A beautiful old blade, with a wavy smile.
Greaves was one of the first straight razor manufacturers in Sheffield to establish a “start to finish” razor all in house. Other cutlers were relying on a network of craftsmen, where Greaves was creating his pieces all under one roof.
This 1800’s blade is one of a kind, and I gladly honed it up and sent it to its lucky owner.
To make this kamisori, I forged two different steels together. The light part is low carbon steel, and the dark part is hitachi blue #2 high carbon japanese steel.
This razor is fresh off the rough grinding stage, and ready for heat treatment.
UPDATE: View the completed piece here
Many interesting custom straight razors are being finished and leaving my shop this week. I’m starting off the Monday with this razor, an all American inspired piece.
I used cherry wood for the handles, U.S. O1 tool steel for the blade, and styled the design to be similar to a wood cutting axe. It’s a 6/8ths wedge, and has a nice fit from toe to tip. Great in the hand.
Stay tuned, many more custom razors to be revealed…
A look at the tools I use to make custom straight razors.
The large hammer is what I used to make the handle drawn out (4lbs), and the little one (over 1.5 lb) is used for detail work, and performing wet forging to make impurities blast off the surface of the steel.
Most of my razors are forged with the rusted tongs, 1″ box jaws. They’ve become a close friend. The wolf Jaws (center) are used when I’m heat treating, or reaching areas of the forge/furnace that are tricky. The little tongs are for delicate and finish work.
Though very odd looking, this is something I use all day long. It’s a kamisori that I was frustrated with, and decided to scrap due to imperfections. I repurposed it as a push stick that assists me in the grinding process by adding extra support. It’s also a good reminder that good work takes time, and no matter what, I shouldn’t rush work.
This is a very rare rock.
This is a yellow green Escher Barber’s delight.
I use it to finish all my razor honings. This is the last stone used before I strop.
I purchased this stone and carefully removed the stickers (I’ve archived them).
This stone has been through many razors, and made many blades keen.
It sits atop a chamois that I use to wipe slurry and water away as I switch between stones.
Some contrasting kamisori straight razors.
The top razor (dark brown wrapping) is a western double hollow grind.
The bottom razor (light brown wrapping) is a traditional grind, where differently sized grinds meet together asymentically in relation to the spine.
Both fine every day shavers.
A nice setup for this morning’s shave test. A freshly restored “The Artist” straight razor, and some MDC shave soap, with an ol’ boar shaving brush. Can’t wait to find it a good home.
A nice group of custom straight razors ready for heat treated tomorrow.
Two custom kamisori razors, one double hollow, one traditional, and three western folding straight razors of both wedge and sheffield style hollow grinds.
These are roughly ground blades, and this is but the first step after forging the pieces. Many more steps to come after the steel is precisely hardened. Finish grinding, polishing, handles…
Still, this is one of the most exciting moments, as the character of the blades really starts to show.
From the grandson:
I have decided to send you my heirloom, My grandfather migrated to the U.S. from Cuba at the age of 36 in 1955 he continued his trade of Barber till 1974. He passed away in 1997 thereafter the razor was put a way till now. Note the sign that reads “$1.00 haircut”. A fine price for an expert trim. I figured you might appreciate a piece of the history behind this Duble Duck Goldedge straight razor.
The vintage photos of his grandfather were kindly shared with me, and illustrate the history behind the blade.
Ducks are always a challenging restoration. The cracked ice scales often deteriorate over time, and the blades, so thin, often have little room for removing age. I put a nice satin polish on the blade, reset the scales, and took the brass to a shine. With some careful restoration, I’m confident it has many generations of life left in it.
Proud to send it home.
