Is this a good razor?

I got this straight razor:

A 6/8” Army Straight Razor by J. Heiffor. _*_

Manufacturers Info.


John Heiffor

Army razor, &c. manufacturer,
3 Paradise sq Sheffield; house: 11 Belfield street

Saturday’s razor from a 7 day set.

Likely to be for an Officer. Name scratched on
Appears to be Dr Thompson

This cut throat razor has a 6/8” lightly Hollow ground blade.


It has dark horn scales with a lead spacer.

Engraved on the tang are the words

“*J.H.* John Heiffor 3 paradise square Sheffield”

On the reverse is “Made for the Army”


On the spine is "Saturday"

I cannot find any information in the SRP’s good razor list, neither in the bad list.
Does anybody know anything about the quality of this razor?
Is it a good one? Does anybody know approximately the year of manufacture?

Thank you very much in advance gentlemen.


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Yes, it should be a good razor. You do need to have it pro honed unless you're skilled in honing razors yourself but it is a good one and in nice condition.

Pro-hone means hone it with the wheel?

What about the smilie shape? Is this a problem on honing?

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Originally Posted by Slur

Pro-hone means hone it with the wheel?

What about the smilie shape? Is this a problem on honing?

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Pro hone means send it out for professional honing if you do not feel confident in your own honing skills. Go to the SRP classifieds and look in member services. A smiling blade is a desirable profile IMO. Straight is good too but if the razor has a smile it is better to leave it and hone it in the manner appropriate to the smile. Here is a PDF from the SRP Wiki of a barber manual excerpt on honing and stropping that explains the smile and how to keep it. :)

NO!!!

Pro hone means to have it honed by a professional. The smile of the razor is a good thing. No problems with it, but having such a nice razor shouldn't be a experimental razor. A razor that has been recently restored is much tougher to hone than most besides that one looking like a wedge or 1/4 hollow. This means a lot of steel will need to be safely removed. This will make a very nice razor!!

It is not a "good" razor. It is great razor! Robert A. Doyle rated it much higher that popular W&B and Elliot razors of the same age..

Here is one that I have.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...img-6545cr.jpg

http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...img-6547cr.jpg

I have had a few of them - nice, solid razors.

Baines Directory & Gazeteer list John Heiffor simply as Razor manufacturer as being at 51 Scotland Street in 1822.

Whites Directory of Sheffield for 1852 also lists John Heiffors company as Army Razor manufacturers. As far as I know, the company still made razors in 1919.

Regards,
Neil

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Is this a good razor?

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It's very good, old Sheffield razor.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/attac...for-hiffor.jpg

Lucky Slur!

And apparently someone liked using that one on Saturdays?

Yes, it was used on Suturday on the rotation of the officer.

Looks like a little pitting near the toe edge but not likely a problem.

I have restored / honed 3 & they all seemed like well made razors
This one was H-A-R-D steel. :)
http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...rmy-razor.html

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Originally Posted by Slur

Pro-hone means hone it with the wheel?

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:eek: :dropjaw: :eek:

In 1837 book History, gazetteer, and directory, of the west-riding of Yorkshire John Heiffor also mentioned as razor manufacturer. Under diffrent address though. 51 scotland street.

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Originally Posted by str8fencer

:eek: :dropjaw: :eek:

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http://planetsmilies.net/shy-smiley-9438.gif http://planetsmilies.net/shy-smiley-9438.gif http://planetsmilies.net/shy-smiley-9438.gif

I owned a Heiffor near-wedge razor for a while and it always treated me right. I foolishly sold it off, and if I saw another one for a reasonable price, I'd pounce on it. My prevailing memory is that the Heiffor was an extremely gentle shaver.

I received back the razor from Don and Lynn last Friday.
Today I used it for the first time.

It was the smoothest shave I have ever had.
It didn’t feel like an instrument with an edge, but like a feather, or a female caress.

Thank you Don, thank you Lynn!