Thread: Thinking about a custom straight, need your inspiration

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

All your razors up to date are full hollows and 5/8 this may be a factor, you should at least try a quarter hollow before you splash the cash on an expensive custom razor you may not like the way a heavier grind razor shaves, there are a few very nice custom makers out there.

Yes, this. Before going far from your zone of familiarity, try something close to what you are considering. Someone here might be willing to loan you a razor to try so that you know what you are getting into regarding size and grind.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Before going far from your zone of familiarity, try something close to what you are considering.

This reflects my way of thinking too.

I probably owned around 30 razors before I bought my first custom straight.
Some of these 30 razors were bought new and some were bought second-hand (mostly Henckels Friodurs), and for the latter I usually had to go through the full honing process to get them shave ready, which proved to be an excellent opportunity to develop my skills.

Only then did I order my first custom straight and, truth be told, the experience has been mixed. Some give me excellent shaves and some not so much (to put it politely).

Customs straights can vary greatly depending on who made them (obviously) and how much manual labor goes into them.

A custom straight can be made entirely by hand. That makes the razor unique, but carries also some risks.
In the glory days of straight shaving, perfectly made, affordable, precisely machined hollow ground straight razors arrived when razor makers started using two wheel grinders (e.g. Carl. Friedrich Ern introduced the “Hexe” grinder), but such equipment has become increasingly rare and many customized razors are today made on single wheel grinders. Like making pistons for car engines, there is an advantage in using a mechanized process and “manual” does not necessarily mean better.
Of the two worst razors that I ever bought, one was a custom straight.

Regarding size, my razors range from 4/4 to 8/8, but fairly early on I settled for 6/8 as my “sweet spot”. Over the last years however I found myself using regularly my 5/8 razors again that I had somewhat neglected for a while, as I found that, while I could get excellent shaves from 8/8 razors, they were for me not the best tool for the job.

Regarding the point, over time my preference evolved into Spanish or round point first, French point second, and square point last.

All these discoveries came with more razors, more practice, and more experience.
As you seem to be fairly new to the game, it might be advisable to hold off on a custom straight for a while until you settle down on the size and style that works best for you, instead of forking out money for a custom razor that could cost 3 times as much as a regular straight and in the long run may not be the style that you like best.

There are several razor makers who make razors to order (e.g. Ralf Aust) by manufacturing a razor from standarized components, based on the customer’s steel (carbon or stainless), blade size, point (round, French, Spanish, square, etc.) and scales (resin, plastic, bone, and many more wood types) preferences.

These “semi-customized” razors can be excellent value for money, perfectly made, and yet be highly personalized. In short, if you look at a razor also as a tool for a job, they can be among the best there is.


B.

Originally Posted by beluga

This reflects my way of thinking too.

I probably owned around 30 razors before I bought my first custom straight.
Some of these 30 razors were bought new and some were bought second-hand (mostly Henckels Friodurs), and for the latter I usually had to go through the full honing process to get them shave ready, which proved to be an excellent opportunity to develop my skills.

Only then did I order my first custom straight and, truth be told, the experience has been mixed. Some give me excellent shaves and some not so much (to put it politely).

Customs straights can vary greatly depending on who made them (obviously) and how much manual labor goes into them.

A custom straight can be made entirely by hand. That makes the razor unique, but carries also some risks.
In the glory days of straight shaving, perfectly made, affordable, precisely machined hollow ground straight razors arrived when razor makers started using two wheel grinders (e.g. Carl. Friedrich Ern introduced the “Hexe” grinder), but such equipment has become increasingly rare and many customized razors are today made on single wheel grinders. Like making pistons for car engines, there is an advantage in using a mechanized process and “manual” does not necessarily mean better.
Of the two worst razors that I ever bought, one was a custom straight.

Regarding size, my razors range from 4/4 to 8/8, but fairly early on I settled for 6/8 as my “sweet spot”. Over the last years however I found myself using regularly my 5/8 razors again that I had somewhat neglected for a while, as I found that, while I could get excellent shaves from 8/8 razors, they were for me not the best tool for the job.

Regarding the point, over time my preference evolved into Spanish or round point first, French point second, and square point last.

All these discoveries came with more razors, more practice, and more experience.
As you seem to be fairly new to the game, it might be advisable to hold off on a custom straight for a while until you settle down on the size and style that works best for you, instead of forking out money for a custom razor that could cost 3 times as much as a regular straight and in the long run may not be the style that you like best.

There are several razor makers who make razors to order (e.g. Ralf Aust) by manufacturing a razor from standarized components, based on the customer’s steel (carbon or stainless), blade size, point (round, French, Spanish, square, etc.) and scales (resin, plastic, bone, and many more wood types) preferences.

These “semi-customized” razors can be excellent value for money, perfectly made, and yet be highly personalized. In short, if you look at a razor also as a tool for a job, they can be among the best there is.


B.

Sounds like sage advice! I do have an inexpensive 1/4 hollow 6/8 Spanish inbound, I wanted to give this a whirl before finalizing a size / grind. I may have to rethink a few things before moving forwards. I tend to like heavier tools, I am excited to try this out.

Beluga gave you excellent advice and it sounds like you are taking it to heart. In the end doing so will save you money and will increase tbe likelihood of you actually being happy with the custom that you eventually get.

@GreazyThumbs.... I have a CV Heljestrand Le Prince that is 1/2 hollow grind, heavy razor that is one of my favorites and a 1/4 hollow Hart that I've finally got a smooth edge on that I would let you borrow for a few weeks... Both just came back from being professionally honed so they are at their peak now... PM me if you are interested..

I hope this goes well. If and when you decide on what custom razor to get, I'd get my initials or name put onto it. Perhaps a saying you like or one you coined. You want to be able to pass this thing on to your heir.