HONING SERVICES
A properly honed and sharpened razor is the key to great straight razor shaves.
After a period of time your straight razor needs to be honed as it will lose it's sharpness and become dull. The razor will start to pull, feel harsh on your face and barely cut any hair with nothing but razor burn, nicks and cuts as a result. Most if not all new razors will not come shave ready when initially purchased. Depending daily use and beard type a straight razor will normally become dull and need to be re-sharpened several times a year.
HAVE YOUR STRAIGHT RAZOR PROFESSIONALLY HAND SHARPENED (HONED).
We offer a honing and sharpening service for new and/or used straight razors *regardless of brand, size, age, when, or where purchased. We are proud to provide the finest shaving edge possible on virtually any razor. Our many years of experience in sharpening all different brands and styles of razors makes us confident to care for your razor. If we can't get it sharp it can't get sharp!
STRAIGHT RAZOR RESTORATIONS : CUSTOM RAZOR SCALES REPLACEMENTS : RESTORES : REGRINDS
Tired of those old plastic, bakelite or celluloid straight razor handles? Are the original scales damaged or destroyed? 
Want or need to restore your scales or razor blade? Have a family heirloom razor in need of restoration? Rust, pitting or stains on the blade? Is there a nick or chip? Love to have nice looking custom made razor scales. Does the blade need some work? Regrind?. Look no further. 
We custom make scales for your beloved and cherished straight razor and specialize in different high quality, durable and maintenance free Synthetics and M3 Mokume Gane. You can even choose to have the scales re pinned with adjustable screws. 3rd pin, inlay transfers. Want a classic, simple but stylish look or a more contemporary feel. Nothing beats the beauty, warmth and sturdiness of gorgeous M3 Mokume Gane. The beauty and durability of synthetics. All our scales and custom work are done by hand in our workshop giving each set our total dedication.
Acrylics or synthetics can be G10, linen, canvas or paper Micarta, Carbon Fiber, Silver Twill, Translucent, Transparant and Opaque high quality acrylics, Moon Glow, .... M3 Mokume Gane (click for examples) comes in pattered (burl, side or face grain) or solid colors.
M3 Mokume Gane (click for more info) is a new composite material made out of contrasting M3 metals (*Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals) which share the visual characteristics, the wood grain of Mokume-Gane. It's made of 95% real metal that has been atomized down to the molecular level and combined with special chemical binders. M3 stands for "Macro Molecular Metal". *Copper, Bronze, Brass, Stainless Steel, Iron, Aluminum, Nickel Silver, Zinc, White Bronze
We have stopped offering horn, dyed/stained/epoxy wood and other wood with or without liners due to many issues in the long run and it being a piss-poor and weak choice for straight razor scales.
We also offer full regrinds mostly for the heavier grinds, wedges, 1/4 to 1/2 hollow
(depending the width) when applicable.
You can contact us for any information, you can also look at our photo gallery , before and after of restores, restorations and custom made work of various straight razors, vintage, antique or recent, get some answers in our FAQ and read some of the happy customer testimonials and feedback.
CUSTOM STRAIGHT RAZORS
I offer custom made straight razors. These razors are all made from scratch in house. From the bare metal, master grind, heat treat, quenching, tempering, final grinding, hand sanding and scales. Each razor gets my full attention. Customers that know me, also know I'm a perfectionist, don't rush into things and take as much time as needed to perfect my work. The passion for straight razors and the positive feedback I receive from my customers is what keeps me going. For me it is an art, not a factory mass produced item that has no soul.
Elegant, traditional, timeless, stylish, avantgarde, eye for detail, form, functional and excellent craftsmanship are my main objectives when working on any of my custom straight razors. Offerings will either be listed for sale online or I can be contacted for information on custom orders.
vintage straight and Gillette DE safety razors
A razor with a blade that can fold into its handle is called a straight razor, sometimes also called cut-throat or open razors. Straight razors were once the principal method of manual shaving. Straight razors still hold a huge market share with many forums and outlets providing you with all the information and help needed. There is also an active market for antique, vintage and restored straight razor collectibles. They do however require some skill to maintain, hone, strop and use correctly.
We also offer several vintage straight razors, custom or original, Gillette DE razors or any other shaving related items for sale. We always try to choose from a variety of models and different prices to suit everyone. Some will be fifty years old or less - some a hundred years old or more. All our straight razors come pre honed, cleaned, sterilized, polished and are always sold shave ready!
These razors can be used for your daily shaving routine or as a collectors item. We try to offer really nice, clean and excellent shavers! All our vintage razors go through a thorough inspection and are considered sold as and final. We guarantee all our razors to be honed, shave ready and manually inspected but in the worst case scenario you can always contact us with any problems that might have arisen so we can evaluate the situation.
What does shave ready mean?
Simply that the razor’s edge is ready - without stropping - to give you a shave right away. You will, of course, need to strop the razor before your next shave just as any other. A good strop is essential for maintaining the shaving edge of a straight razor.
One of the most important aspects of enjoying straight razor shaving is to have a blade that has been sharpened to it’s full potential. This will provide you with a completely clean, comfortable and very close shave that we straight razor users enjoy so much. Most new razors do not come ready to shave when initially purchased. In addition a razor will normally become dull and need to be re-sharpened several times a year depending on daily use and on beard type.
more info*
advantages
There are several reasons why modern straight users favor the use of a straight razor.
Many are attracted to the nostalgia of shaving with the old and traditional art of shaving with a straight razor. It's very masculin to use and most people are into the 'going green' aspect of it and are mostly interested in reducing the waste of disposable blades. Still many other users agree that because of the larger blade and much greater control including blade angle, one can achieve a superior shave. Because the cutting edge of a straight razor is much longer that any other shaving tool on the market the razor covers a much greater area per shaving stroke!
A straight razor needs less cleaning and rinsing during a shave, don't get clogged and can be used for any type of beard or hair grow. They also tend to remedy 'razor bumps' aka 'pseudofolliculitis barbae' which affects many multi-edge razors.
There's also the satisfaction of maintaining your own blade, aesthetic, practical and collecting razors involved. It's known that a well kept razor can be passed on from generation to generation. The active market for antique, vintage and restored razors is growing everyday and many collectors use their razors for shaving too.
Razor strops and honing
Razors can be sharpened and refreshed using strops with wooden handles where the razor can be "pushed" along the strop (paddle strop), or razors can be sharpened using hanging strops, in some cases with a knob made of fine cow-hide or smooth Russian-type leather with which the strop can be hung up. Some of these strops have a hemp tube on the reverse side which serves to position the sharp edge in the direction indicated by the razor. If necessary, the leather side can be coated with a thin layer of fine grinding and/or polishing paste (Dovo's red and black paste, diamond paste, chromium oxide,...), and subsequently worked in with the palm of the hand. Sharpening is effected at a plane angle with the back of the razor on the razor strop; it should be first be drawn away from the body. When changing direction, the razor should be turned with its back to the strop and then drawn towards the body. If the cutting edge of the razor faces the strop while the razor is being turned, it will become round and lose its cut. In this case, only regrinding by a specialist will help.
some famous brands
Allegany, Friodur, Waterville, Genco, Geneva , W.R. Case & Sons, Winchester, Sta Sharp, Craftsman, Dorko, Dubl Duck, Dovo, Bismarck, Puma, Boker, J.A. Henckels, Twin Works, Zwillingwerk AG, Friodur, Inox, No Stain, Imperial, Wade & Butcher,Thiers Issard, Dovo, George Wostenholm, Lakeside Cutlery Co, Lecoultre, Koeller's, T Hessen Bruch, Richard Abraham Herder, Bengall, Ontario Cutlery, 120 Gotta, Shapleigh hardware Co, Schulze Weyer, Cmon, J.R. Torrey, Frederick Reynolds, Keen Kutter, Red Imperial, Ern Crown & Sword, Joseph Allen & Sons, C.V Heljestrand, Otto Busch Weltmeister - Worldmaster, Friedmann and Lauterjung, F.A Clauberg & Co, American knife Co, Steinbruch & Drucks, Hans Otto Deutsch, Osgar regd 862 3/4, Extol, Case Red Imperial trademark, Giesen & Forsthoff, Ator Ern, J.C. Eaton Lyndonville, Fromm Bros. , Otto Fromm Cutlery, Biedermeier, R.H. Whitney Perfect 73, Joseph Rodgers & Sons, J.P. Filos Bros, The radiumite Co., Joh. Engström, Bona Fide Beckher Otte Inc. N.Y, Aristocrat, Devry B.S. Co. - Evansville, Ind., The Claus Shear Works, Bowdins, Griffon, J. Wostenholm Ebro, George Wostenholm Celebrated I-XL,Spike Union Cutlery,W.J. Donovan Bay State 400,F.A. Koch & Co, James Barlow & Sons, Shumate Razor Co, Antelope, Cattaraugus Little Valley N.Y., Blue Bell Panamex, Manchester Razor Co, W.J. Gilmore & Co, C-Mon, Carl Monkhouse, Peter J Michels, Filarmonica, Kikuboshi, Gold Bug A. White, Black Diamond,C.M. Clung & Co.Wm Elliot & Co., De Pew, Brand & Co Belfast The Bismarck, Max Dorner, Red Demon, Cosswell lab Inc, Joseph Elliot Bill Ellis, Robert Williams, RC Allman,Wester Bros, Kropp,Grah & Plümacher,Trusteel,John Heiffor,Joseph Allen & Sons, Berkshire Cutlery Co., Allentown. PA, Cutlery Works, Real Red Point Razor, Harris Brothers & co., Silver King,
