Newer Hen & Rooster...ANY experience??

I've done the search-thing. Old name, lot's of history, but the name has been treated like a commodity and passed from one hand to the next over and over again.

Does anyone have any experience with trying to get a newer Hen & Rooster to shave?

My gf's brother is wanting to get into the whole bit. (It's a long story, but suffice it to say he got a Hen & Rooster for Christmas.)

I've got an extra strop, mug/soap, brush, and no-name razor that I have shaved with ready to demonstrate and then loan to him. (It's all cheapy stuff, if I never get it back I am at peace with it. I consider it my contribution to spreading the SR gospel.)

But I know the question is coming..."Sharpen my Razor".

Is there hope...or will I be fighting a Zeepk?

Thanks

I've got one of the H&Rs that has the etching on the belly of the blade and no marking on the tang. It says Solingen. Good razor and honed up with no problem. There are some later ones that came out with 'Made is Spain' stamped or etched on the tang IIRC. I've had no experience with those. Not saying they are good, bad or indifferent.... just don't know. :gl:

I have to assume it's the newest of the new, and I KNOW it's got Spain written on it somewhere because I remember putting my gf through a short torture session of hearing about Solingen and Sheffield...then how TI are made in France...and about the Toledo Spain blacksmiths...Filarmonica...blah blah blah...:fim:

She just smiled...but I apologized anyway. (Helps avoid the future :rant:)

Spain made might be fine. Fillys are made in Spain and guys pay a fortune for them. Unless you're a practiced honer you might want to send it out to a pro but you probably know that already. :)

Professional...no

Practiced...sure

I just bit the bullet Friday and ordered a 16K Shapton and some REAL 0.5 micron CrOx...since I just learned through this forum that the VERITAS honing compound (that is SOLD AS 0.5MICRON!!!!!!!) isn't really 0.5 micron at all:soapbox::rant:

I've been doing pretty well off of a Shapton 8K and that Veritas JUNK. I've gone back to my old balsa board with red rouge, until the SRD order comes in.

Not got the smoooooth shave yet, but I have gotten "comfortable" shaves off mutliple razors so far.

Hoping my name doesn turn into SoilHAD...that 0.25 diamond spray and wool strop were tempting. Heck, the 30K was tempting if it wasn't so frickin' expensive.

The really amazing thing is that, AFAIK, user names can't be changed, so JimmyHAD has had HAD since he joined...

Or maybe user names can be changed...
Or maybe he re registered...

What is the story there, Jimmy?

Back on topic, I've heard the old H&R's are great vintage blades but the new ones are unimpressive. Never tried any myself, though.