A good friend and customer picked up his custom straight razor from my shop recently, and I snapped a quick photo of him holding it.

I was happy to hear that this business traveler is working close to my workshop for a few months, so we stayed in touch, and I was able touch up his edge as he started shaving with his new blade.

We chatted about razors, I told him about the nuances I loved within his blade, and talked about the good things in life.

It makes me really happy to get to know him, and know how his shaves are progressing, and see his collection grow.

Hollow grinding  is a term used to signify the thickness of the blade. Some blades are better hollow ground than others, and very few damascus razors are made with this craft.

I modeled the grind off a historical piece from my personal collection that I find to be one of the best hollow ground razors makers, originating from Solingen, Germany.

The key note of this piece is how thin the leading edge is – thinner than aluminum foil. This gives a unique characteristic few razors made today have – a “singing” grind. This is where the razor sings on the strop, and gives feedback on the shave.

Texture scales with a purple hear wedge complement this unique blade.

Endless.

Damascus custom straight razor, bookend cut Zebra Wood, Spanish tip, worked spine, twisted monkey tail.

An experiment to add further texture to a piece.

I used the same texturing elements in the steel, as I did the ironwood handles.

No maker’s mark on this, at the customer’s request. I love unbranded things, letting the form do all the talking. Plus, I know my work when I see it.

A recent example of some hand filed spinework that I sent to a Canadian customer last week.

The key to good spinework is some nice background music, a cup of coffee, and a nice block of quiet time.

A long time customer became a proud new papa, and had a razor made with his little girls’ name on it.

I only knew the name for the engraving a few days after she was born, and I finished the piece, and sent it home.

We used purple heart and white recon stone for this piece, making it a nice reminder of his new life as a father.

The joy I get to share with my customers and their journeys gets put into my steel.

I was very fortunate to grow with friends and  family who celebrated the arts, and actively created work.  I remember attending galleries in their living rooms, and later visiting showings in Downtown Denver and eventually NYC. We all did this in the tradition of going to visit artworks on the first Friday of the month.

First Friday is a small national holiday at the beginning of the month where galleries open their doors, invite in all the public, and put artists next to their work.

First Friday became an important part of my life and always reminds me of good times looking at people’s creation. During showings, we talked about life, gave thoughts, feedback, and sometimes purchasing work that meant something to me.

Now I create work, and send it in the mail, but never get too much time to share and celebrate – till now.

This is the First Friday of November, and here is a small selection of the work that I’ve been hoarding over the last month for today to share with you.

It’s a sneak peek of what I’ll be formally posting to my portfolio through the next month. The first post is already up.

In this, you’ll see a For Barber’s Use with titanium lined burl, a “buster sword” inspired kamisori, and collaborations with brands that want to share straight shaving with their customers.

Every day I’m honored to make fine razors for you, and my only hope it to continue to improve, and make them a bit faster.

Cheers, happy first Friday, and visit a local gallery if you have some time left in the day.