This straight razor comes from the brand SWEDISH STEEL FORGING CO (Svenska Stalsmides Aktich-SSA), which was active in Sweden Eskilstuna between 1918-20. The factory was originally founded in 1874 by Johan Engström, one of Sweden's most important cutting tool manufacturers, under the name "Fabriksaktiebolaget Johan Engström". After his death in 1917, the factory completely ceased production. It is purchased by Fahle Hammer in 1918 and renamed as SWEDISH STEEL FORGING CO (Svenska Stalsmides Aktich-SSA). With the renewal of all buildings and machines, the company was able to produce 5000 razors a day and exported cutlery to countries such as Canada and America. Despite this success, SSA only lasted for three years, so these straight razors are hard to come by in Europe.
This Swedish Steel Forging Co - SSA Straight Razor is a 4/8”, near wedge quarter hollow straight razor. Unlike traditional Swedish straight razors, it has a harder and tougher steel, reminiscent of German straight razors. A 100-year-old, serious razor with no joke, despite being smaller scale. With proper honing and stropping it reaches to a very high sharpness. We chose to make the scales from serious looking hornbeam burl, which suited well to the razors masculine character.
It would provide good shaves regardless of beard type and we recommend it to experienced users.
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.