Thread: This is why I love buying straights

Occassionally you just stumble across an absolute gem.
I bought this straight a few weeks ago. It looked a lot sadder when I got it. The scales are made from a very nice bronze coloured perspex with silver and gold flakes in them.
Whoever put it together had no idea. They had set the blade too far forward and it hit on the wedge and wouldn't close properly. The wedge also had no taper. It looks like they also used old nails as pins and hadn't peined it tigh so the blade just flopped everywhere. The blade had no rust or pitting but needed a good polish. The two things I spotted on the ebay listing though were the word Thiers on the tang and the term Special Pour Barbe Dour.
So this afternoon, I carefully unpinned it. I put a taper on the wedge and shortened the wedge so the blade would sit down in the scales. I hand polished the blade to bring back the shine. I didn't want to use the buffer and lose the writing. I found some fancy pins I bought a while ago and put it back together using them. All in all, I think it came up pretty well. I honed it up to 5k on the Shapton hones and then used a La Dresante coticule to finish it off.
I shaved with it this afternoon and it was almost a religious experience. This straight will out shave most of the razors I've got in my collection. To compare shave quality I have to think of razors like Filarmonica and Mappin Lancet Edge. It really is that good.
So, what did I pay for this straight? 12 Euros and 6 Euros postage. So for the equivalent of $26-$27 I've got a straight that is a definite keeper and one that puts many high value, big reputation razors to shame.

Well done John ! I'm still getting great shaves from the razor
you sent me !

Cheers ,

Scott

Wow. That is gorgeous!!

'Just gorgeous, John. 'Very nice work on it - it just beams. 'Glad the shave is all there too. I just love it when an awkward piece turns into a star performer.

Another beauty, John.
You always get the cool blades...

Another magnificent razor for the johnmrson collection. A great find.

Congratulations, that is a fine looking razor John. Love the serendipity you sometimes get with straight razor purchases.

The scales are very interesting. Neat pinning as well

That's fantastic! Gr8 looking razor. Where did you get the pins? They look great - kind of makes it for me!

There's one of those 'bay at the moment, but with a small chip on the blade that will need to be honed out.