For generations, men traveled to a barber for a weekly or regular shave with a straight razor. The invention and mass production of disposable razor blades provided men the convenience of shaving from home without the stropping and honing that is required of straight razors. While most switched to safety razors or cartridge razors, many still prefer the traditional style of the straight edge razor. The Parker SR1 Stainless Steel Straight Edge Razor offers the convenience of disposable blades with the look and feel of the iconic straight razor.
At first glance, the No. 105 “En Vogue” Ivory Micarta Straight Razor looks like any other quality straight razor produced by Dovo. It is a standard size and shape, and the ivory color scales have a traditional grain. However, on closer inspection, this razor has a hidden surprise. The ice tempered frozen steel is decorated with a beautiful swirl on the blade that loosely mimics a Damascus steel pattern. More imporantly, the high-quality stainless steel maintains a very sharp edge. The No. 105 is classic with a contemporary twist.
When it comes to traditional shaving in today's world, people typically are drawn to either Double Edge (DE) razors or Straight Blade razors. Both are excellent workers and have their fans; however, there is a small niche market in the Straight Blade category that deals with Straight Blade razors that have disposable blades.
Among the benefits of enjoying traditional shaving is the ability to meet exceptional people. A few years ago, I befriended Joe Chandler, a gifted straight-razor craftsman. I have had the priviledge of owning a razor from his early days as well as some newer models. Without a doubt Joe's work is some of the best out there.
If you have visited any forum on the Internet dedicated to wet shaving, you have most likely run across chatter about that 'cheap' straight razor from Poland. The Wapienica, or Wapi for short, is an inexpensive, but highly regarded straight razor made in the 70s for use in Russian hospitals. The are all steel construction, including the scales, as they were autoclaved after use on patients for sterilization. All Wapis are sourced out of Poland and are new, old stock, which means they are unused. Supposedly a large stockpile was found in Poland that was never used, therefore they are being sold off by a Polish eBay seller.