Among my most difficult challenges yet, this razor pushed my skills, knowledge, and appreciation of fine razor craft.
While designing and crafting this piece with a very kind and understanding patron, I did several iterations of sketches, and crafted both the scales and the blades twice.
This time and care allowed me to match the two as best as possible with respect to handling, durability, and aesthetics. I wanted all the hours I poured into this razor to last a very, very long time, and pass through the hands of many happy shavers.
Burl wood is a beautiful material, with an outstanding grain pattern and structure. However, the asymmetry of the grain prevents successful thinning the wood to the sizes typical of straight razors. To combat this I reinforced the wood with brass liners. The end cap was a challenge as well, and require a special pinning process to affix this with a strong mechanical hold.
The blade was fairly straight forward (the second time around!), and I imparted strong swoops and a longer tail to balance the boisterous character of the scales.
Beautiful shave on this piece, and though a showstopper when you see it from afar, it’s meant for a very refined daily shave.
A special thank you to J. – thank you for giving me the time and consideration to make this piece for you.
