PIF No. 17 (Worldwide) - Shave-ready Bengall ⅝ American Point (Rare) Straight Razor

[LesC]

The Bengall razor, a name that brings back memories, arrived late yesterday. Eagerly, I unboxed it, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. I had owned some Bengall razors around 20 years ago, but they were lost when we were broken into.

What struck me about the branding was the absence of the usual two parallel lines and embossed pattern. The tang stamp also seemed to indicate that this razor wasn’t the usual one in Australian circulation. Intriguingly, it appears to have been made for the BUTLER BROS of NEW YORK & CHICAGO, a mail-order company established in Chicago in 1877. I surmise they set up contracts with cutlers to supply goods for their catalogue at a marked-up price.

The razor’s appearance was a sheer delight. It was in pristine condition, with a mirror polish on the blade and beautiful black scales. Some might argue that a mirror polish detracts from the historical ambiance of a vintage razor. However, I believe that restored to its original state, this is how the original owner may have received it. The scales were in remarkable condition, scratch-free and a beautiful dark black colour.

The razor’s size is akin to a German razor I own, so I had some expectations of how it would handle. It came with a wonderful edge that tree-topped effortlessly and passed the hanging hair test with flying colours. Rbscebu has sent me a Gold Dollar before, and it was sharp, but this seemed a notch sharper. Perhaps it’s the quality of the steel.

The shave was nothing short of exceptional. After the first pass, my face was pretty much done, and the second pass led to a pleasing BBS. It was all over before I knew it, akin to the fleeting thrill of sideshow rides.

Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t do it justice, as the sun was obscured by clouds and the lighting wasn’t too bright. Nonetheless, here is a photo to commemorate the occasion of a ‘new’ razor joining the flock.

A heartfelt thank you to Rbscebu for your generosity. I’ll treasure this razor for years to come

https://imgur.com/a/txYjIIS

@Straight up really pleased you enjoyed it, I shave 95% of the time with a Kamisori so was happy to send to @rbscebu to PIF and not gathering dust here!!
LesC

 

[rbscebu]

@Straight up, credit should also be given to @LesC who donated this razor to our SR cause. All I really had to do was freshen up the edge on diamond pasted balsa, shave test it and organise the PIF.

I still have a few donated SRs to restore and PIF but now, as a homeowner (rather than a renter), I find that I have less time to devote to my SR restoration hobby. I will try and make more time available soon.