Thread: Favorite razors-opinions and why

My coral japanese/western style 5/8, it was my first restore. However, compared to my 3 dovos, that thing holds an edge great, the steel feels "solid" for lack of a better word, compared to the dovos, and it is shaaaaaaarp!

Originally Posted by ace

I don't really have a favorite. For me it's about edges, and edges pushed along by as much steel behind them as possible. All my razors are big, some are really big, but they all shave well.

I agree with you in that the shave ready status of the razor is everything for me.

My favourite is Thiers Issard 7/8, plastic scales, no gold engraving only mirror finish. 300 bucks of solid excellent carbonsong steel. When I received it, brand new with factory honing it shaved perfectly. After stropping it shaves even better. I feel it better than my filis, my revisors, my 205, my ...

I love a wide variety of them: Boker Red Injuns, many of the Swedish blades... I also own a number of highly underrated straights made by Worcester Razor (made in Worcester, Mass.)--they sharpen nicely, hold a great edge, are wonderfully crafted. And I recently acquired a splendid Wusthof "Tridente" blade from Sham. OMG, what a wacker.

I think there's no reliable "best" straights list. We all gradually evolve toward the ones that suit us best, buying and selling until we get closer to our own top 7 (or 10, or 30, depending on our obsessiveness and financial resources)!

The more razors I acquire the more difficult it becomes for me to define a favorite. I shaved this morning with my Thiers Issard SuperGnome and it's a fine razor. Yesterday with my Case Red Imp and it did a great job. A few are "less favorite" but I can no longer name even two or three favorites. Ah...the joy of choice!

Whichever one I have in my hand when I'm shaving is my favorite at that moment.

Hmm. I have two well four, my two Dorko's both hollow and my two WB wedges.

If you only have a few it's easier to pick the favorites. The more you have the more difficult it becomes. I don't think I could ever pick a favorite or even 5 or 10 for that matter.

As to my favorite I would have to say it is my Boker model 1101 "I love the way it looks and feels in my hand", but my Genco Old Dutch is my best shaver. It took a very nice edge and has held it forever now. I recently touched it up on a felt strop with diamond spray just to test out the spray and the felt strop.

One thing I have discovered over the past whatever years is that I love all razors, that no one razor suits me better than others, and that all razors, regardless of condition, size, grind, manufacturer, or steel type will shave me well once I learn their idiosyncrasies.

Having said that, I do have a soft spot for Cadman Bengalls, they having been one of my first razors and having several of them from my grandfather and great grandfather. I also have a special place in my heart for my Friodur, as it is the first razor I actually bought new that was decent. Oh, and then there is my Alex Jacques, which I designed and as far as I am aware was Alex's first commissioned piece. And then there's.... I could go on and on about every razor I own - they all have a special memory associated with them

So as you can see, my "favourites" are not based on shaving ability - they all shave well, particularly once you start honing your own and can tweak them to suit. You buy from a decent manufacturer, you will get a good shave. But it has never been about the destination for me, always about the journey. Which is probably why I lost count of my razors several years ago....

James.