Thread: Charlie Lewis 8/8 Slightly Hollow Humpback

I picked this razor up at RazorCon 2010 and I was ecstatic to own it after spending the day photographing a ton of great blades. Charlie Lewis, aka spazola, made this razor by hand in Texas and I have shaved with it twice now and will update this review as I continue to use it. For now, let's talk about the...

Craftsmanship:
This shave tool gets a 9.5.
The box is simple and functional and says it all on the label:


It's a hand made product and not all the jimps are cut to the exact same depth, but, they are exactly the same distance apart! Lewis has paid attention to every detail of the lines of his razors and this one is no exception.

The Razor:


Note how the blade smile and spine curve match the curve of the scales:


The file work on the spine is well executed, the strong feeling but delicate white linen micarta scales accept the blade perfectly which closes centered.
The blade measures a tad over 8/8 and the grind is just barely hollow.

The spine work:


The Grind:


Despite being a heavier blade, this blade handles like a sports car. The edge is perfect and the smile just mows whiskers down like any name brand vintage. The way the blade on this (and almost all of the Lewis razors I have held) fits in your hand is utterly amazing. More on that in a bit.

Also incredible is the peening. It's almost hard to tell where the domed washers stop and the peened pin end begins.

The peen:


Let's move on to the...

Balance:
The blade is balanced perfectly in the center of the hump. This is the area where Charlie's work really shines! My advice to you: When you first encounter a Lewis razor, hold it and close your eyes. This razor hugs my hand and fingers and holding it makes me smile. The jimps bite into your finger and give you a positive grip with great feed back.

The Jimps and Maker's Mark:


Collectability:
Only time will tell on collectibility, but it is an artisan made product so there won't be tons of them. As soon as more people hold them though, you can expect that they will be in slightly shorter supply. When folks start to shave with them, it will be easier to get yellow cake uranium than these razors!

Price:
Right now is the time to grab one. They are completely hand made and ergonomic! I can't think of a price at which these wouldn't be worth it.

Overall:
This Razor is well conceived design-wise and extremely well executed. The bottom line is every time I look at it I can't help but smile. It's a great feeling that is so hard to beat. Then I pick it up. Holding this razor is a wonder! It just plain feels so good to hold. Now, that comes with one price: the shape of the spine and the tang make it slightly more difficult to strop. I found that for the first 25 or so strokes, I was moving pretty slowly and deliberately. That being said, this is the smallest of prices to pay for such a great shaving experience which begins before you even have the blade to your cheek and ends with a BBS face!

-Rob

This is my dream SR holy shit I need one.

Several folks have asked so...

here is Charlie's website:

Shave the Monkeys

-Rob