Are All Sheffields the Same?

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

I fall in the "I am not all that partial to Sheffield steel category" :)

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Tsk tsk.

PErsonally I think they are the high point in razor history. Joseph Rodgers is my favorite brand though I really like most Sheffields. Apart from their edge, they generally have much more interesting spine and tang design. The German designs are usually more... efficient.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bruno

Tsk tsk.

PErsonally I think they are the high point in razor history. Joseph Rodgers is my favorite brand though I really like most Sheffields. Apart from their edge, they generally have much more interesting spine and tang design. The German designs are usually more... efficient.

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:D

And this actually is the best part of our hobby, we have a CHOICE !!!!!

Thanks, Glen ... I think that's why I'm looking to make one more Sheffield purchase to see if I will like them. So far, I've focused on the W&Bs, but maybe my last shot at Sheffield will be any of the more "Celebrated" Sheffields (maybe a Rodgers or Wostenholm or Elliott), in a more hollow grind. I'll also try to adapt my technique to the near wedge, and check results. I really like the historic appeal of the Sheffields, and the shapes are classic, and the etching will stay much longer than the various "washes", so I am intriged ... but IF the shave doesn't work for me, I'll stop at the ones I have.

Thanks much!

You know, this is a hobby that is loaded to the hilt with variables that affect how any one particular shave performs - both in quality and comfort.

Prep, stropping, lather building, shaving and post treatment all contribute to the overall experience. I have found that I have razors that like uber lather, and razors that like just a good soap.

Try it all and don't fall for price hype. It's DD's yesterday, W&B's today and who knows tomorrow.

My best shaver in terms of closeness and comfort is a Bengall sheffield.

I find quite a difference between them. Of course there are bad ones, but there are also very good ones. Even the (to my mind) under-rated Kropp razors give an excellent shave, and Bengalls are mostly excellent, depending on the vintage. Some (later Pipe razors, for example) are well able to take a high grit finish, but I do agree that most will not. Not that this seems a problem - most of them respond to a pasted strop very well (most of the vintage strops I have seen have had some sort of high-grit compound incorporated in them) and there are a lot of home-grown instructions for strop dressings from the late 1800s that incorporate substances around or in excess of 30k.

I think the Shefield chapter was a 'Golden Age' of razors - different metals, designs, formulas - a veritable treasure trove.

Regards,
Neil

I have a Rogers 1/2 hollow and i can get a killer edge on it. And i would get a Greaves for a last try at Sheffields, they out shave any WB i own.JMHO

I would agree with the earlier post that the Sheffields I have honed don't seem to work well off of a synthetic hone and I don't know why. I do think that for me they are easier to hone and get a decent edge from and to me that is part of their allure. I do think they take a little getting used to and above all in all things straight razor. Patience.

Razor prices are like the stock market. If you have more buyers than sellers the price rises. Also if buyers believe one make is a mythical beast of magical shaving ability the price reflects that. Unfortunately the buyers honing & shaving ability is rarely accounted for. I cannot understand why a razor by Wade & Butcher would be better than any other Sheffield or vice versa unless one has crumbly corroded steel & the other is in good condition with good geometry.
There is of course the "personal preference" thing but the razor must shave well before any other factors are considered. So far it sounds like your experience with wedges is limited. It may be the razor or it maybe your technique. Sort those 2 factors out then decide on what you "prefer".

Tuxedo7,

As others have said, Sheffield was no different than any other place of manufacture - some blades are excellent, some are crap :)

Often, due to the visual methods used in the heat-treating process, there seems (within a given manufacturer) to be a lot of variance in the final blades hardness & temper. Some will be 'soft' others bastard hard !

I have two (2) W&B wedges - one is a very poor shaver, and the other (from Mr Neil Miller) is an excellent shaver ! (Luckily all my other Sheffields are very good shavers too :))

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ