William Greaves, one of Sheffield's most important razor manufacturers, produced steel razors in the early 1800s by establishing the factory called Sheaf Works, which is still standing today. The company name was later changed to Greaves & Sons and was acquired by B. J. Eyre in 1850. The steel and tool part of the factory was purchased by Thomas Turton in 1845 and continued production until 1919. The Turton name was later purchased by Frederick Mappin and continued production for a short time. All the names mentioned here are very valuable in the shaving community.
The Thomas Turton & Sons Straight Razor we have is a very old model of about 120-140 years. Although its size has worn down to 4/8” over the years, but it has not lost anything from its proportion and steel quality. This wedge type razor has a smile edge and a longer blade than usual. It is made of high quality steel that is very soft, comfortable and easily honed and stropped. We made some curvy scales from buffalo horn for this rare model. We recommend it to our friends who are looking for a rare model.
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.