It seems that production is moving along nicely (compared to my expectations). I might speculate that I will have mine earlier than I previously expected (but still quite a way out;))
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It seems that production is moving along nicely (compared to my expectations). I might speculate that I will have mine earlier than I previously expected (but still quite a way out;))
I wanted #14 as that is my birthday, and I have a thing for #14 razors :)
Robert was kind enough to let me reserve that.
As I understand it, that one was shipped today:)
Thank you for pointing this out Bruno.
If anyone is interested I would recommend the book "The Crooked Stick"
Once I learned more about the history of the English Longbow I came to understand how much of an impact it had on "our" (USA) history.
More info than I could possibly lay out here - but the bullets:
- England has to be defended
- Does not have the resources for a conventional Army
- Everyone is "enlisted" (required) to master the Longbow - and demonstrate that skill
- In exchange the Crown changes how they treat these "Common Men" - they become the Band of Brothers at Agincourt for instance (Magna Carta, Common Law etc.)
- Why? because they have the means to turn that weapon against said Crown should they be treated unfairly (And you see the reason for the 2nd Amendment very clearly - this was in the Founders frame of reference)
Don't put too much faith in that particular book. It perpetuates a great number of myths and fallacies, I'm afraid. See for example: www.deremilitari.org
Sadly I'd argue strongly that the longbow did *not* have the influence suggested here, particularly in view of Magna Carta. (Which incidentally had VERY little to do with enshrining the rights of the 'Common Man' and everything to do with protecting the rights of propertied landowners, i.e. the nobility.) Magna Carta came into being in 1215. The archetypal 'English' yew longbow wasn't English at all. It was originally Welsh and was largely adopted by the English following the Welsh wars of independence under Llywelyn ap Gruffydd who died in 1282. The bow that was so effective in the Hundred Years War, and therefore to which so many myths have been attributed, was this yew longbow. Other types of bows were used prior to the yew longbow, but apart from eastern composite bows, none could match their power.
Anyway, there's problem 1 of the argument: Magna Carta came into effect in 1215, the English didn't really make effective use of the yew longbow until the Hundred Years War, specifically the battle of Crécy in 1436. So the longbow had nothing to do with Magna carta which in turn had nothing really to do with the Common Man anyway.
As for fear of the commons and the need to treat them with respect, I would direct readers' attention to the aftermath of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381. The 'Common Man' did rise in arms. They took prisoners, they executed Simon Sudbury (Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Chancellor of England), they burned the Savoy and hunted John of Gaunt. And then they were crushed. When the 'Common Man' did rise in arms against the Crown - even in late 14th-century England when the longbow was at the height of its power - they were crushed like bugs. Thousands were hunted down and executed. In short the Crown had little fear of the Commons, even after they had been training with the yew longbow for generations.
As for the 'Band of Brothers', don't forget that was written by Shakespeare around 184 years after the battle itself. Henry didn't say those words, Shakespeare wrote them.
Oh, and one last thing: Robin Hood would most likely have shot what was conventionally called a shortbow. Although the origins of the Robin Hood myths are a whole other thread entirely, he, too, appears prior to the English adoption of the longbow. :)
EDIT: I should add - if one is interested in the material history of the longbow, this looks like a good book. (i.e. the bow itself, its construction and use, etc). It just has a bunch of problems in terms of wider social, political, cultural history
Cangooner exits left, removing his history prof hat, and returning us to regularly scheduled razor talk...
Reading through this thread it seems that things are going well and, it seems like an approriate time to say a big 'THANK YOU" to Robert for all of his efforts.
I wish my smileys were working
This was due to the natural composition of yew. If you make a crosscut of a yew tree trunk, you get a visible distinction between the outside and inside. this is true for all wood, but yew has the interesting property that the outside is very good at resisting expansion, and the inside at resisting compression (or was it the other way around?). You also don't spend a lot of time aiming at full draw with such a bow, because long term compression of the inside might causing permanent deformation.
Anyway, due to this phenomenon, yew was acting like a natural 'lamination', giving the bow extra power. This is called a 'self bow'.
But only slow grown yew can be used, such as grown in dry places with not a lot of rain. Otherwise it grows too fast and becomes too spongy. I read it takes about 80 years to grow a piece of yew suitable for longbows. That is why at a certain time, England insisted that yew was part of trade with dry countries like spain. (1 stave of yew per barrel exported and things like that).
Bow quality yew is fairly rare and ridiculously expensive. And there is no guarantee it will work. I know a master bowyer who made a yew bow for himself, and it shattered on first draw.
You're absolutely right! The same thing that gave composite bows their power (material strong in tension along the front, material strong in compression in behind) applied to the yew bow. In the hands of a well-drilled unit of archers they were a truly fearsome weapon.
Ahem..... getting things back on track here....
Just got mine in the mail today, and I can say that #5 is definitely alive! :tu
I'll give my impressions of the shave soon.
There's an awful absence of photos in this thread... No 'unboxings' or glamour shots from the lucky first receivers?
Ahem...
I think I posted:
:p
#15 received and used the last few days. It came with an outstanding edge, the curve fits the neck very well ATG/east-west (toe down) and the monkey tail is long, but very comfortable in my hand. It's a really nice razor, easy to use, and again Robert's honing is excellent!! Thanks again Robert for a great razor and thanks to all the others that made this happen!!
You'll be glad you ordered one! :tu
Best Regards,
Howard
#14 has arrived here in Norway!
It looks great in real life, I'm glad I went for this deal:)
This is my fifth Robert Williams razor, and it fits right in to my RW collection!
Here's a couple shot from my cell-phone today:
Attachment 110118
Attachment 110119
Attachment 110120
Attachment 110121
Any body know if hit the 200 mark yet? Just curious
Just got off the phone with RW. He said he is in the shop working and doesn't have the exact figures in front of him but it is well over 100. He said there is room to get orders in before it gets to 200 but don't let the grass grow under your feet. :)
FWIW, he is working on finishing 16 through 20 this week.
Is there a link to show where a customer is on the list
don't want to hassle RW with this as he is a busy man
None that I know of. I'm not sure everyone would want others knowing that they are on the list/how many they are buying/what number they are.
Some guys like to keep that to themself.
The list isn't written in stone and numbers can change slightly. I've responded to numerous requests to know what number. If you really want to know, go ahead and PM me and I'll look up your position and give it to you. I can't post the list, though, out of respect for privacy of members primarily.
To RW
No need to bother with that - I will simply wait for your email
Just got notice #19 is on its way to me. I ordered the 20th.
Oh those are cool!
Just got #23 in the mail!
Razor looks great. Has a couple of minor cosmetic imperfections but certainly nothing major. Color on the scales is amazing.
Feels amazing when held in my hand with a shaving grip.
I might wait a couple of days to shave with it as I have a blade or two I want to shave test. I will report back here after that.
Michael
#21 arrived Norway safe and sound today :)
http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/...6d26f2b18a.jpg
Ordered mine. This will be my first straight, moving from double edge safety razors.
I just sent my order, hoping not to get nr201 ...
I doubt that you did; I anticipate there will be some notification when the deal ends.
The wait is killing me. Every time I log on I keep expecting to get a PM telling me to send money. I have my fingers crossed that mine is ready before Christmas.
I agree, but that is part of the fun with commissioned art!
I am quite confident mine won't be ready for Christmas (based on my number). Perhaps I'll have it for my birthday...I don't care, I just want him to take his time and make mine (and everyone else's) as close to perfect as possible;)