Shaving Smart

Web Store!

2010-10-20T02:59:00.001-05:00

I have, at long last, started to use a web store format. It's still a bit rough around the edges, but should be better and better as time goes by. Check it out at: http://www.freewebstore.org/Shaving-Smart

Lathering: A Few Pointers

2010-07-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Lathering

One of the most deceptively simple-sounding keys to a good shave is producing a good lather. With Gillette, Edge, Barbasol and friends wantonly promoting the idea that lather ought squirt out of a can in an unbroken ribbon of blue goop which then decompresses into dry white foam, many would not consider the care that can be put into the lather. With a few simple changes, though, even the shave from a cartridge razor can be dramatically improved.

1. Buy a decent brush.

This doesn't need to be incredibly expensive, good brushes can be had for as little as $10, and $30 can buy you a surprisingly nice brush.

2. Get a good soap or cream.

A lot of people skimp on this, thinking that a $20 tub of cream will only last as long as their $3 can-of-shite from Gillette. Wrong! A good puck of soap can last many, many months or-- as my friend Ron can tell you-- years!

3. Less is More

It doesn't take a lot of cream to make lots of good lather. Too much will foul your brush and make it hard to raise a decent lather-- try using a very small amount and working up, rather than down.

4. Use enough Soap

You want to make that puck last, I know, but really load your brush. Soaps are drier and harder than creams, so you have to work more to get the same material loaded into your brush.

5. Try Distilled Water

Hard water can mess up most soaps and creams. If you're having trouble with lather being the wrong consistency and drying out no matter how you change the soap/water ratio, try using distilled or deionized water.

6. Soak your Brush

Soaking your brush in hot water for even 2 minutes will dramatically improve the results of your lathering.

Tuckmar Best-Quality

2010-06-22T01:31:00.002-05:00

This started as a project at the MO meet-- a demonstration on scale making-- but I didn't bring everything needed to finish it. I brought it back home, did it up all pretty, and now Will from SRP is getting his first razor back all dressed up pretty!

Walnut scales, hand-rubbed and oiled, with a blood-wood wedge.

Hope you enjoy it, Will!

NOTE: I must have taken that wedge-end shot from a goofy angle. It is symmetrical in real life...

Bargain Beauty I: Smiling 6/8 High Class

2010-05-30T16:33:00.005-05:00

Intentions are funny things, aren't they? I always mean to write more in this blog than I do; I also mean to buy fewer razors than I wind up getting. I was going through the project pile this weekend and decided that my overstocking can be gain for everyone involved- some beautiful razors at bargain prices. Over the next few days I'll be cleaning up and posting a number of great razors at great prices- perfect for growing your collection, or for beginners looking to try straight shaving without spending too many dollars.

First up is a real gem, a smiling 6/8 hollow ground etched "High Class Razor Co." on the tang with no other identification marks. The biggest trouble is that the scales are warped a bit: The razor will not stand up on its scales, but the blade closes without any need for extra care. There is a little pitting on the spine above the pivot, and a couple tarnish spots that minimal polishing didn't remove. Time on a buffer and this razor would look like new, because it is: zero hone wear prior to my honing it to shave ready. The bevel on this thing is invisible, and aside from those spots where oil gunked up and tarnished the blade it is mirror-polished.

This razor is a sweet shaver, and I'm tempted to keep it- if you're interested you best let me know before I change my mind! This will be a great razor as is or- as I suspect will happen- would be just stunning in a new set of acrylic tuxedo scales. (I might happen to know someone who could help with that.)

This razor is yours; shave-ready, shave-tested, sterilized, stropped, oiled; shipped USPS 1st Class Insured anywhere in the CONUS for $55

$55 Shipped anywhere in the CONUS. International may incur extra shipping.

Interested? Email benjamin.kratchmer (at) gmail (.) com

7/8 Lawton Cutlery Company "Square Deal"

2010-05-01T23:06:00.010-05:00

Lawton Cutlery Co

7/8 "Square Deal"

Restore & Rescale in Macassar Ebony

I have two apologies about this one- first, that I didn't get before pictures. As the owner could tell you, it was awfully dirty. He didn't think the etch would live, but with some gentle TLC it has come through splendidly. He requested that I use ebony, but rather than blackwood (Gaboon ebony) I used Macassar ebony, which has purple and brown streaks running through it. A razor this shape needs hefty scales, and I thought the subtle ripples of the wood helped to break up the vast expanse.

The scales are a design of his choosing- from several I drew up for him- and are really nice, in my opinion. They are no thicker than 3/16 of an inch, and taper dramatically toward the ends. The wedge is done in translucent smoky horn that is polished so much you can see the pins through it. All the hardware on this beauty is brass.

Apology no. 2: I had already sent my lightbox to a different location without photographing this razor. What you get is some kind of fuzzy, poorly-lit photos. I had to use the flash on the camera to get the grain to show.... if I get my lightbox back up here, I will see if I can get it back from him (he's a local chap) for some better photos. In the mean time, try to enjoy. :)

6/8 Hortense Razor Company

2010-05-01T23:00:00.000-05:00

Hortense Razor Company

6/8 Restore and Rescale in Bloodwood

This one I did a few months ago for a fellow over at Straight Razor Place, as part of a way to say thank you to that community for getting me started (and sunk completely!) into this hobby. This razor was quite tarnished, and had been very aggressively buffed or sanded at some point, leaving the etched blade and tang almost unreadable. I managed to decipher them, though, but didn't (oops) take any before pictures. I need a secretary or something, to remind me...

Rescaled in bloodwood, imitating some scales the fellow I did it for showed me that he very much admired. Many hand-rubbed coats of tung oil, then 4 thick topcoats, stacked stainless-brass washers and brass pins. This blade was ground evenly, but at an angle- not perpendicular. You can see this in the second to last photo. This made it a real bugger to get centered in the scales, but with some tweaking and an extra thrust bearing it turned out just fine- and doesn't interfere with a honing or stropping motion.

The last picture shows the lustrous finish. It was hard to send this beauty back! Hope you enjoy it, Will!

Review: KD Creations Shave Cream

2010-02-07T12:37:00.004-06:00

KD Creations Shave Cream

I recently chose to try a new lathering product from CarrieM of SRP in two of my favorite scents, Lime and a mixture of Myhrr, Cedar, and Patchouli called 'Dragon's Blood.' CarrieM has been making creams for 18 months now, and opened her creations to market 6 months ago. She's had a hard time keeping anything in stock, and I was lucky to pick these up from her- they were her last remaining tubs after filling her most recent list of orders.

The soap arrived well packaged, in sturdy airtight tubs. These tubs are no-nonsense, but not aesthetically displeasing. A professional touch was the list of ingredients on the bottom of each tub. For the price I paid and the youth of her business I was already impressed, having lower expectations for the fit and finish of a new-to-market home product.

Upon opening the tubs I was very pleased with the scents. Scent is, of course, subjective, but I was very pleased by the presence of each fragrance- each vibrant and crisp, but not overpowering. The cream itself is thick and coarse, like ricotta cheese. There are some larger lumps I can't quite identify of a white substance that sometimes do not lather completely, but overall the texture is quite even.
To lather I have used a dollop roughly the size of a hazelnut and spring water. This cream is very forgiving in terms of water use, yielding a workable lather anywhere from a few drops of water to more than a tablespoon. I have found that this lather is not especially voluminous or stiff, but even in thin layers it is exceptionally slick and provides cushion far beyond its deceptively thin appearance. The cream requires a bit of time to lather completely- it is very thick- but is well worth the effort.

Overall, I am very pleased with this cream, and plan to try more of CarrieM's scents. Each time I lather with the cream I am more pleased with how moist it leaves my skin, and the absolutely irritation-free shaves I am getting. (Coming from someone with perpetual ingrown hair problems, this is a BIG deal. )

PACKAGING: 8

TEXTURE: 7

LATHERABILITY: 7

CUSHION: 8.5

GLIDE: 10

MOISTURIZING: 9
PRICE: 10

These creams are very much worth trying, especially for their unbelievably low price ($12.50). For the last week I have found myself reaching for the tub of KD Creations more often than anything else- partly because of my desire to learn the ins and outs of a new cream, but also because of the tantalizing scent and super-slick lather.

For inquiries CarrieM can be reached through the contact options on her SRP profile, HERE, under the 'Contact Info' tab.

Happy shaving!

For Sale: 4/8 Daedalus in Bloodwood

2010-01-16T11:48:00.006-06:00

RAZOR: Daedalus 4/8ths Quarter-Hollowed

Polished to a mirror, original grinding marks remain. Small bite on face of tang where manufacturer 'missed' drilling the pivot.

SCALES: Bloodwood finished in Tung oil. For some reason the finish did not turn out as nicely as I would like. It is still very nice, just not perfect. Wedge is polished horn reclaimed from a Joseph Allen set of scales that was found broken in an antique shop in Allen, MI.

I have deducted $20 from the price of this razor because I am not happy with some aspects of the finish.

As with all my scales these come with a guarantee to never split, crack, warp, or peel under normal use. If you should have a problem with them I will repair them at no cost, provided the damage is not due to neglect or an accident of some sort- dropping, etc. If upon receipt of the razor you are unhappy with the quality I will refund every penny after receipt of the razor in as-shipped condition.

Razor is not shave ready.

Price includes CONUS shipping. International quoted on query.

~~$152.05~~ --> $132.05 (PENDING)

Email benjamin.kratchmer@gmail.com or send a PM through The Straight Razor Place to BKratchmer if interested.

Finish Experiments: CA Part II

2009-12-29T17:32:00.002-06:00

After last night's notable failure I looked for more information on doing CA finishes. I've seen some pretty spectacular examples, and while I can cross "easy" off the list of adjectives I still want to see that elusive wet-wood glimmer this finish purportedly offers. Thanks to some of the great folks at The Straight Razor Place I've got a new procedure to try:

Prepare surface to 2000 grit
Apply a very thin layer of CA
Dry 1 hour
Repeat 3x
Sand with 400 grit to an even layer
Repeat from Step 2 x2

With this procedure in mind I've prepared a walnut blank and put down the first layer of CA- I'm typing this while it dries. I'll update this post as the experiment goes on. (More in an hour or two!)

Finish Experiments: CA

2009-12-28T20:20:00.003-06:00

As I’ve continued to learn how much little things can make a difference in razor scaling, I’ve noticed a wide variety of finishing techniques used by restorers and hobbyists. Most of these are promoted by someone or other as a near-miraculous, easy way to get that perfect finish on your scale…

…I set out to find out which, if any, this is true of. Tonight I wanted to put to the test the CA, cyanoacrylate, finish which is often touted as being simple, foolproof, and durable. In order to test this finish I prepared a quartersawn oak blank with four sections: One fresh from the jointer, and one each sanded to 150, 400, and 1000 grit. (Right to left, below.)

Once the surface was sanded it was tacked clean and the tape removed. I set up my finishing station with a nitrile glove, superglue, and my blank and rubbed enough superglue to saturate the pores of the wood into the blank.

I left the blank to dry, being careful not to force air onto it or allow moisture to contact the surface, as this would cloud the cyanoacrylate. When it had dried, however, I found a disturbingly ‘wooly’ surface waiting for me:

These fleecy-looking glue bits were anything but soft, however. With the understanding that this could be made a beautiful, smooth surface I attacked it with 800 grit sandpaper, my usual go-to for beginning the final finish on wood. The sandpaper was far more quickly abraded than the CA, and after 30 minutes I had a pile of 800-2000 grit sandpaper and very sore fingers… and this:

You can see a clear(er) spot on the far right, with the 1000-grit surface prep, but the whole thing is consistently messy. At this point in time my verdict is that if you own a buffer, this might (might) save time, although the glue is nasty to work with. If you only have hand tools, however, you will be far better served with a simple urethane or oil finish.

What baffles me is that this is nothing like the scales I’ve seen with a CA finish, which leads me to believe that I’ve either done something horribly wrong or that a buffer and fine polishing compounds are necessary to this process. I’ll happily take any suggestions!

For tonight, though, I’ll be using an oil finish. J

FOR SALE: W&B 9/16ths in Cherry

2009-10-11T20:35:00.016-05:00

SOLD!

This is a lovely Wade & Butcher wedge, 9/16ths. Blade has been polished to a high mirror, though signs of age still exist- some small pits and stains. All are polished highly, though, and it is an attractive razor. Some original tooling marks remain, which I find pleasing.

Scales are made after the originals in American Cherry. They have been hand filed to precise standards, and the surface is even to both the eye and touch. Finished with 4 coats of polyurethane and hand-rubbed, the silk-smooth gloss finish will stand up to daily use, but look good in a large rotation display. My proprietary finishing process is tough and durable, but offers unparalleled clarity and depth. This wood is beautiful, and every angle capture different cross-grain; pictures cannot do justice.

Walnut wedge, brass pins and stacked stainless/brass washers.

This razor is NOT shave ready, but will come oiled and backed by my lifetime warranty: These scales will not loosen, crack, or warp under normal use: The finish will not separate and peel. If it should, provided no abuse was done, I will repair the problem for the cost of shipping. (I will, of course, repair accidents at a very fair price.)

Razor will ship 1st Class Insured CONUS, included in price. International prices can be quoted if requested. Comes with an itemized invoice. If dissatisfied a full refund will be offered upon receipt of razor in original condition. Email if interested, or with questions.

Thanks, Benjamin

For Sale: Scale Blanks

2009-07-24T23:36:00.001-05:00

In response to a query about sourcing for affordable scales on SRP, I began looking for a way I could fill a hole in the market: Blanks for making scales. Without a fair number of power tools it is very difficult to produce quality blanks- but as an employee in the family cabinet shop, I have access to these tools. I hereby have done my part do distribute the means of production to the people, and provide:

DIY Razor Scales

All blanks are provided with two parallel faces; most (unless prevented by grain of the wood) have one face planed. All are 1/8 in thickness, unless otherwise noted; widths vary.

Quarter-Sawn Red Oak

Nicely figured quartered oak. 1 7/16ths wide.
Size Price
7"... ...$8ea
7" x 3/16ths... SOLD OUT
6"... ...$7ea

American Cherry

Fine traditional fruitwood. Some mottling, flashing of grain. As above. 1 3/4" Wide.
Size Price

6"... ... $7ea
7"... ... $18ea

Walnut

Dark, rich nutwood. With varying degrees of figured grain. 1 3/4" wide.

Size Price
7"... ...$8ea
6"... ...$7ea

ALL of these could make two or more basic (think Torrey, Engstrom) scales; the cherry and walnut can make two fairly large freehand scales. (Pictures in a post soon)

I will include 1 piece of material of matching or contrasting wood (random unless requested) for making a wedge. This will be a generous slice, and should be enough to make an extra in case you mess the first up. (Easy to do!) I will include up to 1 of these pieces per blank purchased, by request, at no additional charge. More than that will incur a small cutting fee.

FOR $5 more I will include 2" of 1/16 solid brass rod, already annealed, 4 washers (stainless or brass).

PDF Brochure with instructions for making scales coming soon! Until then, I will be happy to answer any and all questions by email or blog. In the coming days I will also be making an online walkthrough of how I make a set of custom or traced scales.

CONUS Shipping: $3
INT'L : TBA
Questions or Orders may be sent to : benjamin.kratchmer@gmail.com

Starting Out

2009-07-22T22:55:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Benjamin. I'm a happily geeky college student who is studying religion, with minors in biology and music. (Dicking around on Facebook is not yet an academic pursuit. Perhaps for my children.)

In the last five months I have taken great interest, and later delight, in the 'lost' art of straight razor shaving- and have discovered that it is not so lost as I had thought. I've grown to love collecting and using these pieces of the past, and the delightful community at The Straight Razor Place ( www.straightrazorplace.com ) has been a tremendous help.

This blog, in coming days, will chronicle my support for straight shaving and -most significantly- the work and learning I will be doing as I restore forgotten relics.

I look forward to sharing with you, and hope we can learn a little from each the other.

-Benjamin