Thread: C.V. Heljestrand No. 10 with KB-extra mark

Thank you for your reply Neil, I appreciate your input, I am learning a lot just by being on this site.

I am not sure what is considered expensive in this area, but it felt expensive to buy this Razor-knife. So I too hope I will take to it and make it my primary shaving choice.

My thoughts around buying this razor were that I wanted a Knife that would last me a lifetime(if well taken care of) and of course it needs to be of hi quality.
And I think that in the area of knifes in general you get what you pay for, so I was prepared to pay a little extra to get a little extra. And since Gents seem and are considered as serious and professional when I ask others, I tend to lean on what they say since I don´t have the experience yet.

I have some experience from knifes in other areas and those experiences tell me in general that Hollow ground knifes is not for me, I liked this CVH because it´s wedge-like appearance and it seems minimally hollow ground(I think).

When I spoke to the nice woman at Customer service at Gents.se, she considered the knife still very thin and more maneuverable than their other knifes, and in a total summary/assessment of pros and cons to be the best knife they have in store, mainly they sell knifes from Dovo and a few of them were even more expensive than the CVH.

I am as I said a total novice in this area, and I decided to take her words for it to get going and see for my self if this is a knife for me.


when I get the knife home I will take some pictures for you guys from different angles so maybe that can help anyone interested get more information about the knifes properties.


Regards, Vinz

Hi Vinz,

I agree with you, at £100 more than a dovo bismarck it does seem expensive. However, they are basing their valuation on a perception, ie the mark Excellenz, not the actual razor itself.

FWIW, CVH made very good razors from very good steel, and in my opinion a good cvh is better than a good dovo. A case of horses for courses I suppose. At any rate, your horse has bolted and there is no polnt in closing the stable door, so be happy with what you have and forget wnat you paid.

The grind is, as you say, quite stiff being somewhere near quarter hollow if memory serves (which is why that stuff about stabilising is all hot air) and they give a great shave.

I would be very interested in seeing more photos, particularly well focused close ups of the notch in the heel, perhaps with the light quite harsh and at a raking angle to show all the little surface marks, as I am still not sure when the notch was created. If it has come about as a result of some sort of a regrind used to restore a blade that has been stored away for the best part of 40 years or more, then shots like this may help us determine that.

Regards,
Neil

Hi Neil.

I ordered the knife yesterday, haven´t got it yet, might take a few days. When i get the knife, as soon as I find the time I will get some
really good, sharp, close up photos of the knife for you and anyone interested.

I for one am interested :-) and hope the photos can give some useful information for you.


Regards, Vinz

I just found something big, I sent a mesage to the seller asking which were marked 'Excellens', right now I have to go but I'll update when I come home.

RAKKNIVAR C.V. HELJESTRAND ESKILSTUNA på Tradera. Rakning | Samlarsaker

I saved the pictures from the aution so we don't lose them when the listing is pulled:

Nice find - thanks for settling the question.

I know its just my opinion therefore worthless, but why cvh should produce such a blade with an apparently useless and - to me - ugly artefact is beyond my reasoning. And to call the model 'excellens' when something like 'uglibugli' would be far more fitting (I take pains to point out, yet again, that this is purely my personal opinion) is once again beyond my ken.

Regards
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

.....

Neil, I am in full agreement, my money is on that it was a short-lived gimmick that they tried out with this model.

I also got a response from the seller,

From: janne*******@bredband.net
To: M4x3n
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 10:26 AM
Subject: Re: Fråga angående: RAKKNIVAR C.V. HELJESTRAND ESKILSTUNA


Hej,

9 st knivar är märkta Excellens och alla har ett "hack i hälen" det är endast en kniv som saknar "hack" och den är helt omärkt.

Mvh

Janne

Nine razors are marked "Excellens", they all have a "notch in the heel", one razor doesn't have any notch nor markings.

Regards,
Max

Aaaand they're sold!

It's funny that nine of them(+ a bonus razor) sold for just a bit more than half of what they charge at gents.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Nice find - thanks for settling the question.

I know its just my opinion therefore worthless, but why cvh should produce such a blade with an apparently useless and - to me - ugly artefact is beyond my reasoning. And to call the model 'excellens' when something like 'uglibugli' would be far more fitting (I take pains to point out, yet again, that this is purely my personal opinion) is once again beyond my ken.

Regards
Neil

Maybe you could make an uglibugli strop to go with them, how would a strop like that look?

Originally Posted by Lemur

Maybe you could make an uglibugli strop to go with them, how would a strop like that look?

You lend it to a beginner so that he can put some nicks in it.

Originally Posted by Lemur

Maybe you could make an uglibugli strop to go with them, how would a strop like that look?

Be careful, my friend, or you might find yourself modelling it as a necktie in the advertising promo...

Regards
Neil