Thread: Info on Kinfolks Top-Notch?

This is the one I scored on eBay. I've googled and looked on Dean Case's Kinfolks website but haven't seen anything on this one (Dean's laid up with an illness for a while so only acknowledged the email for the time being). I got the impression that since "incorporated" wasn't abbreviated on the mark that it's an earlier one.

The trademark looks odd to me (third pic). The "O" is missing a section like it was missing on the stamp itself -- the rest of the "O" is fairly deep and sharp right up to the missing section so it wasn't worn away on the tang. Similar on the "K". There is a punch mark (barely shows in the pic) where the top arc of the "S" would be. Any opinions on that?

Anyone know anything about this razor or heard of it?

(My camera is out of commission, so in a stroke of brilliance/desperation I tried scanning the razor... It works! LOL)

i have one just like it , so i would like to know also. have you shaved with it yet?

Kinfolks was part of the W.R. Case family. Here is a website with some history. The stamp may have been worn and that may be why there are areas that aren't as deep. I have a Kinfolks Blue Steel and it honed up and shaves great.

Originally Posted by ronnie brown

i have one just like it , so i would like to know also. have you shaved with it yet?

Not yet. It's being sent out to be honed today. there's some edge damage. Either overhoned or it got rolled, and there's some micro chipping. I'm looking forward to it though. That's the spike point I want and the blade is a bit shorter than the other's I have.

Does the trademark on your's look the same?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Kinfolks was part of the W.R. Case family. Here is a website with some history. The stamp may have been worn and that may be why there are areas that aren't as deep. I have a Kinfolks Blue Steel and it honed up and shaves great.

Yes, that's Dean Case's website I mentioned above. I emailed Dean who is recovering from an illness so it will be a while before he gets back to his website. He did respond with a quick reply.

Originally Posted by Dean_Case

I just got a biography of Max Krug, written by his son Don, two weeks before he passed on. Max was "the" razor man when Kinfolks first started and eventurally manufactured razors in his own shop.

That's all I could think of with the trademark. That the stamp itself was intentionally made that way or pieces of the letters had broken/chipped off. It's not gradual like it's been worn away.

I'd like to find out what year, how many, if it was a regular or top of the line, popular or not, ... or something like "It was secretly commissioned by the King of Prussia and only 2 blades were forged by the magical fair knomes. The very modest scales were used to hide the blades from international treasure theives".

The pics don't do this razor any justice at all, I recieved it yesterday, it is perfect in person...
I would call it NOS for sure, there was zero hone wear on it, before I took it to the hones...
I can't wait to test shave this one in the morning....
Quick: it will be heading back to you after I shave it once

Nice Score !!!!

Whoo hooo! I'm pumped. Take your time. Keep it long enough to shave 2 or 3 times .
What did you think about the micro chipping and what appeared to be a bit of a rolled edge in the center portion of the blade?

Originally Posted by Quick

Whoo hooo! I'm pumped. Take your time. Keep it long enough to shave 2 or 3 times .
What did you think about the micro chipping and what appeared to be a bit of a rolled edge in the center portion of the blade?

It was just a touch rough on the initial TNT, basically felt like almost every factory Dovo,
A quick bevel reset on the 1k took all that off there, unless the blade was honed by me in the past, I always reset the bevel anyway, that way I positively know, that I did it....Gives me a known starting point everytime...

I don't remember if I have had this particular model but all the Kinfolks razors tha I have tried have been *top notch* - I remember rating them at least 10, if not 10+ on a scale of 1-10

Nice score, I am sure it would be a great shaver. Enjoy!

Cheers
Ivo

Originally Posted by izlat

I don't remember if I have had this particular model but all the Kinfolks razors tha I have tried have been *top notch* - I remember rating them at least 10, if not 10+ on a scale of 1-10

Nice score, I am sure it would be a great shaver. Enjoy!

Cheers
Ivo

Outstanding! There seem to be a number of Blue Steels out there. I haven't been able to find (google and Dean Case's Kinfolks website) any mention of the Top-Notch. Only Ronnie Brown above said he has one of these. I'm really interested in finding more info on the razor. I didn't even see any info on stuff like if Kinfolks produced a line of razors or maybe just one model at a time during a time period or anything like that.