Smythe
Well-Known Member
Bart said:I don't think this thread is an "exercise in futility", unless all relaxed converstations between gentlemen in a pub ought to be considered exercises in futility. Perhaps they are, but my life would be dull without them.
But the true merit of this thread is that less experienced straight razor buyers are served with a number of examples that show what to watch out for on today's market of second hand razors. It also allows us to look at a few cases through the eyes of seasoned collectors of seviceable razors, such as the venerable Cedrick Smythe. I find that highly interesting and illuminating. I hope this thread will go on for a long time.
Then we have the peculiar case of Dubl' Duck Razors. I don't know who originally made that "they're all ground by apprentices"-remark, but there's something very strange with that:
First of all, I have seen and honed several Dubl' Ducks, mostly Goldedges and Satinedges but also a number of other models. Apprentices or not, without exception the grinds were flawless. Also the scales are of classic beauty, perhaps a bit too classic with those bucolic little ducks, but hey, that's exactly the kind of ornaments my grandparents loved. As I understand it, Bresnick was a large seller in the US, so we can hardly blame them for choosing a design that appealed to the masses. Nonethless, every aspect of the Dubl'Duck razors I have seen was very well executed. I also think you can't blame them for having Celluloid as scale mateiral. For a razor that needs to serve half a century, it's a perfect material, certainly at the kind of storage conditions that someone, who actually uses the razor, would provide for. We must accept that razors were not intended for collectioning in the far future, but for shaving, and we can't blame the original manufacturer for not using a most durable material.
Secondly, there's someting not quite right with apprentices doing thin grinds. No doubt, the thin grinds are the most difficult to perform. They come, form evolutionary viewpoint, after the beefier grinds. With a stiffer grind, one can get away with slight uneveness without compromising the stiffness of the blade, and without the risk of grinding right through it. "Singing" razors are not for nothing more expensive. They require more work and better craftsman. Dubl' Ducks are indeed always very thinly ground. That makes them easier (read: quicker) to sharpen, and they will also take good keenness, because that is what narrow bevels do. At least when the steel is good for it, which is the case with all German razors.
In essence, Dubl' Ducks are no different than any other Solingen razor with that kind of very thin grind. Whether those bucolic scales are worth the extra bucks to get one, is a decision of a personal nature. I don't own one myself, but I have a few other very thin blades.
Kind regards,
Bart.
I guess I just feel that way as a collector seeing the results of cell rot on some valuable pieces. So when I say “durability of celluloid” I am referring to leaving the razor in an enclosed box for decades, the acidic gases from the celluloid scales will build up and slowly tarnish the steel. On the other hand, if the Straight Razor was still “the most popular form of shaving” then Cell Rot would be a moot point. Razors would be used more often (daily?) so the gasses wouldn’t build up in the box in the first place.
But other than that minor flaw (and the fact that most folks believe celluloid will somehow “detonate”), celluloid was, and still is, one of the best plastics ever invented by man, and in my opinion better than modern Acrylic, if not anything else but for its toughness and workability… yes, it is durable… just don’t leave the razor it in an enclosed box for more than a decade… give or take a few years.
Also all plastics (both modern and vintage) will disintegrate. This is because some of the volatile chemicals that make the plastic will slowly “out-gas”. Heat, UV and other forms of radiation will accelerate the brake-down (the plastic on your car’s dashboard for example), when this happens the plastic will lose volume (shrink).
So if you ever wondered why razor scales with metal inlay is warped, it is because the plastic around the metal inlay shrinks over time, but the metal inlay attached to the front scale will not shrink, so the front scale will warp throwing the butt end out of center or sometimes the inlay will “buckle” (it’s a similar effect of the bi-metallic strip). Shrinking scales can cause the blade to eventually contact the wedge spacer making the scales appear "too short" for the blade (Temprite, DD and Genco "wedge model" razors with transparent scales are a good example). Shrinking scales can also cause the wedge spacer appear “over-sized” and become loose, this is because the scales “shrink in 3D” so the thickness gets smaller too (bear that in mind of you plan to make new scales to look like the originals… I discovered that the hard way).
Sigh… That’s a mouthful… or a pagefull.
