"The razor is sharp, but the knife is not a sister"
The material world is constantly being updated. This is one of the main signs of modern life. Outdated things are being replaced by new ones - technologically advanced and branded, as they say now. Old things go into oblivion and gather dust in attics. Sometimes, they fall into the hands of collectors or just enthusiasts and take on a new life and meaning, different from the original utilitarian one. These things already carry a certain philosophy, style, challenge the general course of time.
Why are we talking about this today? The study of the material world gives an understanding that behind every thing is someone's creative energy, talent, perseverance and healthy adventurism. That is why, in the civilized world, it is customary to carefully preserve and study the creations of the hands of previous generations. A technical museum is being created, huge amounts of money are being spent on it. The connection of times through things is felt. And we, it seems to me, have fallen out of the general course of time. Not once breaking, they began to build a new life. We made an attempt to build a society of general equality and equal opportunities. They gave people hope and then gave it up themselves. In this regard, the author has conceived a series of articles about the objects of a bygone era - the "Soviet civilization", which we will try to study through everyday life and the world of things.
Not so long ago, sorting through cabinets, I stumbled upon an old grandfather's "fear". He took a magnifying glass and carefully examined the blade, touched by a touch of rust. "Extra" 1953, stamp of the Moscow plant "STIZ". Black comfortable plastic handle. I touched the blade - sharp, despite the "years of conservation." I remembered a picture from a distant Soviet childhood.
On Saturdays, my grandfather and I always went to the bathhouse. It was a weekly ritual. We stood in line for a long time. The agonizing expectation was brightened up by numerous stories-tales about “how it was before”. Here is our turn. Dressing room with many wooden cabinets. The attendant has the key. Huge stone benches, zinc "gangs", steam, hustle and bustle at the steam room and shower. In a word, do not yawn. After the steam room and a broom, we slowly walked into the dressing room. Grandfather dried himself, put on snow-white crisp underwear. He took out shaving accessories, soap and shaving brush from the bag. He lathered his face and slowly began to shave. It seemed like time stood still for him. So he was absorbed in his work. Razor rules on the belt in advance. Grandfather shaved in several visits, for a long time. No matter how hard he tried, it happened that he would cut himself. He furrows his eyebrows, takes a piece of newspaper and “sticks” it to the wound. She takes out a bottle of Chypre cologne from her bag. Pour it into your palms and then let's pat your cheeks and snort. It's a man's job. Then there will be a buffet. There is beer with vobla, and I have sour cream with tomato juice. It was a long time ago, back in the country that was called the USSR.
It's strange, but some things that seem to have completely gone out of everyday life, suddenly magically take on a new life. Such a metamorphosis occurs with a dangerous razor. Forgotten yesterday by everyone, firmly established in the "flea markets" or, at best, in the collector's box, today she has found a new life. What's the secret? Is it not that the word razor is associated with the word blade, sharp, dangerous. So, a truly masculine thing. The razor requires care, slowness, one might say rituality. She is beautiful in her simplicity of lines, courageous, refined and mysterious. Yes Yes. I didn't make a reservation. The razor holds the secret of processing and hardening metal. And it is no coincidence that the production of a good razor was considered an indicator of the blacksmith's skill in Europe. And the razor traces its history back to the second half of the eighteenth century. In Sheffield, UK and Solingen, Germany, there were centers for the production of straight razors. In Germany, Dovo is still working on the production of straight razors. Finally, many men turned their attention to the razor, as their hands yearned for a man's work. Sharpen the razor, still that wisdom. There was an interest in restoring old razors. The fashion for salon dangerous shaving is reviving.
All this prompted the author to search for information about the subject. There were few materials on the production of straight razors in the USSR. There are good thematic sites and forums. Something you can find right there. Word of mouth, as they say. The subject of study was a dangerous razor in the USSR: the beginning of industrial production, factories, brands of razors, shaving and everything connected with it. The author does not claim to cover the topic completely. However, I considered it not superfluous to leave some technical details in the material, which are designed for collectors and lovers of dangerous shaving.
So, surprisingly, it is a fact that until the middle of 1930 in the USSR the industrial, i.e. there was no mass production of straight razors. Millions of "bearded men" of the Russian Empire, and then the USSR, met the need for straight razors through expensive imports, handicraft production and safe shaving, which was in vogue. In 1904, the American company Gillette patented and began to mass-produce a safety razor. Millions of safety razors entered the Allied army during the First World War. The machine was not widely used among Russian soldiers due to the elementary lack of mirrors and its relative high cost. It was necessary to constantly replenish the supply of replacement blades.
Millions of soldiers returned from the fronts of the German war. They carried straight razors in their shoulder bags as trophies. My grandfather also brought such a trophy razor, only from another war. The razor also served my father until 1962, when he, a Komsomol organizer of the school and an athlete, having received the rank of sergeant in Pecs, was enlisted in the newly created separate regiment of marines. “She shaved softly and cleanly, however, what brand she was, you can’t remember for years.”
Handicraft artels, so the author came across old razors with the stamps of "Skovyatinsky" and "Kondratievskaya Artel", produced razors of various qualities. The steel grade and the production process itself have always been kept in the strictest confidence. The same applied to imported razors. In the 30s. years, scientists from the Leningrad Institute of Metals and the Moscow Institute of Steel studied the properties of blades of imported and domestic razors. More than 20 samples of razors from the world's leading manufacturers were studied.
The razor is subjected to enormous loads during operation. So, scientists have found that the average area of a man's face is about 250 cm square. In one pass, the razor cuts about 25,000 hairs, and there should be two such passes.
Thus, a good razor should meet two main criteria: resistance to constant stress and be quick and easy to sharpen. Of the three types of razors: 1) Lux - very hard, resistant to stress, 2) fairly hard, but easy to edit, 3) soft, can only work with the use of special pastes for sharpening, the second type of razors was chosen by the scientific commission for mass production . The production of luxury razors requires high-quality expensive alloy steel, which is characterized by high brittleness and requires professional sharpening. Based on these indicators, it can be stated that inexpensive middle-class razors were in mass production in the USSR.
Razors vary in blade width from 10mm to 26mm. The shape of the razor does not play a fundamental role. The length of the razor blade ranges from 65 to 85 mm.
The most important point when choosing a razor is the shape of the undercut of the cross section. This is the main indicator of the quality of the razor. According to the German company "Gemini", the undercut of a razor blade can have 14 basic shapes from a rough wedge to almost the limit of thinness of the sting.
If only one tip is sharpened, the cutting angle changes, which sharply worsens the shaving quality. All razors with a cross-sectional shape having concave curves are capable of sharpening and straightening razors in the most perfect and easy way. When sharpening a razor of this shape, only the tip of the blade and the edges of the butt are ground, the entire side surface remains unchanged. However, the creation of undercuts of such shapes requires the presence of high-quality steels and special hardening and tempering, as well as careful machining of the web.
High-quality German razors were made from English Sheffield steel, which in turn is processed from high-quality cast iron produced from the ores of Sweden and Norway. This is such cooperation.
Razors are made from carbon steel. With a carbon content of 1.1-1.4%. Alloy steels (chromium, molybdenum, tungsten). Some German firms added silver to the composition of steels. Stainless chromium steels with a carbon content of 1.4% and chromium 13.8-14.5%.
An analysis of samples from the world's leading razor manufacturers showed that the optimal chemical composition of steel is:
Carbon - 1.2- 1.35%
Chromium 0.5-0.8%
Manganese -0.25-0.3%
Silicon 0.16-0.2%
sulfur and phosphorus are traces.
Of the Soviet steels, XO5 Ost 4958 is the most suitable. In the production of blades, it must be borne in mind that steel must be prepared in a certain way in its structure, no matter how good the chemical composition is, but hardening and tempering plays a decisive role for the steel structure. Strip steel is used for the production of razors. The technical process for the production of straight razors consists of 14-17 basic operations. We will not overload the material with technical terms. Let us clarify that in addition to the chemical composition of the metal, the most important moments in the production of razors are hardening and tempering of the metal. It is they who give the razor blade sharpness and stability in work.
The sting of a well-honed razor is so thin that touching it not only with the handle, but even with the fingers, lowers its original sharpness. Editing the razor on the whetstones is done manually. The most time-consuming operation is sharpening. She took about 17% of the working time. Abroad, straightening a razor takes 30% of the time. Hence the quality.
There were no exact, objective methods for determining the sharpness and durability of razors in the 40-50s. Initially, an attempt was made to use the device of the Japanese researcher of edged weapons Honda. The basic principle of testing the sharpness of razors on the device is that the razor, fixed in the apparatus, cuts a stack of standard paper strips at a constant pressure of 1.5 kg. The initial sharpness of a razor is characterized by a number equal to the number of standard paper strips, a cut in one stroke under load back and forth with a total length of 4 cm. Durability is determined by the number of cuts that a razor can withstand before its original sharpness is reduced by 50%. However, this method of testing the sharpness of razors was found to be imperfect. Razors began to be tested by cutting hair. When checking the sharpness, the hair of blondes was used, due to their great fineness and softness. The most modern way to check sharpness is optical.
Experts say that the most convenient razor, in which the blade has thin radius grooves. Such a razor almost does not require a point, but only editing. Recall that razors in the USSR were produced from XO5 steel at two factories: Trud Vacha, Nizhny Novgorod Region, and the Steel Products Plant in Moscow.
Since the mid-50s, GOST 7126 has been introduced for the production of straight razors. In Moscow, STIZ produced razors of the following brands: Moscow, Sport, Spartak, Narrow, Extra, Novaya, Dvuhzakovnaya, Prima, Nedelnaya (a set of seven razors).
The Trud plant produced razors of the following brands: Oka, Kama, Engraving, Gift, Seagull, Yacht, Spring. It was believed that the razors of the Trud factory were of better quality. There is an opinion among collectors and hobbyists that better razors were produced before the early 60s. Further, the percentage of factory defects increased. The following brands belonged to single-bladed razors: Sport, Prima, Spartak, STIZ-9, Moscow, Oka, Chaika, Yacht, Spring, Novaya. For two-piece razors - STIZ-7, Volga, Kama, Engraving, Gift, Weekly.
We present in this material folk methods for determining the quality of a razor - for sonority and exhalation of steam on the blade. If the steam disappeared from the surface of the blade quickly, then the razor was considered to be of high quality. But, it should be noted that this indicator spoke about the quality of the blade blade polishing, and not about the quality of the razor itself.
In Soviet times, hairdressers recommended using a narrow razor with a blade width of 1.5 cm for a hard beard, a 1.65 razor for a medium beard, and everyone else for soft hair. For coarse hair, old hairdressers recommended razors of the brands Moscow and Dvuhzakovnaya. It is believed that it is better to shave the head with a wide razor, the so-called "shovel", and it is more convenient to shave the face with a narrow "snake". Correcting the razor on the belt, the barber said: "That the belt serves to smooth the sting of the razor so that it is not" rough-sharp "and does not irritate the skin." Men, as a rule, shaved every other day. In the village, shaving was timed to coincide with the bath day. The load on a good hairdresser was serious from 30-45 people per shift. It required a steady hand and a sharp eye. "Drinker" was not hired for such work. Both men and women shaved. A good trophy or factory razor was highly valued. It was considered an expensive and prestigious gift.
It should be noted that until the mid-50s, a straight razor was considered a melee weapon. It was and is a formidable weapon. Wearing it entailed criminal liability. Later, this rule was excluded from the criminal law.
From the “Rules for visitors to hairdressing salons” of 1944 “Visitors in outerwear and galoshes are not allowed into the working (operating) room.
Since the mid-70s, the production of razors has declined. Then, somewhere in the early 80s, it completely stopped. A large amount of manufactured goods accumulated in warehouses. Until now, you can find information that razors from the 60s are sold through the retail network. The razor was replaced by safety razors, which in turn were replaced by disposable razors. Progress does not stand still.
With the departure of dangerous razors from wide use, the skill of sharpening razors is also lost. I must say that now the fashion for a dangerous shave is back again. The demand of enthusiasts and collectors is met by old stocks that have migrated from far corners to the counters of antique and specialty stores. Chinese manufacturers reacted very sensitively and began to mass-produce inexpensive razors. The German company "Dovo", having survived difficult times, is expanding its production.
The old and reliable "fear" is alive. She wins the hearts of men all over the world. After all, this is not a one-time, soullessly stamped machine, but a thing in which the master has invested part of his energy. It has an element of aesthetics. With good care, the razor will last several generations of the family. You pick up the old grandfather's "fear" and become warmer in your soul. The wheel of time continues to move.
All of us have read Ivan Efremov's magnificent novel "The Razor's Edge". I would like to finish the material with the words of the great writer: "Beauty is the right line in the unity and struggle of opposites, that very middle between the sides of any phenomenon. I imagine this measure as something extremely thin - a razor blade."
When writing the material, the author used the following literature:
1. Pomeltsov S.V. Production of dangerous and safety razors, M. 1939
2. Meitardzhyan Kh.A. Haircut and shave M. 1958
3. Arkhangelsky N.A. Reference book of the commodity specialist of industrial goods. M. 1955
I bought a new machine on the Internet flea market. This is still a Soviet razor: made in 1991 at the Vladivostok Tool Plant. I share my impressions.
Plastic machine from the past
A batch of razors was put up for sale by a person unknown to me at an online auction. I bought a machine for testing at a price of about $ 2.5. According to the seller, the machines came to him from a reactivated Soviet-era military warehouse. I have no other information about the origin of the razor.
The machine came to me in a plastic case with an insert label. It's brand new. Time has not affected the razor in any way. Even the metal pin is not rusty.
The manufacturer is indicated on the label: Vladivostok Tool Plant. The equipment, production date and quality control mark are also indicated. The razor was released in April 1991. In those days, I had not yet shaved, but I was actively chasing the ball in the yard.
The machine looks similar to the "Sport - 14". As far as can be judged, the heads of these razors are identical or very close in shape. The Vladivostok version is distinguished by the shape of the handle.
Shaving unit in a plastic box The machine is very light. The plastic is soft. There is a feeling that it can change shape under running hot water. For a long time I did not dare to try the razor just because of its weight. When you pick up a plastic tool after a metal one, you can’t believe that you can shave with this thing.
When I decided to test the Soviet-era machine, I ran into a problem. The blade in this razor becomes skewed by default. Moreover, on the one hand it protrudes stronger than on the other. This is clearly visible in reality, but it is difficult to convey in the photo.
If you look closely, you can see that the blade is oblique The problem is explained simply: machine parts have non-ideal geometry. They also don't fit perfectly with each other.
Razor without blade I already wanted to test the machine with an uneven blade arrangement. Might get a slant effect. After all, there are machines that are considered slants because of the oblique installation of the blade without bending. For example, Alpha Ecliptic slant from Phoenix Shaving was created according to this principle.
Just in case, I tried to straighten the blade. It worked out without any difficulty. It was possible to install the blade exactly in two ways. First: the blade must be installed evenly and pressed against the lid. After that, you can install the stove and handle. Second: just loosen the handle and align the blade with the blunt edges. Screw on the cover after installation.
The blunt edges of the blade protrude For testing, I used Proraso sandalwood soap with standard skin preparation. For the first test, I took a yellow Bic. For me, this is an efficient blade with above average sharpness.
I prepared for the fact that I would have to press hard on the plastic machine. Of course, pressure was required. After "Wunderbar" it was very unusual. But the machine from Vladivostok did not require extra efforts.
Quite easily shaved cheekbones and cheeks. But with the chin and neck had to tinker. Here it took more fidgeting in one place to achieve cleanliness.
After finishing the shave, I was frankly surprised. A razor from the Soviet Union provided a result comparable to or. It was not possible to achieve the same purity as with Wunderbar. This was especially noticeable on the chin.
A day later, I noticed the price of a clean shave with a plastic machine. A terrible inflammation and ingrown hair appeared in the problem area on the neck. It always happens to me when I put pressure on the machine. Apparently, therefore, which shaves perfectly without any pressure at all.
Another observation: the growing bristles turned out to be much stiffer than after the use of the braid cutter. I forgot that facial hair can be so spiky. Apparently, the reason is in the different angles at which the bristles are cut off by machines with a straight and twisted head.
Almost a skew cutter from the Vladivostok plant For the second stage, I chose the green Astra. This is practically a reference blade with an excellent balance of efficiency and comfort. I almost don't feel it in Wunderbar.
In a plastic razor ASP worked worse. The relative softness of the blade affected. It took even more additional fidgeting and passes. The result is also worse. If I had started testing with Astra, I would probably have been disappointed in the machine.
The third stage of testing took place with Feather. For some reason, I was immediately sure that the machine would work well with Japanese blades. Still, from Vladivostok to Japan is within easy reach.
And so it happened. With "feathers" a plastic razor shaves even better than with a yellow Bic. However, the negative did not go anywhere: after shaving with a plastic razor, there were ingrown hairs and inflammation in the problem area on the neck. I explain this by the pressure that is required to cut the bristles when using a light machine.
working version
This is how you can characterize the plastic razor of 1991 in a nutshell. The machine works remarkably well. In Soviet times, a razor cost a penny, so the option was quite worthy. And if you remember that it was created for the soldiers, any questions disappear.
There is no desire to use the razor in the future. Interest satisfied, joined the history. The plastic razor has one theoretical advantage over the Wunderbar: light weight. But even on the road, I would rather take a metal machine with me. 100 grams is not a critical mass.
Out of respect for history, I give the razor from Vladivostok a solid four points. You can shave with it almost without problems.
That's all. Good luck, friends!
Today, dangerous blade seasoning is a sought-after item in fashionable hairdressing salons. However, the old Soviet “fears” have become less and less used due to the loss of their popularity due to the introduction of imported goods. Often, domestic products of the last century are kept as a collection or a souvenir. Some give them to men on some solemn date.
The good old "fear" has long been lying on the shelves of cabinets, because shaving with such a device requires patience, endurance, time. With a modern T-shaped machine, it is easier to make the bristles smooth. Still, our fathers and grandfathers did it much more interesting.
Rocket
The manufacturer is the Steel Products plant in Moscow. "Rocket" comes from the 60s, being called so because of the exploration of outer space, which was very relevant at that time. There is a corresponding inscription and an image on its handle.
The price of this device is about 3 rubles, which is quite loyal for an old-fashioned product by those standards. The inscription of the cost is applied on the handle. Rumor has it that she was not very comfortable, others say she shaved wonderfully, responded well to editing. In terms of sensitivity, the blade is made from soft, not hardened metal. If we compare similar models, they are decorated in different ways, differing in length, sound, metal sensations.
For reference! With a constantly sharpened “fear” blade, when you shave, it will shave the hairs in awe. An ordinary machine, one way or another, stretches the skin, pulling out the hair.
Work
It originates from a labor plant created in the village of Vacha for the production of various products, including one of the high-quality "fear" according to Soviet men. The history of the plant begins in 1830. They have been producing straight razors since the 1920s. Quality was expressed literally in everything: after 80 years of storage, some rarities can boast of an excellent cosmetic condition of the blade.
Among other things, the handles are handmade, some of bog oak impregnated with carnauba wax, Danish oil. After the 1940s, the manufacturer began to brand the devices with the letter "T", putting a dot between the word "Labor" and "Vacha". In people, the model appeared thanks to the Rosinstrument trust.
The canvas is concave by a quarter. The width of the butt, the blade, the length of the blade are different. The head of the device is made in a classic style. In general, it is well suited for use by professionals and beginners alike. The tool weighs about 33 grams (plus or minus depending on the modification). It is comfortable to shave, it is moderately aggressive, with a comfortable blade and grip.
Expert opinion
Alexey Strijnikov
Barber, expert in men's haircuts
When you shave, move the blade with the hair growth. Cleansing better some areas of the face, carefully walk across the skin, shaving the hair against their vegetation.
Gull
Here is an example of this fixture:
The seagull specimen is truly rare, because there is negligible information on this razor on the Internet, although it is still sold as a souvenir item. Here is another view of it - the ZTV seagull, released in 1967:
The handle is in excellent condition, the blade is 16.5 mm wide, butt thickness is 4 mm. Having sharpened it well, your hairs will be shaved with incredible smoothness.
Other
Manufacturers of Soviet "fear" were popular in the first half of the 20th century. Among them, the following factories were engaged in the manufacture:
- Plant "Trud" Vacha.
- Nikolai Yarunin with his son.
- Plant of steel products (STIZ).
- PavMurMet.
Have you ever used a Soviet razor?
Yes, I usedNo never
However, if you compare all brands for suitability, it is difficult to say unequivocally which one is better. After all, every man is close to the model with which he shaved for perhaps decades. But there are razors, reviews of which have proven them very positively:
- Vostok-2.
- Road.
- Rocket.
- Yacht.
- ZTV-Extra.
- Gull.
For reference! Protect the tool from prolonged exposure to damp environments and lubricate it periodically. Be sure to purchase a leather belt, abrasive paste.
What are they made from?
The main material for creating "fear" is steel, which contains from 0.6% carbon. Due to this, the blade is hard, and the cutting edge of the blade has elasticity, elasticity. Also, the razor can be made from stainless steel. The blade of such a device is less susceptible to moisture, but also requires careful maintenance.
Important!"Opaska" is a relatively cheap thing, both in the last century and today. With good care of the blade, it will serve you for many years.
The most suitable alloyed tool steels for straight razor blades are:
- ShKh-15.
- U-10.
- X12-MF.
- Damascus steel. Used in single production. Consists of grades U-8 (65%); ShKh-15(10%); CVG (25).
Alloy steel is a great alternative to stainless steel because it oxidizes more slowly. Making Damascus steel is rare because it is expensive, but the process gives a good density to the blade, shaving gently, neatly. U-8 and ShKh-15 differ in that the second grade is harder, at the same time more fragile, its sharpening will last longer. But she shave harder than the first model.
Forward from the past!
From our publication, you - dear men, have learned about the Soviet "fear". The dangerous razor of the USSR already belongs to the historical past, having received its glory. However, some hobbyists prefer to keep, and some people like to make them for a collection or small sale. Which device to use is up to you. Move forward and be successful!
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