This is a 6/8” size, half hollow Barber's Special model of the Imperial Razor Company (1893-1938) owned by Adoph Kastor which was operating between 1856-1940.
We prepared some stunning hornbeam burl scales for this century old wide and heavy straight razor. There are traces of corrosion on the surface and the razor has seen moderate usage. It has a high carbon content very hard steel that can easily reach to very high sharpness.
We recommend Imperial Razor Co. Barber’s Special to our customers who want an effective shaving, large straight razor that is able to give a super close shave in one pass.
Straight Razor Care Instructions
Unlike any other shaving tools, straight razors require special care. The cutting edge must be protected from impacts and contact with any hard surface. After each shave you must clean and dry your straight razor with a soft paper towel without touching the very edge and strop it to keep it sharp. You can strop on the canvas side of your strop to clean the cutting edge after each shave. Please do not try to sharpen your straight razor by yourself if you don’t have adequate honing experience, otherwise you can cause irreparable damage. You may consult our straight razor honing service. If you won’t be using your straight razor for a long time, it’s best to cover it with a thin coat of oil to keep it rust free. This is especially important for straight razors with carbon steels, as carbon steel is very prone to rust in humid conditions. Keep your straight razor in a dry place and out of children’s reach.
CAUTION: Straight razors are serious tools for experienced users who know their faces, skins, whisker types and how to lather well. They can cause serious accidents and injuries in the hands of people without enough experience. If you’re enthusiastic about traditional wet shaving but don’t have the experience needed for using a straight razor, then we recommend checking out our double edge safety razors first.
Please note; comes only as straight razor; stand image was added as reference.