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Robert just sent me some pictures of a razor just finished up for a customer. I am very impressed with his metal work and want to share it with the group. The blade has some beautiful engraving on the spine and an 18K gold engraved insert of a narwhal on the shank. The handles are narwhal ivory. The lucky owner has his initials on the top of the shank as well. I am jealous!
:beer2:
What a beauty. :tu
Thats one purdy razor..!
That's a beautiful Razor! Thanks for posting it John!
:dropjaw::dropjaw::dropjaw: Too gobsmacked to comment :tu:tu
You'r not the only one jealous. A beauty.
Hello, John:
Thank you for post the photo. That razor is exquisite. I dare say one would want to shave five times a day — just to use that razor.
Regards
Obie
I've got a few nice ones myself so as a rule I don't get jealous but I'm envious of that one. Those scales just knock me out. Kudos to RW for his exceptional talent. :bow
That's gorgeous! The spine work is just so detailed!.... and those scales.... WOW!
STUNNING! Simply Stunning!
I wish I had that razor and his customer had a feather in his bottom.
We would both be tickled!
Silver2
what a beautiful shape. i love it. also the scales are stunning. detail as well. everything just wow. i too am very jealous.
gugi, would you look at that?
Top notch work.
If it shaves even a fraction as nice as it looks, the proud owner has hit a homerun with that purchase!
wow...now that is awesome!
Well, guess my secret is out . . .
I am Moneybags Von Wazor, and I'll be collecting my gear now. . . I wish! :roflmao
Seriously though, let me add my voice to the choir and say that is one sweet work all the way around.
It shows the true appeal of narwhal and custom steel. :bow
I would change my name to have those initials if I could
own that razor ;-)
They just keep getting better and better and better......
Besides the beautiful blade, it has some of the prettiest scales I have ever seen. Congratulations to the maker and owner! It is said that the narwhal horn was the source of the unicorn legend.
looks fantastic, what a great looking razor. Somebody got a thing for Narwhals?
Evening John.
Are those scales made from narwhal horn? Looks like it has the signature twist of the horn but I have never seen any on the market before. Never really looked for any before though.
That thing is out of this world!! :dropjaw: and gorgeous:tu. Way to go Robert W.
Thanks John
:dropjaw: Amazing work! :dropjaw:
My apologies for the delay in posting -- the pictures of the razor appeared here before I had even received it, and I thought it only fair to chime in once I'd taken the great narwhal razor for a test spin.
Yes, I'm the MVW, and so, quite notably, is my son -- who was born six months ago. I began working on this razor with Robert quite some time ago -- in fact, as soon as I knew my son was on his way, as the quintessential heirloom to pass down to someone I hadn't even met yet -- and who was still years away from his first shave. My wife is longing for the day when he takes his first step. Sure, I am too. But right now I'm just gearing up for that day when I say, "Son, it's time I taught you how to shave..."
Enough about my son. Let's talk about this razor. Look at the attached photo of the raw material Robert had to work with. It's an extremely difficult material - narwhal horn - raw, rough, deeply porous. Only when you can see and feel this roughness can you begin to appreciate how much work went into preparing these scales to such a deeply beautiful polish, without losing the importance of those whorls.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_1xP52NAE9mA/TD...E/DSC02338.JPG
Then take a look at the hand-etching that is required before he could apply the gold. This is some detailed work here. It's hard to see in the photos of the OP that the gold narwhal even has shading details. I'm also attaching a better close-up of the scrollwork on the spine.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_1xP52NAE9mA/TD...12/etching.jpg
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_1xP52NAE9mA/TD...s512/spine.jpg
Now about the test spin... The one time I've ever had a shave anything like this was the first time I used my 7/8 Robert Williams razor in Hippo Ivory scales. The blade is big and heavy, but the chopper is balanced expertly with the scale materials. Combined, he has obtained an overall shave that is so warm to the touch and solid that every other razor I've ever used truly pales in comparison.
There's this quality in shaving with this razor that I can only describe as a magnetic attraction between blade and face. Some people like smaller blades, feeling they allow better maneuvering. But like an old American-built tank of a car made of steel, not plastic, there is an adhesion to the road that just radiates security and solidity. It's such a grounded shave, which is a trip when you consider the esoteric scale materials and all the fine engraving work. This razor grips my face and doesn't let go until nothing is left but smoothness and the memory of another great shave.
Thank you, Robert, from me -- and -- one day, from my son, the other MVW, the one to whom this one-of-a-kind heirloom already belongs.
Cheers,
Mark