Presenting ... the Durham Artist Club

pjgh · Saturday March 22, 2014

Hi folks - you might have caught the other day that I scored a lovely celluloid scaled Durham Duplex and proceeded to boil it along with a bunch of other tin scored that day, and ... yes ... the scaled warped.

Necessity being the mother of invention, I got my thinking cap on and decided that a Kamisori was the way to go. Incidentally, Durham also made straight handled versions, usually as stroppers, but some folks I guess liked to shave with them and ultimately, dogs got "dressed" with them.

So, presenting ... the Durham Artist Club!

Five inches of bamboo, soft inside anyway, so bored out to 7mm internal diameter or a gnat's whisker off and eased the de-scaled Durham Duplex into it.

Several attempts were needed since either sawing damaged the ends or the drilling split the wood, but once all the right elements came together ... it worked out well.

Made in Sheffield, England ... bodged in Halifax, England ... keeping Yorkshire history alive

Norfolkdick · Saturday March 22, 2014

pjgh said:
Hi folks - you might caught the other day that I scored a loved celluloid scaled Durham Duplex and proceeded to boil it along with a bunch of other tin scored that day, and ... yes ... the scaled warped.

Necessity being the mother of invention, I got my thinking cap on and decided that a Kamisori was the way to go. Incidentally, Durham also made straight handled versions, usually as stroppers, but some folks I guess liked to shave with them and ultimately, dogs got "dressed" with them.

So, presenting ... the Durham Artist Club!

Five inches of bamboo, soft inside anyway, so bored out to 7mm internal diameter or a gnat's whisker off and eased the de-scaled Durham Duplex into it.

Several attempts were needed since either sawing damaged the ends or the drilling split the wood, but once all the right elements came together ... it worked out well.

Made in Sheffield, England ... bodged in Halifax, England ... keeping Yorkshire history alive

Greetings Paul

Bloody hell Paul that looks positively agricultural, no wonder they were used mainly for dog grooming, I suspect if you had a King George/Czar Nicky beard they would be ideal for a 'tidy up' but I don't think I would like to put it to my face!

Regards
Dick.

pjgh · Sunday March 23, 2014

Who says I don't?

Oh, Dick ... I did my utmost to keep it Edwardian. I mean, if I had sent one of these things out to a pal in the orient and he'd gone even a little bit native, those scales would have been whipped off and bamboo strapped on before you could say boo to the goose that was in your dinner!

You know what? I've had so much fun with my Feather AC and so much fun with these carpet blades, I just thought I'd put them together. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have the best shave of my life and I'm going to thumb my nose to the lot of you!

Actually, this particular head is not the softest of the DDs. It's quite a straight comb. I would not put the stropper/blade combo near my face. Maybe that's what you were looking at?

Tim B · Sunday March 23, 2014

I was looking at the Durham Duplex website last week. They make all manner of industrial blades, and still make blades for their 'old soldiers' who still use the safety razor, siince the blades are not standard double edge blades.

So I reckon that if the shavepocalypse happens, industrial blade manufacturers could easily turn their hand to making DE blades.

pjgh · Tuesday March 25, 2014

... and it shaved very nicely indeed.

Fourth run with the blade and by this time it's getting dull but in no way dragging. Quick strop on a leather belt and we're back in business. I've bought a proper strop in the meantime - just a cheap one since I figured if these blades revive on a leather belt, they'll do fine on a cheap strop.

DDs are fast becoming my favourite shave!

Okeydokey · Tuesday April 8, 2014

Fascinating stuff, thanks for sharing!

cheesepiece · Tuesday April 8, 2014

That's sublime ingenuity.
I like it a lot.

hellofromme · Wednesday April 9, 2014

Bet I am not the only person who pulled their DD out of a drawer and looked at it for the first time in ages last night!

Great idea - thanks for sharing.

My DD has a blunt blade - I may try to hone/strop it up for fun

pjgh · Wednesday April 9, 2014

You can but new blades ... they're er-hum "dog dresser" blades but inside, they're Personna Carbons. If you've a vintage blade, yeah, give it a strop, perhaps a hone.