Thread: rigarazor

Not sure why mine has them or you didn't get a box. Does seem odd to me though. Either way they are some ver nice razors for sure

Glad to join the club: see here. By the way, why do we have two different threads for it? Could they be merged together? Just a thought...
Mine also arrived without a box, but I do not have use for boxes anyway, so I do not care it came without one. It was advertised as 7/8+, but I've measured full 8/8. The razor is absolutely beautiful, meticulously crafted, and perfectly finished.
Gentle smile makes so much easier to maneuver the spike, which I was slightly worried about. The edge is slightly longer than I'm used to, so on the first shave one of my nostrils got a bit wider - which helped to better appreciate the scent of the soap I'm kidding of course, but I did got a small nick. The next shave I was already used to it enough.
The grind is 1/4 hollow. It feels different from the full hollow I usually use, but the shaves were very nice. The slightly narrow tang was a bit hard to flip during stropping, but the thumb notch and the upper jimps felt very comfortable when shaving.
On a slightly negative note, the scales are quite a bit longer then necessary for the blade - almost if they were initially made for a different one. There is a very discernible gap between the end of the blade and the wedge. May be it's a matter of design. In any case it doesn't diminish from razor's looks or usability.
It did came shave ready - passed the hair test with no problem, but it felt a bit harsh for my liking, so I put a different finish to it.
All in all, it's a beautiful example of functional art and craftsmanship - the very thing I so much appreciate in straight razors.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

My guess is the tungsten steel razors are top notch. No one would work steel
that tough and hard and not have pride in the result.
The key question is to ask what to hone the tungsten steel razor with for the best edge.

100% agree. If it's T1, then I don't know if most people would like honing it, but you can. Tungsten should reduce the grain size, but I don't know that that's true in practice for all alloys of it. It definitely makes a finer cutting (but more expensive) high speed steel than M2, and M2 never sharpens well on natural stones, but T1 can be OK to sharpen.

I've had a couple of razors that I'd think had quite a bit of tungsten in them. I thought they weren't worth the trouble, but I understand what the makers were going for with them. I just didn't like it that much. Carbon steel in the right hardness range just responds better to natural stones and linen and leather (without having to resort to powders, etc). It's not a surprise that the vintage "tungsten steel" razors appeared on the market and then sort of disappeared.

Tungsten steel and all of the exotics (and I probably have about 50 razors that aren't straight up "silver steel" labeled or no label at all for the steel type) reminds me of guitars with a lot of binding and exotic wood. It sounds great, and it may be worth the extra cost if the maker extends a lot more care because you're paying a lot more, but a plain guitar with nothing but the essentials is just as good if you can get the maker to make it with due care. I have had some "wondersteel" razors that were outright duds, though, where the extra toughness and hardness was just an extreme hassle.

I saw density mentioned here with the tungsten steel, and it's true that tungsten and steel are vastly different in density. However, tungsten high speed steel (which is still mostly iron and carbon with 18% tungsten and some other alloying elements) has a density 10% higher than carbon water hardening tool steel (the closest thing you can find to pure carbon high carbon steel unless you go to hitachi, etc). It's not unlikely that these razors are less tungsten than T1 HSS, and the density difference is probably not that much. Meaning, if the tungsten razors feel like they have a lot more density, it's probably that they have a heavier grind.

Pretty razors, though - really nice job keeping crisp lines on the razors and maintaining a high level of finish at the same time (as compared to just making everything rounded and buffed off).

Originally Posted by DaveW

100% agree. If it's T1, then I don't know if most people would like honing it, but you can. Tungsten should reduce the grain size, but I don't know that that's true in practice for all alloys of it. It definitely makes a finer cutting (but more expensive) high speed steel than M2, and M2 never sharpens well on natural stones, but T1 can be OK to sharpen.

I've had a couple of razors that I'd think had quite a bit of tungsten in them. I thought they weren't worth the trouble, but I understand what the makers were going for with them. I just didn't like it that much. Carbon steel in the right hardness range just responds better to natural stones and linen and leather (without having to resort to powders, etc). It's not a surprise that the vintage "tungsten steel" razors appeared on the market and then sort of disappeared.

Tungsten steel and all of the exotics (and I probably have about 50 razors that aren't straight up "silver steel" labeled or no label at all for the steel type) reminds me of guitars with a lot of binding and exotic wood. It sounds great, and it may be worth the extra cost if the maker extends a lot more care because you're paying a lot more, but a plain guitar with nothing but the essentials is just as good if you can get the maker to make it with due care. I have had some "wondersteel" razors that were outright duds, though, where the extra toughness and hardness was just an extreme hassle.

I saw density mentioned here with the tungsten steel, and it's true that tungsten and steel are vastly different in density. However, tungsten high speed steel (which is still mostly iron and carbon with 12-13% tungsten and some other alloying elements) has a density 10% higher than carbon water hardening tool steel (the closest thing you can find to pure carbon high carbon steel unless you go to hitachi, etc). It's not unlikely that these razors are less tungsten than T1 HSS, and the density difference is probably not that much. Meaning, if the tungsten razors feel like they have a lot more density, it's probably that they have a heavier grind.

Pretty razors, though - really nice job keeping crisp lines on the razors and maintaining a high level of finish at the same time (as compared to just making everything rounded and buffed off).

Here's what Sergej told me the hardness of the Tungsten blade is 63 HRC . ( hardened to 66HRC , then tempered to 63 HRC ) The steel composition is one of my secrets :-)

Presume that it would be on the low side of the scale (in terms of tungsten added), but it doesn't really matter as long as the blade is a good one.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

Here's what Sergej told me the hardness of the Tungsten blade is 63 HRC . ( hardened to 66HRC , then tempered to 63 HRC ) The steel composition is one of my secrets :-)

This is nice to know.....
Now I need to review the differences in Shapton Carbon steel vs. harder steel hones. See HC.

Matching the tools for honing and stropping seems to be important.
Modern hones are amazing as are CBN and diamond... ultra fine and very
well classified abrasives.

The best old barber hones were the limit of water classification. Today
noble gas and electrostatics allow a whole range of unobtanium.

i did not know this brand until i see a member posted it on the SOTD. there is only vintage productions for this brand ? or there is someone who creates new razors too?

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

This is nice to know.....
Now I need to review the differences in Shapton Carbon steel vs. harder steel hones. See HC.

Matching the tools for honing and stropping seems to be important.
Modern hones are amazing as are CBN and diamond... ultra fine and very
well classified abrasives.

The best old barber hones were the limit of water classification. Today
noble gas and electrostatics allow a whole range of unobtanium.

I tried one of each of the shapton glass stones back when they split the designation (before that they only had one type). I never could see a material difference between the two, and I bought one at one point and found the same part number between HR and HC or whatever they called them. That's probably changed. I think shapton has been pretty good at mixing a relatively good hone with a lot of pure BS (and setting up a distribution structure here in the US where we get charged almost double what they pay in japan for most things - no clue if the glasstones are popular in japan).

Naniwa has hosed us a couple of times, too. With the "professional" thing instead of chosera, and the "it costs too much to make the chosera hones" bits and pieces (but you can go to any japanese site and find the chosera stones without issue. They just don't sell them here.

Originally Posted by Oustoura

i did not know this brand until i see a member posted it on the SOTD. there is only vintage productions for this brand ? or there is someone who creates new razors too?

If you are referring to the Riga- Razor, it is new and being made in Latvia. He always has a listing on ebay and some of the members have contacted him directly for custom razors. His work is top notch and one can be had for a very reasonable price if you go for his more semi-custom stock razors. You won't be disappointed.

Hello All,
This is my first post here. The forum, this thread in particular, is the driving factor in my deciding to get myself a RigaRazor the razor shipped this morning, so now the nail biting wait begins I'm not sure how long it's gonna take to get to western New York, but I'm sure it's gonna be way to long!! Anyhow just wanted to say thanks for this thread and all I've learned from you guys! I'll report when my Riga arrives!