Thread: are sanguine straight razors usable

i seen them on the not recommended list ,but I'm sure i read somewhere that someone was using them with great success

This is a useless response as I have no information, but it takes a certain amount of guts (or a certain kind of humor) to give a razor a name that means "bloody". Or "hopeful".

Come to think of it, I hope they're decent. I have that kind of humor.

I bought two of them after hearing that they are ok from another SRP member. They do well although I am told they have to be honed more frequently then some other razors. I haven't had them long enougo to really tell.
- the Sanguine cool cut with jimps on the top and bottom is the type I got. THey are not particularly expensive either. While you are ordering you can also try the XD-20 or even the Tondeo. The Tondeo looks to operate very much like the Feather Non Folding only it uses 1/2 a DE. NoOne has rated this yet.

IIRC Bill Ellis (no longer a member) reviewed them and found them "usable". However I think you will want a better one soon after you tried the Sanguine, so why not save your pennies and buy a used one on BST forum? I am afraid you'll have a hard time flogging your use Sanguine anywhere. Most of us already have a letter opener cleverly disguised as a straight.

I'll agree with the suggestion to check out their disposable straights. I have the X-D20 and did a little review of it on B&B...

Originally Posted by Tierdaen

I do think it is a bit unfair to try to lump these things together with straight razors. One reviewer said that his technique couldn't be at fault because he managed with a real straight. This is false logic; they don't use completely congruent technique and thus knowing one is not knowing the other.

I shaved with a normal straight when I was a teenager, and then switched to Machf 3 for added convenience when I was 18. Recently I got nostalgic for straights again, but remembering the extra maintenance and upkeep just turned me off. Decided to take a risk and pick one of these disposable deals up and give it a go. I live in Taiwan but the company was happy to ship internationally.

Were this thing really well-made, it would not feel as much like holding a piece of stamped sheet metal. The shank would have a more stout thickness-width ratio, the jimps would not be superficial scribe lines but a nice texture, the tip of the blade would mate more accurately to the leading edge of a DE blade (the round point helps but is still 2mm too long). The clamp could have a crimp or notch or something to assist in opening, and the grind to the edge could be just a little bit finer (though it compares well to the Feather AC in that regard already, the DE blades are thinner and don't stick out as far).

With all those little quirks, it's worth mentioning that it's priced very nicely, and you do get a lot for your money. I've dedicated more of my time on my Feather AC (mostly to justify the expense), but I am finding that I can get excellent shaves with the Sanguine these days. When I first got it, I wasn't able to get better shaves than I could get with my Mach 3, and wound up with a good bit of irritation. Now that I have the better part of the learning curve of this particular kind of tool behind me, good shaves are pretty easy now.

I guess most people don't take shavette-like razors too seriously, so there's not much of a market for high-quality ones except for the likes of Feather. The general idea floating around is that these are like "fake straights", which isn't particularly fair to those of us who like this kind of product. If the Dovo shavette or the Sanguine XD20 were closer in fit and finish to the Feather Artist Club, they could be seen as more serious tools, rather than some entry-level starting point meant to be upgraded from eventually. I got the XD20 and then shortly thereafter got a Feather AC, because while the XD20 was nice, it just didn't have the quality feeling I want from a "serious" razor.

I do think the XD20 has a valuable place in the entry-level game, and it seems to me like a good low-cost way to outfit a barber shop with nice razors. It would definitely be nice though if there was a premium model at 2x the price.

Overall I think Sanguine isn't out to produce the finest straights or straightlikes out there, but they do put out very usable and decent products at a low price-point. I will on occasion still shave with the Sanguine, even though I have a Feather now as well.

As for their more traditional straights...I'm not familiar with them.

I bought mine on e-bay came with a strop been using it for about a year in rotation with my other razors never had a problem with it shaves just as well as my other razors which I have bought from both e-bay and through SRP members maybe I got lucky

I've got one too and it works just fine. Try it does need honed a bit more often and the scales are a tad flimsy but for what I paid I'm very happy and the shaves are smooth.

-80s

Sanguine should have an ad campaign using the tagline "A Bloody Good Razor." It may not be completely true in many people's estimations - I have no opinion because I've never used one - but it would at least give many guys a bit of a chuckle.