Thread: New Zealand Honemeister?

he's actually a member on here! sboness - you can email him direct from his profile - let me know if you can't find it and I'll try and PM you his details

For what its worth there is a honing service available from
gentlemansblade@hotmail.co.nz who I purchased a strop from, $20 for a basic honing (no significant chips etc) - I've not had it done so I cant say if its any good or not. I'm not even sure where they're located.

Trade Me - Listings from gentlemansblade is him on trademe. I've got a number of razors that need honing as well

Originally Posted by samgab

My recent interest in straight razor shaving has shown that there is a real hole in the New Zealand market, Auckland in particular in my case, for this type of thing.
Someone (oh if only I had the capital) needs to start up a tiny little brick and mortar boutique store (Blade and Badger? Straight Steel? SRNZ (Straight Razors of New Zealand)?) that specializes in old school shaving apparatus.
Quality straight razors, strops, water-stones, pastes, badger brushes, soaps, aftershaves, pre-shave oils, all the paraphernalia, plus a quality honing service... That would be heaven!

Someone please open that here in Auckland?

Actually, I'd probably spend all my money (what very little there is) there, so on second thoughts, DON'T open that here...

Hi samgab, here in the US there is a chain of wet shaving supplies call "The Art of Shaving" or AOS as is referred in this forum. Its all high quality wet shaving products. The store has introduced more people to wet shaving than anything else. I went to buy some cream from my son for his birthday and a month later I order my first str8 razor after doing my research in this forum. So there is a market for high quality wet shaving in general. My younger son uses a Fusion Gillette with the AOS products, my oldest is using a DE and wants to try str8 razor and me, I stared right from electrics to str8.

I don't know how the banks work in New Zeland, but if you can convince them that there is a market, they would lend you money here in the states. I think Gillette owns AOS, however, don't know if they have franchises overseas.

So you're not so far off thinking like that. Good luck Double O

Hi,

I have nothing much to add to what others have said but I did enquire at the Mt Eden House of Knifes regarding getting a razor honed and was told by one of the floor staff that they have a razor honer working for them that is an expert of honing and visits Germany ones a year to brush up his razor and honing knowledge.

I was also told that other shops such as the Shaver Shop would also sent their customer razors to him as he was one of the only professional master razor honers in Auckland, or so I was told.

So possibly it is only the Mt Eden branch that has the professional honer and I would not recommend contemplating taking the razor to another branch.

I can’t confirm or deny any of the above it is just what sales assistants have told me.

The time I made the inquiry to get my razor honed he was out of the country for 6 weeks in Europe late last year and I never got around to taking my razor back there. However I manage to hone it up the best I could on my Belgian Coticule with the slurry stone, then Chromium Oxide on balsa and it shaves now, although I am no expert.

Also within walking distance of the Mt Eden Branch of the House of Knifes is Lapco Leather on 5 Akiraho Street and they have a retail outlet store where you can buy offcuts of various types of leather if you are contemplating making up a strop or cut up one being a beginner (as I did) you may be able to replace the leather depending on your strop hardware if you need to New Zealand Leather Supplies Supplier - Lapco for Leather, NZ

Ps, shaving with a straight, honing, stropping and everything else is like a jigsaw, one day all the pieces are finally going to come together.

Best of luck.

Originally Posted by samgab

My recent interest in straight razor shaving has shown that there is a real hole in the New Zealand market, Auckland in particular in my case, for this type of thing.
Someone (oh if only I had the capital) needs to start up a tiny little brick and mortar boutique store (Blade and Badger? Straight Steel? SRNZ (Straight Razors of New Zealand)?) that specializes in old school shaving apparatus.
Quality straight razors, strops, water-stones, pastes, badger brushes, soaps, aftershaves, pre-shave oils, all the paraphernalia, plus a quality honing service... That would be heaven!

Someone please open that here in Auckland?

Actually, I'd probably spend all my money (what very little there is) there, so on second thoughts, DON'T open that here...

Dunno what the usual terminology is for you blokes in Un Zud, but they're called cut-throats here in Oz (as a general rule anyway). Aside from that little whinge, I would like to see a cut-throat/DE and accessories, with onsite honing offered, type shop open up here too. At the moment it is what you can get from the internet or what limited and uneducated stuff and information you can get from the 'Shaver Shop' franchise. I don't recommend Shaver shop for much other than slightly over priced merchandise.


Mick

Originally Posted by planetocean

Hi,

I have nothing much to add to what others have said but I did enquire at the Mt Eden House of Knifes regarding getting a razor honed and was told by one of the floor staff that they have a razor honer working for them that is an expert of honing and visits Germany ones a year to brush up his razor and honing knowledge.

I was also told that other shops such as the Shaver Shop would also sent their customer razors to him as he was one of the only professional master razor honers in Auckland, or so I was told.

So possibly it is only the Mt Eden branch that has the professional honer and I would not recommend contemplating taking the razor to another branch.

I can’t confirm or deny any of the above it is just what sales assistants have told me.

That would fit in with what I was told in Wellington.
Because it is a branch store, Wellington will accept razors for honing (as it's a House of Knives service) but they send them up to the guy in Auckland.
At no extra cost

Originally Posted by MickR

Dunno what the usual terminology is for you blokes in Un Zud, but they're called cut-throats here in Oz (as a general rule anyway). Aside from that little whinge, I would like to see a cut-throat/DE and accessories, with onsite honing offered, type shop open up here too. At the moment it is what you can get from the internet or what limited and uneducated stuff and information you can get from the 'Shaver Shop' franchise. I don't recommend Shaver shop for much other than slightly over priced merchandise.

Mick

There might be an opening for Sam to expand internationally....mmmmmmm

Sam already stocks some DE's, CT's and Strops. Get him started on a honing service perhaps?!


Mick

Got my Bengal back today, seems like a good hone but to tell the truth it hard for me to really know. I guess experience is the only thing that will change that.

Next day service, $16 NZD- I also visited the Leather outlet store around the corner and picked up a new strip of leather 3"x20" for $5 NZD.- will let know how it

Hi everyone

I'm another newbie on the traditional wet shaving front. I'm currently living in South Africa but moving to Cambridge, New Zealand in a few weeks.

About a month ago I was searching the web for tips on shaving for ance prone and sensitive skin and stumbled upon the world of DE razors and the classic straight.

So currently im using a Lion DE razor with some no name brand brush and a shaving soap that cost more that my DE and brush put together.

It was what I could get my hands on asap after being exposed to this brotherhood.

The shaves have been decent and good enough not to want to return to my plastic counterparts. And of course my skin feels amazing.

I need advice on getting a starter set together for straight razor shaving but have no idea what to do, firstly what is available in Cambridge or at least Hamilton and also what is it that I need.

At this stage a double sided strop, good brush and straight is what I feel comfortable with and seems in reach money wise, but what about honing stones, stropping pastes and all that jazz, is it needed for a weekly shave or can i do without it and just send my straight to the closest honing service guy.

Would really love some advice

P.S. I'm currently having a look at cutlerroad. Co.nz starter set for $200. It includes a really nice restored Bengal straight, double sided strop and badger brush.