Our Services
About Our Shop
Karl Johnson is a retired U.S. Navy Masterchief and Viet Nam veteran. He was also a gunsmith at the Brunswick Gunshop for several years and a Manufacturing Supervisor for over 14 years in a powdered metal factory in Portland. While researching the family genealogy for his grandfather, who was a barber in Caribou, Maine at the beginning of the 20th century, he developed his passion for straight razors. He is pleased to be able to pursue that passion with you by offering the finest in restoration and honing services.
How the process works: You contact us through e-mail and we discuss your desires for honing or restoration work. With agreement you ship the razor to me. Once I receive the razor for a hands on evaluation I will e-mail you with my recommendations, a quote and an estimated completion time. (For restorations typically 1 week)
With your agreement to the work/quote the work will begin. When the work is complete I will send an e-mail and a PayPal invoice. Pictures will be attached to the e-mail if there is a restoration. When the invoice has been paid I will ship/return the razor. It’s a pretty straight forward process sometimes requiring a few back and forth e-mails to discuss the work.
What We Offer
Honing
The bevel of the razor is reset and it is honed on a succession of progressively finer water stones until the razor is 'Razor Sharp'. It is then stropped on linen and leather until 'Shave Ready'. Finally it is test shaved, re-stropped, sterilized, oiled and returned to its owner.
Vintage Restoration
The blade and scales are returned as near as possible to the factory original condition.
Custom Restoration
The blade can be restored to a finish finer than when it left the factory. New scales are made in the material choice of the customer with reproduction collars as selected.
Our mission statement: We treat all honing and restorations as if they were our own. We will not sacrifice quality of workmanship and rush a razor through the process. Any work we have done that is found to be defective will be fixed and all work will be completed in as timely a manner as possible.