Description
Handmade in France
Hand made, unique, always special, Thiers-Issard are the most hollow and flexible razors in the world still made today, producing for nearly 100 years in Thiers, France, in the traditional methods unique to this most special of nations.
The “1196”, with its “Evide Sonnant Extra” motif, is the basic model round point razor (offered in either 5/8″ or 6/8″) in their tremendously-thin extra hollow grind, ‘275’ on the label further denoting that both sides are given the basic satin polish. This 6/8″ size razor’s supplied with a black leather sheath/pouch, shared for all the Evide Sonnant Extras.
File jimps are present on the bottom of the tang, and a notch is present on the top. The resin ‘Black Mechanism’ scales, entirely unique to Thiers-Issard, are not shared with any others and not offered by themselves; it is a large price delta but it makes the razor visually exceptional.
In shaving with straight razors the majority of my lifetime now and having owned and used hundreds, a basic no-frills late-1990s to early 2000s copy (only remember which apartment living when got it & dates of those leases) of this same ole ‘Evide Sonnant Extra’ razor is the finest shaving tool I’ve ever put to face, and when I got it new its bevel form was wavy as a funhouse mirror. As Sam Cassell might possibly decree, never mind how I look, just gimme the damn rock. While it isn’t a fancy looking TI among TIs, the Evide Sonnant Extra absolutely can shave you simply magically close.
“Shave Ready”?
This business is wholly centered upon the sale of one hollow ground straight razor to one shaver one at a time; “1 str8rzr alone” is ~50% of all our orders. You may elect to have your Thiers-Issard with its factory edge (which we think is exceptional, but that’s just one subjective opinion, and opinions vary) or further honed by ‘TSS’, as only you see fit; there is not a right or wrong answer. ‘TSS’ rather doubts the worth of debating this ‘Shave Ready’ concept today; anyone can bandy that term about as if objective, meaningful information (like a sprinter’s time), but in fact it is completely subjective.
If you elect for the factory edge, you’ll receive your razor exactly as its manufacturers intended…pretty simple!
If you elect for The Superior Shave to further hone your razor, this TI shall be honed in the manner taught in 2016 to The Superior Shave’s proprietor by two kind Solingen master grinders (whom did/do not work for Dovo, but do use similar 1840s grinders’ textbooks methods). Regardless of their poor refinement compared to further-honed ‘Honemeister’ edges on offer, some physical elements of factory edges remain superior to most further honing attempts. The Superior Shave will devote the extra time to your razor a dying industry cannot afford in overhead, without taking away the factory edge’s inherently advantaged geometric metrics. We’re confident we offer the materially thinnest further-honed-by-vendor edge available for purchase – you’ll need to try that to understand why it matters. Please note: in the professional opinions of German and French razor grinders, a straight razor is not properly honed unless flush to the hone, without tape, so visual evidence of honing is unavoidable when honing is performed correctly according to its makers (we add Vaseline to your razor’s faces and use compatible honing fluid to help a little).
We hone with a method best coined as “the opposite of tape“ where a hone’s geometry’s wholly catered to performance of the razor and to no other concern. Unfortunately, this topic cannot be discussed upon any English-based straight-razor-centric forum because a select group of e-enthusiasts cannot abide such open discourse. Be encouraged to think for yourself, and let your beard and sense of touch be the judge; there is a lot of misinformation out there, much purportedly from experts! We wish you good shopping, and Happy Shaving.
