own.)

I only have three razors in my rotation, but here goes:

1. DD Special No. 1 (11/16" full hollow) - because it shaves very smoothly, comfortably, and close!
2. Super Kama (11/16" full hollow) - almost as good as the DD
3. Henckels 55 (5/8" 1/4 hollow) - it leaves a lot of stubble

• Genco - Closest shave I've ever gotten (first cut too, but that's beside the point)
• Wapieneca - second closest shave ever, liked it so much I ordered 2 more to have re-scaled.
• George Wostenholm & Sons IXL - oldest shaver in my herd, horn scales, nice heft

Good timing as I was just going through my razors deciding what to keep and what to sell. I love them all but my daughter needs a car again for college as her old one finially died for good and I'm adding new tools in the shop, so....my favorites

1st TI Pierre Thiers Hand Forged....unique piece
2nd Dovo Micartas (black and white)....makes a nice gentleman's set for travel
3rd DD Wonderedge......beacuase you have to own one

That said though I use a TI Evide Sonnat more than any other razor I own simply because it give the best shave every time. Nothing special kind of razor, just a nice shaver and what I reach for most often.

Look for a really nice razor sale very soon from my own collection!

Tony

New to this but I have aquired a few...

#1 Gold Bug, sure I just got it but it out does my others at the moment
#2 DD Dwarf, Very smooth feel
#3 DD Styledge, 3/8 super nimble and good feeling when I do my part.

Granted I have only just started but these are my currant favs.

Not into looks as much as good shave - so here goes:

1. 13/16 Friodur - with a bullet - laser shave
2. 6/8 ERN Crown and Sword - sweet shaver
3. 6/8 DD Goldedge - beat up and ugly but great shave

4. 5/8 Bengall - 6/8 Revisor - 5/8 Heljestrand - 5/8 Beau Brummel

(You really need to do a seven day rotation, as I do not use any of these more than once a week!) More sweet shavers waiting honing including 2 NOS Dovos, 3 Waps, one Tosuke and a bakers dozen plus of J. Rodgers (no I am not kidding).

Subject to change in say 24 hours.

Damn this RAD sucks...ok, well kind of.

K

1) Boker Red Injun 101 5/8 - Shaves like a pro, handles like a sports car, and takes an edge quickly.

2) ERN Craftsmen 5/8 - Shaves great and sharpens easily. Plus it's a Craftsmen.

3) Canton Ohio Novelty Cutlery Co. 6/8 - Razor was a gift. First I restored. Lots of history with the razor. Shaves pretty well to.

Matt

W&B 7/8 Vlad original --- Great shaver, very smooth and it is the best looking razor I own. It is my version of a maestro (You can see it on razor restorations - Vlad orig)

Dorko 15/16 Square point --- A smooth shaver, just the right weight

Dorko 6/8 round point ---- a Real nice shaver just floats over the face


Dorko 15/16 round point ---- Also a great shaver just the right weight and feel


Just in case you didn't realise I love Dorko's...

W&B 5/8 1/4 Hollow Barber's Notched
Clauss 6/8 1/4 Hollow Round Point
Merkur 4/8 French Point


with the Wapienica running a close 4th.

why? because these four give me the closest, most consistent shaves (which probably means they're the easiest to sharpen and keep sharp!)

-whatever

-Lou

5/8 Wade & Butcher, restored by Bill Ellis. A great shaver! My best!

5/8 Wade & Butcher wedge, with a slight smile, honed by Lynn. A great feel!

5/8 Beau Brummel, from Bob Keys. Shaves great, and she was my first!

* subject to change weekly, except the Beau Brummel -

#1 Frederick Reynolds 7/8 hollow spike
#2 Henckel 5/8 spike very heavy grind
#3 C.V. Heljestrand 6/8 frameback



The Henckel shaves just a little better but the FR has it beat on the style.
I suspect the Heljestrand will stomp the guts out of the others as soon as I figure out the secret to honing it.

I'm just really starting to get the hang of honing different razors and "feel" what is going on through the hone.

Most of my FR razors are softer but this hollow is hard. The Henckel has a totally different feel and the Heljie feels like a piece of flint on the hone :shrug:

Dovo 5/8 Bismarck (smooth shave, great balance, easy to hone, and shur looks purdy, hyuck!)
American Barber 6/8, restored by Joe, bought from Josh, custom scales by Gary (this takes a seriously sharp edge relatively easily!)
TI 4/8 Le Dandy (real zippy, seems to keep an edge longer)

Wapienica just ranks out at 4th -- the weight of the scales pushes it outside top three, otherwise it would be 3rd= with the TI.

I'm expecting all the above get bumped down one when I buy my dream Livi this year!

6/8 Genco spike - My first razor.

7/8 W&B spike with Joe Chandler curly maple scales.
Hefty exceptional shaver.

5/8 W&B Special RP - Hey, it a W&B what more can I say.



Terry

1) Joseph Rodgers 6/8 Frameback with oblique point. MY first blade restoration and a fabulous shaver.
2) Wapienica 5/8 because it shaves just sooooo nicely.
3) Tosuke hand forged because it is an affordable handforged masterpiece.

1. Genco 6/8, Bill Ellis Resto- Literally wipes stubble off, perfect weight, easy to maintain.

2. 5/8 Heljestrand, Ivory Scales- bought off Ebay dirt cheap, think it had never been used, perfect steel, sharpens ridiculously quickly, sharp as hell, beautiful to look at.

3. 6/8 ERN Crown & Sword- Easy to get a wicked edge, holds edge well too. Good weight for shaving. Not pretty, but a great workhorse.

1 Pierre Thiers hand-forged: a great shave and a unique article!
2 Feather AC: dependable shave and very serviceable daily one-pass shave if that's all I have time for.
3. Filarmonica 7/8 Doble Temple: nothing fancy but a good solid shaver.

1. 6/8 half hollow Wade & Butcher sway back spike tip. Hones easily, shaves great. What more do you need?
2. 5/8 Dubl Duck Special No.1. Great blade and my very first. Sentimental I guess.
3. Changes week by week.

X

1. Shumate 5/8 Round Point, my first one and still my favorite. I actually have 3 and they are my favorites.

2. DD Goldedge 5/8 Square Point, very smooth shave.
2. DD Special #1 5/8 Square Point, excellent balance and feel, smooth shaver.

3. H. Boker 5/8 Oblique Point, what a razor, nice balance, very smooth shave.


Raf

1. Robert Williams - unquestionably in a class of its own it terms of edge feel

2. Kronic

3 - 4
Several razors tie, and several more just a tad below them but let me snag several more while prices are still reasonable... OK, I'll give one - Puma Gold but I am not telling which model :p

Cheers
Ivo

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Good timing as I was just going through my razors deciding what to keep and what to sell. I love them all but my daughter needs a car again for college as her old one finially died for good and I'm adding new tools in the shop, so....my favorites

1st TI Pierre Thiers Hand Forged....unique piece
2nd Dovo Micartas (black and white)....makes a nice gentleman's set for travel
3rd DD Wonderedge......beacuase you have to own one

That said though I use a TI Evide Sonnat more than any other razor I own simply because it give the best shave every time. Nothing special kind of razor, just a nice shaver and what I reach for most often.

Look for a really nice razor sale very soon from my own collection!

Tony

---

Can I get a sneak peek before they go on sale? :nj

Ok, so this might all change when I get my hands on 3 wedges I just bought, but from my collection at the moment

1. Fisher 13/16 - Nice size blade, good weight and well balanced, Just seems to plough through everything.
2.MoDoSo, Solingen, maybe 5/8 - Came to me with a nasty frown, but ever since honing it has managed to stay wickedly sharp, shaves beautifully despite its fairly plain looks.
3. Wapienica - Ok I like these blades and would put them 1st if it wasn't for the heavy scales. Shave great but the balance is not so great.

My least favourite?

Kammerling golden orno - tiny little razor, which is just not good enough for my beard. I bought it because it looked nice, but unfortunately it didn't shave well.

A W Wadsworth?, celluloid tortoise scales. Doesn't even get an edge, I tried everything to get this to shave with no success.

Ok...I've been thinking long and hard.

1),2) (I'm sorry...it's a tie) My 7/8 Thiers Issard Silversteel Red stamina spike point. Very good and worth the money and my 6/8 Worldmaster sheffield steel with Bill Ellis Cocobolo scales. I just can't choose between those two. They're the only things in my permanent rotation at the moment.

If I HAD to pick a third I'd probably say the 6/8 frameback Dorko that I sold about half a year ago. That was an amazing shaver.

Least favorite: the Elly 5/8 that I picked up. I just haven't been able to get it right. But since I just got new Belgian hones I might give it another shot soon.

1. Rocca 5/8 round point: my sharpest shaver, great weight, and really beautiful.
2. Geo. F. Crutzburge 11/16 round point: shaves just about as good as the Rocca and the weight is good, but the scales aren't as pretty and they smell like burnt plastic, which tends to detract from my shaving enjoyment.
3. A tie between a Delorme "the Starter" 5/8 round point and a Geo. Wostenholm 4/8 round point: the Delorme is a decent shaver and very classy. the Wostenholm shaves well too ( after I finally got my stropping technique up to snuff), nice and zippy and just has this je-ne-sais-quoi about it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v5...bestrazors.jpg

1. 8/8 Friodur with the Robert Williams Sambar scales;
2. Heljestrand No. 32 with ivory scales;
3. Either of my Joseph Rogers wedges.

I go through phases of what I use, depending on what I've recently bought - last couple of weeks it's been a Blue Wonder and before that a Fiest. But those listed are probably the best shavers I have.

James.

I can't believe just one "DD WE" so far

Not that it's any close to my favs but I'd expect more :)

CHeers
Ivo

Just shows eh ;-)

Had a feeling this would bring out some home-truths.

Sometimes products can get false propaganda??

Well, it's too early to tell. First - how many of the respondents so far even have / have tried a WE? And are the respondents a representative sample? etc.

Cheers
Ivo

1. 5/8 DD Satinedge Spike, custom scales by Gary (see avatar).
2. 7/8 Henckels Friodur, custom scales by Gary.
3. 6/8 Maestro Livi re-grind or 6/8 TI SRP LE.

I've never tried a DD WE so can't comment on those, the Satinedge is pretty great though. :)

Not sure I could be cornered into picking 3 "favorites" how any one else does is beyond me...
I'll settle for the last ones I shaved with:
7/8 Henckels Friodur
5/8-ish Wapienica
5/8 Dubl Duck dwarf
5/8 WR Case travel razor.


I do have a WE and like it, but not sure I would give away my Dovo Bismarck etc to keep it, either.
I hate these kind of questions....
John P.

Maestro Livi 7/8 ATS34 Olive Wood Scales /8ish Wapenica Currently been trying NOS Taylors EYE witness 3/4 ? wedge but this doesn't seem to suit my beard so it &some other wedges will be up for sale or swap soon