I was wondering what the best American made Straight ever made. I have been looking for an W.R. Case Red Imp but, began wondering if that was the best American made straight or the most popular?
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I was wondering what the best American made Straight ever made. I have been looking for an W.R. Case Red Imp but, began wondering if that was the best American made straight or the most popular?
I am not sure, but this questions is a bit like "What is the best american car ever made?"
There is no one answer, it is a matter of preference, for me all american made blades are very very good shavers.
You'll definitely get more than a few different answers. My personal favorites are my Robeson Suredge and a Jones Mfg Co extra-hollow ground.
Best American razor.........anything by Charlie Lewis.
I was rather surprised at the selection. I guess back then they not only made stuff in the U.S. but they were a ton of companies making straights. I myself am currently under a buy on sight order for a Red Imp. I've heard great things about Robeson too. I like my Imperial, my Shumate, and my J Wiss and Son's Cosmo.
I think you'd struggle to beat a Hart. I'm also a big fan of Torrey straights.
Torrey was the most popular, and I do believe I read someplace that they actually produced more razors than any other company... I would have to really look for that factoid...
As to best that is a Total YMMV thing but yer right the Case itself and their other related companies out of Little Valley NY are some exceptional shavers..
Torrey made the best steel and best grinds IMO. If you can happen to find one( I have 4) Harris-Goar out of Kansas City made a damn fine razor.
The only vintage American razor I shave with is a Torrey. I'd really like to get a nice Case razor like the Easy Aces. I don't have a Red Imp though. I'd like to have one of those too.
Do you guys have a preference about which Red Imp maker is your favorite? I know at least two different manufacturers made the Red Imps. Anyone besides Case and Morris make Red Imps?
No one has mentioned Genco yet, so I will :)
I have a Red Imp (near wedge) by case, a Genco Henry's XX and a Torrey our best. I would put them up against damn near any of my other (42) razors. The only blades I would say give a better shave (in my very humble opinion) are my TI and my Schulze and that's such a fine line I would be hard pressed to chose.
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What is the best American made straight ever made ?
Just eliminate all the bad ones & you'll have you answer. Good luck with finding any. :)
Hard to beat razors made in Little Valley area, including Ellicottville and Geneva! Great steel! Great stuff from Massachusetts and Pennsylvania too!
I have only vintage factory made razors. A Genco, Red Imp and a number of highly regarded European blades. I can't speak to Hart Steel or, razors from any of the considerable American custom smiths. None of my blades perform better than than this old Robeson.
Attachment 89130
My Harts and Shumates shave differently, but they're both outstanding and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
I just got a Genco recently, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it compares.
My hands-down favorite American straight-razor manufacturer is Carl Monkhouse, who created the eponymous (beautiful and functional, too) C-MON line. Admittedly, his business began in Germany, where many of his razors were produced, but he later relocated his family and factory to the US, and opened Cutlery Associates, where he continued his life's work.
In the photos, below, the first ("Blackie") and third ("HF") were made in Ellicottville, NY, and the fifth ("Wedge") was made in Allegany, NY; the second ("Special") and fourth ("Blue Star") were made in Germany.
Carl worked in the razor trade in Germany before moving to New York. His name on his early work was American made from Ellicottville. He then moved to Allegheny. He later sold his CMon name to Peter J Michaels, who imported razors from Germany with the fancy scales. Interestingly, Carl's Ellicottville Blackies came in rather plain scales and were labeled Blackie CMon. PJM razors were labeled CMon Blackie! Your Blackie must have much later PJM scales on it if it says Ellicottville on the tang. Also, I thought the HF was also a German made item (Mine is) As far as I know all PJM Cmons were German made with exception of the CMon Fillys, which were French. I feel that all of your CMons with exception of the wedge will yeild Germany on the reverse tang. The scales on the wedge are different, with 3 pins and the color. It might be German as well! All Very Nice!
Huh, I never knew some C-Mons were American Made. Learn something new every day...
Never thought much about American blades until until I sent a Torry to Glenn at Gemstar and he made me the tequila sunrise, which was posted here and not only does it look good, but it shaves very, very well. I would put it up against anything. I have two others which also shave well, but I don't know the name of this razor. It has a different profile and just shaves very well better than the other two IMH0
It's hard to get a true mfg location for a lot of my razors especially the "Drug store brands". From the stamps I clearly have 24 different US mfgs totaling 106 razors. They are all great shavers but some do need a little more attention when honing, some within the same brand. The Clauss razor was my first US steel so it stands out as a good shaver. Of the brands I have found and purchased more than one of are:
Clauss - 11
Electric - 3
Genco - 20
Geneva Cuttlery - 4
J. R. Torrey - 26
Ramapo Co - 2
Red Imp - 4
Robeson -15
Thistle Cut - 3
Worchester - 3
WP & R The Wheel - 2
Put me down for H & J.W. King. It's my best shaver of the lot. I actually posted about it not too long ago...
http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...w-king-me.html
I know it's hardly a top class razor (though it is to me), but I really like my Burrell Top Flight.
It keeps a great edge, it's stupidly sharp, has a wicked spike that makes me feel dangerous, cool wings logo, makes a really nice 'buttering toast' sound as it shaves, has a blued tang that makes lining up the heel with the edge of my goatee a breeze and has serviceable, attractive scales. What's not to like?
Attachment 89146
JoeD reminded me about Electric razors...I have a 4/8 with a worked back that is wicked sharp. Love that little guy. Best $5 bucks I've ever spent.
Burrell's are from Ellicottville. I have one like yours and a wedge. Excellent shavers. Burrell married one of the Case girls, Only a 2 year production before WW2. As is Carl Monkhouse USA work at the time, excellent blades, cheap scales! It is my understanding that John Burrell's grandson is the last Case family member still in the cutlery business making custom knives in partnership with New York American Indians.
Now a question,did burrell make blades for the Military? razor was trashed and tossed but still have the box.
Razor was packed 1955,looks like a mil spec, ordanance box I think,as i recall the markings on the tang was a set of wings and the burrell name,have always wondered about the companys military ties if any.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3.../burrelbox.jpg
Definitely a Mil-Spec box!! It would be neat to have the razor and box!
Razor is around here somewhere,(but trashed) is nothing special at all,same as most I have seen.
I have a NOS red imp that I have not shaved with yet in fact I just sent it out to Glen for honing. 3 of my favorite shaves are from my Genco easy aces , Case temperite and a lakeville cutlery that I restored myself. I have been on the hunt for a Shumate which I have heard nothing but good about . And I just got a Kinfolks top notch in the mail today. I have heard they are great to.
If we're talking new Razors It would be Hart Steel. The only Vintage U.S. Razors I have are Clauss and They seem to shave just fine too.
For uniqueness, I do like Depew's...
Case Red Imp 133. Not mint but very nice.
http://s19.postimage.org/v1d0ih6g3/RImp_003.jpg
image hosting jpeg
But note it says packed 1955,could have been made long before that I suppose.
As a side note.I have several very elderly retired military friends in the community I live in (all army)
They still to this day shave with straights,I know,I hone thier blades for them.
These guys were officers during WW2 and Korea,perhaps using straights was the norm for them.
I definitely prefer American steel over any others, I'm a big fan of Case and an obscure brand of which I only have one razor. It's King Mfg. Co. out of St. Louis (unrelated to the company in Indiana PA)
I still have yet to get my hands on a Torrey; I'm lying in wait for the perfect one.