Thread: New Razors!!!

I adore all my Swedish razors, but especially the Dahlgren frameback with the brass frame. It's almost identical to your Hellberg. It's a truly superior shaver, and just a lovely thing to look at.

I can't be sure about yours, but my Dahlgren actually has ebony scales, not horn. I didn't even notice at first, but then it sunk in that the striations I was seeing were wood grain. Magnification told true. Ebony, and quite lovey.

Another note about the brass framed blades. Both your Hellberg and my Dahlgren appear to have originally been blued blades, not bright. You might keep that in mind while cleaning it.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Both your Hellberg and my Dahlgren appear to have originally been blued blades, not bright.

I don't think it was blued originally, probably just 100 years of patina.

Basically what Rune said, although I'm inclined to say that the Hellberg frameback's scales are bakelite. I have way too many Swedish razors and only one came with dark bone scales. The vast majority however came with black bakelite scales, either with a lead/pewter wedge or a built-in wedge on the back scale (for frame-backs like this mainly the latter). I've found them a bit tricky to hone, but that might also be because some of them were severely decreased in width.

These razors always have a lot of grind marks left, so I tend not to polish them up too much as that seems out of place. These were economically made razors, not lookers.

I have the exact same model Jernbolaget, and I don't think the frame on those is brass, as it has some honewear but no brass showing. I don't know what material it is, but the curious thing is that the razor carried some serious patina and the frame (apart from some minor pitting) was shiny. Shaves great by the way.

Oh, if you can try to clean up the stamp. The Jernbolaget emblem is probably the coolest Eskilstuna mark, an anchor with a 'B' in it.

Originally Posted by Theseus

Awesome razors. Love the frame backs.

So when are you going to start on your second seven day set.

Thank you. I have a Klas Törnblom that I really like; it's hard to strop, but I'm finally getting used to it. I seriously think I have enough razors now.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I am very happy to see you get the 2 framebacks! You shall henceforth install the DePews upon the wall, where it belongs! (kidding!)
You will be amazed at how easily honed as well as the awesome effectiveness of those framebacks! That French one may be gutta percha. Don't get it wet! Good work!

Ta. No, the De Pews is a family member, I love it. The French one isn't French, it's Swedish, I just thought the name sounded French :-) 'Gutta Percha', you mean this? Gutta-percha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by IamSt8ght

All are very nice. I really like that Hellberg. It is going to be beautiful once you are done with it. Have fun with them.

Ta, yeah, the Hellberg is looking really cool now :-)

Pithor, that's excellent info, thanks! I'm getting quite excited about these razors!!

The scales on the Frameback Hellberg are brown at the pivot; they do seem to have striations, but very feint. The scales could well be Bakelite. These have a grey wedge that seems to be metal, at least it's cold on my tongue.

You're right I think about the grind marks, which is why I'm going to polish across the blade only now, not along it.

No, the frame on the Jernbologet isn't brass. I'll try cleaning up the emblem; I wasn't sure what it was. Actually, I like the Hellberg's emblem and scrolling. I don't think i'll do a lot more polishing of the Jernbologet; I want to retain some signs of wear to match the scales. I may polish it once more (across the blade), re-force a patina with citrus and lemon juice, and leave it at that. If I muck around too much with it I'll wreck the pivot pin or something. I'll make sure the scales don't come in contact with the solution I'll use to force the patina.

I'm loving learning about these razors, and the framebacks feel really good in the hand; very well balanced...

Well, I've finished polishing and honing the Jernbologet. It's nowhere near perfect, but it's adequate for me at the moment. I've spent maybe five hours or so polishing with 400, 600 and 800 wet and dry. I honed it today doing circles on 800 wet and dry wrapped around a Norton 4/8 stone (I haven't got a 1k hone; time to get one I think), followed by circles on the Norton with a slurry until it cut leg hair, and then a pyramid thing of 20 x 4, 20 x 8, 19 x 4, 20 x 8, 18 x 4, 20 x 8 all the way to 1 x 4, 20 x 8 followed by 20 laps on the Shapton 16k. It feel good to the thumb, but tomorrow's shave will tell. I polished the leather scales with black shoe polish and a shoe brush.

Looks great Carl, except for one thing....you've put the frame back the wrong way

Originally Posted by Zephyr

Looks great Carl, except for one thing....you've put the frame back the worng way

........

Originally Posted by Zephyr

Looks great Carl, except for one thing....you've put the frame back the wrong way

You sure that isn't the relatively unknown, yet ultra rare, "ICEBREAKER" model?

Originally Posted by Wullie

You sure that isn't the relatively unknown, yet ultra rare, "ICEBREAKER" model?

Damn you, Wullie! There you go driving up the eBay prices again!