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Question about Solingen razors, with gratuitous Puma and JNat shots and review
I recently purchased the Puma 1938 hohl 6/8ths shown below, I believe it is my first ever Puma. I've always wanted a Puma based on reputation, and the Spanish point and rubber tang grip on the 1938 appealed to me. When I found one in really good shape in 6/8ths, I jumped.
When I was researching Puma razors, there seem to be mixed opinions on Puma. Based on the catalog info from Manah posted on strazors.com, my 1938 was produced sometime between the 1950s - 1970s, probably the 70s. The pre-war Pumas marked Lauterjung & Sohn are apparently universally respected, but the post-war Pumas were perhaps made by many makers such as Dovo, and post-war Pumas are not thought highly of by old razor hands from Solingen, viewing them as nothing special, just good razors, but marketing hype.
My question: Are there Solingen brands that are well-respected by everybody, including the old hands from Solingen?
My own personal experience is that Busch Weltmeisters and Dorkos (and Filarmonica, accepting they were actually made in Solingen rather than Spain) really stand out to me as special and different Solingen brands, but that's just my own opinion, based on my limited real-world experience. I may have missed a lot of good options I've never heard of.
My opinion on my Puma 1938 is that it honed more easily than any razor I think I've ever honed. The edge I got was one of the best I've ever gotten, the first shave incredibly smooth and close. The ergonomics of it and acoustics of it when shaving are top notch and unique. I like the thick scales, the rubber tang grip looks great and seems like a great idea, but doesn't really contribute anything but cool looks. On the downside, that first edge and first shave I got was fantastic, but subsequent shaves have been pretty ordinary. Certainly not bad, but not like that first amazing shave. The edge off the stone does not seem to hold up for me the way my Filarmonica and W&Bs do, for long periods. It's still a good shave, just not the magic of that first edge. Maybe it's me, and because it was new and different the first shave I viewed it differently.
Anyhow, here it is in all it's splendor. A very nice razor and good shaver, and I don't regret snagging it:
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