Thread: Would it be a step too far?

A friend of mine tried it with a Konosuke;



Swedish sounds good, right?
I would never do a thing like that... post it on YouTube I mean!

LOL, I am sooo bad at semantics. My bad. I must make it clear: I am not going to buy this AT ALL, let alone to shave with.

It's just a hypothetical endeavour. If I had $130 I'd put it to a custom blade.
P.s. Thank you for the videos. they're entertaining.
P.P.s EUREKA! It just occurred to me; (I'm simple so it takes me a while lol) All a razor is is a small sharp knife anyway. So I suppose if you can handle it well and it doesn't cut you then you can call it a razor. Personally, in 6 months or so I'm going to find a reputable blade-smith with a history of good razor making to build me a "kamisori" razor to my design. I used the quotes on "kamisori" because It'll probably end up looking nothing like a traditional kamisori... plus I want a matching kiridashi with it anyway hence a custom make. Plus, I have disabilities that necessitate a custom blade with a ring and a longer, thicker handle too.

(edit for a p.p.s)

Originally Posted by freenarative

I like to learn. Before I do anything a spend an age learning about what it is I want to know. In my study of the art of shaving (yes, I've concluded it IS an art) I have seen hundreds upon hundreds of photos of mods, refits, renovations and rebuilt razors. I have seen custom blades and mass produced ones too. I think that essence of things is, if it's about right in shape and sharp enough to plink hairs without touching skin then; it's a razor.

I think you need to do some more research. Your conclusion is akin to saying all red cars are Ferraris.

A razor shaped object may be about the right size & shape but the geometry can still be all wrong for both shaving & easy honing. You can plink hairs at 1000 grit or lower but you will not like the shave. You may need to modify a razor's shape to accommodate any dexterity problems but at least first try a razor to see what mods will be needed. There's always a chance it will work as it was intended.

I have seen people shave with knives, spoons, axes, and broken pieces of glass/obsidian. While they may have successfully removed facial hair, it remains to answer, "was it comfortable?"

Just because you can "shave" with something doesn't make it a razor (in my opinion)...

Could you grind that and shave with it? I have zero doubt that I could...but I won't

For me, it comes down to the right tool for the right job... I wouldn't take a straight razor into combat, so why would I want to shave with a Ka-Bar? besides, its not like you need to make shaving with a straight blade MORE manly, its already impressive enough in its own rite...

Hilarious! I have the smaller version of that very knife and was handling it just this evening! Every time I handle it, I wonder the same thing... "Should I hone this puppy?"

I haven't yet, and I probably never will... But it screams to be tried.