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Thread: Thiers-Issard Blond Horn straight razor - new purchase

  1. #1
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    Default Thiers-Issard Blond Horn straight razor - new purchase

    Below are pictures of my new Thiers-Issard Blond Horn straight razor.

    After shaving with a Shavette-style disposable razor for about a month now and doing research on SRP, I went to The Art of Shaving (I'll refer to them as AOS) here in Grand Central Station in New York City on Monday, January 3, 2011 and bought a magnificent Thiers-Issard blond horn carbon steel straight razor. My shopping experience at AOS is what a shopping experience should be--it was educational, very interesting, and an event I will never forget.

    I went to AOS on Sunday, January 2, 2011 to buy a Dovo Shavette being my Shavette-style disposable broke. But when I saw the Dovo Shavette I was disappointed the stainless steel model was not very heavy in my hand and I feel overall construction leaves something to be desired. I suppose for what it is the Shavette is a pretty good disposable. But I just couldn't see spending $45 on it, I just don't think it's worth the money. So Andrea, a shaving salesperson at AOS, showed me their straight razors at my request. This young lady of college-age I must say gave me the education of a lifetime regarding straights. For a month I have been learning about straights on SRP and YouTube and I have learned a lot. But, wow, Andrea took it to a higher level - how straights are made, how they are designed and why, how to handle a straight, sizes, metals, history, on and on she explained the world of straights. The seven straights AOS offers are Dovo and Thiers-Issard models. Check their website. Retail price ranges from $100 to $260. Basically, these straights all have the same blade, so, it is the handle material that determines the price. If I were blind folded and had to pick a straight, any of the seven AOS offers I would be more than happy with. Being money is tight for me being I am unemployed for quite a while now due to the very weak economy, I thanked Andrea for giving me an education and I told her I would return tomorrow with my wife to buy a straight from her. Since my purchase would most likely be a $200 or more sale I wanted my wife to see and understand why these superb straights cost what they do. IOW I knew if she choose the razor then it would be easier for her to accept the expense of it, plus she has an aesthetic eye for beauty and these straights certainly are works of art.

    So my wife and I returned to AOS the next day and Andrea once again gave a lesson on straights. Before we went to AOS together I had hoped my wife would like the razor I liked, the Thiers-Issard blond horn which was the most expensive straight at AOS at $260. Well, I was right. Her aesthetic sense shown through. She loved the blond horn straight too. So we bought it plus a small Dovo strop with paste. My wife said the shopping experience was very interesting, she enjoyed it very much. But not as much as me. If you ever saw a happy man it was me at the shop. Man, I was dancing on air I was so happy. Not only did I get a TI, which I wanted over a Dovo, but, wow, I got the TI Horn, the finest straight and most expensive straight AOS sells.

    I am a long time customer of AOS, over 10 years, having bought two silver badger shave brushes and shave soaps, etc. 'The Art of Shaving' logo etched onto my TI straight's blade I look at with pride. Personally, I like my AOS TI better than non-logo TI straights...because aesthetically I don't really care for artwork especially with gold-inlay on many TI straights' blades, I much prefer the black etched lettering on the carbon steel blade as mine is. It's personal taste, that's all.

    Jeremy, the AOS manager, gave me my complimentary straight shaving lesson. He demo'ed shaving using a Dovo Shavette with no blade. He shaved his face with it in a mirror and taught me exactly every correct movement you do with a straight including how to properly stretch the skin. His demo took about 20 mins and I must say, I was very impressed as to his technique. I watched several YouTube videos on how to shave, but Jeremy's technique was something unique and quite excellent. He said an old barber taught him this technique. Once Jeremy finished demo'ing his shave then he had me shave my face with the Shavette with no blade. He said I did excellently but of course I made a few mistakes which he corrected. I was so impressed by his lesson I told him he should make a YouTube video because I don't think his technique is out there. Jeremy is a natural and excellent teacher. He is very articulate and patient. And I love that there is nothing set in stone with him, if there is a tweak you need to do then you will find it, as he told me. My TI purchase also entitles me to a complimentary shave lesson by a AOS master barber which I will do soon. Jeremy says that lesson is different than his. So I look forward to it.

    Here is an excerpt of the email note I sent to Jeremy and Andrea giving them feedback on my first TI straight shave at home. If you are visiting New York City and want to talk with a really down to earth, knowledgeable, wonderful man, to share straight razor conversation, or to buy some fabulous shaving products, please stop in to The Art of Shaving in Grand Central Station and say hello to Jeremy Wade. I trust your visit with Jeremy will be just as eventful and wonderful as mine and my wife's was.

    By the way, they say TI is pre-shave-ready. It is, there is no doubt about it.

    cf1323
    a.k.a. Charlie

    =================================

    January 4, 2011

    Dear Jeremy and Andrea,

    I am speechless. My Thiers-Issard Horn straight is nothing less than superlative. I shaved last night for the first time (with my Geo. Trumper shave cream) and I had to email you to tell you about it. My TI straight is simply World Class. It's like driving a Rolls Royce. I particularly love its [heft/weight and feel in my hand], it's like holding a jewel in your hand that does work for you and does it so easily. It is so far above the straight I had bought 30 years ago for $30 that I used for 6 months. I am amazed my new TI straight is so easy to use, incredibly easy to use. I felt I could have shaved with my eyes closed. The blade's sharp edge glides over the skin extremely smoothly and effortlessly, I got zero nicks, no blood, no razor burn, nothing. I can't believe it. I got a near perfect shave, I would say 99% perfect. I think in a very short time I will be 100%.

    I love your technique, Jeremy, of flipping the blade over, reversed (thumb on top) with back of wrist always toward the face. I think it is an excellent technique. But there were a couple of times that I just couldn't use your reverse-blade-hold for my neck right-side (beard grows on an angle). So I used some creative holds of my own, which I had used with my shavette-style disposable, and I was able to get a good close shave on the neck then.

    I tell you, I can't believe I shaved for about a month with a shavette-style disposable. A disposable really butchers you up good, I know. But I did well with a disposable, albeit with long arduous shaves and a lot of blood, but at the end I got very good using my disposable. Maybe that is why I did so excellently tonight with my first time with my new TI straight. Now I know that a disposable and a straight are two totally different things, two totally different worlds.

    Thank you so very much, Jeremy and Andrea, for all your help and caring...regarding my purchase of this incredibly superb handcrafted razor. Owning my new TI horn straight is no doubt a life enhancing experience...that I will certainly enjoy for most likely the rest of my life.

    All the best,
    Charlie
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  2. #2
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    Charlie,
    Congrats on he new TI. I don't have one but understand they are great razors. As far as the blonde horn is concerned, just beautiful.

    I shop at AOS also and would agree the experience is nice. Their lavender shave cream is one of my favorites.


    Enjoy!!
    “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”
    Albert Einstein

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    Default Thank you

    Thank you, Jeff.

    Yes, I love 'The Art of Shaving' (AOS) shaving products too. I use their shave soap sandalwood in their round wooden bowl which I have for many years. Excellent. I haven't had a chance to try AOS's shave creams, but I will now for AOS gave me three free sample shave applications--pre-shave oil, shave cream, balm--with my TI purchase which Jeremy says he personally loves. "Since you like Geo. Trumper shave cream and Skin Food then I think you will also love our pre-shave oil, shave cream, balm" Jeremy told me. So I look forward to trying them for my next shave.

    Charlie

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    Thanks for the write up Charlie.

    I had a similar experience with their store on 62nd street a little over a year ago. I also went from using a shavette (on and off for 20 years) to using a straight. I bought the black plastic handled TI and love it. But it just doesn't compare to the Blonde Horn looks wise.

    I went for my shaving lesson at the Madison Ave store and let me say that there isn't much that compares to letting a stranger put a really sharp razor to your throat.

    And similar to Jeff I like their lavender shave products

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    Default You're welcome, my pleasure

    You're welcome, Rmaldon240. I am happy I can share my experience.

    I love the black plastic handled TI you bought too, and so does my wife. I wanted her to choose a straight for me. So when we went to AOS to see their straights together, I asked Andrea to not tell my wife the prices of all the straights...because I wanted my wife to choose a straight for me unbiasedly price wise. And guess what?...it came down to two straights...the TI horn and the TI black handled one like yours. Your black TI is gorgeous, I love its clean, dark, serious look. If my wife would have chosen the black one over the horn one for me I would not have been disappointed. Beautiful clean and simple classic straight it is.

    When you had your complimentary master barber shaving lesson at AOS a year ago...did the master barber actually shave you?...or did he demo how to shave without actually shaving himself/you as Jeremy did with me?

    Regarding AOS's lavender shave creams...now that I hear that you and Jeff love it I must buy some and try it. Thanks.

    Charlie

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    He, the master barber, was a she.

    She walked me through shaving with a straight. She demonstrated then let me try with an empty shavette. Then she shaved me. She went over EVERYTHING with me. We spoke about everything from beard prep, to lather to WTG,ATG and XTG, to how to clean and store the razor. She gave me pointers and "fixed" my technique. For example, I don't stretch my skin much. She pointed out that it makes for an easier, smoother, close shave. But I am old and set in my ways so I still don't stretch my skin as much as I should.

    It was pretty comprehensive and I remember thinking that it was a lot of information.

    I've been back to AOS a bunch of times. They were nice enough to supply a Brooklyn meet That we had with a bunch of samples.

    I mainly use my kamisoris to shave with nowadays but I use the AOS TI as a travel razor because it is something I know I can go and easily replace. I also have the AOS travel brush and the Lavender Travel sized, pre shave oil, Shave cream and After shave. I really like it but more importantly SWMBO likes it. She also likes the DR Harris Arlington stuff, but that's another story. lol
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    Rmaldon240,

    Your AOS master barber lesson sounds like it was very comprehensive, thank you for sharing. That female barber sounds like she is truly a master barber. Maybe when I go for my lesson I can see her if she is still there.

    I also have a AOS travel brush in silvertip badger, I love it and use it as my everyday brush, I love that it is a small brush which I think works better for me than a standard size brush.

    I know the High Mountain Badger is an endangered species today, so no more new High Mountain brushes. Do you have any experience with High Mountain Badger brushes? Are they worth the high prices sellers are asking for today? When I bought my two silvertip badger brushes about 10 years ago from AOS I wanted a High Mountain badger brush, but I couldn't afford it, so I bought silvertip.

    Why do you use your kamisoris straight as your everyday razor...why not use your TI? Is the kamisoris a better straight than the TI in your opinion?

    You say you use your TI when traveling because it is easy to replace...does that mean kamisoris is hard to find, to purchase?


    Charlie

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    I am not sure about The high mountain badger. I guarantee someone on this site will know. Just start a thread about it.

    I have 2 really nice silvertip brushes. I have a Thater from SRD. And I have a custom brush that Pdobson (a member here) made for me. He turned the handles and I sent him a couple of knots from goldennib.

    "Better" is a very subjective term. You'll read a lot about that here. LOL. My personal preference is to use the Kamisoris. In my experience they are sharper and, for me, easier to shave with. There was a little bit of a learning curve but once I got the hang of it I found it was a quicker/closer shave. I still use my western straights just not as often.

    I find the Kamisoris to be harder to find. It's not like I can jump on the Straight razor place Classifieds at anytime and grab a nice vintage one at a reasonable price like you can with a western straight. I did get lucky and snag a real nice one from the classifieds but I can't remember who I bought it from.

    I use my TI when I am at home. It is the razor I travel with because not only do I like the way it shaves, but if I lose it I can walk in to AOS and get another one (and then send it to one of the Honemeisters to be sharpened).

    Hope that helps. There is a veritable cornucopia of knowledge on this site. Post a question and someone with way more knowledge than me will come along and answer.

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    Rmaldon240,

    Your Thater brush has me intrigued. So I researched Thater and I love what I learned. I also learned that European White Badger is a good alternative to High Mountain badger according to some i.e. Lynn. Rooney Finest brush is a great choice too but are very hard to find now, discontinued I think. I would love to buy a Plisson but they are prohibitively expensive in the very top quality badger i.e. High Mountain. I think I probably will eventually buy a Thater silvertip. Thater from what they say is comparable to Plisson but a lot less expensive.

    I researched Kamisoris too and it is an interesting straight. But as I've learned, and as you've said, they are a little hard to find. I like that you say Kamisoris is sharp and easy to shave with, it must be a very good design. I would love to get the opportunity to shave with one (to see how I like it to help me to decide to buy one), but I don't see how that is possible.

    Thanks for all your help. You certainly steered me onto the right path for research.

    Charlie

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    Rmaldon240,

    I went to AOS last Saturday to their Madison avenue store at 53rd street (not the Grand Central store). I bought AOS shaving cream Lavender being you and Jeff on this tread like it so much. Well, it is fantastic. I love how it lathers very well and that the lather is pretty "sticky" meaning it stays on the face well/a long time, without drying up as many other shave creams do. Very nice shave cream, and I love the smell. Thanks for recommending it.

    I tried AOS pre-shave oil...and my impression is the same as it was many years ago when I tried it for the first time--I don't care for it. I feel it is too gooey on the face, and I think it makes the razor's blade grab and so it doesn't allow the blade to glide smoothly over the skin. The blade grabbed my skin (grabbed the oil) and I cut myself shaving. I wet my face well and then rubbed the oil very well into the skin, and I used a lot of the oil as Jeremy at the Grand Central store told me to do. But it still didn't work well for me. Maybe I need to try the oil again, a few more times before I can say it works or not for me. I'll see.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rmaldon240 View Post

    He, the master barber, was a she.

    She walked me through shaving with a straight. She demonstrated then let me try with an empty shavette. Then she shaved me. She went over EVERYTHING with me. We spoke about everything from beard prep, to lather to WTG,ATG and XTG, to how to clean and store the razor. She gave me pointers and "fixed" my technique. For example, I don't stretch my skin much. She pointed out that it makes for an easier, smoother, close shave. But I am old and set in my ways so I still don't stretch my skin as much as I should.

    It was pretty comprehensive and I remember thinking that it was a lot of information.
    At the 53rd street store I met the manager, Arthur. I got to talking with him and I asked if there is a AOS female master barber in one of the AOS stores. There is, his sister Luda in the Madison avenue/46 street store. I think maybe she is the master barber that gave you your lesson. So I plan to see Luda soon for my lesson since you said she gave you an excellent lesson.

    Charlie

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