Thread: is your best razor also your nicest razor?

i am using straight razors for about 8 months now, i have bought and sold some. I now have a small collection of mostly french razors. I have bought some very nice TI's, Le Grelot's and there is a le Jaguar on it's way to me.

When i buy a rather expensive razor i hope that that one will be a great razor. The strange thing is that my most beautiful razors are not my best shavers! I would like them to be my best shavers but they aren't. My best shavers are my much cheaper framebacks with standard scales!

Does this sound familiar to you?

juko

Yes and no. With regards to factory produced razors I reckon it's not true. One of the best shaving factory razors I've got is a very plain looking Wostenholm that you wouldn't give a second look to on ebay.
Now, with custom razors, it's very different. Not only are they beautiful but they are stunningly good shavers. I shaved with a Robert Williams this morning. Two and a half passes and total BBS with no skin stretching.

I'd say no. My best shaving razor is either a rather plain looking Wusthof or one that I made out of 1095 steel that I just shaved with last night. I think those made of today's steels may have an advantage, but the grinds of the old will be hard to beat as well. I have a feeling that it will come down to individual taste...

Not necessarily. At the moment my best razors are
(1) a 6/8" Japanese Diamond which is quite a looker
(2) a 7/8" round point German mongrel razor with nothing special at all ...

I think it also depends on how it was honed ...

I love framebacks also but I never shaved with a properly honed T.I. that was not superb.
Give it time. The T.I.'s may just be a little more challenging to your present honing skills.

I just honed a TI and I definately agree. It gave a good shave, but I could tell that the razor had more to offer. Those stinkers need more time on the 1K than any razor that I have honed to date...

Hello, Juko:

All of my 24 razors are good shavers, and I like them all. The blades range from 4/8" to 6/8" with bone, wood, acrylic and plastic scales.

I can't choose one as my best, however, because I consider each razor for its particular characteristics. If I were to select one that I like more than all the others, it is my Wacker 6/8" First Edition Sheffield Steel with black bone scales.

No, it is not my best shaver — because, as I said, I take each razor for what it is. I am most fond of it because of the way it looks, feels in my hands, and shaves. I just love that razor for a variety of reasons. I had a 7/8" version of that model, but never felt comfortable with it, so I no longer own it. This one, however, blows me a kiss every time.

Regards,
Obie

Originally Posted by Obie

Hello, Juko:

All of my 24 razors are good shavers, and I like them all. The blades range from 4/8" to 6/8" with bone, wood, acrylic and plastic scales.

I can't choose one as my best, however, because I consider each razor for its particular characteristics. If I were to select one that I like more than all the others, it is my Wacker 6/8" First Edition Sheffield Steel with black bone scales.

No, it is not my best shaver — because, as I said, I take each razor for what it is. I am most fond of it because of the way it looks, feels in my hands, and shaves. I just love that razor for a variety of reasons. I had a 7/8" version of that model, but never felt comfortable with it, so I no longer own it. This one, however, blows me a kiss every time.

Regards,
Obie

I also had a Wacker in 6/8, it also shaves very good. I only used it a couple of times, i do not know why i didn't use it ofter. I decide in the morning when i lathered my face which razor i will use. It is always a French one.

juko

I agree with my good friend Obie.

Picking a best razor is impossible. Yes, my 8/8 Mastro Livi is great, but so is the Berg that I literally got for pocket change, and so are the other razors in my rotation.

Not really.

My most expensive razor was a limited edition Wacker and that really is a tremendous shaver. My cheapest razor was an old Sheffield wedge that I got for £16 and thats a great shaver too.

All the ones in the middle are darn good too!

I got a DD from a member here that Dylan honed and that became my benchmark for what I wanted to get out of an edge. The next razor I got I worked on until it matched that DD, and I do the same with all my other razors.

Sometimes it takes different hones or a different honing approach, sometimes it takes a different finisher, but I always play around with them until I get that silky smooth edge.

As long as they're honed right, they'll shave well. After that its all really personal preference and your brain playing tricks, convincing you that that $400 razor is better than the $4 one..!