Who makes new wedges?

Is there any manufacturer apart from the custom makers on the forums that currently manufacture wedges.

I have a Wade and Butcher that is almost unused and it is the best razor I have ever tried. It requires no effort to hone and strop and is miles ahead of anything else sharpness wise.

Now I really want to get a similar wedge new. I have lots of wedges that are old, but when you recieve them they always have a lot of wear and require regrinding, something I am not quite able to venture into right now.

So aside from spending a fortune that I don't have on a lovely custom(one day it will be mine!!) where can I find wedges that are new or like new.

The main problem I have is ebay dishonesty, where an item is described as having 'almost no hone wear' and it turns out to be terrible.

Also is there any reason why a wedge with a lot of wear wouldn't hone up as sharp as one that is like new? The angles are about the same, but the bevel is about 3 mm wide. Does this have a bearing on the sharpness? I think in theory it shouldn't, but in practice these razors just don't have the same league of edge as the others.

I think wedges are only custom made nowadays.

If a razor has a 3 mm bevel it needs approx. 6X pases on hones and on pasted strops from a razor with the same hardness, the same dullness(?)and a 0,5 mm bevel.
So keep in honing and the results will be very fine:tu

Like you, I am a big fun of full wedge razors:y

Nope, no wedge makers anymore. The last mass produced wedge was the pearlduck Satin Wedge. There are many custom guys who will do it for you.

Anyone mind naming some folks that would be willing to perform such a task?

Joe Chandler makes fairly stiff grinds. It's not a triangular wedge but the hollowing is minimal, so it comes pretty close.

A "wedge grind" is usually a single concave grind. The last time I looked Dovo offered a "flat" grind which I suspect would be a wedge grind.

I would strongly recommend that you purchase a used English wedge and send it to Joe Chandler for a regrind. Everyone has been pleased with the results.


Just my two cents,:)

I thought this might be the situation. Its a shame, as in my eyes the new razors that are available are pretty much carbon copies of each other. Maybe there is a small amount of variation in size, but nothing particularly interesting.
What has caused this sterile market? I want something different, with character and variation.
I have maybe 30 different razors and none of them look even remotely alike. Each has its own identity.
When I look at the DOVO's in the shops, I see none of this identity. Just the same blade with a different wash and scales. For me its a real shame.
Its great however that we have some good people on here that make/restore them. I will eventually end up getting all my wedges reground I think. It would be the best way to bring them all to their best.

Perhaps the market for straight razors isn't what it used to be. People buy them now to collect, and just like collectors, they look for something rare. The problem? Rare doesn't come cheap. So to cut costs businesses reduce their products to "essentials". Hollow grinds sell. Hollow grinds are cheaper (at least I figure so due to less steel). Why risk deviance if you're making money as is?

I agree though... it is a shame.

In the early days wedges were king because the other grinds didn't exist. It was the only way to make a razor. Once you got into the 20th century they got better at hollow grinds and double hollows and they could make a smaller lighter razor. I don't think its a matter of wedges being cheaper because though they use more steel the labor is cheaper because it takes more skill to grind a double hollow grind which means more time and time is money. At any rate the pearlduck Satinwedge is a small light wedge anyway. I thing its more style and the idea of a more modern razor. Also the wedge is more difficult to maintain.

Who knows, all the players are now dead so we have to guess why one succeeded the other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

In the early days wedges were king because the other grinds didn't exist. It was the only way to make a razor. Once you got into the 20th century they got better at hollow grinds and double hollows and they could make a smaller lighter razor. I don't think its a matter of wedges being cheaper because though they use more steel the labor is cheaper because it takes more skill to grind a double hollow grind which means more time and time is money. At any rate the pearlduck Satinwedge is a small light wedge anyway. I thing its more style and the idea of a more modern razor. Also the wedge is more difficult to maintain.

Who knows, all the players are now dead so we have to guess why one succeeded the other.

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I'd have to disagree with you on this point. Wedges were (and are) much more labor intensive, as they were (and are) primarily ground by hand. Full hollows evolved as an attempt by razor makers (and mass-produced cutlery makers in general) to make a cheaper, faster product. In other words, they wanted a throwaway to compete with King Gillette's product. If you'll notice, all factory hollow grinds are made with a double-wheeled machine that requires very little skill from the grinder. Now, I'll agree with you that perhaps a hand-ground hollow is tougher to produce, but when wedges (IMO, only) shave better, who cares? Full hollows are common as dirt, but wedges are harder to find. In addition, should you get a little wear you want to remove, you can do it with a wedge, where a full hollow doesn't really give you that option, as there's just not enough metal to work with. This is only my $.02. Your results may vary.