Thread: Get to know your razor week

I didn't follow your rules exactly but I did learn something about one of my neglected razors.

In 1960, I bought a W. R. Case Red Imp 132 wedge razor to use as a scraper to make oboe reeds. For fifty years, I primarily kept one side honed to provide a curling edge to scrape cane. Then in 2010, I discovered SRP and became interested in straight razor shaving. I got out the extremely non-shave ready razor and got a two-inch vertical slice next to each ear for my efforts. The only sharp edge on the whole razor was the spike point, which immediately drew blood. Score: Red Imp-1, DLB-0. I now was scared of this vampire razor.

I then bought a nice 5/8 Dovo Black Micarta from SRD and fell in love with using straight razors. I sent my maligned Red Imp razor to Linn Abrams to see if he could make it shave ready. After a few comments about how horribly it had been honed, he spend an inordinate amount of extra time getting it shave-ready. I got it back and during my third week of shaving with a straight, tried it out. It was ok but nothing like the Dovo. In my ignorance and inexperience, I decided it must not be a very good razor and it didn't seem to be all that sharp. After all, I couldn't hear any "sound of scraping dry toast." LOL. I put it away to keep as a "display" razor.

About a week ago, I tried the Red Imp again. With ten months of experience and greatly improved technique, the Red Imp proved to have a "razor" sharp blade and gave me an outstanding shave. Before, I mistook the silence of the Red Imp's edge as dullness. Bad mistake on my part. Wedges just like to whisk away the whiskers in silence leaving a BBS surface in their wake.

Having misjudged the Red Imp 132 from my ignorance, from my first bloody encounter, and from an inconsistent beginner's technique, I now consider the Red Imp 132 to be a prized possession because it was my first straight razor and because it is an awesome shaver, never to be neglected again!

They don't call it a Red Imp for nothing. I have one too and it is a great shaver.

I've got one on it's way to me - can't wait to do it up and see if it lives up to it's reputation

I really like this thread and think it's a great idea, I just don't have the time to shave with only one razor for a week. I have been shaving through my less attractive razors in the red test tube stand in the picture below since early spring while getting one shave in with the new acquisitions that keep showing up. The razors laying loose on the desk are the new acquisitiveness I haven't shaved with yet and I have yet to find a storage place for the rest of the razors on the desk. I am very pleasantly surprised with the quality of shaves I am getting with these 'ugly ducklings'. There has been one or two that needed to go back to the hones as has been more than a year since I shaved with them and I have some new synthetic hones and improved honing skills since I last shaved with them. I'm sure many readers of this thread will have the same results if they put looks aside and enjoy all that their razors have to offer. Most of these razors I am shaving with cost between $1 and $15 but they shave as good as many of my more attractive and costly razors.

I guess I need to report that my most ignored razors
are the skinny small blade razors. Here are six with
a 6/8" Blue Diamond for comparison. A couple need
more cleaning but it is interesting that they all hone and
shave well.

Yea, I have to fess up too, my most ignored razor is a Mercur 2/8s. I just can't hold on to the thing if I try shaving with it because it's so small. Of course I have an excuse because it's not intended to be a full service shaver just a trim piece.