Thread: I need 8 razors

So I was sitting in a meeting today (the bain of my existence) thinking about a lot of stuff; razors, the dadgum fountain pen thread that really has a new AD ginning up in me, my new hone set and whether I'll ever figure them out, and sort of listening to the meeting.

Anyway, as a newbie to this hobby/addiction/escape, I'm learning about different razors and whether or not I like them. I have four (two of which are with Lynn, one I'm freshening up, and one I'm learning to hone on) and they are similar but have some variations.

Since I started lurking here, I've been really intrigued by the seven day sets I've seen. I wonder about the guy that went to the five and dime and took one of those sets home. Why? How much? A fad?

So, anyway, I've decided I need eight razors. Once I decide what I like, I'm thinking I'll hunt down seven of them and make a custom set. Something like seven Henckels Friodurs in custom G10 scales with a different color spacer for each day of the week. This thought is highly influenced by Brad's work.

Or maybe a different type of wood for each day. I'm a guitar player, so maybe some tone woods (mahogany, rosewood, maple, etc...). But again, all the same blade in a matched set. That might be cool.

So that's seven...but what about the eighth? Well, I travel about 20 days a year with my job, so I'd like a separate shaver for those trips (and a paddle strop!). This would give me a chance to move different blades in and out of the house.

Now, back to my meetings...and learning how to hone, strop, lather, shave, and post shave better.

--David

At one point, I also thought I'd like a similar seven day set, but now I find shaving with the same razor that frequently... well... it bores me. I guess I just need a little excitement in my life. But I still think such sets look very classy, and they still intrigue me; I've just decided it's not what I want for myself.

So post the photos when you get them so that I can look without having to shell out the dough.

I am working on gathering a 7 day set of Dubl Ducks. Not the pricey ones though. I have been buying the cheaper ones, without the fancy scales, and putting my own fancy scales on them. I have 6, 4 of which have been restored/rescaled. Still looking for #7.

Since you mentioned being a guitar player, I thought I'd throw another idea at you.

One of the first razors I restored, I made my own wedge by using superglue to laminate together a small stack of guitar picks until it was thick enough. Then I shaped and sanded it until it was as close as I could get it to being right. I'm sure one of the pros could do a better job, but I thought it was pretty cool.

You could do that, but use a different combination of picks for each razor.

Here's the one I did - http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...ds-w-pics.html

It's not the prettiest resto in the world, since it was my first attempt, but you can get the idea. The center layer was a dark red pick, and the outside layers were pearlescent.

Nice idea, VeeDubb. I'll keep it in mind. Good looking wedge. Right now, I'm using a pick that runs about $25. I won't be cutting those into wedges. Maybe some old Fender clown barfs would be cool.

Had a similar thought about boredom, h4p, but this is a long term project where I hope to settle on a "favorite". Besides, like I said, the 8th blade can be for variety.

--David

I've thought about doing the same thing

At the moment I'm up to a three day set of Le Grelots with different scales. So far I have bone rams horn and ivory. I think the three might be enough but maybe one day I'll get up to seven. I just don't know what the other scales could be to match the already beautiful ones I have now.

Originally Posted by raneyday

Maybe some old Fender clown barfs would be cool.

That's exactly what I used. The nearest music store has a big tray with a ton of different cheapo picks for something like 3/$1.95 or so. I grabbed some I liked the color of with no regard to quality or performance.

I currently have 8 razors in rotation, two blades in sanding, a set of scales to straighten and two new sets to install, and a box of 18 more razors to be investigated/restored. I forsee choosing the 7 or 8 I like the most out of this whole collection and selling the rest. I'm not looking for a set of identical blades, just 7 or 8 different razors that all shave well.

I've decided the keepers will all be smilers, since I've got a hollow under my right ear, below the jawline, that I can't quite reach with a straight blade. Or, here's the problem--I CAN reach it, but not without the tip of the blade also reaching into my skin.

That's my thought, anyway. We'll see how easy it is to actually thin the herd.

I'm suprised with four razors in hand you ONLY say you need 8. I think when I had 4 razors I thought I needed 20 more. Not for any practical reason mind you, I just happened to catch RAD very fast. Hopefully your RAD progresses slowly so it doesn't hurt your pocket book as badly as it did/does mine.

Originally Posted by raneyday

So, anyway, I've decided I need eight razors.

You need one and maybe a spare. You want eight.