Thread: Razor Preference --- Plain or Ornate?

Variety, gentlemen, is the spice of life. I have some very plain blades and some fancy. As long as they shave well, I appreciate them all. A little gold wash here, some etching or engraving there, and then some nice, plain, shiny Sheffield steel. Any blade that accurately reflects its history is fine by me. I'm not crazy about rope scales or those in the shape of naked ladies, however.

Originally Posted by Kyle76

Variety, gentlemen, is the spice of life.

yeah, on that point - I think it's pretty funny how many men agree wholeheartedly with this for the little things, then go and get married

Cheers
Ivo

Originally Posted by izlat

yeah, on that point - I think it's pretty funny how many men agree wholeheartedly with this for the little things, then go and get married

Cheers
Ivo

Now Ivo, don't go pointing out our inconsistencies!

James.

I agree with Ivo that it all has to do with the overall look of the razor. For me a 19th-c. English razor should have horn or ivory scales, or bone. I know a lot of guys here like to bring their sheffields up to a mirror polish and put on some exotic wood scales, but to me that doesn't look right. It looks like wearing a frock coat with cowboy boots.

I understand how everyone feels about gold wash but sometimes...as Ivo says there are certain razors with kitsch appeal. I don't go in for ducks but all you that do must recognize a thing or two about kitsch. For me the ultimate cool kitsch razor is a vintage Filly with fancy-plastic colored translucent scales, swayed scimitar blade profile, fancy box and gold wash. Fillys were made in Barcelona, a city that knew a thing or two about color and kitsch.

Please don't go scraping the gold off your novodur, Ivo. Telling a filly it can't wear a little gold is like telling James Brown he should button up his shirt and lose the fro.

This thread is trying to make me regret just ordering the 6/8 bone-handled Bismarck. But I won't! Most of my razors are rather plain, and it will provide a nice look.

Originally Posted by dylandog

...SNIP...

It looks like wearing a frock coat with cowboy boots.

...SNIP...

Being a 4th generation Texan, I fail to see the problem here.

Originally Posted by Jlander

Being a 4th generation Texan, I fail to see the problem here.

You're telling me that as a fourth-generation Texan, you wear frock coats?

Forgive my ignorance, but I've never heard of this before. When George Bush hosted the queen of England, the story was that only serious arm-twisting from Laura could get him to even consider wearing tails.

Frock coats/tails seem to me quintessentially English. I picture Oscar Wilde. You don't even see frock coats in New York City or Los Angeles. Forgive me if you do seem them in Dallas!

Originally Posted by dylandog

You're telling me that as a fourth-generation Texan, you wear frock coats?

Forgive my ignorance, but I've never heard of this before. When George Bush hosted the queen of England, the story was that only serious arm-twisting from Laura could get him to even consider wearing tails.

Frock coats/tails seem to me quintessentially English. I picture Oscar Wilde. You don't even see frock coats in New York City or Los Angeles. Forgive me if you do seem them in Dallas!

That's weird - when I think of Tails, at least, I think of Fred Astaire etc... My father wears tails when he attends lodge meetings - I guess they're a bit old school nowadays.

James.

Originally Posted by dylandog

You're telling me that as a fourth-generation Texan, you wear frock coats?

Forgive my ignorance, but I've never heard of this before. When George Bush hosted the queen of England, the story was that only serious arm-twisting from Laura could get him to even consider wearing tails.

Frock coats/tails seem to me quintessentially English. I picture Oscar Wilde. You don't even see frock coats in New York City or Los Angeles. Forgive me if you do seem them in Dallas!

I think he's saying that it is not beyond a real Texan to wear cowboy boots with anything or everything ----

Justin

I fear that Jay may have taken it as a dig against cowboy boots, or people wearing cowboy boots with formal wear. I hope not! . Cowboy boots and a suit – excellent. The point was I can't see anybody wearing cowboy boots and one of these:

A frock coat (also: Prince Albert frock) is a man's coat characterised by knee-length skirts all around the base, unlike the tail coat and the morning coat. The frock coat is fitted, long-sleeved, of knee-length, with a collar and lapels (revers), a centre vent, and a waist seam for optimal waist suppression. As formal wear the frock coat always is double-breasted with peaked lapels. As informal wear, the single-breasted frock coat often sported the notched lapel (hence its informality), and was more common in the early nineteenth century than the formal model.