LRod's Acquisition and everything else Thread!

[LRod]

I guess I'll start biting my tongue from now on..
Here we go once again!
Every purchase has a story so here's this one:
For those that don't know,
This razor is hard to come by because they were built in very
limited quantities in Turkey. The artisan originally collaborated with
Rocnel but eventually broke that off and started making his own stuff
using a different machine shop(s).

The first ones were polished and apparently some didn't make the cut
up to his satisfaction so those were sold as "imperfect".
A few weeks ago I browsed and found that a few were selling.
They had them on eBay & their Etsy store (same amount of stock on both sites!)
Brand new, not imperfect and in the last finish they made which was brushed
matte. I watched as the current inventory started waning and when I saw that,
I made an offer that I wouldn't be able to refuse.
Well, he accepted and it's on it's way to me from Turkey!

The Barbaros website has been permanently closed as of this week (It was online last week!)
Looks like this might be it for these!
The Etsy store still shows one in stock and they've added it to the eBay stock as well, so
I'm guessing that one more is left.

The Barbaros TR-3 Open Comb with the Kalyon handle:

Well, it looks like the last Barbaros TR-3 has been bought by somebody.
So looks like this is likely the end of the Barbaros razors!
I'm happy I was able to acquire the second to last one left.
Mine has passed through NY Customs and should be delivered in the next few days.

In other news:
My brass Shield DE arrived from China today (it's in my mailbox)
and also received a 1964 Gillette Slim adjustable that I picked up for $16.
Not exactly sure how this Slim looks but we'll see when I get home.
It looks decent in the pictures!
My plan anyways is to get it sent out to Chris at Backroads Gold for a replate!
Based on the pictures and the fact that it was $16, it seemed like a perfect candidate for replating.
I'll post some pictures later on!

 

[LRod]

My friends, I'm ecstatic!
As I mentioned earlier today, I received the 1964 Gillette Slim adjustable and the Shield Brass DE.
The Shield wasn't a surprise since it's brand new but the Gillette was.
Considering the $16 price I paid, I was expecting a ($16 condition) razor to replate.
Low & behold, I've received an incredibly preserved piece that was simply dirty.
No missing plating or functional issues at all!
This was a lucky find where I was up at around 3am last week and was browsing the Bay.
The auction finished at that time (when most are asleep) and I took the chance with a low bid.
Only 2 other people had bid (also low) and I'm guessing they were sleeping. The seller presented
a dirty looking razor that looked (to me) as if it had life under the grime. But not much interest by others!
I ran it through 2 cycles in my ultrasonic cleaner (with Dawn) and brushed it between and after the cycles.
After that I dried it and hand polished it in detail with some Wenol polish.
What came out was a beautiful looking Gillette slim. It's even got it's factory painted numbers intact!
So in the end, it ain't a candidate for replating. It's staying original!!
Best $16 ever!
Anyways, here it is:

Before the cleaning:

After the cleaning:

After the polish:

And the other razor:
Another wonderful Shield, the Brass DE!
Beautiful, heavy and perfect fit & finish!
As always, these come in a nice little flip-top plastic storage box with a tuck of blades (Razolution blades which I've never tried) and a nice plastic spent razor bank. All this for like $50 bucks!
My expectations are that it will be as good (or better) than the stainless version.
It's up for tonight's shave and the Gillette Slim will be up for tomorrow's shave!

 

[LRod]

Had a shave with the Shield brass DE a little while ago.
Nothing but good things to say!
Same shave as the stainless but a little more weight and the smooth feel of brass.
It's wonderful!
Slim maneuverable head, very smooth and very efficient. The balance that'll please most.
All the Shields are excellent!
Can't recommend them enough.
Best bang for the buck!!

 

[huck1680]

Had a shave with the Shield brass DE a little while ago.
Nothing but good things to say!
Same shave as the stainless but a little more weight and the smooth feel of brass.
It's wonderful!
Slim maneuverable head, very smooth and very efficient. The balance that'll please most.
All the Shields are excellent!
Can't recommend them enough.
Best bang for the buck!!

Yes they are the best bang for your dollar...my SS DE will be here soon and the Predator is an excellent Gem razor.

 

[JAHE]

Had a shave with the Shield brass DE a little while ago.
Nothing but good things to say!
Same shave as the stainless but a little more weight and the smooth feel of brass.
It's wonderful!
Slim maneuverable head, very smooth and very efficient. The balance that'll please most.
All the Shields are excellent!
Can't recommend them enough.
Best bang for the buck!!

Congrats on your new acquisitions
It's a shame Shield doesn't ship to Germany... don't know why.
But then again, that's helpful for my wallet and my restraint.
Enjoy your finds

 

[LRod]

Got home a little while ago and found the Barbaros TR-3 OC in my mailbox!
9 days from the date of ordering to delivery from Turkey, not bad!!
Took it out of the box an immediately was mesmerized by the handle.
Definitely a unique take on handle design. I really thought that lots of knurling
was the way to go for grip but Barbaros took a different approach that seems like it'll work just
as well. It looks awesome!

Another thing is the sandblasted Matte finish. This razor is at "Wolfman" level quality.
The finish is as good as it can get. The Best finishes I've ever seen (from the razors I've owned) are from:
Wolfman (Canada), Pils (Germany), Design 94 (Germany) Tatara (Portugal) and now the Barbaros from Turkey!
I put a Lab Blue blade to see and man this thing is going to be aggressive!!
Major positive blade exposure and large blade gap!
By visually looking at the head and running my finger perpendicular to the blade, it reminds me a lot
of the Tatara Nodachi Open Comb (not the head design, just the cues I mentioned)
But hey, the Nodachi OC pulls it off by being very aggressive but very smooth. Hopefully this one can
give the same results.
We'll see tonight!

 

[LRod]

First shave with the Barbaros TR-3: Excellent!!
I think I've found an Open Comb that shaves as smooth as the Timeless .68 OC.
The difference is that this one is mega efficient. And I won't classify it as super aggressive!
Lots of blade exposure and gap but I'd be able to use it daily.
Specs: Blade exposure 1.15mm & blade gap 1.30mm!
A very deceptive razor because it's got scary specs but shaves smooth as silk.
The Tatara Nodachi OC was my #2 smoothest OC but this one beat it by a long mile.
I can't use the Nodachi OC every day!
Major blade bending and clamping is what I'm guessing contributes to this excellent combination
of shave feel & results.
And the handle & balance is absolutely fantastic. A shame they no longer make these.
I'm happy & very lucky to have picked one up before they disappeared (and at a low price!)
It's excellent!

 

[JAHE]

First shave with the Barbaros TR-3 ...
Specs: Blade exposure 1.15mm

Sweet Jesus!
We need some pics with a blade loaded...

 

[LRod]

Sweet Jesus!
We need some pics with a blade loaded...

Sorry, I forgot!
I'll take some tonight!

 

[LRod]

Sweet Jesus!
We need some pics with a blade loaded...

Here you go:

 

[JAHE]

Here you go:

View attachment 1846282View attachment 1846281View attachment 1846280View attachment 1846279

Thanks, Larry.
Looks a bit scary... I mean, look at that exposure...

 

[LRod]

Thanks, Larry.
Looks a bit scary... I mean, look at that exposure...

It's so smooth!!
Not as aggressive as it looks. Like I mentioned,
I'll be able to use as a daily shaver if I choose.
I found it scary to look at till I tried it.
It's excellent!!

 

[huck1680]

Thanks, Larry.
Looks a bit scary... I mean, look at that exposure...

 

[LRod]

Hello all,
A couple of things:
I had the first shave with the Barbaros TR-3 on Monday night which I had previously written about.
It was my nightly shave which means I had one day of growth. My one day of growth is a lot!!
Second shave was Tuesday night (last night) and I decided to also have a shave today at around
noon. I wanted to see if this monster razor can really be used daily or even twice in a 24 hour period.
I have semi-sensitive skin where I can feel some irritation if I over shave or when I use a very aggressive razor
two days in a row or with not much growth to cut.
It's safe to say that it definitely can be used as a daily razor!

Characteristics:
Blade feel (lots of blade exposure), huge blade gap, high efficiency, Open Comb, etc..
Everything that normally wouldn't be associated with a daily driver for me!
But the Barbaros pulls it off by having all those things but also being a very smooth razor.
This translates to a (soft feeling) zero irritation shave with maximum efficiency.
With 3 shaves within a 48 hour period, I can definitely say that this is an extremely good razor!

Another thing I wanted to point out,
A shout out to Reggie's Razors and their awesome customer service.
I hadn't posted about this but will now:
I mentioned that the polishing wasn't the best I've seen. And then upon detailed inspection, I then also noticed that
my stainless Saturn came with a defect that was right in the middle of the base plate. You could run your finger on the edge and feel the dip. I'm guessing it was a machining fault!
Anyways, I contacted them and Jonathan (the owner) answered back.
I told him that I had to hand polish both razors to make them perfect. Then I mentioned the defect on the
base plate and sent him pictures. He said to give him some time to investigate in order to see if they had
some issues with the machining. After a couple days he emailed me that a new base plate was on it's way
to me from the UK. I received it seven days later (today) and it's perfect!
So good on them for offering such excellent service. They're great and rate them A+

Here is a picture of the defect on the first base plate:

 

[huck1680]

It's always nice to see and hear about a company that actually cares about their own product and clientele.

 

[Eric_75]

Have a great weekend, Larry!

 

[LRod]

Have a great weekend, Larry!

You too my friend!

 

[LRod]

Mail call today!
'50-'51 Gillette Super Speed (Replated)
As you all probably know (or maybe not), Razor Emporium sells both original condition & replated vintage razors.
A couple weeks ago they put quite a few on sale. I had my eye on this one and I was able to combine the
sale price with a 15% off coupon they sent me. Meaning, I got it super cheap! It was replated by them so it looks immaculate and works like new. Beautiful razor!
I've previously only had replating experience with Chris at Backroads Gold (which I'd consider the Gold standard!)
So I was a bit weary since I didn't know how good Razor Emporium's replating is, but it looks great.
I was after this Super Speed in particular because I've read that the '47-'51 is an excellent razor and I don't have this particular model. And of course the price was right!

And in other news:
I was able to snag a 1937 Gillette Sheraton TTO Open comb on the Bay. It was one of those auctions that ended
in the middle of the night so I ended up winning it!
A beautiful hard to find gold plated open comb Gillette. It's lost it's plating but according to the seller, it's physically & functionally perfect. Considering how much these sell for, I got it at a bargain!
It's coming from Turkey and it's already on it's way.
The Sheraton will be going to Chris at Backroads Gold as soon as it arrives. It will get replated back to it's
original Gold plating. It'll hopefully come out as a showpiece!
I'll post some pictures whenever it arrives and definitely some "after replating" pictures.

Here is the Super Speed:

 

[LRod]

Another incredible cheap score!
1955 Gillette Flare tip with a brand new pack of Gillette Blue blades for $6!
I took a chance on it and hoped that it was simply grimy and nothing more.
For $6, I figured why not?
It arrived today and it looked pretty ugly when I took it out of the packaging.
Ran it through 2 cycles in the ultrasonic cleaner, brushed it with some Dawn and hot water
and quickly polished it with some Wenol.
What came out was a shiny perfect flare tip with zero plate loss, pitting or mechanical issues!
Another one that I thought possible for replating that will stay in it's original state.
Beautiful!!

Before:

After:

 

[cajunrph]

Another incredible cheap score!
1955 Gillette Flare tip with a brand new pack of Gillette Blue blades for $6!
I took a chance on it and hoped that it was simply grimy and nothing more.
For $6, I figured why not?
It arrived today and it looked pretty ugly when I took it out of the packaging.
Ran it through 2 cycles in the ultrasonic cleaner, brushed it with some Dawn and hot water
and quickly polished it with some Wenol.
What came out was a shiny perfect flare tip with zero plate loss, pitting or mechanical issues!
Another one that I thought possible for replating that will stay in it's original state.
Beautiful!!

Before:

After:

Great score there, it looks brand new.