Ale Razors
SOME OF MY PAST WORK
Two Restored English Razors
1) Wade & Butcher: Broken tip and rust were removed. The edge was too short for a western straight razor, so I decided to make a handle and turn it into a japanese-style razor.
2) John Sellers and Sons: Blade was cleaned and scales were replaced with one made out of birdseye maple.
Filarmonica, Jose Monserrat Pou, Doble Temple, Made in Spain. Scales: birdseye maple and walnut.
Henckels 472, Ovangkol scales Bengall, T.R. Cadman & Sons. Ovangkol scales Badiou (France), bloodwood scales
Rudi Schaaf straight razor, made in Germany: This razor had heavy rust at the tip, I cut it carefully, taking care not to over heat the steel. The blade was then cleaned and sharpened. I made the scales, the wood is birdseye maple and walnut (spacer).
Shaving brush handles made of birch, maple, walnut and bloodwood
Geo Wostenholm, Sheffield, England. Scales: bloodwood and maple.
Handcrafted scales. Wood: Padauck, bloodwood, cumaru, bubinga, plumb.
Wade & Butcher: before and after restoration
19th century 17/16 Williams Greaves & Sons. Scales made of padauk and canary wood (spacer). Beautiful blade and great shaver.
STRAIGTH RAZOR MAKING
All my blades are forged in my backyard, I use a 70 pounds, American-made anvil and an Atlas mini forge.
This blank was forged from a bar of O1 steel, like the one shown in the picture.
In my small workshop I grind the blanks. I have two grinder, the one on the left is a Canadian-made grinder (Nexus) with a 2 HP motor. I use it for the initial, rough grinding. For the final work (after the heat treatments) I use the grinder on the right (Origin Blade Maker, made in USA). It has a 1.1 HP motor connected to a variable frequency drive (VFD).
And here is a finished razor. This is a San-Mai style blade, it has Damascus steel at the sides and the high carbon steel in the middle. I forge-welded these three bars of steel, these blades require more work than the regular blades, but the extra effort is worth it.