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I have a Baltzly Gold Standard razor that was my father,s. Is it a good brand, or should I replace it. I need to know if it's good enough to use, or should I just keep it because it was my father's. When I was young I had a Butcher Brothers razor that I used a lot, but mt ex wife decided to use it to cut linoleum. Now I want to go back to using a straight razor, but am not interested in slitting my throat. That is why am inquiring about the Baltzly' quality.
Pics are welcome. If it served your father well I guess it must be a good razor, depending on its current state.
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Yes, pics are welcome and would help us a lot in answering your question.
Here is some historical background for you.....
The straight razor industry had a few major manufacturers and many, many minor manufacturers. They operated by taking orders for "private label" razors. They would stamp out the razors and then stamp them with the customer's name, i.e. Baltzly Gold Standard, or Hermans Greatest, Smooth Shave, Rattlesnake, King of Whiskers, etc.
All are made by the same company but with different names on them.
Send us some pics! :)
It's probably fine, since your Father used it. No doubt it could do with an edge refresh, though. You might consider sending it out for honing. BE VERY CAREFUL AND SUSPICIOUS when looking for a "honemeister" to touch up your razor. Many talk the talk, few can walk the walk. The knife guy can't do it. The scissors guy can't do it. DIY Dan, your neighbor who says he can do anything, can't do it. Never trust anyone to hone your razor who does not shave with a straight razor! To do otherwise is almost guaranteed to end badly. On this and other straight shaving forums, you will find plenty of guys willing to hone your razor. Pretty much anyone with a couple thousand posts who says publicly on open forum that he can put a good edge on your razor, probably can. Otherwise believe me, he would be quickly shouted down. Reputations are at stake. Some guys hone for money, a few guys just like to hone razors and will do it for return shipping. Eventually you can of course learn to hone your own razor if you like. Most straight shavers do. First, learn to SHAVE with a shave ready razor, THEN think about learning to hone. I know that sounds backwards, but believe me, it is the easy way to do it. Many guys try to "sharpen" their razor first, and then learn to shave with it at the same time. That's how I learned. It literally took YEARS before I was getting a shave that was better than sheer torture. Often I looked like I had been sorting wildcats all morning, so mangled was my face. Most reasonably intelligent guys would have given up in a couple of months. Me, I am stubborn that way. That was before internet, but it is still considered far better to START with a shave ready razor, learn to shave with it, and THEN learn to hone it. Doing it the other way is sort of possible but most likely you will try and try and try and then just give up.
You will also need a strop, and a shave brush. Squirting foamy goop out of a can is not lathering. You want to make your lather, with a proper shave brush, preferably silvertip badger or any grade above black badger. Badger hair holds more soap and water than boar, and except for black badger, is very kind to your face. Boar is prickly when new, though it does break in after a few weeks and become less so. However, it will never hold as much water or product as a similar Badger. Horse is not much seen these days, and tends to be too floppy. Synthetic is all over the board. I would pass on them. In addition to your brush, you will need a mug or bowl, and a puck of shave soap or a tube of good quality cream like Proraso (rebranded C.O. Bigelow in the US) or Godrej Rich Lather. A good soap is Cella and a good stick soap that smells kind of off (smell evaporates quickly) but lathers well and is crazy cheap is Arko. There are hundreds of brands but check in a forum or two before you pull the trigger. Some stuff you see in the drugstores and discount stores are utter garbage. Some very expensive stuff you find in high end shops or online is just plain old shave soap, nothing fancy except the smell, the brand, and the price. That's okay if that's what you like, though. I would start with a tub of Cella and a fairly large badger brush from www.whippeddog.com or else a Chinese Virginia Sheng brush. Cheap but good. Upgrade later, sky is the limit. There are plenty of $300+ shave brushes out there but they don't actually work any better than the ones I specifically mentioned. I suggest at least a 26mm brush. Mine are all 30mm. They hold lots of lather and they just feel great on the face. You will probably destroy your first strop, so don't begin by using a family heirloom or an expensive one. OTOH, don't think for a minute that the one on AliExpress or fleabay listed for $6.99 is going to do the job, either. Try one of the Illinois/Fromm strops to start with. Once you are no longer slicing it to smithereens, upgrade to something nicer.
You are lucky to have the internet. You can learn just about anything online! Youtube is your friend, too. First, learn to make a proper lather and map your face. These things will even help you to get a nicer shave with whatever you are already using to shave with. Then learn to strop. Bad stropping is hard on the strop and also unkind to your razor's edge. Then learn to get a comfortable shave with your straight razor. Don't worry about a close shave! Nobody will notice. Concentrate on comfort and minimal bloodshed, and speed and closeness will take care of themselves as you gain experience. It is pretty easy to find tutorials and mentoring online. The community likes to share and likes to bring in newbies.
One last thing... you might consider buying another shave ready razor from a trusted vendor recognized by the community. That way you can shave with one razor while the other is out for honing. And also since your only straight razor has some sentimental value, (or does it? You were asking about replacing it...) you can make all your beginner mistakes with a more expendable one.
It's a process, not an event. Have patience, and perseverence, and you will eventually be enjoying the act of shaving in the manly way. Yeah, we are sort of elitist in that way, you could say. And it is a skill set to be proud of, full of ritual to be enjoyed.
Please, do post pics of your razor. Make sure you get clear closeups of any stampings, etchings, or other markings. I have never heard of that brand but there are thousands of smaller little known and seldom encountered brands, particularly in the private label sector.