6 Attachment(s)
My Robert Williams Christmas experience! (Heavy Pics)
Sometime in middle April I got the idea to put myself on the waiting list for a razor from Robert Williams so I e-mail and about 5 minutes later I get a reply, "Call Me" and we spoke for about 20 minutes. I got put on the waiting list and well!
Waiting, waiting ….. I even made a box for my soon to be razor……waiting with my poor box.
I made it out of Walnut and Cocobolo and it came out fairly well considering that I haven't done much in a very long time.
Fast forward to Saturday before Christmas when I get an e-mail from Mr. Williams that says “you are next in line”. I wait a couple of days and write back “what is the lead time for next in line?”…”Like now” he writes back kindly leaving off the “You Big Dummy” :w part that should have been at the end of the message. Well I did not know the guy was going to work around Christmas!
Working with Mr. Williams was one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have ever had. I wanted him to enjoy what he was making for me so I was very free form and not to rigid other than to say that I was pretty conservative. I just wanted a ¼ grind, French toed, Giraffe bone scale razor made of High Carbon Steel that was as easy as possible to hone. Within a couple of weeks I had it in my hands.
Sorry to be so long winded but I feel very fortunate and excited to be so honored. I can’t possibly capture just how nice looking and what it is like to hold and use this razor.
I wish the pics could do it justice.
What an outstanding job he did. When I opened the box I was stunned!
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Specs.
Just a shade under 7/8
1/4 ground
spine is 0.212 thick
Cutting edge is 2 5/8 inches
The longer monkey tail adds so much control
Bevel angle is about 15 degrees
Weight is 2.7 ounces (75 grams)
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This razor was shave ready for sure but, being me, I just did a little "touch-up". It is extremely well balanced and the feel is like nothing I have shaved with before. It is like a combo 1/4 grind and half hollow towards the toe. The quality of the steel is second to none.
Now here is where things get a little crazy. Mr. Williams mentioned that the roped blade was available when we were talking in the beginning about the razor that I would like him to make. So............. that keeps rolling around in my head for a couple of days "available"...."available".... what in the heck does "available" mean. So off another e-mail went "let's chat" well about 45 minutes later I gets a call.......
I also have a bad habit of naming my prized possessions, silly I know! From this day forward known as;
Specs.
6/8 to the back of the spine
1/4 ground
spine is 0.214 thick
Cutting edge is 2 3/4 inches
Again a longer monkey tail, but not to long
Bevel angle is about 15.1 degrees
Weight is 2.6 ounces (73 grams)
The roped spine is astoundingly nice looking and very functional because it is like a set of jimps all the way around the shank. I like that because I hold the razor on the side sometimes. The edge was perfect as sent and to "touch" it up would be a crime. The shave is outstanding and the feel of the razor is like a luxury riding automobile. Here again simply amazing!
What a nice pair of razors. I have a sports car and Rolls in one box, NICE!:y
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I would like to publicly thank Robert Williams for all his hard work, and thank goodness we have access to his skills. The energy and vitality that is evident in his work is very humbling. The purity of the steel seems to translate into a blade that when put to the skin has a smoothness like no other that I have use.
Thanks guys,
Richard