The Saga of the Ugly French Razor

Gentlemen:

Sometimes Lady Luck gives us a big smooch and we shuffle off, howling like a drunken sailor from Salamanca. It happened to me recently when a friend, a master of the straight razor, gave me a rusty and stained French razor to bring to life. The thing looked as if it came from a swamp. No idea about the razor's maker, except that it was French, with a number on the shank. We called it the Ugly French razor. I honed it and sanitized it. And I shaved with it.

The razor took an incredible edge. Unbelievable. The first shave was pure silk. I sent it to my friend and asked him to clean and polish it as best he could. Afterwards I re-honed it and shaved with it. Still magnificent. The razor is an 11/16 wedge with a French point. It still has some stains and nicks, which give it the perfect identity for an old timer with the sure step of a champion. Indeed, Lady Luck gave me a big smooch.

Have you straight razor gentlemen had a visit from Lady Luck?

Here are photos of my Ugly French razor:

Obie, I've been giving it some thought. I really hate to say it... but that's one ugly French razor.

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Originally Posted by stimpy52

Obie, I've been giving it some thought. I really hate to say it... but that's one ugly French razor.

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Stimpy, my friend, I know what you mean. You should have seen it in its swamp suit. It was scary.

Obie. Luck has nothing to do with it! :)
Sometimes, the beauty is only in the shave quality. I am sure that old razor could tell some tales. In French!
Kudos!
Tom

You guys are to judgemental. She isnt ugly, She just Looks that way.
Nice Save

So, first you insult all those soft fuzzy Armadillos and now it's the sailors in Salamanca. If you ever meet either you're going to need more than lady luck to save you.

Personally I think it is a beauty. I like the way it looks. Call em eccentric LOL

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

So, first you insult all those soft fuzzy Armadillos and now it's the sailors in Salamanca. If you ever meet either you're going to need more than lady luck to save you.

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I can tell you a thing or two about Armadillos, my friend. I once shared a foxhole with a dead one. It was during training with the 2nd Armored Division in Fort Hood, Texas, with 50 caliber bullets whizzing overhead and a foul smell making me dizzy. The bloody thing kept staring at me, as if I had contributed to its demise. Give me a break. "What am I doing in this smelly hole with a dead Armadillo?"
Oh, by the way, some of the best people I know are drunken sailors from Salamanca.

Nice looking razor, Obie.
I guess Lady Luck smiled on me when my mother asked me to get something out of her curio cabinet,; then I saw a black box in there that held my grandfather's W&B. That led me to SRP.

Obie, I think that French razor is gorgeous. :D

I've been watching for a French razor to add to my pile and have yet get one.

I like the heavier grinds the French used "back in the day".

The fact that yours turned out so nicely makes me want to intensify my search. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

I can tell you a thing or two about Armadillos, my friend. I once shared a foxhole with a dead one. It was during training with the 2nd Armored Division in Fort Hood, Texas, with 50 caliber bullets whizzing overhead and a foul smell making me dizzy. The bloody thing kept staring at me, as if I had contributed to its demise. Give me a break. "What am I doing in this smelly hole with a dead Armadillo?"
Oh, by the way, some of the best people I know are drunken sailors from Salamanca.

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Nothing smells worse, I assure you Those things fresh killed are super stinky. As they rot? OH! We have been known to flip them over with a stick an put a Lone Star beer bottle on em. Best roadside attraction ever!
I dated a girl from Salamanica. She had a strange odor! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wullie

Obie, I think that French razor is gorgeous. :D

I've been watching for a French razor to add to my pile and have yet get one.

I like the heavier grinds the French used "back in the day".

The fact that yours turned out so nicely makes me want to intensify my search. ;)

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I know what you mean, Wullie. I have three vintage French razors — plus a bunch of Thiers-Issard models — and find all superb razors. Yes, they are razors worth the search.

The Le Grelot I have are not at all the same style, that one makes me think of some German WW1 gear, sort of heavy, clean functional style, even that Nr "63" fits right in... hmm, now I've come to start liking it!