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Thread: Another Great American Maker

  1. #11
    Senior Member blabbermouth Steel's Avatar
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    When I started I thought old Sheffield steel was some of the best. Then I learned about Sweden steel and German razors were usually hollow ground with great steel. As I started expanding Anerican razors didn't interest me as much AT FIRST. Then slowly I started to notice a pattern with American razors. They were very geometric, high quality, and the steel took and held some of my best edges. I started researching and found that many American makers (as steve pointed out) had furnaces and ore on their property and made their own steel. Holley mfg co. Was one of them and there were others. In fact, one of Holley's claim to fame was that EVERY razor (and knife) was hand forged out of their very own steel. They resisted the newer processes like a drop forge and it is believed that this was one contributing factor to their demise as they couldn't keep up with "fast food" production but they swore that hand forged steel by master smithy's aligned the steel Fibers in a way that would aid in an extremely sharp edge. Maybe it was advertising hype. Maybe not. At any rate, I can't remember one American razor that I have had that was not excellent. I'm sure they must be out there but I haven't run into one.
    Last edited by Steel; 11-12-2015 at 02:56 PM.
    What a curse be a dull razor; what a prideful comfort a sharp one

  2. #12
    barba crescit caput nescit Phrank's Avatar
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    American made razors are superb blades - Wolfpack restored this Challenge Cutlery, Bridgeport Conn, straight razor - great quality and a pleasure to shave with.

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  4. #13
    Senior Member Wolfpack34's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phrank View Post
    American made razors are superb blades - Wolfpack restored this Challenge Cutlery, Bridgeport Conn, straight razor - great quality and a pleasure to shave with.
    I remember that razor well Andrew...it really was/is a wonderful shaver. Challenge razors from Connecticut made superb razors back in the day IMO.

    Here's another example of a great American manufacturer: A pair of one of my favorites, H.M. Christensen, Brockton Mass. Quality American Steel and a real pleasure to shave with as well... ...

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    Fatty Boom Boom WW243's Avatar
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    Nice Mike, really nice. And the box for the pair looks perfect with them.
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  7. #15
    Heat it and beat it Bruno's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steel View Post
    When I started I thought old Sheffield steel was some of the best. Then I learned about Sweden steel and German razors were usually hollow ground with great steel. As I started expanding Anerican razors didn't interest me as much AT FIRST. Then slowly I started to notice a pattern with American razors. They were very geometric, high quality, and the steel took and held some of my best edges. I started researching and found that many American makers (as steve pointed out) had furnaces and ore on their property and made their own steel. Holley mfg co. Was one of them and there were others. In fact, one of Holley's claim to fame was that EVERY razor (and knife) was hand forged out of their very own steel. They resisted the newer processes like a drop forge and it is believed that this was one contributing factor to their demise as they couldn't keep up with "fast food" production but they swore that hand forged steel by master smithy's aligned the steel Fibers in a way that would aid in an extremely sharp edge. Maybe it was advertising hype. Maybe not. At any rate, I can't remember one American razor that I have had that was not excellent. I'm sure they must be out there but I haven't run into one.
    'fast food' production sounds like it should be inferior, but it isn't. A drop forge does exactly the same as the smith's hammer. Except it does it harder. Ignoring that for a moment: all modern era steel has been rolled and forged down from large billets to normal sized bars. So by the time the bar ends up in the smith's hands, the hand forging vs drop forging makes no difference anymore, just like hand forging and stock removing doesn't really make a difference to the internal structure of the steel, especially if it is properly thermal cycled.
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  8. #16
    Senior Member blabbermouth Steel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
    'fast food' production sounds like it should be inferior, but it isn't. A drop forge does exactly the same as the smith's hammer. Except it does it harder. Ignoring that for a moment: all modern era steel has been rolled and forged down from large billets to normal sized bars. So by the time the bar ends up in the smith's hands, the hand forging vs drop forging makes no difference anymore, just like hand forging and stock removing doesn't really make a difference to the internal structure of the steel, especially if it is properly thermal cycled.
    Yeah. I don't disagree. I was just stating what I read in a Holley advertisement about hand forging versus drop forging. They said "the hand forging method properly forms the crystalline structure of the steel into the perfect cutting edge." They go on to say that a drop forge forces the structure in all directions where a human hand can direct the structure of the steel and align it into a superior cutting edge. Could very well be advertising hype. Maybe not. At any rate it is what Holley mfg co was saying. Not me.

    As far as preferences go I do personally prefer hands on/hand made versus factory bulk production and every short cut comes with a cost.
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    What a curse be a dull razor; what a prideful comfort a sharp one

  9. #17
    Historically Inquisitive Martin103's Avatar
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    Nice find! Their 4 C's logo like pictured below is often confused with Cattaraugus Cutlery Co... or perhaps the one that actually manufactured them...
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  11. #18
    Senior Member blabbermouth engine46's Avatar
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    Thanks Martin. It is a maker I have never seen before or if I did, it was long before I was really into American makers, like when I first got interested in straights. When I first started out, I was looking at the W&B'ers mostly until my friend down the road told me to look at others as well That was when W&B'ers
    were cheaper than they are now but I still see some go for a decent price because apparently the vulture's either got distracted at the last minute or they didn't see it.
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