Originally Posted by
Obie
Gentlemen:
Some of you already have expressed my thoughts, so forgive me if I seem to serve a second course of the same thing. Here it goes . . .
I used to like the heavy grind Sheffield razors, the Wade & Butchers, the Frederick Reynolds, and so on. Now I do not. Granted, many are quite handsome, some of the restored especially striking, but they feel heavy and cumbersome in my hands. Some take a superb edge and shave smoothly, but when finished, I feel dissatisfied overall with my shave. I can't put my finger on it. It's like drinking watered down cognac. Oy! I have sold all in my collection, except an 1820s Packwood with a beautiful smile and a Spanish point. It's a fine shaver, too. I shaved with it yesterday, and it was a smooth shave, but something was missing in my shave. I'll probably sell the Packwood, too. The heavy wedges are not for me.
The outlandish designs and the massive sizes of the custom razors are enough to drive me the cartridge razor, the ultimate sin. To me, a custom-made razor does not mean a frightening weapon designed for Attila the Hun. I encourage variations on traditional styles, yes, but let's not go overboard with jagged corners and dizzying bends and curves. Nor do I find them esthetically pleasing.
Scales with cluttered imprints look . . . well, cluttered — and there is enough clutter in the world. Also, I prefer half naked women pictured elsewhere than on my razor. It's a good way to lose concentration and bloody cut yourself. Zebra patterns. Hunting scenes. Nah!
Razors with 4/8 blades and smaller. Razors with blades over 7/8. Razors with a spike point should be outlawed. Razors with a muted square point look about as sterile as a dentist's reception room.
The new model Thiers-Issard razors with that silly little notch at the heel. It's an absurd design. What's the idea?
Finally, some things straight razor and traditional shaving world related: HHT and BBS. And posts written in Twitter lingo and stuffed with acronyms. I miss the English language.