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PIF - Shave-ready T.R. Cadman "Bengall" Straight Razor

rbscebu

rbscebu

Mr. Strop
This PIF would best suit a beginner into the gentlemanly art of straight razor (SR) shaving. What is being offered is a shave-ready (to my standard) T.R. Cadman "Bengall" straight razor plus instructions if required.

https://imgur.com/B4cz5Us
https://imgur.com/gKXkxL5

Characteristics:

Manufacturer = T.R. Cadman & Sons Ltd, Sheffield, England
Year of Manufacture = late 1920s to early 1940s
Blade material = high carbon steel
Blade width = 17mm (⅝)
Point style = Dutch (round)
Grind = full hollow
Bevel angle = 17.7°
Stabilizers = one each side
Scales material = plastic
Pins = two of nickel allow
Mass = 41g

Rules:

1. This PIF is open to members worldwide.
2. You must have been a member of P&C on 30 August 2023.
3. The winner is to pay postage within 72 hours of winning (see postal rates below).
4. Entries close 0059hrs UTC Friday 08 August 2023.

How to enter:

Just post in this thread "I'm in", your country of residence and in about 100 words tell why you would like this SR.

The winner will be selected by Levy, my very smart Kelpie dog, and notified here on P&C soon after the PIF closes. The winner will then have 72 hours to pay the postage via PayPal G&S. If postage is not received by then, Levy will choose a new winner.

Postage Rates:

Australia = AU$2.70
New Zealand = US$11.40
Asia/Pacific = US$14.00
US/Canada = US$15.70
Europe/UK & Brazil = US$19.25
Rest of world = US$23.00
 
Agree with the above - super generous of you @rbscebu (y)(y)(y)

Hope you can convert someone into straight shaving (although not me, as I'm not in)
 
If this PIF goes well, l have a few more items that I might pass on to others every month or two.

This PIF is not restricted to beginners in SR shaving. It is just that I like to encourage other worthy gentlem into the finer arts.

I also teach basic straight razor shaving for free to men in Mareeba, Queensland. So far I have graduated 9 students and 7 of those have continued on to develop their personal SR shaving technique.
 
Whilst I don't want to be seen as a PIF whore as I recently picked something up I have been considering a straight razor for some time now so I have to say I'm in .
I've been using a DE for about 8 years and been doing wet shaving for the last 1.
I've really enjoyed the whole ceremony and personal time with it. I've wanted to give a straight razor a go but have never been sure about a shave ready one so this is the perfect opportunity if it's prepped and ready to go.

Location Sydney
 
I’m in. Have a very similar Bengal SR in my den (bit rougher state of repair) inherited from my great grandfather. Toyed with the idea of getting it professionally honed, but skimped out and tried sorting it myself on a cheap two-grit whetstone from ebay. Predictably that didn’t result in a nice shave (could barely pass the arm hair sharpness test), so I have never pursued SR shaving since. If this is shave ready, I’d love to give it a run.
 
I am assuming that the winner will already have suitable shaving soap and brush. He will also need a strop. A reasonably good leather and denim strop can be purchased on AliExpress for about AU$20 including shipping. If no strop, a folded piece of newspaper will suffice. It will all be in the instructions.

As an added bonus, when required, I will refresh the blade's edge for free. Just cover postage both ways.

If you find that SR shaving is not for you, all I ask is that you return the razor to me. I will then refresh the blade's edge and PIF it to another member.
 
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Now that there are some entrants in this PIF, this morning I honed the razor and took it for a test shave (the only true test of a razor's edge). This SR passed with flying colours. I doubt that the blade's edge can be made any keener.

Bevel was initially set on a 1k synthetic and bevel-setting finished on 3k. Edge refinement was done on 8k followed by 10k synthetics. From there it was onto 3μm (about 12k) and 1μm (about 25k) lapping films before finishing on a full diamond pasted balsa strop progression of 0.5μm, (50k), 0.25μm (100k) and 0.1μm (200k). Then stropped on clean leather before the shave test.

After the very successful shave test, the blade was maintained on 0.1μm pasted balsa (hanging), stropped on clean leather and finally protected with a Renaissance wax and polish. The SR has now been put away ready to be posted.

For sanitation, I autoclave my whole head before and after each shave. If you are worried about catching any of my communicable diseases, you can disinfect this blade yourself 😁.
 
StratMan said:
you know what... after all I said in the previous topic.. I am in!!

If I find its not for me I'll PIF myself, would not of cost me anything and I'll know if its not for me.... if I end up loving it, well dam.. might end up in another dam rabbit hole :cool:
Click to expand...
👏 👏 👏
Well done! :D
 
StratMan said:
you know what... after all I said in the previous topic.. I am in!!

If I find its not for me I'll PIF myself, would not of cost me anything and I'll know if its not for me.... if I end up loving it, well dam.. might end up in another dam rabbit hole :cool:
Click to expand...
If you can read and follow instructions, your shaving life will be changed forever.
 
Ozymandias said:
I’m in. Have a very similar Bengal SR in my den (bit rougher state of repair) inherited from my great grandfather. Toyed with the idea of getting it professionally honed, but skimped out and tried sorting it myself on a cheap two-grit whetstone from ebay. Predictably that didn’t result in a nice shave (could barely pass the arm hair sharpness test), so I have never pursued SR shaving since. If this is shave ready, I’d love to give it a run.
Click to expand...

I'd be more than happy to have a look at it and restore it for you, if you'd like. Shoot me a PM if it is something you'd be interested in.
 
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