Anyone try a razor from Darrel Ralph?

[GarageBoy]

http://www.darrelralph.com/1mainframe.htm?ddr_knives_sr_main.htm~main
He's a great knife maker and his razors look great, clay temper on certain models for a harder edge, custom materials, etc, but I've never used a straight razor before.

Any opinions?

 

[moses]

Interesting.... Not cheap, but they at least look like nice work. Honestly, the design of the scales doesn't do it for me, but that's just a personal thing. It would be interesting to hear from somebody who tried one. Where are you Joel? Time to add another to the list.....

-Mo

 

[Thebigspendur]

I had looked at his site when he started making them but I didn't like the scale design. They appeared to me to be more display types than users. With his reputation I'm sure they are very high quality blades though.

 

[Taz]

I have not but the couple folks I have talked to that have say they are display pieces and not great shavers at all but once again just hearsay but they were for lack of better words straight experts

 

[joel]

I picked one up second hand, honed it - honed it and honed it... never could get an edge that shaved all that smoothly, and sold it on knifeforums.

Nice looking, but HORRIBLY balanced, and don't shave well at all. I'd pass in a big way.

I have some of his knives though, and THEY are nice ;-)

 

[Taz]

I picked one up second hand, honed it - honed it and honed it... never could get an edge that shaved all that smoothly, and sold it up knifeforums.

Nice looking, but HORRIBLY balanced, and don't shave well at all. I'd pass in a big way.

Well I did not want to get that to the point because it was second hand but that is exactly what I heard

 

[izlat]

Thanks for the beta - I myself thought they are too modern for me and this would have been a show-stopper by itself. Coupled with the other issues - "don't even think about it"

I wonder why some master knifemakers have problems with making razors that shave well? I know they are different (to hone, for example) but otherwise what's the major issue - it's still a piece of steel with a relatively simple grind (in most cases) that has to be heat treated to some 60 or so HRC... (I understand about balance, etc. - this is secondary - can probably be fixed to a large degree by experimenting with different scales / wedges)

Cheers
Ivo

 

[GarageBoy]

The latest one I handled from him was meant to be a user. Nice weight, clay temper, complete with hamon line

 

[Amyn]

Took a glance at the website. Razors seems a bit over priced. I would go for other custom razors. Also I am not a fan of the designs.

 

[BillEllis]

Thanks for the beta - I myself thought they are too modern for me and this would have been a show-stopper by itself. Coupled with the other issues - "don't even think about it"

I wonder why some master knifemakers have problems with making razors that shave well? I know they are different (to hone, for example) but otherwise what's the major issue - it's still a piece of steel with a relatively simple grind (in most cases) that has to be heat treated to some 60 or so HRC... (I understand about balance, etc. - this is secondary - can probably be fixed to a large degree by experimenting with different scales / wedges)

Cheers
Ivo

Ivo...

I've had one that was difficult to hone and that was because it was heat treated a tad too hard. But part of the problem was also my own goof. I thought I had it dialed in and as it turned out, the bevel wasn't properly honed. I have since fixed that. The other problem is that knife makers grind one side of the blade at a time, rotate it 180 and then do the other side.

Stainless is also a bit harder to work than carbon steel. Forming the hollow grind by eye on both sides down to a necessary .006 - .008 is difficult because heat from the belts can kill the blade. Therefore, some makers only grind to .010 at the cutting edge, which makes it a tad harder to hone. Razors made back in the day were made on a machine that utilized two wheels and water to keep things cool. The opposing wheels also allowed to set them so very thin blades could be made. Here is one of them.

I also had a damascus razor made by another maker that never did come up to snuff because the two metals would micro chip easily once it got too thin at the cutting edge. The steel for that blade came from one of the best damascus makers in the country, but it just didn't work very well. Damascus works good for knives and it was revolutionary hundreds of years ago for strength, but it can be a problem when used in straight razors. Some of the powdered damascus recently brought on the market are ok and if those with a pattern running parallel to the edge will function better than if the pattern runs at a 90 to the edge. In either case, damascus on a straight razor is more for looks than function.

 

[rickw]

I have a couple of his DDR-3 kit knives.

 

[60CycleHum]

Bill,

If was a picture of your grinder, I would love to see a movie of you grinding a razor from a wedge to a hollow.

Bob

 

[izlat]

Bill -

Thank you for the explanation, I understand a bit more now. I also think I remember this Damascus...

Cheers
Ivo