FENDRIHAN the blog

The hand-finished Edwin Jagger double-edge razors are sharp not only when it comes to their shiny edges but also when taking into consideration their innovative design, meant to fit the needs of the contemporary gentleman. E. Jagger also manages to elevate the act of getting a clean shave from no more than a routine to a unique experience by using proficient, stylish shaving accessories.

This British company, founded in 1988 in Sheffield, England has smoothed its way into the grooming product manufacture developing as a family-run business with a personal input. Owner and founder Neil Jagger is the mastermind behind the unrivaled flawless products desired by men who value professionalism, craftsmanship and luxury.

Nowadays, a renowned brand associated over the last two decades with the world’s finest shaving accessories, the Edwin Jagger company delivers sophistication all over the world.

The artful creations which turned this name into one of the foremost European grooming manufacturers, individualize themselves through the fact that every piece is created by Mr. Jagger himself. Following the belief that absolute perfection is a consequence of hand finishing, the expert men accessories trace back to the traditional English quality style, keeping an eye on future orientations. With the personal consideration of the connoisseur, no wonder that the luxurious outcome is characterized by attention to the finest detail!

Developed in the home of the steel and cutlery industries, the Jagger shaving products incorporate the much appreciated Sheffield craftsmanship in various shaving sets. Sharp, highly-recommended because they offer precision, the Edwin Jagger double-edge razors can be considered exclusive due to their one of a kind design. Using classy materials and eye-catching colors underlining quality of the highest standard, the double-edge razor can fit your personal style.

Pick the ebony elegance, the ivory delicacy or the sleek chrome handle and make a statement through this very masculine act. A smart choice accentuating your good taste would also be an Edwin Jagger shaving gift set offered to your friends and loved ones.

Thinking about skin care, you will not have to worry about the Edwin Jagger brand integrity not translating into their toiletry line. Their shaving creams, shaving soaps and aftershave lotions are manufactured using only genuine natural ingredients which manage to meet the buyer’s highest expectations.

Choose hand finishing and ultimate perfection by picking a dedicated brand which has grown to be a global leader in the grooming product manufacturing! The Edwin Jagger shaving accessories have brought shaving to a whole new level.

DOVO Solingen was one of those initial product lines we added to the Fendrihan Store way back when we were first trying to build an inventory of wet shaving staples. It seems a long time has gone by since then (at least in internet years), but our reverence for DOVO endures.

DOVO is a traditional, world-renowned company that specializes in grooming products for both men and women. It was founded back in the beginning of the 20^th century (1906, to be precise) and has experienced a marked evolution since then. They began as a small business that only produced open razors, but thanks to the high quality products they made, they were able to position themselves as one of the most reputable steel product manufacturers in the world.

This great expansion has exponentially given more choice to its loyal customers, with a variety of grooming products convenient for different tastes and needs. But the core of DOVO’s expertise still lies in its precision instruments, namely their straight razors and other grooming tools, such as manicure scissors; what they call their “masterpieces in steel”. And there’s always their Merkur range of safety razors, which is so worthy of note that it would require one or several posts about it.

DOVO’s exceptional products are made from carbon steel to offer practicality and durability. DOVO is also known for combining style with ease of maneuverability while incorporating precious materials such as gold, silver and ebony in the making of their products.

In their century of existence, DOVO has continued to surpass quality and craftsmanship standards. Thanks to that, they’ve become one of the few steel products manufacturers that carry the “Solingen” name that’s only granted to few highly appreciated companies.

Today, the French brand Thiers Issard evokes images of superbly crafted, precise and durable straight razors, made with noble materials and adorned with beautiful, elegant designs. But the cutlery manufacturer’s history started down a different path, with the entrepreneurial vision of a forger at the end of the 19th century.

Mr. Pierre Thiers, was already well known for his craft when he decided to start a razor company around 1880. Another thing he was famous for was his strength: he was able to pick up 2 sacks of 75 kilos each at once, one in each hand. But we’re certainly glad good fortune had him focus on his business instead of showing off his brute force at a circus act.

In 1905, the company bought a maker of Sabatier kitchen knives and added this product range to their line-up. After that, knives increasingly became an important part of the manufacture, with production peaking around 1970, when Thiers-Issard delivered massive quantities of knives to the United States and to their agent Rowoco. It is around this period when they added the Elephant to their 4-star logo to give shape to the now famous “Thiers-Issard **** Elephant Sabatier” logo.

Keeping its stride, the company acquires the very well-known makers of catering and butchering equipment, Pigeat, which used to supply most of France, and incorporated these articles to their line of products.

Unfortunately, bad management and economic problems with the United States caused the company to go bankrupt in the early 1980s.

Enter present owner, Gilles Reynewaeter, who used to make knives near Thiers. He bought the company in 1984 and brought new life to the different productions, vigorously exporting kitchen knives and even pocket knives (a line he added after he bought a pocket knife company) up to the year 2000.

The Reign of the Straight Razor

To that date the straight razor tradition was kept up at the factory but production was rather muted, hardly accounting for 3% of the factory turnover.  But a spark of interest had been ignited and soon men all around the world were taking interest in straight razor shaving. Sales of cutthroat razors began growing.

When Mr. Reynewaeter realized that the market in straight razors was expanding, he began to invest in better production methods. During the years 2005 to the present, many new manufacturing improvements were implemented.  Examples of a few of the actual changes in production are the following:

• New forging dies were created using computer technology; first for 5/8″, then for 6/8″ and, finally in 2010, 7/8″ forgings were created.  In fact, Thiers-Issard currently is the only company in the world to have an actual 7/8″-size straight razor in production.
• All the old razor grinding machines at the factory were completely reworked giving less play during grinding and thus producing a faster and better fashioning of each straight razor.
• The new C135, Carbonsong Steel, was discovered, studied and used in all new production, giving a higher Rockwell to the finished razor, longer life to the cutting edge, and also a better polish to the finished razor.
• Along with the new steel, new hardening processes were implemented, aided with computer calibration, thus giving better straightness to new production and an easier resharpening for the end user.
• In 2009, a new sharpening machine using a mix of diamond and ceramic polishing mediums was designed, producing what is arguably the best commercial out-of-the-box sharpness among straight razor producers.
• A new gold leafing process was implemented, and though still hand-crafted, the new gold marks are now made of a beautiful 24-karat deposit that is much more difficult to wear off the metal.
• Only just recently, the factory has started improving the length of all of its wooden, horn and bone handles, making them a much better fit for each razor. Also, they have started producing razor handles in startlingly beautiful resin-impregnated woods both natural and in color and have also started cutting and finishing bookmatched desert ironwood handles, perhaps the most beautiful of razor handle woods.
• Finally, the latest advance is a new method of actually sculpting the round backs of their different razors with wonderful patterns.  The first of this kind, boasting sculptured crowns and fleurs de lys, the limited edition Celebration Silver Wing straight razor, was released in 2010.

Thiers Issard has continued to dominate the wet-shaving specialty market by designing and producing its own special razor accessories. Their paddle strops, razor boxes, razor wallets, razor rolls, shaving bowls, shaving brushes with elegant handles in prized materials, such as horn, are in high demand. Its customers can finally find shaving accessories of the highest quality that are designed to be used and loved.

Today, straight razor production and razor accessories make up over 60% of Thiers Issard’s factory production, which is exported throughout the world to countries like Germany, Russia, Canada, United States, England, Belgium, Italy, Spain, to name only a few.

The company aims to keep a delicate balance between technology and artistry: maximizing production using modern methods, while employing the best craftsmanship to produce the finest shaving instruments.