The Cranford

These pix are not of my razor unfortunately, but you get an idea of the quality from this restored example.

S. Droeshcher was a wholesaler of various branded Solingen blades which suffered from the anti-Boche hysteria of WWI and the postwar years and opened the Cranford Razor Works which was active for just a few years 1920-1924. Aficionados concur that razors of US steel are as good as anything. I got this razor as a lot with another American straight (Union Cutlery which became Ka-Bar) and I have to say I like the edges they can hold. The only problem is the damned learning curve - if you 'learned' with a pivoting head cart or disposable like I did, you will be a babe in the woods when it comes to wielding a straight. As they say, 'YMMV' but I find the 9/16 size of The Cranford to be about perfect. On a good day I can do a full WTG and a partial XTG. I've experimented with various grips to do ATG but damn! Compared to the utter abandon I have using any kind of safety razor, learing to 'drive' a straight is a BITCH!

I'm one of the freaks who actually enjoys the whole honing/stropping process, getting to a shave ready edge, but I have to date only had one straight shave where I didn't need to use a 'safety' to finish. Hopefully that will change, because let's face it - what could be manlier? A soup can lid? A piece of glass?