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Beau Brummel Show and Tell

Because of a very recent experience, I thought I'd start a thread for a razor that doesn't get much attention on the board: the Beau Brummel. Normally I wouldn't post about high quality, overlooked razors because that usually results in a rapid increase in prices. The Brummel (n.b. only one "L" in Brummel), however, is already a pretty scarce razor that commands good prices so one hopes no more harm is done.

From what I've learned, these were made in Germany, by different makers and imported under the Brummel Werk brand. Sometime in the 40's or 50's, the brand was purchased by Bresduck, the same company that imported the Dubl Duck brand. After the acquisition, the "Werk" got dropped from the razor marking. This should help you date any that you own or find.

I first came across one a year ago when another member with whom I'd become friends and done a bunch of trading mentioned that he had three straights and wanted to try straight shaving. I said to send them to me and I'll get 'em cleaned and honed. I don't remember the other two razors, but one of them was this Beau Brummel, Brummel Werk, #14.

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Sometimes you know in the first couple of strokes that you've got a good razor and that's how I felt as soon as it hit the hone. It took a spectacular edge and I shaved with it that night. What an amazing little razor. Efficient. Sharp. Smooth around the corners. My friend offered to let me have it, he preferred the other two, but I told him no and that it was the best razor of the bunch and I was sending it back to him.

Fast forward a year to the past week and I dropped my friend a note telling him I needed some stones I'd lent him a while before and asked how he was enjoying the Brummel. He confessed that all the work required of straights had gotten to him and he was using DE's exclusively again, but that he'd get my hones back right away. When I got the package with my stones in it, he'd included the Brummel. A tremendous act of generosity as I'd never thought I'd own one. They don't come up often and they almost never come up at a decent price.

Just finished shaving with this one and it's not been honed for a year. Just some laps on cotton and leather and then another great shave. I did some quick, but not thorough searching for more #14s but I couldn't find any. Lots of #35s and #18s but no 14s.

Now that I've showed you mine, show us yours and any interesting story around it.
 
This is the first 14 I've seen. I have read only good things about Brummel. I have honed and shaved with one and was impressed with the blade.
 
Haven't seen another myself. Can't imagine they're that rare, though. Would like to find a pic of an original one since I don't think these are original scales. The wedge pin is silver and the pivot one is brass.
 
Here's my Beau Beummel, not a razor but the next best thing.
 

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Those BB people had an awful lot to say on their strops, didn't they. That's a handsome piece of kit. Do you use it?
 
Yeah I do use it randomly. It was folded in half and put into a case with other barber stuff for a long time so the leather has a bend in the middle. I used some stop conditioner from classic shaving.com and rubbed it in real good. It helped a lot but still has a little bend in it. I'm sure this happens a lot to old strops. I'm not sure how to get it back to hanging perfectly straight again? Also I would like to clean up the linen side but I'm not sure how to?
 
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