Thread: Solingen razor questions

Hey guys,

I am originally from Los Angeles but I am doing a masters degree in Lyon, France. For my birthday a couple months back by girlfriend bought me a straight razor from a really classy knife shop here in Lyon. We are both students so I think she bought the cheapest one she could get. It's all white (feels like plastic) scales and the blade is a round-tipped basic blade (no writing on the blade). One the blade near the scales it says "Solingen, Made in Germany" but there is no other writing on the blade and it came without a box. So... the questions...

Question 1: I have been searching everywhere online and I cant find this razor anywhere! I want to figure out if this is stainless or carbon steel. How would I find that out?

Question 2: The lady who sold it to my girlfriend told her that it was shave ready and I have been shaving with it (daily stroping, of course) since the end of october. I find that I sometimes have to make 3 or 4 passes (sometimes against the grain) to get a real close shave. Was she lying to me or was it really "shave ready"?

Question 3: If it is not shave ready, will it suffice to strop it on the CrO2 side of my paddle strop (Streich-Reimen paddle strop, came with CrO2 paste already on one side of the strop) or should I send it in to Lynn Abrams to have it honed? The problem is that it's really expensive to send stuff from france to the US and the French postal service loses packages all the time. I wouldnt want to lose this razor and I dont know of any companies that hone straights in france, nor do i know if i would trust them. Dont get me wrong, I love France but man, only after living abroad for a couple years do you start to realize how much easier and logical things are in the USA.

Question 4: Right after I started shaving with it I noticed small brownish/black translucent spots that are starting to appear not at the blade edge but closer to the spine. Is this rust or just water spots? I bought some Dremel #421 polishing compound but dont have a dremel tool. Ive also read that this sort of polishing compound can be bad for blades depending on the metal they are made of. Someone at a cutlery shop here in France recommended that I use "Laine d'acier 000" translated as Steel Wool 000. Im assuming the 000 refers to a very fine grit steel wool. Do you recommend this?

Thanks again for helping out a newbie.
-Paul the expat.

Hi and Welcome!

Question1:
It would help to see some photos of the blade and maybe you should visit the shop where your girlfriend picked it up and ask about it. Some blades are made in pakistan and then assembled in germany in order to exploit a loophole. Such razors are recognizable for their terrible shaves. As far as the metal type goes, stainless is not magnetic. Carbon is highly magnetic. Find a magnet, have fun!

Question2:
Is the razor pulling? Pulling instead of smooth shaving may be a sign that it needs to be sharpened. As for multiple passes, most members here do multiple passes: 1 with the grain (WTG), 1 across the grain (XTG) and 1 against the grain (ATG). Pulling and less than close shaves can also be: angle, beard prep, general technique etc. I would recommend getting a Double Edge razor blade and feeling it lightly with a moist thumb. Note how the blade seems to "stick" to your thumb pad and then feel your straight razor (after stropping) and see if it feels the same way. It should "stick" too. Ultimately the shave is the one true test.

Question3:
This question is almost impossible to answer without seeing the blade first hand. The answer I would give here is maybe. You can't hurt the blade by trying with proper technique. CrOx will only carry you so far and you will have to hone the blade again eventually. I would suggest that you find a honemiester in europe, get the blade properly honed so you will know what shave ready is supposed to feel like, then consider getting a touch up hone (like a yellow coticule) and learning to touch up the blade when needed.

Question4:
Sounds like water spots. A polishing paste such as flitz, maas, simichrome etc should do just fine if hand rubbed into the blade. Additionally, prevention might be in order here. Dry the blade thoroughly after each use and store it in a dry place (possibly even with a light coat of mineral or olive oil). I would hold off on the Dremel paste. It may be too aggressive. 0000 steel wool may be okay and folks have also used tinfoil that has been wadded up.

Hope this helps! I know that there is a french straight razor site too, but I am unsure of the URL/Name etc. It might be a good source for finding a honemiester local to you!


-Rob

Hi Paul.
If it says Made in Solingen it was made in Solingen Germany. Hopefully! Solingen = good.
If you are able to shave with it, it is probably not too far off shave ready, but I doubt it would 'hold a candle 'to a well honed razor.
I would buy a razor from theinvisibleedge.co.uk seeing as your in Europe-no extra tax to pay.
Steve the owner is soon to be selling Theirs-Issard French razors too! Hiis razors are further honed by his own fair hand, he is a very very good honer.
He also sells vintage blades that he has brought up to shave readyness. These are often the real bargains.
He will hone your current razor properly for about 15ish Euros.
His shop has all the gear you need too.
M

Originally Posted by sicboater

Hi and Welcome!

Question1:
It would help to see some photos of the blade and maybe you should visit the shop where your girlfriend picked it up and ask about it. Some blades are made in pakistan and then assembled in germany in order to exploit a loophole. Such razors are recognizable for their terrible shaves. As far as the metal type goes, stainless is not magnetic. Carbon is highly magnetic. Find a magnet, have fun!

Question2:
Is the razor pulling? Pulling instead of smooth shaving may be a sign that it needs to be sharpened. As for multiple passes, most members here do multiple passes: 1 with the grain (WTG), 1 across the grain (XTG) and 1 against the grain (ATG). Pulling and less than close shaves can also be: angle, beard prep, general technique etc. I would recommend getting a Double Edge razor blade and feeling it lightly with a moist thumb. Note how the blade seems to "stick" to your thumb pad and then feel your straight razor (after stropping) and see if it feels the same way. It should "stick" too. Ultimately the shave is the one true test.

Question3:
This question is almost impossible to answer without seeing the blade first hand. The answer I would give here is maybe. You can't hurt the blade by trying with proper technique. CrOx will only carry you so far and you will have to hone the blade again eventually. I would suggest that you find a honemiester in europe, get the blade properly honed so you will know what shave ready is supposed to feel like, then consider getting a touch up hone (like a yellow coticule) and learning to touch up the blade when needed.

Question4:
Sounds like water spots. A polishing paste such as flitz, maas, simichrome etc should do just fine if hand rubbed into the blade. Additionally, prevention might be in order here. Dry the blade thoroughly after each use and store it in a dry place (possibly even with a light coat of mineral or olive oil). I would hold off on the Dremel paste. It may be too aggressive. 0000 steel wool may be okay and folks have also used tinfoil that has been wadded up.

Hope this helps! I know that there is a french straight razor site too, but I am unsure of the URL/Name etc. It might be a good source for finding a honemiester local to you!


-Rob

Hey thanks for your quick reply. I cant believe I didnt think of the magnet thing myself.
So outcome... the blade is definitely carbon.
Also, in regards to the quality of the shave. I dont have a full face of facial hair yet (its pretty scraggly, but im definitely getting there) and the thickest hair (also the most densely packed) grows around my chin. I definitely notice that when shaving around that area the razor definitely feels like its pulling and it can even be painful at times. Being a newbie, I took all of this in stride thinking that it was normal. I guess it isnt.
Ill post some pictures of the blade soon.

so pictures...
as you can (hopefully) see in the 3rd picture. there are small dots that look like potential rust and dont come off with alcohol, water, or just plane rubbing the blade.
suggestions as to what you think it might be?
Thanks!

Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale

Hi Paul.
If it says Made in Solingen it was made in Solingen Germany. Hopefully! Solingen = good.

Not completely true.
If the last production step of the knife/razor is done in Solingen you can stamp is with "made in Solingen".
So a certain razor can be made in China but if the last production step, like adding the scales, is done in Solingen the razor can be stamped 'made in Solingen'.

so i guess there is no way to know if it's a real Solingen or not? Not that it matters. At this point in my life im just worried about getting a good shave out of the thing. When I want a collectors item ill buy a vintage blade and restore it.

I think you are going to need to send it to someone who can hone it and possibly observe their progress under a microscope while doing so. A good honemiester would be able to tell if the steel is able to take the edge you need it to.

Again, Good luck and let us know how it all turns out!

Originally Posted by littlesilverbladefromwale

Hi Paul.
If it says Made in Solingen it was made in Solingen Germany. Hopefully! Solingen = good.
If you are able to shave with it, it is probably not too far off shave ready, but I doubt it would 'hold a candle 'to a well honed razor.
I would buy a razor from theinvisibleedge.co.uk seeing as your in Europe-no extra tax to pay.
Steve the owner is soon to be selling Theirs-Issard French razors too! Hiis razors are further honed by his own fair hand, he is a very very good honer.
He also sells vintage blades that he has brought up to shave readyness. These are often the real bargains.
He will hone your current razor properly for about 15ish Euros.
His shop has all the gear you need too.
M

So I contacted Steve and here's what he had to say.

----

Hi Paul -

It's difficult to say. The Chinese have no scruples re putting the Solingen name about and it is hard to tell from the photos much of anything - except one thing. That is the pivot pin. In pic 2 I can see it clearly and it is exactly like those I use (German) and the ones on Dovo razors. It's a heade pin rather than a bit of wire bar that's peened over both ends - as tends to be the case with cheap chinese and pakistani razors. The scales look reasonably well made but that pivot pin does look a bit off-centre (might be the angle though). The spots are definitely a bit of corrosion and that's a worry. Spotting like that can result from impurities in the steel and is generally not a good sign.

All in all, a tough call but I have a feeling it could just be a cheap German razor than a Chinese import.

-------

He's probably right about those spots because they appeared almost immediately after using it for the 1st time. I guess... better a cheap german razor than a chinese import, right?

In any case, thanks for the advice everyone