Thread: D. Ralph razors finally coming out...

Hey guys, I know I've been scarce for awhile. All is well, though. Been playing a lot of golf and brewing a lot of beer I've been following the boards though, and manage to get a word in edgewise now and then. Anyway, I don't know if many of you remember, but last winter, a world class custom knifemaker and longtime friend of mine, Darrel Ralph, began to show interest in making a razor or two. We had a little discussion going on here about it. Nenad and myself shot emails back and forth to him over several months with inputs and ideas. I sent him a few prime examples of factory razors to study, namely Puma, Dubl Duck, and a TI or two. Below are a couple of links to his first models. You will undoubtedly notice that these are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. His prices are justified, I will attest to that. Cruise around his website and take a look at some of the knives he's done. Nothing he crafts is cheap. He has built several knives for me over the years and his attention to detail is incredible. These are his initial offerings, and less expensive models will likely follow. He is thinking of making a "user" with carbon fiber scales or maybe some other synthetic material. I am partial to the look of imitation tortoise, but he can build nearly anything you want. Before you ask (I already did) Mastodon or Wooly Mammoth ivory can NOT be stabilized for use in a wet environment... I have not seen one of these razors up close yet and so I cannot speak for its balance etc, but I know his work well. I am having one made similar to GSR-2. I will be happy to provide a full report with detailed pictures after I take it for a test drive. I hope everybody has been well!

Jeff

Darrel's page...
http://www.darrelralph.com/1mainfram..._main.htm~main

and the three first razors at True North Knives(two are gone already)...
http://www.truenorthknives.com/tnk_1...items.htm~main

Wow. Those are some wicked cool looking razors. Very industrial air about them. I don't know that they're quite my style, but they look cool nevertheless.

You weren't kidding about the prices, either. My jaw hit the keyboard when I saw how much they are. I'll bet they're dang nice, though.

I agree. Definitely very cool - looking razors. I like the effect on the top 2 blades of the true north site.

The site says that several grades of ivory are available. Does that mean that the ivory is not mammoth or is it a mistake. I've got a few dozen antique elephant ivory razors with great scales that are at least 100 years old, so ivory wouldn't need to be stabilized, would it?

Is there a big difference between elephant ivory and well preserved mammoth? I've worked with them and haven't found a big difference, but if there is info out there that I'm missing, I'd love to hear about it.

The razors remind me of the feather at first glance. A very post-modern design. It's nice to see some custom work from a new point of view.

I like the bit in the description on the second razor about the fluted walrus inlay providing a sure grip when wet :-)

About the Mastodon, etc.... don't know. That's just what Darrel told me. I suppose you could give it a coating or some such. I have several knives, razors, etc with various natural materials, and I have always kept them dry for the most part. Even stag will absorb water and swell if left wet for an extended period of time. That happened to me with a Case slipjoint folder that my son left out on the driveway in the rain. After it dried out, the swelling went down. As for OLD ivory, it might be alright for quick splashes as long as it's dried very thoroughly after use. Me, I wouldn't risk it unless it was stabilized somehow. Mastodon and damascus do strike a chord in me though, always have. Maybe a little meteorite in the handle! That would be cool.

Jeff

Those are gorgeous! And eye-poppingly expensive. Though I suppose the Maestro's go for that much, so I shouldn't have been surprised.

They are a bit on the extravagant side for my tastes. I prefer the Livi old-school look.

Jeff...

It shows how nice stuff can come out when you have a mill or CnC and surface grinders. I like the designs. Wish I had the space in my shop for those toys, myself. The prices seem to be fine for that level of work.

In some circles, knifemakers consider cutlery coming from mills and such as benchmade and not custom made, but that may just be semantics. I think most custom makers draw the line after a surface grinder. That's probably because the surface grinder is almost a necessity for making folders and they want to cut their time down in production by using them.

Ivory benefits from stabilization too, especially mastadon ivory cause it's a tad older than a couple hundred years. The newer stuff is more protected from shrinkage and swelling from moisture if it has been stabilized, according to a few of my knifemaker buddies. Their info has been pretty reliable in the past, so there may be something to it.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

They are a bit on the extravagant side for my tastes. I prefer the Livi old-school look.

I'm with you on that one. Why use an antique tool that looks like a spaceship? The old style ones just seem to have more "personality" to me. The one exception I can think of is using one that looks a bit like a tank. And Bill, I'll take this opportunity to agree with you, too...if you didn't use your own two hands to shape it, it ain't handmade. I don't care if you programmed the CNC mill or not.