My recent Durham Duplex experience.

[Finnigan]

Okay, a while back I had been interrested in purchasing one of these, but was told acquiring blades might be problematic. I dropped the idea and went to real straights.

Not too long ago I was telling my step-brother about straight shaving and he was interrested. I decided I'd try to get him started. I was going to give him one of my messier, but usable straights to try out. I even had a strop I could loan him. I figured I'd buy him a cheap VanderHagen brush and soap to start him off. I figured though it might not be too long before he'd need that razor honed again, and I do have a strop I could lend him, but eventually I'd like it back. I DID pull out the razor I intended to give him though, and used it to make sure it was still shaving sharp.

As it happens, we had the carpet replaced at my place of employment. Sure enoughthe knives they were using used slotted DE blades that looked like they would fit a Durham Duplex. I asked the job boss where he gets them, and he said you can get them in any Home Depot in the carpet section (I have not verified this). He said they are about $20 for a box of 100 blades (again, I haven't verified this). When I told him why I was interrested he gave me a couple of blades. I also happened to tell him I knew an antique store near him that happened to have a couple Durham Duplexes for sale and he seemed interrested as he thought his Fusion cartridges were too expensive(I haven't heard from him since, and probably won't have cause to cross paths with him again, but who knows; maybe I made a convert).

So, now I had blades to try. I hit eBay and picked up a Duplex for under $10. I made sure I bought one that included what research has be believing is called a "stropping attachment." My research also turned up one person who mentioned the carpet blades and considered them not good enough to shave. However, I figured I wasn't putting out much money, so it was worth a try. I received the Duplex, cleaned it up and installed a blade with the safety attachment. The blade moved around slightly without too much force which was a bit disconcerting, but I made sure it was at least straight and parallel with the guard and was determined to give it a try.

The next morning I gave it a whirl. It took a bit of getting used to to find the correct angle with the safety guard, but I must say it did make me feel pretty safe, and I whipped through my stubble pretty quickly. Another thing that was interresting is because the guard is on one side of the blade, you hold the razor differently to do the opposite side of your face (difficult to explain, but basically you hold the razor upside down). The shave was a bit on the harsh side, but not too much worse than I had been getting with a few of my straights; and actually equevilant to one or two I have.

The next day I decided to put the stropping attachment on instead of the safety attachment, and the razor performed and felt MUCH more like a straight, and I got a decent shave. I ALSO stropped the razor when I was doen for 30 passes on ly paddle. It felt though as if the stropping angle was a bit harsh, and I didn't like the sound it made as I was stropping. It sounded rough. I made a mental note of it. The next morning I gave the blade another 30 passes before shaving. I felt the blade was more dull than before. It almost seems to me this was due to the stropping. As an unscientific test, I used a fresh blade on the fourth day with the stropping attachment (but without stropping) and I feel I got a really decent shave!

My overall impression is I like the Duplex and I think it shaved well! I'm going to pass it on to my step-brother to introduce him to straights without the need for a strop and hone. I'm considering picking one up myself.

Points of note:

-The Duplex appears to be plated brass, which is nice because rust is not a concern.

-If you acquire one, I DEFINATELY recommend you seek one that includes the "stropping attachment." My extremely brief experience in using it to actually strop a disposable blade made me feel it might not be worth it for that, but for shaving it made the razor for me. With that holding the blade on instead of the guard it felt just like using a straight.

-The one I purchased also came with a number of original blade that were used, but not rusted. They actually appeared to be of a better quality than the carpet blades. perhaps the original blades are worth stropping and maybe even honing. That's more effort than I want to put into it at the moment, but I'm planning to pass the old blades on to my step-brother and give him the option to clean and maybe refurbish them.

[headdoc]

You have come across with a fairly good idea. I think I'll also try to locate one of these to give my Brother in Law (maybe my Mother in Law also). I think I'll also toss in a tube of Caswell Massey shave creame as a bonus..
Thanks for the good ideas
Headdoc

[kestrel]

Finnigan

Any photos of the Duplex and stropping attachment? I've passed up a number of Durhams because blades are not available, but if the industrial ones can be made serviceable I might just pick one up and try it out.

Thanks for idea!

Graham

[Finnigan]

I don't have a pic, but I'll see what I can do. Hell, the vintage blades it came with were so clean, I really theing they could be made usable as well.

[Finnigan]

Alright, I'm going to link some pictures.

The "stropping attachment" (as I saw it called somewhere) is the part seen in the upper right of the set on the right.


It's the bottom piece in the midle in this picture.

[kestrel]

Finnigan

Thanks for your quick response. Now that I know ahat to look for I've got a new razor to chase!

Best Regards

Graham

[FaPat5]

I have had one of these for ages (though in a different case). Never thought someone would try shaving with one.

[kestrel]

FatPat5

What the %&##? You wanna live forever?

Best Regards

Graham

[FaPat5]

What the %&##? You wanna live forever?

Excuse me?

[Finnigan]

It's a Conan reference I think. Basically it means take a chance.

[kestrel]

FatPat5


Kidding. I meant "Why not take a chance for the heck of it?"

No offense meant, I assure you.

Best regards,

Graham

[FaPat5]

Hmm, I think I'll pass. The 2 blades in there are a little rusted (not on the cutting edge though I think), and don't look overly forgiving. I know that blades that look just like them are still made by Durham Duplex, though they are industrial blades. Probably not worth shaving with.

[Finnigan]

I was just browsing through the McMaster Carr online catelog for work and I decided to look up the blades. Indeed you can get 100 for ~$22. However, I noticed something. Those blades are listed as .017" thick. They also sell blades that are .015" think in a pack of 5 for $2.12. I'm going to order a pack and compare them.

[the real monkeyboy]

Sorry if this has been covered, I am new to the board. The reason they are called Durham Duplexs is because you can use them as a straight razor or a sort-of safety razor. The carpet knife blades are made by the original Durham Duplex company, and come in carbon, stainless, and Ti Nitrate coated. They are sold under many brand names, but are basically the exact same thing. They also come in 2 thicknesses. .015" and .017". I have had better luck with the thinner ones. The new blades I have tried were the uncoated .015" variety by Stanley, and I like them much more than my new old stock ones. They are a hair less wide than the originals, which seems to work better with the safety attachment. In terms of sharpness, with the safety gizmo I get about as close of a shave as I do with a few of my better old single or double edged safety razors. I have not bothered to try it with the carpet blades naked in the other head, as I much prefer my old salamander wedge if I am going to play with a straight razor. Before I dicovered the carpet blades, I used the vintage blades when I could find them, and was not overly impressed. I did find that if I honed them on a small beveled sharpening stone made for resharpening double-edged blades, they tended to work better. But the performance was far from spectacular.

-Mb

[Finnigan]

I haven't updated this in a while. The blade I started with were marketed as "Personna" and I believe they were coated .017. They were also blue (don't know if they were actually "blued.")

I did get the .015 and they were marketed by Stanley and were not blue, and to the naked eye they had a smoother bevel. I did like the Stanley blades better.

I have to agree that the shave was not as nice overall as a true straight, but I think the DD makes a nice introductory razor, especially with the guard for someone who is a bit timid about putting a naked blade to their face. I passed a set off to my step brother as a gift a week ago. I've had no report yet how he's done with it.

Some of the key factors for me are that my step bro expressed an interest in straights, but I know he is not the kind of person to persue it, especially as busy as he is running 2 family businesses and raising 4 kids. The DD was cheap, and he doesn't have to worry about a strop or a hone to start playing with it. I told him if he likes it I'll help him delve further into straight razor shaving.

[the real monkeyboy]

I'm telling you guys. It is like a straight razor with training wheels. I got mine back when I was collecting old razors for research on a short story. It was tossed in with a lot of old double and single edged safety razors. I started using it because I thought it might be fun, and there was no way I would ever use one of those dangerous-looking straight razors near my throat. Little did I know... But they are a good way to get over the anxiety and intimidaton that comes with trying a straight razor, especially if you don't know there are boards out there full of people who can walk you through it.

-Mb

[MooingLizard]

I'm happy to have stumbled across this thread, gives me some new ideas.

I'm two shaves into using a DD that only has the comb attachment, and I like it. I'll be buying the carpet blades that MB and Finnigan recommended shortly, but until then I'm still using a vintage blade.

If anyone comes across the other, non-comb attachment (strop attachment, whatever you want to call it) in an antique store or wherever, I'll take it if it's $10 or less, before shipping (roughly the price of a new, complete set on eBay), and trade or pay you for it.

This is definitely a nice change of pace from DEs, though it now means that I have four razor types and blades (DEs, injectors, gems, and DDs) to keep up with.

[the real monkeyboy]

Oh, I forgot to mention, DD made a DE safety razor that looks more like the standard ones. Just MUCH bigger. I have one, but I have not tried it yet.

[MooingLizard]

Oh, I forgot to mention, DD made a DE safety razor that looks more like the standard ones. Just MUCH bigger. I have one, but I have not tried it yet.

When you do try it out let me know. I saw those on the 'Bay, including one with a Gillette blade in it , but know nothing about them. Not sure how maneuverable they'd be, especially on side-to-side passes and under the nose, but they are interesting.

[Finnigan]

Actually I have seen two models of those. One looks like a taditional Gillette only with a longeer head, the other has a more modern shape to it making it look more like an injector.